As someone who plans trips to Japan for a living, I can declare without hesitation that Osaka is underrated. And I can quantify: No fewer than half of my private clients have no plans to visit the city when they reach out to me.
Now, in their defense, it’s not like I try to steer them away from that outcome. After all, most are time-limited; as much as I personally love Osaka, it simply isn’t as rewarding a place to visit as most others, whether on Japan’s tourist trail or far off it.
With this being said, I often do find a way to work an Osaka day trip from Kyoto into someone’s trip whenever possible. Here are some ideas about how to do that yourself!
Why Osaka is So Often an Afterthought
When it comes to why an Osaka day trip is usually the most attention people give Japan’s second-largest city, there are a few factors at play. The first is the logic people use to assemble their trips, especially first-time travelers. These people usually want a balance of destinations. Somewhere new and somewhere old; a couple days in nature and a couple in a city or town somewhat off-the-beaten-path. Tokyo always fills the big city.
Then there’s the simple proximity of Osaka to Kyoto. Even people who really want to visit Osaka assume they can visit on a day trip, in spite of the fact that doing so requires more mindfulness than most people put into the trips. As you’ll see below, there are many options for visiting Osaka on a day trip. But please be aware that all of them require a degree of forethought, even if that simply amounts to reading this article before you get on the trian.
Ways to Visit Osaka for the Day
Full day in Osaka
The most straightforward way to see Osaka in a day is to spend a full day in Osaka, as obvious as that might sound. I usually like to start with a morning at Kuromon Market, followed by an afternoon divided between Osaka Castle and Shi-tenno-ji temple. I then make my way back west and eventually north, stopping in the Shinsekai district on my way back to Namba and the Dotonbori pedestrian street (which is also a foodie paradise).
Morning in Nara, evening in Osaka
Alternatively, instead of going straight from Kyoto to Osaka, instead ride the JR Nara Line to Nara. Then, after a morning feeding deer in Nara Park (among other activities), ride the Kintetsu Osaka Line from Kintetsu-Nara to Kintetsu-Namba, located in the heart of Osaka. Here, you can easily walk to the aforementioned Dotonbori, where you can end the evening eating takoyaki beneath neon signs.
A day at USJ
Aren’t interested in Osaka itself, and simply want to visit Universal Studios Japan? Hey, no judgement! The easiest way to get here is to make your way to Osaka’s Hommachi Station, accessible via the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line from both Osaka Station (where JR trains arrive) and Yodoyabashi Station, which the Keihan Line serves. From Hommachi, ride the Osaka Metro Chuo Line to Universal City Station, and follow the signs from there.
Morning in Himeji and/or Kobe, street food dinner in Osaka
Another variation on going straight to Osaka from Kyoto? Ride a Shinkansen westward to Himeji Station and walk due north to Himeji Castle. Finishing up here, ride back eastward, first stopping in Kobe for a wa-gyu beef lunch. Finally, ride a JR Line Special Rapid Service from Kobe’s Sannomiya Station to Osaka Station, and ride the Osaka Metro Midosuji Line either to Namba (for Dotonbori) or Dobutsuen-mae (for Shinsekai). Easy-peasy!
Morning at Akashi Fish Market, afternoon and evening in Osaka
Want to spend most of your day in Osaka, but with a twist. Head westward from Kyoto via bullet train, but get off at Nishi-Akashi Station, then ride a local train to Akashi Station. This situates you just steps from Uo-no-tana, a very non-touristy fish market. Back at Akashi-eki, ride a JR Line Special Rapid Service all the way to Osaka Station, where you can more of less enjoy the whole day in Osaka.
How to Spend Longer Than a Day in Osaka
Osaka is worth more than a day if you can spend it. Interestingly, spending two days in Osaka will take much the same shape as a day trip from Kyoto. You’ll simply have more time to spread your activities out, and be able to expand on the range of your experiences. For example, enjoying street food not only along Dotonbori canal in Namba, but also in the colorful Shinsekai district.
Likewise, just as peripheral destinations can be incorporated into your experience of Osaka in a day, so too can they be part of a multi-day Osaka itinerary. With 3 days in Osaka, for instance, you can spend two full days exploring the city center and then split the third between Himeji Castle and Kobe, or between the tea-producing town of Uji and the deer-filled city of Nara. You may also have time to visit the Katsuo-ji daruma temple.
Other FAQ About Visiting Osaka on a Day Trip
Is Osaka worth visiting for a day?
Although Osaka definitely deserves as much time as you can give it, you can make a decent dent in the city by coming for the day from Kyoto. In particular, you can eat your way through Kuromon Market, visit Osaka Castle and Tenno-ji temple and end the evening under the neon signs along Dotonbori canal.
How to go from Kyoto to Osaka?
Although the Shinkansen does travel from Kyoto to the Osaka area, bullet train isn’t your best bet. Rather, it’s either to ride either a JR Line Special Rapid Service from Kyoto Station to Osaka Station, or the Keihan Main Line from Kyoto’s Higashiyama district to central Osaka stations like Kyobashi and Yodoyabashi.
Is it better to visit Osaka or Kyoto first?
If you’re coming from Tokyo, I often find that Kyoto makes a good “next” stop; its historical feel contrasts nicely with Tokyo’s modern-futurism. On the other hand, many travelers coming from within Asia will kick off their entire Japan trips in Osaka, which creates a similar dynamic when they visit Kyoto after Osaka.
The Bottom Line
For better or for worse, it’s much more common to take an Osaka day trip from Kyoto than it is to stay overnight in Osaka. Well, at least for Western travelers—Asians, in my experience, generally have more appreciation for Osaka baked in than their counterparts from North America, Europe and Oceania. To be sure, whether as a full day or combined with Nara, Himeji or Kobe, your day excursion to Osaka might have you wishing you’d slept there for at least a night. Want to make sure you properly curate and sequence Japanese destinations, and that you devote the right amount of time to each? Consider hiring me to plan your trip to Japan!
