Osaka Itinerary with Kids: 4 Days of Fun

Last Updated on December 18, 2024 by Kay

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Visiting Osaka with kids and looking for a fun-filled itinerary?

Osaka, located in the Kansai region, is known as the nation’s food capital and the third-largest city in Japan. There’s no shortage of things to do and its central location makes it easy to visit other areas in the country, in particular Kyoto and Hiroshima. So it’s no wonder that it is also a popular tourist destination.

Since I live in the Kansai region, I’ve been asked by several friends to help plan their trips to Osaka with kids, so I decided I might as well write an article about it.

This itinerary will ensure the entire family gets to experience the highlights of the city while putting kids first. This means it is not jam-packed and rushing you from one spot to another because with kids this can be stressful for everyone. Kids, especially babies and toddlers, need breaks and can get tired easily when traveling, which is why this itinerary covers four days in Osaka.

However, you can pick and choose what you want to do or try your best to condense this itinerary into a shorter timeframe, like a day if you really want. It’s completely up to you and your family!

And of course, you don’t have to follow this itinerary in order, this is just to give an example of how you can plan your time in Osaka.

For a list of all the things to do in Osaka with kids that’s curated by a local mom (me!), read or bookmark this article.

Table of Contents

Where to Stay in Osaka with Kids
4-Day Osaka Itinerary with Kids
Easy Trips from Osaka with Kids
Wrap-up: Osaka with Kids Itinerary Filled with Fun

Where to Stay in Osaka with Kids

If you’re wondering where you should stay, I recommend somewhere near Osaka-Umeda Station to make it easy to travel throughout the city.

I’ve written an entire article about family-friendly hotels in Osaka but if you want my top picks, I suggest Hotel Granvia Osaka, which is attached to the station and offers amenities for kids. If you want a place with a more at-home feel and a kitchenette, consider MIMARU OSAKA NAMBA North.

4-Day Osaka Itinerary with Kids

Before I get into the itinerary, if you’re looking for quick and easy breakfast options, I highly recommend getting something from the convenience store. This is what we usually do when we travel in the country.

I have an article about kid-friendly food at Japanese convenience stores so make sure to give it a read!

I also suggest investing in the Osaka Amazing Pass, which will allow you up to two days of unlimited travel on certain Osaka subways, tramways, and buses as well as access to different popular tourist sites.

Day 1: Umeda and Kids Plaza Osaka

There is a lot to do in the Umeda area of Osaka, which is where Osaka Station is located. So much so that I wrote an entire article about things to do in Umeda with kids!

But if you’re visiting Osaka for the first time, here are several options for your morning.

Option 1: Umeda Sky Building

If you want a beautiful 360-degree view of the city from an open-air deck, check out Osaka’s famous Umeda Sky Building, a short walk from Osaka-Umeda Station. Depending on how crowded it is, you can spend about an hour or two in the building as well as exploring the basement, which is like a trip back in time.

This is worth visiting to get a stunning view of Osaka and the surrounding area (although you can get a similar, although not-as-high, view from Osaka Castle, which I cover later). There are also cafes where you can sit and enjoy the view while having something yummy.

Entry to the Umeda Sky Building is covered in the Osaka Amazing Pass until 3 PM. You can also visit at night but it won’t be free under the pass. Instead, you’ll only get 20% off the regular admission fee.

There are plenty of places to eat in and around Umeda Sky Building, but I recommend trying some Osaka food at one of the restaurants in the basement (B1). Or you can head back to Osaka Station and have food at a restaurant around there (for my recommended restaurants, read my Umeda with kids article).

Option 2: Osaka Museum of Housing and Living

If you’re interested in exploring Osaka during the Edo period, this is a great place to visit, especially if it’s raining. I think it’s great for photo ops and you can rent yukata from here. My daughter always enjoys exploring old Japanese houses so I hope your little ones do as well!

Expect to spend about two hours here. This museum is another attraction covered under the Osaka Amazing Pass.

⛲️ Kay’s Tip: Looking for outdoor playgrounds? Check out Ogimachi Park or the Mountain Slider.

If your kids are elementary school-age or younger, visit Kids Plaza Osaka in the afternoon (scroll down for options for older kids). Kids Plaza Osaka is an interactive and educational museum that’s a short train ride from Osaka-Umeda station or a 10-minute walk from the Osaka Museum of Housing and Living.

Kids can easily spend the entire day at Kids Plaza Osaka, so you can skip the morning options if you want and just go here first thing!

I’ve written an article all about Kids Plaza Osaka so give it a read for an in-depth review.

If you’re looking for somewhere to eat near Kids Plaza Osaka, my favorite restaurant is a Korean fried chicken place called bb.q Olive Chicken Cafe. They have kids sets and it is very affordable. There’s also a Michelin Bib Gourmand udon restaurant called Ogimachi Udon-ya Asuroh a six-minute walk away. You can bring food your own food as well inside Kids Plaza Osaka, so if you want, pick something up from the convenience store and enjoy it there.

Another option is to head back to Osaka Station and have a meal at one of the many kid-friendly restaurants around there (which I share in my Umeda article). There are lots of fun shops, including anime and game-themed, and places to play here, too, making it a great place to spend the evening so make sure to give the article a read!

For those with older kids, check out the shops in Osaka Station or Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street, which is the largest shopping street in Japan! You can walk along this street to reach Osaka Tenmangu Shrine, which is especially great to visit in the summer during Tenjin Matsuri.

Day 2: Osaka Castle, Shinsaibashi, and Dotonbori

Osaka Castle is one of the most important historical places in Japan, and although it is undeniably crowded, I still recommend visiting it.

☔️ Kay’s Tip: If it’s going to be raining, you might want to swap Osaka Castle with one of these indoor activities.

