• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Embark on an immersive exploration of Osaka's iconic landmarks and hidden gems. From towering views at Umeda Sky Tower to the historic grandeur of Osaka Castle, and the vibrant street life of Dotonbori, this tour promises an unforgettable dive into the heart of Osaka. Discover Osaka in all its multifaceted glory on this comprehensive city walk.

Destination

Osaka, Japan

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, Indonesian, 日本語, Italiano, עברית, Español

Included

• Private Guide
• Public Transport
• Entrance to Attractions
• Local Snack or Drink
• All Withlocals tours are carbon neutral

Excluded

• Meal

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 11 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Outside the Mazda Brand Space in front of the Umeda Sky Building - Osaka to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. City Highlights

   See Umeda Sky Tower, Dotonbori, Osaka Castle, and more must-sees of the city. Your local host will take you to the main spots of the city so you can get the perfect overview to what makes Osaka so special

4. Hidden Gems

   long the way, your local host will show you treasures hidden in plain sight that only the locals know about. Get to know the city through a different perspective, the local way, and discover places and stories that not many tourists get to experience

5. Special Treat

   Follow your host to one of their favorite eateries for a snack or a drink beloved by the locals. Take a break and catch up with your new local friend and get the answers to all your travel questions

6. More Things to See

   With more time, you’ll have the chance to enter some of the landmarks and attractions your host has planned for you. Get in touch with the host of your choice to hear more about their plan

7. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Stefanie🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Naoki)

7 May 2025

Naoki is an outstanding guide and is incredibly friendly and full of knowledge about the city, the country, history and much more. You can feel that he loves his job and you always get useful little bits of information in passing. He speaks perfect and clear English, which makes listening and communicating super easy. Thank you very much, Naoki, for the great time with you!Outstanding

Unknown

(About local Max)

19 April 2025

Max was super knowledgeable about the history and culture. Especially enjoyed his tour of the royal gardens and Osaka Castle! He was great with the kids, too. Thanks for a wonderful day, Max!Knowledgable and friendly

Douglas🇺🇸 United States

(About local Allysa)

10 April 2025

Allysa was a great guide. Her English is native speaker. She was good at adjusting to our custom ideas on what to see and do. Perfect day with Allysa!Allysa is the best.

m.n.k

(About local Jessica)

5 April 2025

Jessica was a very nice guide, who went with us to all the „must see places“ in Osaka, told us a lot about those places and the history behind it and also took us to two very good restaurants, where we ate the best gyozas ever. We can recommend Jessica to all people who want to see beautiful places around Osaka and/or who want to go to the best restaurants, also japanese people would go to. Also she recommended us a very good kobe restaurant, where we ate the best beef in our life. So thanks a lot.very tasty tour

Pam

(About local Hiromi)

25 March 2025

Our time with Hiromi was great; we saw and learned so much! Her warm and inviting demeanor made us feel welcome and her expertise on the local history and culture left us with a rich appreciation of our visit. We would highly recommend touring with Hiromi!Memorable time in Osaka

Unknown

(About local Allysa)

22 March 2025

I had the absolute pleasure of exploring Osaka with Allysa as my tour guide, and I can’t recommend her enough! From the moment we met, she was warm, knowledgeable, and incredibly engaging. She tailored the tour perfectly to my interests, balancing history, culture, and local food experiences seamlessly. Allysa’s deep knowledge of Osaka’s rich history and hidden gems made the city come alive. Whether we were strolling through the bustling streets of Dotonbori, admiring the beauty of Osaka Castle, or savoring some of the best street food I’ve ever had, her insights and recommendations were spot on. What truly set Allysa apart was her enthusiasm and genuine passion for sharing Osaka’s culture. She answered every question with a smile, shared fascinating stories, and even taught me some helpful Japanese phrases. It felt like exploring the city with a friend rather than just a guide. If you’re visiting Osaka and want an unforgettable experience, do yourself a favor and book a tour with Allysa. She’s simply the best! Unforgettable Osaka Experience with Allysa

Deanna

(About local Naoki)

2 March 2025

We had an incredible day with Naoki! He was incredibly knowledgeable about Osaka and gave us some excellent suggestions with detailed recommendations for our remaining time there. He was super flexible and helpful and showed us the highlights of Osaka. He also introduced us to takoyaki and okonomiyaki (delicious!). Do not hesitate-- book with Naoki!Amazing day with Naoki

