Osaka's Majestic Past: A Journey Through Time at the Historic Castle

• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Step into the heart of Osaka’s history with an exclusive tour of the city’s iconic Castle, where ancient tales come to life. Experience the grandeur of the past, discover the secrets held within its walls, and capture the breathtaking cityscape from its summit.

Destination

Osaka, Japan

Category

Skip The Line Tours

Duration

2.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, 日本語, Indonesian, Español

Included

• Private Guide
• Entrance Tickets to Castle
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Netural

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 5 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 Lawson S Otemae North - 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. Beautiful Surroundings

   To better understand what you’ll see inside the Osaka Castle, your local host will start by showing you other hidden gems around the attraction. That way, you can get to know more about Osaka and the Castle for a perfect introduction to your tour

4. How It Works

   Before entering the Castle, meet your host and get an introduction to your tour.

5. Ahead of the Crowds

   On this tour, follow your local host’s lead and spend time inside the Osaka Castle discovering its highlights and hidden gems

6. Inside the

   Once you are inside, follow your local host’s insights as you check out the must-sees, as well as the hidden gems that not many know about. Be part of an enriching tour that will satisfy your curiosity and answer many of your questions!

7. Keep Exploring

   After the time with your host is over, you can either stay inside the attraction and keep exploring by yourself or say goodbye outside the attraction where your host will point out other spots to explore in Osaka

8. 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

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

Anneke

(About local Maria)

31 March 2025

Maria is a warm, thoughtful and dedicated guide. Our family was so fortunate to have her as our guide for our Osaka adventure. We enjoyed. Her storytelling, her flexibility and her good spirits. Amazing host!

Banjing

(About local Maria)

4 February 2025

We had an amazing experience with our tour guide during our visit to Osaka! When my son accidentally lost his wallet at a train station, we were struggling to communicate with the lost and found personnel, who only spoke Japanese. We decided to hire a local guide, and we are so glad we did. Our guide went above and beyond, speaking with the lost and found team on our behalf, and when the wallet wasn’t initially found, she didn’t give up. She worked with the train station staff and was able to help us locate the wallet. We were incredibly relieved and grateful. Afterward, she treated us to an insightful tour of Osaka. Her knowledge of the city’s history was impressive, and she shared fascinating details that you won’t find in any guidebook—these were real local insights that made the experience even more special. We feel so fortunate to have met such a dedicated and knowledgeable guide, and we highly recommend her to anyone visiting Osaka. Thank you for everything! This highlights both the practical help she provided and the enriching tour experience!100% truly Amazing Person!!!

remy

(About local Naoki)

20 January 2025

Wonderful guide ! He accepted to change the date at the last miment because our flight was cancel and delayed. He know everythings about Osaka castle and Japan history! And he was very very kind with us all the time ! Thanks Naoki !Amazing guide

Carole

(About local Hiroki)

15 January 2025

Hiroki lead my family from our Air BNB to experience Osaka Castle. We travelled as a local on the metro, spared our legs by taking the Osaka train to explore the gardens and the walk up to the first bridge and led us straight through the castle gates. He shared with us his love of Osaka and its history and where to get the best range of ramen in one spot. He was able to answer many questions we had from the museum that should we had gone alone we would not have had answers to. Would recommend a local guide to get those insights.Awesome guide

leo🇸🇬 Singapore

(About local Sebastian)

29 December 2024

Sebestian was an amazing guide, he took care of my Aging mums leg issue and plan the trip so well and even arrange a lift service for her. And he is such a history geek that he shares interesting stories of Japan. Would be looking forward to plan another trip with him in a few months time SUCH AN AMAZING GUIDE

Rianna

(About local Hiromi)

15 December 2024

Hiromi was a wonderful guide, both of Osaka castle and the broader city. We first spent time learning about Osaka castle, then ventured to other areas of Osaka that Hiromi recommended. She took us on a tour of places we never would’ve found otherwise, including a very local shopping area with izakayas. Overall it was a great trip and Hiromi is a fantastic guide!Wonderful local tour of Osaka

Scott🇺🇸 United States

(About local Sebastian)

13 June 2024

Sebastian was just a fun vibe. Very relaxed and did well with my elderly mother.Such a fun time!

Elena🇺🇸 United States

(About local Naoki)

15 May 2024

We had a great time with Naoki visiting Osaka castle. He went above and beyond to make sure our needs are met. He was very engaging and knowledgeable. He showed us another shrine in the neighborhood and walked us to a sushi place we were planning to have lunch at. Such a delight! Amazing experience!

Daniel🇺🇸 United States

(About local Hiromi)

5 June 2025

We had an incredible private food tour in Osaka with Hiromi, a fantastic guide local to the city. She messaged us in advance to personalize the experience around the street foods we wanted to try, and every stop was both delicious and thoughtfully chosen. Hiromi shared fascinating cultural and historical insights along the way and knew exactly how to avoid tourist traps. When one vendor had a long line, she quickly pivoted to another great spot—she really knows her stuff! With 10 food items included, you’ll want to come hungry. This tour gave us an authentic taste of Osaka we wouldn’t have found on our own. Highly recommend!Tasting Osaka's street food like a local

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

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

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!

