Where to stay in Osaka

Main station: Shin-Osaka Station. You can pick Osaka as the city you stay in on this site.

Areas to stay

• Umeda (Kita)
  Hotels near Umeda (Kita) (Google Maps)
• Namba (Minami)
  Hotels near Namba (Minami) (Google Maps)
• Shin-Osaka
  Hotels near Shin-Osaka (Google Maps)

Day trips from Osaka

• Fushimi Inari TaishaKyoto · 20–60 kmThousands of orange torii gates form tunnels up a forested mountain. Open all day and night.
• Kiyomizu-dera TempleKyoto · 20–60 kmA wooden temple stage built out over a hillside, with views across Kyoto.
• Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion)Kyoto · 20–60 kmA pavilion whose upper two floors are covered in gold leaf, reflected in a still pond.
• Todaiji TempleNara · 20–60 kmA giant bronze Buddha inside one of the world's largest wooden buildings.
• Arashiyama Bamboo GroveKyoto · 20–60 kmA path through towering green bamboo, near the famous Togetsukyo Bridge.
• DotonboriOsaka · within 20 kmOsaka's neon-lit canal street of giant signs and street food — takoyaki, okonomiyaki and more.
• Gion & HanamikojiKyoto · 20–60 kmKyoto's geisha district around Yasaka Shrine, with teahouse-lined lanes south of Shijo and the willow-lined Shirakawa canal.
• Nara ParkNara · 20–60 kmOver 1,500 free-roaming deer that bow for rice crackers, among ancient temples and shrines.

Distance is a straight line from the station, not travel time.

See this month's day trips →

Onsen towns nearby

• Arima Onsen Hyogo
  One of Japan's oldest hot spring towns, famous for its rusty-brown 'gold' water, just behind Kobe.
• Dorogawa Onsen Nara
  A small hot-spring town at the foot of sacred Mt. Omine, base for Shugendo pilgrims. Old inns line the river, and paper lanterns light the streets after dark.
• Sakakibara Onsen Mie
  An old spa praised by Sei Shonagon in The Pillow Book as 'Nanakuri no yu'. Pilgrims bathed here to purify themselves before visiting Ise Jingu, and its clear alkaline water is known for leaving skin smooth.

All onsen towns by month →

From the airport

• Osaka Itami Airport (ITM): Airport limousine bus to Shin-Osaka.
• Kansai International Airport (KIX): JR Limited Express Haruka, about 50 min to Shin-Osaka Station.

Getting around

• Kyoto 15 min · Tokaido Shinkansen (Nozomi)
• Okayama 45 min · Sanyo Shinkansen (Nozomi/Mizuho)
• Matsuyama 50 min · flight ITM → MYJ
• Kagoshima 1 h 15 min · flight ITM → KOJ
• Sendai 1 h 20 min · flight ITM → SDJ
• Sapporo 1 h 55 min · flight ITM → CTS
• Naha 2 h 5 min · flight ITM → OKA

Fastest regular service on the official timetable. A flight time is the scheduled time between the airports; add the trip to the airport.

Next city

• Osaka → Kyoto (15 min) → Nagoya (35 min) → Tokyo (1 h 35 min)
• Osaka → Okayama (45 min) → Hiroshima (35 min) → Fukuoka (1 h)

Example routes along these connections; the time of each leg is in brackets.

Use Osaka as your base →