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Things to do in Shinsaibashi

Our most recommended things to do in Shinsaibashi

Osaka: Universal Studios Japan Entry Ticket & Transportation

1. Osaka: Universal Studios Japan Entry Ticket & Transportation

Relax as you travel door-to-door by van or coach from your Osaka hotel to Universal Studios Japan, and enter the theme park without delay with your pre-purchased day ticket. Enjoy the wide variety of attractions on offer including The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Universal Wonderland. The whole family will have fun on the rides and taking in movies and shows. Explore the many shops and stop for refreshments or a meal. Photo opportunities abound! At the end of the day you’ll return to your hotel in Osaka with the same easy door-to-door transportation service. A number of departure and return times are available to choose from.

Welcome to Osaka: Private Tour with a Local Host

2. Welcome to Osaka: Private Tour with a Local Host

Experience Osaka like a resident on a private walking tour with a local host. Get tips on what to see and do, and learn the best ways to get around. Benefit from pick-up at your accommodation and get familiar with your local neighborhood. Discover where to buy groceries or where the best local places to eat are located and much more. Alternatively, meet at a central landmark or intersection to start your walking tour. Venture beyond the usual tourist sites and discover places you would never read about in the guidebooks. Avail of an itinerary that can be tailored to your interests and specific needs. Ride on the public transportation system, at your own expense, if you prefer. Chat with your guide about life in the city and its many traditions. Feel more confident getting around and exploring on your own by the end of your experience.

Osaka: Highlights & Hidden Gems Private Walking Tour

3. Osaka: Highlights & Hidden Gems Private Walking Tour

Join a friendly local guide in an authentic experience of electrifying Osaka. Get a personalized tour of the city’s fascinating history, culture, and fantastic food scene as you’re led between its liveliest districts – and a few off the tourist trail. You'll be paired with guides that are passionate about the place they call home and who love to spend their free time sharing their knowledge of the city with like-minded travelers. Osaka’s whirlwind of chaotic shopping, lantern-lit mazes of izakaya bars, and frenetic canal-side entertainment districts is a lot to get to grips with. Still, your local insider will make sure you make the most of your time together. Discover locals-only Osaka, where fishermen is a delicacy and vendors consider bargaining a traditional art form. Hop on the train to the high-energy entertainment district of Namba, an area that’s buzzing with locals looking for a good time 24/7. Stroll down lively streets to Kuromon Market, a covered space packed with over 100 shops and vendors selling street food, shellfish, and souvenirs. (If you’re feeling peckish, point out the seafood that tickles your fancy, from scallops to sea urchin, and watch a vendor cooked right in front of you!). Next up, explore tranquil Hozenji Yokocho, a stone-paved lane packed with long-standing Japanese bars and restaurants that retains the spirit of the Osaka of yesteryear, and see Sennichimae Kitchenware Street – a street dedicated entirely to kitchen utensils and food supplies! Peer into the shops and restaurants lining the Soemon-cho entertainment district, an area with more than 400 years of history, and get lost in Den-Den Town, the perfect place to geek out over cameras, computers, pop culture, games, and anime. After that, get blinded by Dotonbori, a snapshot of typical Osaka, where colossal food signs and flashing lights illuminate your path (don’t miss the eye-catching Glico Running Man above Ebisubashi Bridge), then take a pleasant walk through to Shinsaibashi and the creative, youth-oriented America-mura – a treasure trove of retro stores, independent galleries, and cool cafés. Important: Your personalized itinerary will be planned according to the number of hours booked and adapted to your preferences. Once you’ve booked, someone from the local tour operator's team will be in touch, so let them know if you have any special requirements. The places you visit may differ from those listed and these will be chosen by your host based on your interests and preferences.

Osaka: Eat Like a Local Street Food Tour

4. Osaka: Eat Like a Local Street Food Tour

There’s a reason why Osaka is known as the food capital of Japan, but as well as districts that are packed full of tiny local eateries and world-class restaurants, the city has an exciting and diverse street food scene. You'll be paired with a foodie local host ready to introduce you to their favorite izakayas and street food stalls. To really get a taste of local life, you can’t miss exploring Osaka’s street food culture, and what better way than with a local by your side to take you to the best vendors and food carts where the locals really eat. From delicacies you’ve never heard of such as okonomiyaki, to staples like yakisoba, you will discover all the best dishes and local specialties in Dotonbori. With your local by your side, you'll be able to really experience local life and immerse yourself in the vibrant street food culture. You can try dishes that have been perfected in this city such as oden, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu and takoyaki, sampling them from a food cart recommended by your local. You can get to know Osaka’s food scene as well as the traditional regional and Japanese dishes cooked up and served at all hours of the day by local vendors. Your host will take you to the spots where you can learn about the dishes and the local ingredients, as you taste the best of what Osaka has to offer. Spend time getting to know your local host, as you chat about your favorite cuisine and get some insider recommendations of the most authentic local places to eat and drink on the rest of your trip.

