Budget Travel Ideas in Osaka

Osaka, Japan is one of the top destinations in Japan. There are thousands of things to do in Osaka and no matter what you're into Osaka will probably have something to entice your desires. You shop, see musical performances at their many venues, go to museums and join in Osaka's festivals and annual events. With it being such a big place to visit you may find yourself thinking you'll have to break the bank to vacation here. Like all great cities there are little secrets on spending time in Osaka on a budget.

Lodging

The first thing you'll need to find when planning your trip to Osaka is finding a place to stay. You could spend your nights in a high end hotel, but there are some quality alternatives that won't drain your bank account. For the cheapest lodging prices it is always a good idea to look at the area hostels. Hostels for the most part are very well maintained with comfortable accommodations at an inexpensive price. The Osaka International Guesthouse Area has a list of all of the traveler friendly places to stay. Some of these include J-Hoppers Osaka Central which offer private rooms along with 6 to 8 bed dorms. The private rooms start at ¥3000  and the entire staff speaks English to help travelers. Another good place for inexpensive lodging is Guest House U-en is set in an old Japanese home. They offer dormitory beds at ¥2300 to ¥2500  and private rooms starting at ¥5500. Other places that can accommodate travelers on a budget are Carpe Diem Inn and Hotel Chuo.

Eating

Osaka is well known for their culinary influences in the world. A lot of popular dishes have their origins in Osaka. Most of these dishes can be found at a fairly inexpensive price on street carts found all over the city. You could also get them at the food court in the Hashin Department Store. There, Osaka originals like takoyaki and okonomiyaki are served here every day at 10am to 8:30pm. Other places to get cheap eats in Osaka are Tsuruhashi Fūgetsu, Tako Tako King and Saizeriya. All of these places offer meals at a price of around ¥600.

Things to Do

Most attractions in Osaka have an admission fee. Some free places are Minoh Park, Osaka Castle Park and Sumiyoshi Taisha Grand Shrine.