J.🇺🇸 United States

(About local Jessica)

1 January 2025

Jessica nailed it with us. 100% exactly what we wanted and adapted on the fly to things we asked for or expresses interest. Her knowledge and insights made our tour the most memorable of our trip to Japan! Absolutely perfect

Richard🇺🇸 United States

(About local Allysa)

1 January 2025

Friendly, knowledgeable. Was able to start a little earlier for us as we were in Osaka earlier than planned. Got to see Umeda Sky Building, Osaka Castle, Kuromon Market, and Dotonbori. Made several stops to shop, and sample street vendor and food stall wares. Definitely recommend takoyaki, kobe skewers, dorayaki, among other delicious foods. Great communication via Withlocals and Whatsapp. Highly recommend!Great Osaka intro - a day trip from Kyoto

Rod🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Naoki)

13 December 2024

We had a wonderful 5 hour Osaka tour with Naoki who struck the right balance between being informative and charming. We hit all the high spots in Osaka - literally with the sky tower and castle and also with the fun of local places to eat, particularly many of the delights of the fish market. Naoki was an exceptional guide and clearly a warm and engaging person. You won’t regret asking him to guide you around Osaka. Thank you Naoki - Highly recommended

Diane🇺🇸 United States

(About local Naoki)

12 November 2024

We couldn’t have asked for a better guide for a day in Osaka. Naoki is a delightful person, and speaks perfect English. And he is a true local. He has a great understanding of history as well as current culture and politics. He was wonderful in answering our questions, and showing us things that were particular to our interests. He showed us so many iconic as well as unusual places, and had so many interesting stories. We highly recommend him!A wonderful day with Naoki

Tisha🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Hiromi)

15 October 2024

My friends and I had a great time with Hiromi. We booked the 5-hour Essential Osaka Tour, and it was a great introduction to Osaka's many faces. We started out with a 360 degree view of the city at Umeda Sky Building; commuted like locals on the train; learned about history at the Osaka Castle grounds; visited a couple of temples and shrines; took photos of the oldest company in the world; ventured to the touristy spots in Tennoji; and ate delicious local snacks. Hiromi is a good communicator, very knowledgeable about Osaka and Japanese culture, and there was never a dull moment with her. We chatted and laughed like old friends. I highly recommend her as your tour guide!Osaka Adventure

Stacey🇺🇸 United States

(About local Naoki)

8 September 2024

Naoki was such a great tour guide! He is very personable, speaks good English, very accommodating, and informative of the areas we toured. His tour that he did with us was fun because he mixed in the culture of Osaka and the local food. I highly recommend Naoki for your tour of Osaka.Great Osaka Tour

Nate🇺🇸 United States

(About local Naoki)

6 April 2024

My family of seven had an amazing time with Naoki. We had three kids ages 10 to 16, and four adults. Naoki spoke perfect English and was extremely accommodating. He took care of all details and knew facts about everything. We would highly recommend Naoki for anybody, including families with kids, if you you’re traveling in the Kansai area and want an English speaking tour guide. He was awesome!Naoki is GREAT!

mjones0023🇺🇸 United States

(About local Naoki)

25 February 2024

We have used tour guides in many cities all over the world and Naoki is quite simply the best! In addition to being knowledgeable he has a great personality, and fun to spend the day with. Additionally, after we booked the tour, we e-mailed him with a request to include two additional sites along the way. He easily and thoughtfully managed to accommodate our request. We will remember the day we spent with him for the rest of our lives. Had we known in advance, we would have engaged him for as many tours in Osaka as possible. The Best Tour Guide Ever!

Rachel

(About local Naoki)

7 January 2024

Naoki was an incredible guide. He showed us Osaka for the day and we had an absolutely wonderful time. He helped us navigate the subway, explained all the interesting landmarks and gave us great insight into being from Osaka. A brilliant guide and day had by our family of 4! Osaka tour with Naoki

Nisa🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Naoki)

5 June 2025

The best guide I could wish for! Naoki-san is a true local with so much knowledge about traditions and culture, and besides he is such a kind and welcoming person :)

Frank🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Hiromi)

3 June 2025

I spent a great time with Hiromi strolling around Osaka tasting many different thingsVery entertaining food tasting

Sarah🇺🇸 United States

(About local Maria)

3 June 2025

Maria was great. Super personable. Great English. Had a lot of information and was able to adjust pace for our group.