Osaka: Guided Pub Crawl

5. Osaka: Guided Pub Crawl

Experience the nightlife of Osaka throughout an exciting pub crawl. You can meet new people as you visit various bars and clubs, mingling with your fellow crawlers. Avoid the need to plan your night and avail of the services of a fun guide with good local knowledge. You will typically start the night in a relaxed bar with space to sit down to get to know each other, enjoying a free shot and getting the chance to win some free drinks. Things will heat up at the 2nd bar, with more music and some games and activities to get to know your fellow participants. Next, continue to a 3rd bar with space to dance and a table to sit down at if you prefer. Then it will be time to make your way to a club to end the night on the dance floor. You can stay until closing time at 5:00AM if you want to mix with the locals, who will start arriving at around 12:30AM if you want to see how they have fun. You may even get invited to an after party if any are available, which they often are.

Osaka: Full-Day Private Guided Walking Tour

6. Osaka: Full-Day Private Guided Walking Tour

Enjoy an exciting full-day walking tour of Osaka accompanied by a guide and explore Japan's second-largest city. See the modern and traditional sides of this colorful, dynamic metropolis. Start your day meeting your guide at your hotel, and embark on your customized tour. See Osaka Castle, rebuilt after being destroyed in the sieges of the 17th century. Stroll through Kuromon Ichiba Market amid the booming voices of Osaka merchants. Snack on various local foods. Have lunch in the traditional working class Shinsekai area. Choose your must-see spots, create your own itinerary, and enjoy your own unique Osaka experience. Learn all about your favorite spots from your knowledgeable guide.

Osaka: Private Discovery Tour with a Local

7. Osaka: Private Discovery Tour with a Local

Orientate yourself and check out a few of the most famous attractions in Osaka with your personal like-minded host, who will suggest a completly personalized itinerary based on your interests and preferences. Let a local kick-start your trip by showing you the highlights and giving you a priceless insight into city life, from advice about cultural practices to the best spots to eat authentic local food. Explore Osaka like a local and make the most of your time in Osaka from the start. Follow the unique route which your local host has designed specifically for you, either by walking or using public transport so you can get familiar with how to move around the city. Learn about the city’s cultural practices, heritage, culture and cuisine as you explore the city together, perhaps stopping to try some authentic local street food or visiting a shrine. Your local will give your trip the best possible start, helping you to make the most of your time in Osaka.

Osaka: Bespoke Family Friendly City Tour

8. Osaka: Bespoke Family Friendly City Tour

Delve into the magical multiverse within Osaka’s boundaries with a local host who will help to take the pressure off planning and navigating, so you can make the most of your time together as a family. After booking, you will receive a short questionnaire to let us know about your preferences and requests, so that your like-minded host will be able to create a completely bespoke itinerary just for you and your family. Flip the script on the Osaka you think you recognize and discover a family-friendly city that caters to gamers, nature lovers, and shopaholics of all ages. Our local hosts will show you their favorite playgrounds, like Nakanoshima Park, just a short walk from Tenjinbashi district. Enter a virtual world in Den Den Town, home to a range of stores that include a wide variety of wares, from computers, cameras, anime and manga and more! Recharge at a Pokémon Centre, or grab a zany, eccentric meal at an Micro Pig Café. Osaka is a dream machine, and our local insiders know all its secrets. At the end of the experience, your host can drop you off at one of the main kid's attractions like the fabulous Kids Plaza interactive museum so you can continue having fun for the rest of your day.

Shin Osaka Station to/from Osaka City: Shared Transfer

9. Shin Osaka Station to/from Osaka City: Shared Transfer

Your driver will pick you up between Shin Osaka Station and Osaka City dropping you right at the doorsteps of the address where you want to go. You need to go to the “Meeting Point” which is indicated in your reservation confirmation or service voucher. Your driver will hold a ‘Cherry Tomato’ Sign Board to meet and greet you. If you are going to Tokyo Station from a hotel, please wait at the hotel lobby. Your driver will arrange to arrive to the station 30-60 minutes before the train's departure time. Your pick-up time will be indicated in the departure notice that was sent to you/your hotel by email/fax one day before (around 5pm) the service date.  If you're collected from an apartment or your home, please wait outside by your main door. If your apartment or home is unreachable due to the narrow streets and the vehicle size, a meeting point nearby will be found.

Other Sightseeing Options in Shinsaibashi

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What people are saying about Shinsaibashi

Overall rating

4.1 / 5

based on 248 reviews

The party starts past 7pm. At first I was shy to interact but thank goodness that the host/organizer makes me comfortable and introduce me to other crawlers. Too bad that we don’t have a group picture. We bar hop to 2 bars. And i was not able to make it to 3rd stop because I’m so drunk.

Very pleasant visit and very nice and pleasant David, who is the one who guide us. Totally recommended and thank you very much David for making us have a good time

The tour was one of a kind! We enjoyed all the food we were able to try and local areas we would not have ventured on our own. Highly recommend!

Rumiko was excellent and very well prepared for our day! She was so knowledgeable and sweet and we really enjoyed our day with her guidance!

Excellent guide in Spanish. Very located depending on what was requested on our visit.