For our two weeks in Japan, we traveled to Tokyo, Kyoto, and then finished off at Osaka! We spent the first day and a half exploring Osaka, and the remaining time was spent heading to Awaji to visit the Naruto x Boruto Theme Park, and on our last day, we did a day trip to Nara.
Transportation:
We used the JR pass to travel from Kyoto to Osaka, and then used the Suica/Pasmo Card to ride the subway. The Suica/Pasmo Cards are mainly for transportation, but can also be used to purchase items at convenience stores such as 7-11 and Family Mart.
Accommodation:
We stayed at a clean and spacious Airbnb located in Orange Street (popular for shopping) and near Dotonbori (famous for night life). It cost us $83/night and included free pocket wifi, which is something I always look out for. We enjoyed our stay and would book again!
Special Offer: Sign up to Airbnb with my code & get up to $95 off your first trip!
OSAKA THREE DAY ITINERARY: AT A GLANCE
Day 1: Coco Ichibanya, Grant Front Osaka, Umeda Sky Building, Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street, Dotonbori
Day 2: Osaka Castle, Naruto Boruto Shinobi Zato Amusement Park
Day 3: Day Trip to Nara Park
Day Zero:
SETTLE INTO YOUR ACCOMMODATION
After spending the first half of our day in Kyoto (see itinerary here), we arrived at our Osaka Airbnb at around 5:00pm. We each took a shower to refresh, grabbed dinner and bubble tea nearby, and then crashed early so we could be well-rested for the days ahead.
DAY ONE:
GRAB JAPANESE CURRY @ COCO ICHIBANYA
Famous for its Japanese curry, Coco Ichibanya had a wide selection of curry, side dishes, and salads to choose from. I particularly liked the egg salad, and vegetable curry because it came with potatoes that I was craving!
VISIT THE GRAND FRONT OSAKA
The Grand Front Osaka is a chic, contemporary mall that offers a massive variety of shops and restaurants. During our time in Osaka, there were talented singers busking outside which we really enjoyed! There's also a large staircase that's perfect for taking a cool photo!
WATCH THE SUNSET @ THE UMEDA SKY BUILDING
After spending time at the Grand Front Osaka, we walked towards the Umeda Sky Building nearby (10 min walk). The sunset view from the observation windows was gorgeous, and there was also an outside terrace where you could step out to enjoy the light breeze and view.
Admission fee: Adults: ¥1,500 ($18 CAD) | Kids 4-12: ¥700 ($8.50 CAD)
EXPLORE DOTONBORI
Dotonbori is one of Osaka's main tourist destinations filled with lots of shopping and food. We had delicious pastries, skewers, and bought some trendy clothes!
SHOP @ SHINSAIBASHI-SUJI SHOPPING STREET
Shinsaibashi-suji is where all the shopping happens! Some of favourite clothing stores were: Gu, Bershka, and WeGo.
BUY JAPANESE SNACKS & SOUVENIRS @ DONQUIJOTE
Donquijote is filled with floors of everything you need! 100% the go-to place for snack shopping!
DAY TWO:
GRAB BREAKFAST @ RBAKER
One of Osaka's main attraction is the Osaka castle, and along the way, we discovered "R Baker" - a cute bakery with an affordable soup/salad/bread combo set.
VISIT OSAKA CASTLE
Okay.. ngl, once we arrived outside the Osaka Castle, we were entertained by a street performer (originally from Canada ayy) who was doing dangerous tricks. When his show ended after 20 minutes, we decided that admiring the castle from outside was enough LOL so we left and made our way to the Naruto Boruto amusement park cuz we wanted to spend more time there. I definitely want to explore the inside of the castle next time I visit though.
ENJOY THE NARUTO BORUTO AMUSEMENT PARK @ AWAJI ISLAND
It was super cool to visit the Naruto amusement park, especially since it was such a big part of my childhood! However, it was a mission to get to Awaji Island and the overall experience was a little underwhelming. Not sure if I would recommend coming here if you're not a hardcore Naruto fan haha.
DAY THREE:
FEED DEER @ NARA PARK
For our last day in Osaka, we took a day trip to Nara Park where we purchased cookies and fed the Japanese deer! I was a little nervous at first, but they were generally very friendly and we had a good time!