There tends to be a long line to buy tickets so make sure you get your tickets in advance online. Entry to Osaka Castle, as well as a Gozabune Boat ride and KAIYODO FIGURE MUSEUM, are covered under the Osaka Amazing Pass.

You can pay to take a small train on the castle grounds as well, which will take you from one side to the other. The north side of the grounds has small restaurants, so you can have lunch at one of these places. There might be lines, though, so it might be a better idea to buy something from a convenience store before you enter the castle grounds and have a picnic.

Some other lunch options include eating at one of the many restaurants in Namba (recommendations in this article), which is about a 10-minute train ride from Tanimachiyonchome Station near Osaka Castle. Afterward, you can walk to Osaka’s famous Namba Yasaka Jinja Shrine, pictured below.

Or you can eat at the Pokemon Cafe in Shinsaibashi! From there, your kids can explore the Pokemon Center, Ghibli store, and more in the PARCO and Daimaru department stores. (And you can do some shopping as well!)

Either way, I suggest heading to Dotonbori in the late afternoon or evening to check out the famous Glico Running Man sign from the Ebisu Bridge, especially since it’s so close to Namba and Shinsaibashi.

If you have the Osaka Amazing Pass, you can see all the famous Dotonbori landmarks from the comfort of a boat! I talk more about this in my Dotonbori with kids article, as well as other kid-friendly things to do in the area.

Note that this can be quite a crowded place so be warned. And I’m going to be real with you, I find that the area kind of smells and is dirty, so it’s not somewhere I spend a lot of time with my daughter. Dotonbori is one of the most famous areas in Osaka, though, and I think every visitor should see it, if only briefly.

There are lots of delicious things to eat for dinner in Dotonbori, but my recommendation is CHIBO, an okonomiyaki restaurant, or Kushikatsu Daruma. (I’ve written an article about all my favorite places to have local Osaka food with kids, so make sure to give it a read!)

Day 3: Universal Studios Japan

This is a must when traveling with kids to Osaka. I have an annual pass so I go here almost every month with my daughter and she (unsurprisingly) absolutely loves it.

Prepare to spend an entire day here, because there’s just that much to do (and your family might be happily exhausted when you leave).

I’ve written an article all about visiting Universal Studios Japan with kids so make sure to give it a read!

Also, consider buying a pass to Universal Studios Japan in advance to save time.

Day 4: Kaiyukan Aquarium and LEGOLAND Discovery Center

You can’t visit Osaka without going to the Kaiyukan Aquarium, which is one of the largest in the world and the largest in the country. They have numerous sea creatures, including whale sharks, so this aquarium is bound to make kids happy.

Tip: This aquarium can get very crowded, especially from the end of June to September due to kids around the world being on summer holidays. So I recommend buying your ticket in advance, especially if you don’t want to wait to get in.

You can either have lunch at the aquarium, the Tempozan Harbor Village, or go to the Kuma Cafe, which is my kid-friendly pick for all of its cute bears.

I also recommend exploring the Tempozan Harbor Village, which has lots of shops that are fun to check out, some that even have Japanese summer festival vibes. It’s really fascinating. Afterwards, visit the LEGOLAND Discovery Center. Note that kids can only stay for a maximum of three hours on weekends and public holidays.

I’ve written in detail about our visit to the LEGOLAND Discovery Center in Osaka so please give it a read if you want to know more!

Depending on the day, you can get a discount on the admission fee for LEGOLAND or free admission with the Osaka Amazing Pass, as well as a free ride on the Tempozan Ferris Wheel.

Extra Bonus: CUPNOODLES Museum and Minoh Falls

If you have some additional time in the city, I recommend checking out the CUPNOODLES Museum in Ikeda, which is a short train ride on the Hankyu Takarazuka Line from Osaka-Umeda Station. (When I said earlier that Osaka-Umeda Station is central to everything, I was not kidding!)

Here you can spend the morning with your child exploring the museum and making your own custom cup ramen. If your child is at least 7 years old, you can reserve a spot in advance for them to participate in the Chicken Ramen Factory as well.

I’ve written a post about my experience at the CUPNOODLES Museum with my daughter so feel free to take a look.

After this, have lunch at Ippudo, a famous ramen chain restaurant in Japan, before heading for Minoh Station. Take the Hankyu Takarazuka Line to Ishibashi Handaimae and then switch to the Hankyu Minoh Line.

Minoh is famous for its beautiful park, which is especially stunning in autumn, and easy hiking path to a waterfall. The path is easily accessible from the station.

It might be hard for younger kids to walk to the waterfall — my daughter wasn’t able to hike to the top until she turned four years old. So if you have a younger child(ren), consider bringing a stroller (yes, it is stroller-friendly!) or a baby carrier.

(Wondering whether to bring a stroller to Japan? Then I recommend reading this article.)

Make sure to try some of the momiji tempura (maple leaves) along the way!

There is also an insect museum that you’ll encounter while you walk to the waterfalls, so make sure not to miss it. Everything in it can be seen in less than an hour.

If you are looking for somewhere to eat afterward, I suggest having kushikatsu at 壺千 (a little expensive) or Kushikatsu Tanaka (more affordable).

I’ve written an in-depth article all about Minoh Park and its waterfall, so make sure to give it a read!

Easy Trips from Osaka with Kids

Looking for a local’s recommendation on where else to visit with kids from Osaka? Then you might be interested in these articles:

Wrap-up: Osaka with Kids Itinerary Filled with Fun

I hope this itinerary is helpful for you when planning your trip to Japan with your family.

As you can see, there’s plenty to do in the city, and even if you can’t see everything on one trip, you can always come back and explore more! In fact, I have an article packed with all the things you can do in Osaka with kids.