Osaka is a big city, so it’s crucial to stay somewhere convenient. Here, we explain the best places to stay in Osaka, complete with a full explanation of our reasoning.
Kita District, Osaka
The Takeaway
- Osaka is big, so you’ll save a lot of time and energy if you stay somewhere central and convenient.
- The best places to stay (in order of preference) are Kita, Minami, Honmachi (Central Osaka) and the Shin-Osaka Area.
- Other decent places to stay include the Tennoji Area and the Osaka Castle Area.
- Try to stay as close as possible to the Midosuji subway line, as this is the most important transport route in Osaka (it gets you almost everywhere).
Osaka Holiday Essentials
- Where To Stay In Osaka: See our guide to the best areas and the best hotels to stay in Osaka.
- Things To Do In Osaka: Check this overview of Osaka activities with links to all the key information.
- Flights To Osaka: Find the cheapest flights to Osaka and flight times from scores of airlines with Skyscanner.
- Osaka Packing List: Don’t forget to take any of the essentials with our comprehensive Packing List For Japan.
- Travel Insurance: World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Claim online anywhere in the world.
The Details
- Here is our list of the best places to stay in Osaka. It’s based on the following reasoning:
- Access to transport is crucial. In particular, it should be close to the Midosuji subway line.
- There should be plenty of shops and restaurants nearby.
- Proximity to sightseeing attractions is important.
- The neighborhood should be pleasant, safe and interesting.
Based on this and my own experience with staying in Osaka, here are the best places to stay in Osaka.
Kita
Kita tops the list as the best place to stay in Osaka. It ticks all the boxes. Kita is Osaka’s most important transport hub and four train lines converge here (the JR Line and three private lines: Hankyu, Keihan and Hanshin). These offer quick access to other parts of Osaka, as well as Kyoto, Nara, Kobe and further afield. The Midosuji subway line also stops right in the middle of Kita.
Kita is also a huge shopping, dining and entertainment district and you’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to restaurants. There are also several sights to see in Kita, including the museums of Nakanoshima, the Umeda Sky Building, and Kids Plaza Osaka. Finally, Kita has plenty of wide, clean and safe sidewalks, that make is a pleasant place to stroll around. If you can find a good hotel deal here, you’ll be happy with your choice.
Our picks for the best hotels in Kita and Umeda are
- Luxury: Conrad Osaka
- Mid-Range: Imperial Hotel Osaka
- Budget: Toyoko Inn Osaka Umeda Higashi
For a careful selection of the best hotels in Kita, in all budget ranges, see our Kita District page.
Minami
Minami is a close second to Kita as Osaka’s best place to stay. Minami is a major transport hub and three train lines converge here (the JR Line, the Nankai Line and the Kintetsu Line). These offer easy access to Nara and Wakayama, as well as southern Osaka. The Midosuji subway line runs right through Minami, stopping at Shinsaibashi and Namba stations.
Most importantly, Minami is a huge and vibrant shopping, dining and entertainment district. In fact, if you’re specifically here to eat and enjoy the nightlife, Minami might be a better choice than Kita.
Our picks for the best hotels in Minami are
- Luxury: Swissotel Nankai Osaka
- Mid-Range: KOKO HOTEL Osaka Namba (formerly Hotel WBF Art Stay Osaka Namba)
- Budget: First Cabin Midosuji Namba
- Family: Hotel Monterey Grasmere Osaka
- Boutique: Cross Hotel Osaka
For more details of our top hotel picks in Minami, in all budget ranges, see our Minami District page.
Honmachi (Central Osaka)
If you find it difficult to choose between Kita and Minami, one solution is to compromise and stay right between them, in Honmachi (Central Osaka). Honmachi is much quieter and calmer than either Kita or Minami. It doesn’t have as many shopping and dining options, but don’t worry: there are still PLENTY of restaurants to choose from here.
If you’re a keen walker, you can easily walk to either Kita or Minami from Honmachi. And, if you don’t feel like walking, it’s not a problem, because the Midosuji subway line stops in the middle of Honmachi (at Honmachi Station) and it will get you wherever you want to go. And, since it’s not quite as fashionable as Kita or Minami, hotels tend to be slightly cheaper in Honmachi.
Our picks for the best hotels in Honmachi and around Central Osaka are
- Luxury: St. Regis Osaka
- Mid-Range: City Plaza Osaka
- Family: Hotel Brighton City Osaka Kitahama
For our careful list of the best hotels in Honmachi, in all budget ranges, see our Honmachi District page.
Shin-Osaka Area
If you want easy access to the shinkansen (bullet train) line and you still want to be within easy striking distance of downtown Osaka (via the Midosuji subway line), then the Shin-Osaka Area is a good choice. If you have business that will take you all over Japan, or you have a Japan Rail Pass and want to use the shinkansen to really explore Japan (including places like Hiroshima, Kyoto, Himeji and Tokyo), then staying in Shin-Osaka can save you a lot of time and energy.
And, despite being at the north end of the city, you’d only be 5 or 10 minutes’ subway ride away from the major urban hubs of Osaka. And, there are plenty of places to eat and shop in and around Shin-Osaka Station. Needless to say, because it’s such in important transport hub, this area is filled with reasonable hotels.
