Frequently Asked Questions

All Osaka Day Tours are private group tours, with flexible itineraries that allow for special requests to be accommodated. Please submit your request as early as possible to allow for any necessary arrangements to be made. Minor changes in the itinerary, however, can be accommodated without prior notice – simply let your guide know of your preferences.

The basic group size of an Osaka Day Tour is 1-3 people, and solo travelers can book a private tour for one. Osaka Day Tours often caters to solo travelers and you’ll enjoy a personalized one-on-one experience with your tour guide.

Although all Osaka Day Tours have an itinerary, since they are private tours there is a great amount of flexibility. If your group wants to go at a more leisurely pace or change parts of the itinerary, just let your guide know. If you have any special requests before the tour begins, please inform Osaka Day Tours as early as possible.

Although Osaka Day Tour vehicles are non-smoking vehicles, and new regulations prohibit smoking on busy streets in Osaka, there are many places on our tours where you can enjoy a smoke break. Your tour guide will make sure you have ample time and opportunity to enjoy smoking whenever you want.

All Osaka Day Tours are private tours and child-friendly. Your tour guide will also make sure that your tour is paced to match you and your children. However, please consider the suitability of our more challenging hiking tours to your children’s age and hiking ability.

Your tour guide is a native English speaker who also speaks Japanese. All tours are currently only conducted in English.

For our Travel in Style Osaka Tours and Travel Like a Local Osaka Tours, I recommend comfortable shoes – even on a car tour there is a fair amount of walking. Since the weather can be changeable, it is always a good idea to bring a light jacket on a tour (a heavier jacket in the winter months). If the weather forecast has even a slight chance of rain, it is advisable to bring a portable umbrella.

For our countryside walking and hiking tours, comfortable and sturdy footwear is recommended. A small backpack, with extra clothing inside and some drinking water, is also recommended.

Depending upon the size of the group, a few pieces of luggage can be accommodated on car-based tours. For a walking tour, please bring a minimum of belongings to ensure an enjoyable tour. For a hiking tour, it’s advisable to bring a day pack and carry only necessary extra clothing and a bottle of drinking water.

There are a few different factors that make different times of the year good for visiting Osaka. Here are the conditions and events you’ll find at different times of the year:

January/February: These are the coldest months in Osaka, but Osaka’s temperate climate means the temperature only drops to an average low of 35°F (2°C) at night and usually hovers around an average of 48°F (9°C) in the daytime. January 1-3 is the time for celebrating the New Year, and you can join the festivities of Hatsumode (First Shrine Visit) at many shrines in the Osaka area.

March/April: The weather in Osaka is mild during these months. The last week of March is a good time to see cherry blossoms in bloom and join local Hanami (Blossom Viewing) parties. At nearby Yoshino Mountain, you can enjoy their later-blooming cherry blossoms (with over 30,000 cherry trees creating a breathtaking sight) throughout most of April. Keep in mind that this season is popular with tourists and will be more crowded.

May: The weather in May is getting warmer, but not yet hitting the summer heat. It’s a great time to explore around Osaka or go for a countryside walking tour.

June/July: Although the exact dates are unpredictable, from about mid-June to mid-July the Osaka area experiences Rainy Season. During this time, it can get quite muggy before the rain falls, which is then followed by a sudden downpour. It is advisable to carry a large umbrella with you during this time, and all car tours will be equipped with large Rainy Season umbrellas. Since the weather is getting hotter, the rains during Rainy Season can be quite refreshing.

August/September: August is the hottest month in Osaka, with an average daily high of 90°F (33°C) and some days going up to 99°F (37°C). Throughout August and until mid- to late-September the humidity can be high in Osaka. However, early August is a time of some of the best Matsuri (summer festivals), where you can enjoy the festivities and browse the many food stalls.

October/November: The weather is mild in these autumn months and the majority of days are clear and sunny. All around Osaka and in the surrounding areas, you can enjoy the beauty of autumn leaves. Some areas have an abundance of Japanese maples, which set the hillsides alight with a blaze of red. These autumn months are a great time to enjoy a countryside walking tour.