Donatas🇱🇹 Lithuania

(About local Naoki)

2 June 2025

We have tested 5 guides in Japan an I can say Naoki was the best in terms of how good his english, knowledge about jaban and how easy it was to communicate with him. Alao very helpful - helped us on our journey to find lost phone :) Thank you fluent english and friendly

Dirk🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Sebastian)

2 June 2025

Great expierience ! Great insides to Japan from an outsider. D'ont hesitate : book

Dave🇵🇭 Philippines

(About local Hiromi)

1 June 2025

Our group of five really enjoyed our time with Hiromi. From start to finish she took great care of us. We learned a lot about the history of each food item that we tried and honestly, the places we visited were all local places that we would never have found if left on our own. The pacing was perfect and the time passed too quickly. At the end of the tour we were all so full and happy. We highly recommend the food tour with Hiromi!A tour definitely worth taking

Kenneth🇺🇸 United States

(About local Ricky)

1 June 2025

We had a great time last on the tasting tour of Osaka with Ricky. He was happy to talk about the city and our shared love of trying new foods. Many of the selections we wouldn't have picked out of the huge selection of food in the area and we are so glad he was there to help. We appreciated bringing g us to authentic local shops and sharing the history of the foods. If you are in Osaka we strongly recommend you give this tour and Ricky a try. He also recommended restaurants at our next stop in Kyoto! THANKS RICKY!Ricky Rocks

Kay🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Allysa)

1 June 2025

We were totally disappointed with the quality and food offered on 10 tastings of Osaka. We were hoping to gain an insight into Osaka cuisine instead we went to two tourist traps heaving with foreigners. The cost of the tour was expensive and the quality of the offerings did not match our expectations having read the website description. We were underwhelmed and felt we had been ripped off by with locals. Save your money and go with another company. Total Ripoff - dissatisfied

Michelle

(About local Maria)

31 May 2025

We had a lovely day with Maria, showing us around Osaka. And besides her great guiding and storytelling about the sights, I will highlight three things: First of all, she was very thoughtful, and she was engaging actively with our 3 kids throughout the tour. This made it a great experience for us all. Second of all, she was very agile and was happy to adjust the plan, depending on the change of mood - especially with the kids, she easily adjusted our plan, as our kids needed some free time to play at a local playground after we saw a beautiful shrine, and at Osaka Castle she guided us to a small shop where our boys could throw ninja stars, which was a big hit. Thats is why, lastly, I will highlight that Maria is a extremely family friendly guide. Only good things to say about Maria! She gave us a memorable day in Osaka! Very family friendly guide

Gail🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Naoki)

30 May 2025

We would recommend a tour with Naoki to anyone visiting Osaka, not just for the excellent food but for the insight into Japan, its culture, history and traditions. We learnt so much, and enjoyed trying all the dishes in authentic restaurants….. the best gyoza we had in Japan. To Naoki…. “ We enjoyed our conversation”, it was a wonderful evening, a pleasure to meet you and thank you again. Excellent tour with the best guide

Meghan

(About local Maria)

29 May 2025

Veronique

(About local Jessica)

29 May 2025

Our tour with Jessica was wonderful. She was cheerful and enthusiastic. The tour was comprised of 3 different restaurants, all very different from one another allowing us to taste very diverse Japanese delicacies. Furthermore, Jessica was an excellent guide through the streets of Osaka, showing us all the highlights. We would highly recommend her to discover the city.Tasting tour in Osaka

Priya

(About local Allysa)

29 May 2025

Allysa was a wonderful guide who knew such in depth history and provided much knowledge to us as we walked through Osaka. She took us to delicious food spots and was very kind and attentive to our needs. I would highly recommend booking with her! You won’t regret it. A wonderful tour with a wonderful guide!

