No Osaka private tour would be complete without a visit to the Castle, arguably the most iconic spot of great historical significance in Osaka. We’ll traverse the grounds, all the while talking about the history, architecture, and significance of the spot. Since the rebuilt interior of the castle is rather disappointing (due to some events in recent history), we recommend giving that a miss. Trust us. We’ll spend about 75 minutes here.

Learn about Buddhism with our friendly, “lite” primer, with discussed points illustrated by the sights we take in while walking the grounds. If the garden is open (oh, those temperamental gardeners!), we highly recommend spending the 300 yen on it. But even without that, time at Shitennoji is well spent. We find it intellectually rewarding and even spiritually so for some; our guests always leave here having enjoyed it more than they expected they would. Expect to spend 45 minutes or so here.

Fun for all ages, in a slightly reality-independent way, this is a certifiable must-see while in Osaka. After going big in the 1920s and into the 1930s as a sort of Luna Park type venue, the place fell onto hard times, back into good times, and then hard times again. But the good news is that it is now solidly in good times! Games, a foodie fantasia, fashion (“fashion” is defined rather loosely in Japan), and that general, unmistakable, love-it-or-leave-it Osaka vibe. A visit to Shin-Sekai is hard to forget, especially if you ask your guide to show you the extra deep nooks and crannies. We usually spend about 30 minutes walking around here.

Considered Osaka’s most important shrine, Sumiyoshi Taisha was once on the coast (landfill has changed that over the centuries) and was built with an eye towards protecting society’s seafarers. The grounds are picturesque, peaceful, and even enigmatic. We love taking people here, and the fact that few other tourists visit makes it even better in our book! We plan for about 45 minutes here.

It’s all about the view at this free observation deck atop Sakai’s city hall (thanks, taxpayers!). Gaze upon the urban expanse of Osaka and its surroundings, and then look closer and see the giant, keyhole-sized tombs that dot the landscape. They were built between the 3rd and 7th centuries, and the largest one took 2,000 people working every day for 15 years to complete!

We’ll drop by the periphery viewpoint of Emperor Nintoku’s tomb (the largest of them all) on the way to the Japanese garden. This garden is great for strolling, has hungry koi in the pond (except when it’s too cold and they burrow themselves in the mud), and is never crowded.