December: Although the weather is heading towards the colder days of January and February, the sunny days warm up quickly in the morning and provide great weather for exploring Osaka and the surrounding areas. As the temperature starts to dip in the evenings, it’s a great time to enjoy Nabe (Japanese hot pot) with your family and friends.

Yes. All Osaka Day Tours are private group tours. Only those family members or friends that you are bringing with you will be on the tour. Our tours are exclusive and not open to the public.

See him in the video on our About page.

You can learn more about Kevin Riley on our About page.

When you receive your confirmation email after completing the booking of your tour, your guide’s mobile phone number will be included.

To book a tour, go to the Book a Tour page on this website or click the button labeled “Book a Tour” under any tour description. This will take you to the Osaka Day Tours booking form.

On the form, please enter your name and email address. Be sure to use your best email address, as this is where Osaka Day Tours will confirm your booking and communicate any important information.

From the drop-down menu, select the tour you want to book.

Then, please enter the number of adults and the number of children under 12 years of age who will be participating in the tour. Please note, to ensure every tour group participant enjoys personalized attention, all Osaka Day Tours are limited to nine members in total.

If you have any special requirements or requests, please inform Osaka Day Tours by noting them in the Special Requests text box on the form. Osaka Day Tours will endeavour to meet all your requirements for a fully enjoyable tour.

After booking your tour via the form, you’ll receive a confirmation email within the next 24 hours. This email will confirm that the tour date you requested is now reserved for you and will include a link to pay for your tour. Payments can be made by credit card or via PayPal. All credit card transactions are securely handled by PayPal. To secure your tour date, please make the payment within 48 hours of receiving the confirmation, and a minimum of 72 hours before the starting time of the booked tour.

After you have booked a tour via the booking form on this website, you’ll receive an email at the address you provided within the following 24 hours. If you haven’t received an email from Osaka Day Tours within those 24 hours, please check the spam folder of your email inbox for an email from Osaka Day Tours.

Your confirmation email will also include a link to make your payment for the tour. To secure your tour date, please make the payment within 48 hours of receiving the confirmation, and a minimum of 72 hours before the starting time of the booked tour.

After you book a tour via the form on this website, you’ll receive an email from Osaka Day Tours confirming your booking within 24 hours. The email will include your name, tour name, tour date, and any other pertinent information.

If you require an official receipt, please note it in your communication with Osaka Day Tours and your guide will provide you with an official receipt.

It is recommended to book a tour as soon as you know which date you would like to book, as some tour dates do sell out rapidly. However, last minute bookings are sometimes available. If you have a range of dates during which you would like to book a tour, please note it in the Special Requests section of the booking form, and within 24 hours Osaka Day Tours will let you know which date(s) is/are available.

Travel in Style Osaka Tour includes:

• A van and driver/guide to pick you up at your accommodation, to transport you to tour destinations, and to drop you off at your accommodation (or other location at your request) at the end of the tour.
• A traditional local meal and a beverage of your choice at lunchtime in a recommended restaurant.
• All parking fees

Travel Like a Local Osaka Tour includes:

• All train and subway fares from tour meeting point to end of tour.
• A traditional local meal and a beverage of your choice at lunchtime in a recommended restaurant.

Half-Day Travel Like a Local Osaka Tour includes:

• All train and subway fares from tour meeting point to end of tour.

Your tour price also includes any entry fees for events or venues specified in individual tour itineraries.

Your tour price does not include any other purchases or entry fees opted for by any members of the tour group.

Osaka Day Tour prices are per group, with the basic group size being 1-3 members. Extra members can be added at an additional charge (see individual tour itineraries for prices). The maximum number of people per tour is nine members.

All car and walking tours in Osaka include the experience of eating a traditional Osaka lunch at Kevin’s recommended restaurant. Lunch includes Osaka’s signature okonomiyaki and a cold beer (or your choice of soft drinks).

All hiking tours include a picnic lunch provided by Kuma’s Kitchen and a special beverage to go with your lunch.