Irina

(About local Naoki)

27 May 2025

We had the most wonderful tour with Naoki. He is incredibly knowledgeable about Osaka food scene, the city, its culture and history. The food was delicious and was accompanied by Naoki's stories about Osaka, its culinary history, and very helpful tips that made our stay so much more enjoyable. Naoki's English is impeccable. We highly recommend this tour. In fact, we cannot wait to be back in Osaka and meet with Naoki again. Amazing Tour

Donald🇺🇸 United States

(About local Maria)

26 May 2025

Maria was very knowledgeable and provided a great experience in Osaka. We modified our tour as we went to make sure we saw all the sites. She even helped us purchase train tickets.Great visit to Osaka

Puja🇺🇸 United States

(About local Max)

26 May 2025

Max was super engaging through out the tour. We were not bored for a second. Got to learn about the Osaka castle and Osakas rich history. He customized the tour so it covered the areas we were interested in. He was super easy to talk to and answered all our questions. He gave us a lot of a lot places to explore and eat in our free time which was great.

Barb and Marc🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Maria)

24 May 2025

Maria was so friendly and knowledgeable when it came to the food and cuisine culture of Osaka. She pointed out differences to other cities we visited and called out things we may be interested in trying. We walked around parts of the city that I don't think we'd have explored on our own so having. A guide to help up navigate (the city and the language) was very nice! We would have liked a bit more detailed history of Osaka as I called that out ahead of the tour and also asked on the tour but just got a high level description of Japan history that we were already familiar with. Maria did have a lot of fun and interesting facts about the markets and stalls we explored along the way! This was the highest price tour we did on our trip as we figured a private guide would be the best way to really eat like a local and from that perspective it was worth it.Ate so many tasty things!

Ian🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Hiromi)

23 May 2025

Hiromi provided an outstanding private food tour in Osaka. She was excellent at communicating ahead of the tour. She expertly accommodated our challenging dietary preferences while delivering an authentic taste of the city's incredible food scene. What made this tour special was her deep knowledge of Osaka's history and culture, which she shared throughout our evening, making each stop more meaningful. Hiromi's warmth and genuine passion for sharing her city made the entire experience feel personal and memorable. I would highly recommend Hiromi to anyone looking for an authentic, personalized introduction to Osaka's food culture. Thank you, Hiromi, for such a wonderful evening!Excellent Private Food Tour!

Unknown

(About local Max)

22 May 2025

He was friendly,ready to change the tour and showing us what we wanted to see. I will give him the highest rating I can give .Max was a fantastic guide

Martin🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Hiromi)

22 May 2025

Hiromi was a wonderful guide for the 10 tastings of Osaka we booked. She took us to eateries we wouldn't have found on our own which served wonderful food. We ate the best Sashimi of our time in Japan, drank Hiromi's favorite sparkling Sake and had the last stuffed buns (I forgot the name) of the day. She told us about the food, her life and Osaka in general. It was overall a very nice experience, and we where stuffed at the end of the night. Hiromi listend to our preferences and ended the tour with recommendations for drinks. A recommendation for sure. Thanks Hiromi 🙏Great taste in Osaka

Anne

(About local Hiromi)

22 May 2025

We had the pleasure of joining a food tour with Hiromi, and it was truly one of the highlights of our trip. She took us to a variety of local spots, some of which we would have never discovered on our own. A few places looked a little unconventional at first, but turned out to serve the best food we had during our stay—especially the sashimi, which was hands down the best of our entire trip! Hiromi is incredibly knowledgeable about local cuisine and shares great stories and cultural context along the way, which made the experience so much more than just eating. You can really tell she has a passion for food and for connecting people with authentic, local flavors. If you're looking to experience real local food beyond the typical tourist spots, we really recommend Hiromi!Amazing local food tour

Henriette🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Simone)

22 May 2025

Being guided by Simone through the street market was a marvellous experience. He knew what kind of food was local, traditional, authentique or even unique to the market. We had a lovely time tryimg out a variety of food. We appreciated that we could always say, what we would like to try and what not. So it felt very much like a tailored experience to our needs. Moreover Simone not only made sure that our bellies were filled, but our heads also. He patiently answered all our questions we had about Japan and Kyoto. We really enjoyed being able to discuss food and culture with Simone. We would certainly recommend the experience. Very friendly and knowledgeable host

Jake🇺🇸 United States

(About local Maria)

22 May 2025

We went on a tour of Osaka castle with Maria, and she was very knowledgeable. She was able to point out and explain interesting things we would have never noticed, and was able to answer all of our questions. She also knew the best spots to take pictures and avoid crowds. She was also very friendly and generous with her time. She asked us what we have seen so far in Osaka, recommended a place to visit that we haven’t been yet, and even went out of her way to guide us there. Wonderful guide, would recommend.Knowledgeable and Friendly

Bill🇺🇸 United States

(About local Ricky)

18 May 2025

Ricky was good at assessing our teams objectives. He is knowledgeable and fun.

