Osaka Customized Half-Day Tour — Guide AndyMurao
November, 2024
This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 9:00 Meet up @ Hotel Osaka
- 9:33-9:43 Yodoyabashi – Dobutsuen-mae, Osaka Metro, 240 yen
- 9:50-11:30 Shinsekai sightseeing (Tsutenkaku, etc.)
- 11:43-12:05 Dobutsuen-mae – Morinomiya, Osaka Metro, 240 yen
- Osaka Castle Park sightseeing (turn back without doing it)
- 12:18-12:26 Morinomiya – Shinsaibashi, Osaka Metro, 240 yen
- 13:00-13:30 Lunch @ McDonald's
- 13:40 Disband @ Ebisubashi
Tour Itinerary in Detail
This private tour of Osaka began at 9:00, when the guide met the guests at @ Hotel Osaka, and finished at 13:40. The day ran to 4 hours and 40 minutes from start to finish. It included lunch @ McDonald's at 13:00.
From there the group visited Yodoyabashi – Dobutsuen-mae, Osaka Metro, 240 yen at 9:33, Shinsekai sightseeing (Tsutenkaku, etc.) at 9:50, Dobutsuen-mae – Morinomiya, Osaka Metro, 240 yen at 11:43 and Morinomiya – Shinsaibashi, Osaka Metro, 240 yen at 12:18.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Yodoyabashi to Dobutsuen-mae by subway (620JPY); Dobutsuen-mae to Morinomiya by subway (0JPY); Morinomiya to Shinsaibashi by subway (0JPY). Across 3 sections the fare came to 620JPY per person.
What Is a Private Osaka Tour of Shinsekai and Tsutenkaku Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
I guided a group visiting from Asia. The destinations were Shinsekai and Tsutenkaku, and the guests were very particular about photography, enjoying taking pictures from various angles while discussing among themselves. They were especially pleased with the view from the Tsutenkaku observation deck and spent a long time taking in the scenery.
The originally planned visit to Osaka Castle was cancelled, perhaps because the guests were feeling a little tired, and instead they chose to stroll around the Dotonbori area. There, they were able to purchase a Japanese doll that they had been asked to bring back for family, at a reasonable price, and were very pleased. The atmosphere remained pleasant throughout, and I was glad they seemed to enjoy the sightseeing.
Click here for more details: Osaka Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Subway | Yodoyabashi～Dobutsuen-mae | 620JPY |
| Section 2 | Subway | Dobutsuen-mae～Morinomiya | 0JPY |
| Section 3 | Subway | Morinomiya～Shinsaibashi | 0JPY |
| Total | 620JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this Osaka tour start and finish?
The guide met the guests at @ Hotel Osaka at 9:00, and the tour finished at @ Ebisubashi at 13:40.
How long does the tour last?
About 4 hours and 40 minutes in total, from 9:00 to 13:40.
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Yodoyabashi – Dobutsuen-mae, Osaka Metro, 240 yen, Shinsekai sightseeing (Tsutenkaku, etc.), Dobutsuen-mae – Morinomiya, Osaka Metro, 240 yen and Morinomiya – Shinsaibashi, Osaka Metro, 240 yen.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 620JPY per person across 3 sections. Transport fares are paid by the guests and are not included in the guiding fee.
Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?
AndyMurao is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?
Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Osaka itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.
Hello! I am Andy Murao. I love this job as I can visit various destinations with the people from all over the world. I am always thinking that I could help you know more about Japan and understand the attractiveness of Japan.
I would like to provide a tour in accordance with your request and preference. Please let me know what you want to see, eat, experience, etc. and then I will propose a schedule based on them.
There is one point to note. I like walking very much, so I might be a guide who forces you to take long walks.
I look forward to attending you in Japan.
Best regards,
Andy Murao
Jul 13, 2026
webstere2025
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Excellent
Andy(Atsushi) was great and communicated with us beforehand about our…
Jul 13, 2026
webstere2025
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Local Guide
Excellent
Andy(Atsushi) was great and communicated with us beforehand about our itinerary. He was flexible with changes we requested. Andy was very informative during the tour. He also was willing to take our family’s pictures. We were able to stop and check out shops as we pleased along the way. He also accommodated lunch requests(as our daughter has food allergies).
One thing I wish we realized was that there is quite a bit of walking. We were fine but for people who are perhaps older or with young children you may want to consider taking a cab between different sites.
Jun 21, 2026
Catherine_D
Viator review: Osaka 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
First time in Osaka
Andy was great . On time and patience…
Jun 21, 2026
Catherine_D
Viator review: Osaka 4hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
First time in Osaka
Andy was great . On time and patience with our walking tour since we had a 14 yr old with
us. Very informative and picked us up and dropped us off our hotel. Thank you Andy for
showing us Osaka
Jun 6, 2026
eyeessess
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Early Morning Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great tour!
Andy Murao was an amazing and wonderful tour guide.…
Jun 6, 2026
eyeessess
Tripadvisor review: Kyoto Early Morning Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great tour!
Andy Murao was an amazing and wonderful tour guide. He reached out to us with some ideas for our private tour. He worked with us as we made the tour perfectly suited to our needs. He met us on time. He navigated the crowds and the sites perfectly. He was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot. He even put together a nice photo collection of photos he emailed us after. Highly recommend.
Jun 5, 2026
Janice_W
Viator review: Kyoto 9hr Private Tour (Kobe Dep. ) with Licensed Guide
Great tour of Kyoto
It was a good tour…
Jun 5, 2026
Janice_W
Viator review: Kyoto 9hr Private Tour (Kobe Dep. ) with Licensed Guide
Great tour of Kyoto
It was a good tour & Andy looked after us well. He managed to change things to suite our
walking limitations & we had a good day.