3 Day Osaka Itinerary

As part of my month away to Japan this year, I spent 3 days in Osaka. This was actually my second time here and I was excited to start off my trip in this incredibly lively prefecture. When creating your itinerary, 3 days in Osaka is the perfect amount of time for exploring, especially if you also plan on visiting other areas in Japan during your stay.

Some of these were new places for me to visit, and some were on my ‘must go back’ list. The Osaka Castle, Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and Dontonbori District were all places that I made sure to set time aside for again. Universal Studios Japan was new on my list and it was the highlight of my Osaka trip! I’ve curated this 3 day Osaka itinerary to help give you ideas on curating your own dream trip to Japan.

When I travel, I’m always on the lookout for finding locally loved restaurants, cute cafes and scenic landscapes for photography. I’m typically always on foot, roaming the streets and imagining that I live there. This 3 day Osaka itinerary is a reflection of that, and I hope this helps you find some of your favourite places to visit along the way.

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3 Day Osaka Itinerary

Start Here: Planning a Trip to Japan

If you’re planning a trip to Japan and don’t know where to begin, I’ve written a complete guide of what to consider that will help you organize your planning process. This is everything from when to make reservations to popular attractions, finding the best accommodations, creating a travel itinerary and more. It takes me anywhere between 6-8 months of planning to really vet out what I want to do and where to stay. Don’t make the mistake of last minute planning, as most attractions and exhibits require reservations months ahead of time.

Itinerary: How to Spend 3 Days in Osaka

Day one: Amerika-Mura, Dontonbori and Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street

Amerika-Mura

Start off your day off by exploring the streets of Amerika-Mura. This is a trendy area filled with vintage clothing shops and cafes. It’s a great spot for people watching, especially if you hang out at Triangle Park. My favourite store visited was Object Osaka, which is a shop that sells embroidered patches that you can either purchase individually or customize your own keychain, pencil case, bag, etc.

There were so many patches to choose from, which made it hard to decide! I ended up getting a coffee cup sleeve and designed it with patches of my choice. Once you have your design set, the staff will press it for you at the counter.

Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street

Neighbouring Amerika-Mura is Shinsaibashi-Suji shopping street. If you haven’t had your shopping fill yet, there is more to be done here. You will definitely find more shopping, sweet treats and cafes to visit. Make sure you don’t miss the Cinnamon Roll Cafe! Or if you’re looking for those viral strawberry mochi desserts, you can find them at Strawberry Mania.

As you continue exploring this long shopping street, you will find Daimaru Shinsaibashi, which is a department store 10 floors high. Go all the way up to the 9th floor and this is where the Osaka Pokemon Centre and Pokemon Cafe are. Be sure to reserve seats for the Pokemon Cafe 1 month in advance, as day of seating is unlikely.

After a full day of shopping, make your way to the dining area on the 13th floor of the PARCO department store. Here I would recommend Shinsaibashi Katsuki for a quiet dining experience away from the busy streets below. The Tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlets) were deliciously crisp and tender. There is both window seating that overlooks Osaka, as well as counter seating at the centre of the restaurant. I went for a late dinner, so there was not too much of a queue to get seated.

Dontonbori

Next make your way over to Dontonbori. Be prepared for crowds, as the streets get a lot busier over here (it’s almost Vegas-like). This is where you’ll find the giant 3D signs at each street food vendor (like the giant crab, takoyaki and more) and the iconic Glico sign at the Dontonbori River.

Dontonbori Street is a must visit, filled with all the street food you can imagine, shops to explore and it is known for its nightlife and bright neon signs. Nearby is also the Mega Don Quijote, where it’s my favourite place to grab tax-free snacks, skincare products and other souvenirs to bring home.

Day Two: Osaka Castle, Aquarium and Nipponbashi Denden Town

Osaka Castle

The lush and green park surrounding Osaka Castle is a beautiful place to walk around and admire. I’ve been told it’s also really pretty during cherry blossom season if you can time it right. The next time I return to the Osaka Castle, I’ll definitely plan to set up a cute picnic date in the gardens.

Take your time exploring the space around the castle including the stone walls, outer moats, and gates, such that you can see the castle from all different points of views. I did not personally have time to enter the castle, but for those interested, it is a museum inside, where you can learn more about the history of the Osaka Castle.

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

The Osaka Aquarium is one of the most beautiful aquariums I’ve ever visited. You start out by going up the escalators to the 8th floor at the ‘Japan Forest’, where you’ll slowly make your way down deeper and deeper into the ‘Pacific Ocean’.

The layout of the aquarium is so intricate and well laid out. As you make your way through from exhibit to exhibit, you spiral around the large tank in the centre where all the whale sharks, stingrays and other fish swim in unison. My favourites were watching the dolphins play, the relaxed seals float around the water and the jelly fish exhibit at the end.

Nipponbashi Denden Town

Den Den town is like Osaka’s Akihabara in Tokyo. This is an area that features everything amine, retro games, and card shops. If you’re on the lookout for specific games, figurines or consoles, this is the place to go in Osaka.

For dinner, stop by Uroko Ramen in Den Den Town. When you enter the restaurant, they have ticket machine at the front where you can choose and pay for your menu item of choice. You’ll receive a ticket from the machine and then you can give it to the host at the front.

I had the Shio ramen and fried rice combo, which was quite a reasonable price: 1150 yen (12.00 CND). The Shio Ramen broth was light, yet incredibly flavourful.

Day Three: Universal Studios Japan

On the third day in Osaka, plan to spend the whole day at Universal Studios. My favourite areas were Harry Potter World and Super Nintendo World of course! Since visiting Universal Studios is one of those trips that you don’t get to do often, I would recommend you purchase express passes to get the most out of your day. The rides that you cannot miss, which are only in Japan, include the Flying Dino, Hollywood Dream and Demon Slayer.

Where to Stay in Osaka

I stayed at the Hotel Gracery Osaka Namba for 3 nights. At the time of our booking in September 2024, the cost was $197.76 CND/night for a total of $655.60 after taxes and fees. I loved not only how quiet the area was, but it’s also centrally located. The hotel is only a 10-15 minute walk to many of the areas mentioned above such as Amerika-Mura, Dontonbori and Shinshaibahi-Suji Shopping Street.

Across the street from the hotel was a Family Mart, which made it so convenient to pick up a quick breakfast when you’re on the go. The Namba metro station is also across the street, so commuting to other parts of Osaka was very easy. Overall, I would recommend this hotel for those of you who are staying in Osaka for just a couple days!

I always use Expedia to not only find the best rates for hotels in the city, but I really like how you can scan by location, ratings and pricing options as well.

When planning on where to stay, here are a couple of my go-to tips when booking the perfect accommodations:

1. Book early. Try not to leave accommodations until the last minute, as all the good spots will likely be booked up. And not always, but the cost tends to be higher closer to your travel dates as well.
2. Figure out which days you’re going to travel. This will help limit your search results and you can cross off the hotels that are already unavailable for that time period. Travelling on off season versus peak travel dates will also influence the cost of the hotel room as well.
3. Narrow down a good location. You’ll want to think about being near areas of interest, metro stations and most importantly, staying in a safe neighbourhood.
4. Lastly, review your travel budget. Are you looking for a low budget stay, mid-budget or luxury travel?

I hope this Osaka itinerary helps you with building your dream trip to Japan. If you have any questions about Japan, feel free to send me an email or DM on instagram. I’d love to connect with you!

Have the best trip,

Stephi