Osaka Castle / 663highland · CC BY 2.5
ITINERARY
Osaka in 2 Days: Osaka Castle to Tsutenkaku, Then Dotonbori to Umeda6 stops, in the order with the least travel time
Osaka's main sights are split between Kita (the north, around Umeda) and Minami (the south, around Namba). Which side you stay on makes a big difference to how easy the city is to get around.
Planned and checked by Waka Travel (Japan) ·
- Trip
- 2 days, 1 night
- Stops
- 6
- Total travel
- 4 h 8 mintrain & bus
- Stay
- Nippombashi Station areaWhere to stay ↓
Saves 1 h 12 min of travel compared with the obvious order(5 h 20 min → 4 h 8 min)
Assumes you arrive at Osaka Station at 10:30 on day 1 and are back at Osaka Station by 16:30 on the last day (a typical schedule when coming from the Tokyo area).
Route and arrival times
All times are Japan time (JST), in 24-hour format.
Day 110:30–16:33 · travel 2 h 3 min
- 10:30Osaka Station 大阪駅Depart
- ↓ Travel 34 min
- 11:04Osaka Castle 大阪城1 h
- 12:04Lunch 1 h
- ↓ Travel 40 min
- 13:44Abeno Harukas あべのハルカス1 h
- ↓ Travel 20 min
- 15:04Tsutenkaku Tower 通天閣1 h
- ↓ Travel 29 min
- 16:33Nippombashi Station area 日本橋駅周辺Stay here tonight
Day 209:00–16:05 · travel 2 h 5 min
- 09:00Nippombashi Station area 日本橋駅周辺Leave your hotel
- ↓ Travel 9 min
- 09:09Dotonbori 道頓堀1 h
- ↓ Travel 50 min
- 10:59Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan 海遊館2 h
- 12:59Lunch 1 h
- ↓ Travel 55 min
- 14:53Umeda Sky Building 梅田スカイビル1 h
- ↓ Travel 12 min
- 16:05Osaka Station 大阪駅Arrive
Travel times are estimates based on straight-line distance. They don't include transfers, timetables or opening hours (how far off they can be).
Where to stay
Night 1: Nippombashi Station area. An area with plenty of hotels, close to the first stop the next morning.
Visiting different places? Where to stay (general guide)
General guidance, not calculated by this site.
| If you're mainly visiting | Area to stay |
|---|---|
| Dotonbori and Tsutenkaku (Minami) | Namba / Shinsaibashi 難波・心斎橋 |
| Osaka Castle and Umeda (Kita) | Umeda / around Osaka Station 梅田・大阪駅周辺 |
| Kaiyukan and Universal Studios Japan (Bay Area) | Bentencho / Cosmosquare 弁天町・コスモスクエア |
| Also visiting Kyoto or Kobe | Around Osaka Station 大阪駅周辺 |
We don't link to hotel booking sites on English pages yet. Search for the area name on the booking site you use.
If you have time
- Shitenno-ji 四天王寺
- Sumiyoshi Taisha 住吉大社
Left out to keep each day manageable.
Why this order
3 notes
- Day 1 runs south from Osaka Castle to Tennoji (Abeno Harukas and Tsutenkaku Tower), and you stay near Nippombashi Station. Day 2 goes from Dotonbori out to Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan on the bay, then ends at the Umeda Sky Building before you head back to Osaka Station.
- On the last day you finish at Umeda Sky Building and get back to Osaka Station in 12 min (arriving 16:05).
- Night 1: Nippombashi Station area. It's 29 min from Tsutenkaku Tower, the last stop of the day, and 9 min to Dotonbori, the first stop the next morning. There are plenty of hotels in the area.
FAQ
Can you see these 6 classic Osaka sights in 2 days?
Yes. In this order, even the longest day ends around 16:33, and travel adds up to 4 h 8 min over 2 days (travel times are estimates based on straight-line distance).
Where is the most convenient area to stay in Osaka?
Where you stay on this itinerary: Nippombashi Station area. It sits between the last stop of one day and the first stop of the next, and there are plenty of hotels in the area.
How long should I spend at Kaiyukan?
This itinerary allows 2 hours. Lunch comes right after, so you can take your time inside.
Should I stay in Kita (Umeda) or Minami (Namba)?
This itinerary stays near Nippombashi Station: 29 minutes from Tsutenkaku Tower, where day 1 ends, and 9 minutes from Dotonbori, where day 2 starts. As a general guide, Namba and Shinsaibashi suit Dotonbori and Tsutenkaku, Umeda and Osaka Station suit Osaka Castle and Umeda, and the Osaka Station area is handy if you're also going to Kyoto or Kobe.