Osaka on your own

Mein Schiff 6

This morning holds a very special day for us – Osaka. As soon as we leave Mein Schiff 6, our gaze is drawn to the enormous Ferris wheel at the harbor terminal. It somehow feels immediately like Japan: colorful, lively, and a bit exciting. We are curious about what this day has in store for us.

Fortunately, our way to the metro is well signposted, and after about five minutes, we arrive at the Osakako station. We buy a day pass for 620 yen, about 3.50 euros, and our little Osaka adventure can begin.

We take the Chuo Line heading towards Nagata/Ikoma until we reach Morinomiya station. About 20 minutes later, we find ourselves in the heart of the city, making our way to the famous Osaka Castle.

🏯 Osaka Castle and the Cherry Blossoms

We arrive at the castle around 9 AM. What luck! The paths are still pleasantly quiet, and the queues are manageable. The entrance fee is 1,200 yen, but for us, with a disability ID and an accompanying person, entry is free.

The castle impresses us from the outside with its golden decorations and mighty walls. We go inside and keep climbing higher and higher. When we finally reach the viewpoint, we are rewarded with a beautiful view over Osaka.

We stand up there, gazing over this vast city, and can hardly believe that we are actually here.

Later, it becomes noticeably busier. More and more excursion groups from Mein Schiff arrive, and inside the castle, it gets quite crowded. We are glad that we set out early and got to experience Osaka in a somewhat quieter way at first.

Afterward, we take a stroll to the Hokoku Shrine and through the park. Everywhere we discover beautiful cherry blossoms. Music groups play, and melodies fill the park from various corners.

It is precisely these small moments that will stay particularly in our memory: walking together through the park, admiring the cherry blossoms, listening to the music, and simply enjoying the moment. 🌸

🌸 Right into bustling Osaka

From Morinomiya, we then ride the Nagahori-Tsurumi-Ryokuchi Line to Shinsaibashi.

Now it gets really lively.

We walk through the enormous, covered Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Arcade. People everywhere, shops, neon signs, and constantly something new to discover. Osaka feels loud, colorful, and incredibly vibrant here.

We pass by the Shinsaibashi Tower and see the Osaka St. Bath Church, a lovely wedding church right in this bustling environment.

Then we walk about ten minutes further south – and suddenly we are at the Dotonbori Canal.

Of course, we can’t miss the obligatory photo with the famous Glico Man. We stand on the bridge, looking at the colorful hustle and bustle and cannot help but smile. This is exactly how we imagined Osaka.

🚢 A little break on the Santa Maria

From Shinsaibashi, we finally head back toward the harbor. We take the Midosuji Line to Hommachi and then back to Tempozan – Osaka Cruise Terminal with the Chuo Line.

Here a surprise awaits us.

We discover the possibility of a harbor cruise on the Santa Maria and decide spontaneously: Let’s do it!

At 1 PM, it’s time to “cast off.” The trip lasts about an hour and costs us a discounted 900 yen per person.

And we are really happy about this decision.

From the water, Osaka looks suddenly quite different. We enjoy the wind, let the city slowly pass by, and can see our Mein Schiff 6 again and again.

It is a wonderful feeling to view our ship from the water. For a moment, we are simply happy to be here and experiencing this special day together.

🌆 Osaka bids us farewell

Then it’s time for us to say goodbye. We return on board and make ourselves comfortable on Mein Schiff 6.

Around 8 PM, we set sail.

Of course, we don’t want to miss this moment and go up to deck 14 once more. Before us lies Osaka, now in darkness. The city is glowing and sparkling, especially the massive Ferris wheel catches our eyes over and over.

We stand side by side at the railing and look back.

What a day!

We have visited Osaka Castle, gazed over the city, admired cherry blossoms, walked through the bustling Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori, and experienced Osaka from the water.

And now we are slowly moving on.

Osaka will not only stay in our memory because of its impressive sights. It is primarily the shared moments that made this day so special. The feeling of being together, discovering new things, and at the end of the day standing on the ship and knowing: This is exactly why we love to travel.

A beautiful day comes to an end.

And as Osaka slowly becomes smaller behind us, we are already looking forward to the next adventure. ❤️⚓🌸