Osaka Food Markets Exploration: From Local Cuisine to Luxurious Delicacies
4.7
23 Ratings
Osaka
Embark on an exciting food exploration in Osaka, from upscale department store marketplaces to local delicacies. Join a knowledgeable guide for an immersive journey of tastes and aromas!
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Takashimaya Osaka Store - “Depachika” are department store underground food halls, and we’re going to show you one of the nicest in the area. Beautiful foods of all variety are on display, be they raw ingredients, Western or Japanese sweets, or other Japanese specialties.
- Pulala Tenma - See a local wet market up close and personal, without the tourist hordes. Local seafood, meats, vegetables, and more are all on display, and your guide will talk about how all these tasty elements come together in Japanese cuisine.
- Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Street - Learn about the history and modern day role of this longest covered shopping street in Japan. We’ll pop into a very Osaka supermarket as well, and give you the low-down.
- Osaka Tsuruhashi Ichiba - Explore Osaka’s busiest and most interesting Korea Town. Not just food, but culturally indicative clothing and other goods are also on display for your perusal. A good chance to buy a tasty snack or two as well!
- Kuromon Market - We’d be remiss to not show you this open market that is currently the darling of the visitor scene. Prices are a bit high here, but the sights are supreme, and the quality is most certainly there.
- Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street - Kitchenware galore awaits you in Doguyasuji. A great place to pick up a Japanese cooking knife, wax sushi models, Japanese ceramics and other serving dishes. Tea cups and lacquer chopsticks round out a nice selection of souvenirs to take home.
- Minami (Namba) - With any remaining time, we’ll explore some of the top sights in the Namba/Dotonbori area.
What's Included
- Native or near-native speaker proficiency in the chosen language.
What's Not Included
- Transportation while on tour (330 yen per adult)
- Samples, Food items, Refreshments, Souvenirs
- Snacks
Additional Information
Ah, the bustling cityscape of Tokyo with its imposing skyscrapers and throngs of important-looking people. And oh Kyoto, known for its high art, intricate temples, bountiful gardens and sophistication. Delightful, really. But here, we are in OSAKA. To put it politely, we aren’t perturbed about your charismatic existence. Our focus leans towards gastronomy.
Prepare to explore (1) an elegant, high-end department store marketplace, (2) the renowned Kuromon Ichiba, where tantalizing, both raw and cooked, delicacies compete for your palate, (3) a Japan-influenced Korea Town, a place seldom traversed by tourists, and (4) a historic district brimming with a variety of meats, fish, vegetables, and other staples and refreshments targeting the locals. Guiding you will be a cordial, native English-speaking host, thoroughly soaked in the spirit of Osaka, ardent about detailing every tiny facet of this vast culinary environment. Embrace yourself for an exploration filled with sights, fragrances and savors!
- Children must be accompanied by an adult. There is a moderate amount of walking, so please keep this in mind if bringing young kids.
Location
McDonald's Temma Station
We meet at the McDonalds just outside Temma (Tenma) Station's fare gates.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.7
(23 Ratings)
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Davidmr4134la
Apr 3, 2024
A food lover's delight - Kevin was a fantastic guide, taking us to places we would never have found ourselves. All based around food - markets, street food, supermarkets - with plenty of history and local knowledge too. Thanks!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
179brianac
Apr 1, 2024
Ferdinand’s tour was great! - Ferdinand was an exceptional guide. He showed us to so many areas, provided education about each, and was very engaging/funny. He took into account our individual interests and helped translate when we wanted to try certain foods.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Briana_p
Apr 1, 2024
Ferdinand’s tour was great! - Ferdinand was an exceptional guide. He showed us to so many areas, provided education about each, and was very engaging/funny. He took into account our individual interests and helped translate when we wanted to try certain foods.
Review provided by Viator
Lds
Mar 25, 2024
Excellent. Alejandro is an 5 star guide. - Alejandro was an amazing guide. His English is perfect. What we really appreciated was his willingness to customize the experience for us. His insights of the Japanese culture and customs are so helpful to better understand this amazing country. Thank you.
Review provided by Viator
Hap888
Mar 21, 2024
Our best 4 hours in Osaka - Kevin was a spectacular guide, and the tour was magnificent - we reached the end of the tour without realizing it was over. We started with the daily markets of the inhabitants of Ōsaka, a well-deserved stop and explanation in the K-town of Osaka (the most gastronomically interesting part and where - I at least - enjoyed the food the most) and we finished in Kuromon and the great Takashimaya stores (the latter, a true trip to a luxurious way of shopping).
Kevin explained everything in detail, answered all of our questions, and managed timelines diligently and very professionally. A highly recommended tour to discover those who want to know all the facets of Ōsaka beyond the tourist areas.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Margaret_s
Mar 11, 2024
Drilling down into what ingredients make the delicious cuisine of Japan!! - Ferdinand was extremely well versed in cuisines in many cultures as a result of his culinary training and experience. He was perfect for leading us through markets, identifying specialties, dishes/knives and talking about foods and their evolution in Japan. The Korean section also gave us a glimpse of history and ending in the high end ‘market’ was superb!
Review provided by Viator
Pvanderschoor
Mar 5, 2024
À Great Adventure - This tour was amazing. Ferdinand was superb. A lot of territory was covered. So much information was given as to where, how and why these markets we saw evolved, still exist and thrive. I highly recommend this tour if you want to learn, hear and see markets and places that are out of the ordinary! You will not be disappointed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Travis_k
Nov 8, 2023
A great way to learn about Osaka - This was a great tour…you learn about Japanese cuisine, the different cultural influences and you also learn a lot out the city of Osaka. Damian was a great guide…very knowledgeable, answered all our questions and was very patient as we shopped around and stopped for many photo ops…lol. Highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Viator
Wanderer20619576472
Apr 10, 2024
I'd recommend. Just lower expectations. - This tour was tough to rate because we were shown a lot of very cool places. Tour guide was cool. He showed us a lot.....BUT with no map or markers or names of the places.....we have no idea where we went. The tour doesn't show us either. The ending was disappointing. It was like ok it's over bye. I think maybe a ending with a beer somewhere or a restaurant would been nice. Or at least a map or recommendations for places to eat. Anyway we figured out on our own after. I would recommend, but don't expect any food at the end.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Michelle_g
Mar 16, 2024
Informative but expensive - Expensive for what it is, as no food or transportation are included in the price. You’ll see tons of markets and food stalls, plus learn the history. Expect to also visit some grocery stores to see how locals shop. Though we enjoyed it, it’s not a must-do.
Review provided by Viator
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