Although some tours may also include special snacks or taste testing, the tour price does not cover any extra purchases of food or drinks that you choose to make during the tour.

Once you have booked your tour and paid the full invoice price, your tour price is guaranteed to remain the same. The price will not be affected by any subsequent currency rate changes or other factors.

The only additional costs that may be incurred are if you opt to add an extra member to your tour, designate a different pickup/dropoff location, add extra activities to your tour, or make other changes.

Most tours are eight hours long – starting at 9:00 AM and ending at 5:00 PM. However, some special tours are longer and the length of those tours is noted in their description.

Most tours start at 9:00 AM, but different times can be arranged to meet your group’s needs. Please submit your request for a different starting time as early as possible before the tour starting time.

When participating in a car tour, your group will be picked up at your hotel or other accommodation anywhere inside Osaka City limits. Pickups outside city limits can be arranged, but may incur an extra charge.

When participating in a walking or hiking tour, you’ll be notified of the meeting point for your tour. Whenever possible, Osaka Day Tours will attempt to designate a meeting place most easily accessible to you from your Osaka accommodation.

All car tours offer pickup and dropoff to any hotel or other accommodation within the city limits of Osaka City. Accommodations outside the city limits may incur an extra pickup/dropoff charge.

Osaka Day Tours can pick you up from Kansai International Airport, Itami Airport, the Shinosaka Shinkansen (Bullet Train) station, any of the Nanko or Kobe ferry terminals, or the Tenpozan or Kobe cruise ship piers. Please note that these pickup locations may incur an extra charge, which you’ll be informed of prior to paying for your tour.

Please inform Osaka Day Tours of your special pickup/dropoff requirements on your booking form, or via our contact form a minimum of 48 hours before the starting time of your tour.

Please inform Osaka Day Tours in the notes section of the booking form when booking your tour, so any necessary arrangements can be made to ensure you have a wonderful tour.

Over the past couple of decades, Osaka has become more wheelchair-friendly. Whether you join a Travel in Style Osaka Tour or a Travel Like a Local Osaka Tour, Osaka Day Tours can accommodate you and ensure you have a wonderful tour of Osaka.

Walking or hiking tours can be rescheduled up to 48 hours before the currently booked tour’s starting time. Car tours can be rescheduled up to 72 hours before the currently booked tour’s starting time. Please contact Osaka Day Tours via the Contact Us form. Please provide your name, tour booking number (noted in your tour booking confirmation email), and the date you’d like to change your booking to. Unfortunately, Osaka Day Tours cannot guarantee that a tour will be available on the new date, especially if it is on short notice. If a new tour date is unavailable, your tour will be fully refunded.

Osaka Day Tours cancellation and refund policy is fully detailed on our Osaka Day Tours Cancellation Policy page. In most cases, you can get a full refund if you cancel or re-schedule your tour at least 48 hours before the booked tour’s starting time. For car tours, the deadline for cancelling or rescheduling a tour is 72 hours before the booked tour’s starting time.

Each private tour is limited to a maximum of nine members to ensure each participant gets personal attention and the most enjoyable tour. If your booked group is currently less than nine members in size, you may still add extra members by contacting Osaka Day Tours. In your email, please include your name, tour booking number (noted in your booking confirmation email), and the number of people you wish to add. Depending upon your current group size and the price structure of your chosen tour, extra charges may apply. For walking tours, members can be added to the tour any time up to 24 hours before the scheduled tour starting time. For car tours, members can be added to the tour any time up to 72 hours before the scheduled tour starting time.

Since all Osaka Day Tours are private tours, your tour won’t begin until you and the rest of your group arrive. However, please be aware that any serious delay in starting a tour may result in a reduction of places visited during the tour, if there isn’t enough time.

Japan is an island nation and the weather can be unpredictable. Tours are not cancelled due to inclement weather and participants are advised to bring a portable umbrella with them on a tour. In the event of more serious weather, such as a typhoon, the tour will be cancelled for safety reasons and you will receive a full refund.