Alexander

(About local Allysa)

18 May 2025

We had a great first day in Osaka with Allysa learning about Osaka and the why it is called the Kitchen of Japan. She not only brought us to some great bites but gave us some great insights into the culture and what it is like to live in Japan. Couldn't have asked for a better start to our trip even if it was raining.Not just about the food

Unknown

(About local Jessica)

18 May 2025

Jessica was good company, excellent English. She took us to a variety of restaurants and cafes in different locations and we enjoyed all the local foods. Jessica also gave us useful background and tips to get the most out of our time in Osaka.Okonomyakitastic

Unknown

(About local Naoki)

14 May 2025

Naoki was a wonderful guide. Excellent English and very knowledgeable. Set a walking pace that all could handle. Took us to a wonderful local restaurant as well. Walked over 6 miles.Ambitious walking tour of Osaka

Kai

(About local Simone)

14 May 2025

We found Simone to be a wonderful guide and excellent company. Even before the trip started, he reached out to make sure we had all the information we needed. The tour was an excellent introduction to Kyoto, Simone provided excellent insights and was very happy to customise to our interests. It was clear Simone is passionate about what he does and we really enjoyed our time with him and he even went to the extra effort of providing us with some further recommendations after the tour. We fully recommend him as an excellent guide.A scholar and a gentleman

Alexandra

(About local Allysa)

14 May 2025

We really enjoyed our tour with Alyssa! She was very friendly and accommodating. We particularly enjoyed learning about some of the local sites and history as she took us in between the tasting! All the food was great. Highly recommend!Fun and Delicious tour!

Karen🇺🇸 United States

(About local Naoki)

14 May 2025

Naoki led us on a wonderful walking tour thru Osaka. So much better than the big bus ship tours. We learned about the history of the Shoguns, saw castles, temples, walked the market and the knife/kitchen store market area. Also saw Running Man and the busy anime streets. He took us to a local restaurant and advised dishes to try. Same with the market strolls. He successfully helped us shop for 2 things we needed - cough drops and a lap top sleeve. Naolki handled all the subway tickets. He was very kind and open to adjusting to what we wanted to do. Be advised it is a walking tour and there is a lot of walking involved although there is always the option taxi. Great way to experiemce Osaka

Ken

(About local Maria)

12 May 2025

Maria was a great guide to Osaka and we enjoyed the food and history tour of Osaka with her. We tried food and locations we were unlikely to goto ourselves. I highly recommend it, especially if you only have one day in Osaka like we did. Great food and great tour with Maria

Rob🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Max)

12 May 2025

Max guided us on our first day in Japan/Osaka. He was very helpful. He speakes English fluently. Communication was perfect. He accomodated all our wishes easily. Kind regards, Rob and MirandaVery helpful guide

Aaron🇺🇸 United States

(About local Jessica)

5 May 2025

Jessica was a wonderful guide; we experienced amazing food and enjoyed her taking us throughout the city including a subway ride to a hidden gem of a restaurant. We loved our day with Jessica. Yum!

Anila

(About local Maria)

2 May 2025

Maria was nice enough & friendly but I felt she struggled with finding vegetarian friendly restaurants though one family run establishment she took us to, managed to understand that I don’t eat meat or fish products after I explained to the chef myself. Luckily he served up two nice dishes. Traveled on the train to a fast food sushi chain restaurant after but I can’t say we had much luck there either. We decided to give up and go back to our hotel & because travel was included in the deal Maria, paid for the taxi there. Was hoping the experience would be more personalised especially as had mentioned that I was vegetarian when I booked the tour. Overall disappointing & very expensive for what it was.Food tour not worth the money