r/OsakaTravel

Going with 2 friends to Japan the November 4th-16th. I’ve been twice with family in the spring, but with this being an adult only trip and no worries about losing my kids in the crowd I want to explore more. This will be my friends first time though.

The 4th-7th we will be staying in asakusa (my favorite place)

Budget isn’t tight, so any recommendations will be nice.

Any must see places to visit to or eat?

Kinda of want to mix it up with different vibes.

We plan on going to Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Osaka back to Tokyo in that order.

Hi guys! I'm asking for recommendations. I currently live in Osaka, Japan, and my birth month is February, so it's still the winter season. I'm wondering what I should do for my birthday.

Their cheap cost shuttle to some hotels seems like it would be a great idea so we thought. Ordering was odd we could schedule a pickup time only a airport arrival time. We were given an hour windows for pickup which isnt the end of the world but it was annoying it was 2 hours ahead of our airport arrival time we selected which already was selected with our flught time in mind giving us a buffer. The airport was only a half hour drive so still a little confusing as to why but end of the day just sit at the airport no biggie. 0600-0700 was our pickup window which we were heading down to the lobby at 0559. We get to the lobby and I check the app they made me download which I agreed to receive notifications. At 0600 checking the app I see it says the driver is here. There were two entrances. We checked one. No one. Checked the other. No one. Looked back at the app it was 0604. The driver had left at 0601. They arrived at 0557 and waited four minutes then left. Ridiculous service. We were up early enough we could take the metro. Which turned a 30 minute car ride into 1.1 hrs metro and shuttles. Made it but very annoyingly. Paid through PayPal to get the money back but the service is literally a sham. Although they had my number they never called me once. Never emailed me. App never notified. Don't count on this service to get to KIX.

Suggestions on a food tour that has zero seafood? Long shot I know but.. either Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka (Osaka preferably)

Which is better among the 3 itinerary, don’t worry since its summarized already so no long read. Also please note that I will traveling with 2 diabetic people (1 is already a senior). We also will be DIY so we will be mostly using trains. Lastly, this is our first out of the country and first time in japan. So your honest opinion and guide will be very much appreciated.

Option 1 (2 days kyoto):
DAY 1 (Wed night) - Arrival @ Osaka, Dinner, Shopping if stores are open
DAY 2 (Thurs) - Kyoto, Fushimi Inari, Gion, Yasaka Pagoda
DAY 3 (Fri) - Kyoto, Arashiyama area
DAY 4 (Sat) - Osaka Day Pass
DAY 5 (Sun) - Free day in Osaka to just buy personal stuff & souvenirs
DAY 6 (Mon) - Nara deer park, Todai-ji, Mt. Rokko, Rokkosan Pasture
DAY 7 (Sun) - Quick matcha buying at Uji, Departure (6pm)

Option 2 (Day trip nara and kobe):
DAY 1 - Similar to option 1
DAY 2 - Nara Day Trip
DAY 3 - Kyoto Day Trip (Arashiyama, Gion, Fushimi Inari)
DAY 4-5 - Similar to option 1
DAY 6 - Kobe Day Trip
DAY 7 - Similar to option 1

Option 3 (Explore Osaka):
DAY 1 - Similar to option 1
DAY 2 - Osaka Day Pass
DAY 3 - Similar to option 2
DAY 4-5 - Free day to explore, Osaka Aquarium
Day 6-7 - Similar to option 1

TLDR: Option 1 (2 Days Kyoto trip), Option 2 (Separate Nara and Kobe), Option 3 (Explore Osaka)

Thank u in advance to all who will answer🫶

I recently got into the Osaka marathon on February 28th. I plan to spend 5 days total in/around.

Day 1 show up. Mesum of art?

Day 2. Get my bib. Shake out run. Relax

Day 3 race. Food tour in the evening? Bar hopping?

Day 4 Explore the city or Take the Shinkansen someplace?

Day 5. Fly back to the PNW.

Would it be better to find a place to stay as close as possible to the race start/finish or pick based upon a part of the city I want to explore?

I really want to take the Shinkansen Would it be best to fly into Tokyo and take it to Osaka or day trip it and make Osaka my base for 5 days?

It would be super cool to do a short run around the city the day before the race. Before in Tokyo I have hired a guide and he took me on a route and then we had a meal post which was super fun. Is a Google search the best way to find that? Know of anybody?

I really like beer, kastu, and curry. Places to check out or would a food tour be best bang for the buck?

How is the national mesum of art? Worth the price? Easy to get to?