Our picks for the best hotels in Shin-Osaka are
- Luxury: Courtyard by Marriott Shin-Osaka Station
- Mid-Range: Remm Shin-Osaka
- Budget: Super Hotel JR Shin-Osaka Higashiguchi
- Family: Shin-Osaka Station Hotel Honkan
For our other top picks, see our Shin-Osaka Area page.
Tennoji Area
At the southern end of Osaka, the Tennoji Area is an up-and-coming shopping, dining and entertainment district that has lots of things to do nearby. The streets here feel a little rougher than those of the areas listed above, but this is Japan, so it’s quite safe.
And, because it’s not as fashionable as other districts, hotels rates tend to be very reasonable here. As with the other areas listed here, the Midosuji subway line stops here, so you can easily access other parts of Osaka.
Our choices for the best hotels in the Tennoji area are
- Luxury: Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel
- Mid-Range: Hotel Bali Tower Osaka Tennoji
- Budget: Super Hotel Osaka Tennoji
- Family: Shin-Osaka Station Hotel Honkan
For more top Tennoji hotel picks, including budget, mid-range and luxury options, see our Tennoji Area page.
Osaka Castle Area
If you want to be away from the crowds of Osaka and fancy being near a spacious park where you can walk or run, then the Osaka Castle Area is an interesting choice. There are enough shops and restaurants here to keep you well fed, and the rest of Osaka is only short subway or taxi ride away. Because it’s slightly less convenient than other parts of Osaka, hotels here tend to be cheap.
Our recommendations in the Osaka Castle area are
- Budget: Hotel the Lutheran
- Family: Hotel Keihan Kyobashi Grande
See our Osaka Castle Area page for a strict selection of the area’s best hotels in all price brackets.
Types Of Accommodation In Osaka
Osaka has great hotels in all budget classes. If you want a real Japanese ryokan experience, we suggest staying in one of Kyoto’s great ryokan. Alternatively, you can also find many great ryokan in nearby Nara.
Hotels
Kyoto has a fantastic selection of hotels, ranging from the ultra-luxe The St. Regis Osaka, to the superb cherry blossom views from the Imperial Hotel Osaka, along with good value places like the First Cabin Midosuji Namba.
For our picks of the best hotels in each category, please see
- Best Osaka Luxury Hotels
- Best Osaka Mid-Range and Business Hotels
- Best Budget Osaka Hotels
- Best Boutique Hotels in Osaka
- Best Osaka Hotels For Families
See our overview on the Osaka Hotels page.
You can also check current Osaka hotel availability at Agoda.com and Booking.com
Ryokans
Osaka has few true ryokan (traditional Japanese inns), buy you can find our Kyoto and Nara picks on the Osaka Ryokan page.
Peak Season: March - April and November
A FRIENDLY WARNING! Osaka accommodation gets booked out months in advance for busy seasons like the late March to mid-April cherry blossom season and the November fall foliage season. Book well in advance for these times.
You can check current Kyoto hotel availability during March, April and November on Agoda.com and Booking.com
Visiting Tokyo or Kyoto?
If you're visiting Tokyo or Kyoto as well as Osaka, be sure to check out Where To Stay In Tokyo and Where To Stay In Kyoto on insideosaka.com's companion websites, TrulyTokyo.com and InsideKyoto.com.
Where Are These Places Located?
See these places on the Inside Osaka Google map:- Open the Osaka map
- You will see the list of places on the left hand side. (Click the 3-line icon in the top left corner if not). Scroll down or use the map search (the magnifying glass icon) to find the place you want.
- Click the name of the place in the list. Its location pin will be highlighted on the map.
- Map pins are color coded - BLUE: Hotels / Ryokan / Guesthouses | VIOLET: Ryokan | PINK: Places to Eat | GREEN: Shops | YELLOW: Things to See and Do
- If you're using the map on your phone, open the map and then search for the name of the place. The map will then zoom in on its location.
Osaka Vacation Checklist
- For all the essentials in a brief overview, see my First Time In Osaka guide
- Check Osaka accommodation availability and pricing on Booking.com and Agoda.com - often you can book with no upfront payment and free cancellation
- Need tips on where to stay? See my one page guide Where To Stay In Osaka
- You can buy shinkansen (bullet train) tickets online from Klook - popular routes include Tokyo to Osaka, Osaka to Kyoto and Osaka to Tokyo
- You can buy an eSim to activate in Japan or buy a data-only SIM card online for collection when you arrive at Tokyo's Narita or Haneda Airports or Kansai International Airport. You can also rent an unlimited data pocket wifi router
- View my comprehensive Packing List For Japan
- Compare flight prices and timings to find the best Japan flight deals
- If you're visiting more than one city, you might save money with a Japan Rail Pass – see if it's worth it for you
- Get a prepaid Icoca card to make travelling around Osaka easy – here's how
- World Nomads offers simple and flexible travel insurance. Buy at home or while traveling and claim online from anywhere in the world
- Do you want help planning your trip? Chris Rowthorn and his team of Japan experts at Japan Travel Consulting can help