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

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 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

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

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

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

Gavin🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Sebastian)

30 April 2025

Our family really enjoyed the walking tour with Sebastian. He was very knowledgable and engaging, shared interesting insights and stories to help provide more context for the various places we visited. He was also very patient and adaptable (we have 3 daughters aged 13, 11 and 5 so we needed to accommodate different needs during the tour!). Thank you Sebastian! Great walking tour of Kyoto

Ingrid

(About local Sebastian)

30 April 2025

Mirjam🇭🇰 Hong Kong

(About local Maria)

30 April 2025

The food tour was our Osaka highlight. Maria navigated us expertly through two districts and all the major types of food. It was a perfect combination of sitting down in some small restaurants (that we probably would not have ever entered on our own) and street food. The food was really amazing in all of the places and left us with a good idea of what we wanted to come back for. She also expertly managed to navigate us around some serious crowds. Osaka is busy! There was a huge line on one food stand for candied strawberries and she knew a better one just a little further down the road. Also got us the best beef stand! Only downside is that we waited 20 min for her at the beginning, but things can happen. Navigating the Osaka food scene

Jon

(About local Maria)

28 April 2025

Maria was beyond helpful with not only local cuisine knowledge, but overall insight to the culture and way of life for people in Osaka and was beyond helpful in teaching us things from around town as we explores the area. this tour literally made our entire Osaka experience and we wished we had a 'Maria' in every town we went to in Japan to fill us in on the local experience. Maria MADE our Osaka experience!

Mary Grace🇺🇸 United States

(About local Hiromi)

28 April 2025

Hiromi made our only day in Osaka worth while! She brought us two of her favorite spots trying the amazing food of Osaka! The place she brought us to our places we would’ve never been able to find our own while also giving us historical facts about the city and Tokyo and Japan. It was really such a fun and lovely experience being able to walk the city with her and try amazing food at the same time. She made the experience seamless and fun, and we are so grateful for her!Hiromi is FANTASTIC

8hpzq2qkwx

(About local Maria)

27 April 2025

It was a great experience and the food was very nice 😊. Bin too many nice places you would not find on your own.Maria is the best!!

Volker

(About local Sebastian)

27 April 2025

We (my 12-year-old son and I) had great fun discovering Kyoto by bike with Sebastian. Having arrived in Kyoto just few hours before, this was the perfect way to get a great overview of the city and the major sights without getting caught in crowded tourist lines. Sebastian was a great host - perfect English and a very good general knowledge about Kyoto and its sights. One downside was that he as an expat knew less about the daily life of Japanese families.Great way to discover Kyoto

Rachel

(About local Hiromi)

26 April 2025

We really enjoyed our time with Hiromi! She was lovely and really took into consideration what we were hoping to experience. She had great suggestions and it was wonderful to hear about Osaka from a local. Thanks for a great experience!Personalized deliciousness!

Repa🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Sebastian)

25 April 2025

Our tour of Kyoto with Sebastian was very interactive and engaging. He's very knowledgeable about Japanese culture more broadly and Kyoto culture in particular. Very knowledgeable

Repa🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Maria)

25 April 2025

We did 2 tours with Maria in Osaka, including a food tour. She combined them together and we really enjoyed her company. She's very friendly and tailored the tour for our interests. The stand out was a Shinto shrine she took us to at the end of our tour. It was a bit of a trek but well worth it. Thank you, Maria, for all the laughs and, in particular, the deeply spiritual experience.Outstanding experience with Maria

Hillevi

(About local Maria)

24 April 2025

Fantastic experience

Anna🇸🇪 Sweden

(About local Maria)

24 April 2025

Two Swedish families (including 4 teenagers) had a nice evening with Maria where we got to try out what Osaka has to offer in terms of food. This is not a fine dining tour, but a golden opportunity to try different dishes such as takiyaki, gyosa, various skewers and sweet fish cakes while we got a guided tour of the food districts. Everyone including the hungry 17 year old was more than full! Maria is a friendly host who not only showed us what Osaka has to offer in terms of food, she also waited patiently when we were late and fixed a problem with an Icoca card. Thank you Maria! Full stomachs with lovely Maria

Inge🇧🇪 Belgium

(About local Sebastian)

24 April 2025

we hadden een erg leuke fietstocht, ik was vooraf niet op de hoogte dat we elektrische fietsen zouden krijgen, dus dit was in het heuvelachtige Kyoto een aangename verrassing! Sebastian was een zeer goede gids, hij wist ons veel te vertellen over de leuke plekjes in Kyoto. Alleen spijtig van de regenbui op het einde. Een hele leuke ervaring!Leuke fietstocht in Kyoto!

melody

(About local Hiroki)

23 April 2025

We had a great time with Hiroki while we were in Osaka. Hiroki met us at our apartment we were staying with and we made our way by subway to the main strip of Osaka. We went on a food specialty and had some great meals and drinks while with him. Hiroki knowledge was great and he was so sweet and kind. We loved our time with him. Time in osaka