Osaka Wonder Loop
Osaka Wonder Loop
4
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
About
Get around Osaka with our Hop-on Hop-off loop bus, cruise boat and the city subway & bus! See the city from the roads and rivers and enjoy the views while on the go. And if you need to take the subway, it is included as well! Every bus has a concierge to take care of passengers and answer any questions you might have.
Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.

4.0
94 reviews
Excellent
48
Very good
15
Average
8
Poor
10
Terrible
13

Steve C
Annapolis, MD657 contributions
Oct 2018 • Solo
Osaka is a BIG town and virtually impossible to cover on foot. You could rent a bike, but the streets and sidewalks are incredibly busy, so it would be nerve racking and potentially dangerous

Another option is to take the Oskaka Wonder Loop tour bus.

I had sort of had it with the trains by day two in Osaka — well, not the trains, but rather the incredibly crowded and confusing Osaka rail stations. So, I just decided to walk into town from my hotel in Juso. It was about 1.5 miles to the city center where I planned to catch the Osaka Wonder Loop Bus (Hop-On Hop-Off Bus).

There are several similar tours that all leave near the Umeda Train Station, but this one is by far the best because of the additional add-ons like the fact that the ticket is good for two days, can be used on the subway trains, and even throws in a very nice canal boat ride.

But from a practical standpoint, the bus is essentially a convenient open-air taxi that you can get off and on for two days.

I recommend that you buy your ticket as early as possible in order to maximize the amount of time you have. The first bus leaves Umeda Station at 9 AM. They stagger their bus types between open air and closed buses. and finding the starting point is going to be the trickiest part of the show. Google maps is no help because it gets poor signal in the maze of high rise buildings. I spent an hour trying to find the first station. So, I'm going to give you directions that will make this fairly easy.

When you get off the train at Umeda Station, which is the busiest train station I have ever seen and very confusing, navigate to the front of the station. Ask for the Hanshin Department Store. When you come out onto the street it will be so crowded you will be swept away. Walk toward the Hashin Department Store (south toward the river). Look for an area straight ahead that looks like a tunnel between the tall buildings where there are many buses in a long line. Walk under the tunnel past all of the buses until you come to a busy cross street. Turn left and walk about 200 feet and you will see the red and yellow sign for the Wonder Tour.

The tour stops at all the major attractions and the must see areas of Osaka -- shopping, eating, electronics, tallest building, and temple town. But they have a weird requirement that you get off the bus at the modern hotel stop right before Osaka Castle. This is a rest stop for the driver. You will now have about an hour before the bus continues.

I recommend that you take the foot bridge from where you get off the bus and it will lead you to Osaka Castle. But the route is a bit tricky. Avoid the perimeter trails and just keep walking straight toward the castle and look for the castle directional signs.

You will definitely have time, if you don't dawdle, to walk to the castle and check out the battlements and areas around the castle, and still get to the bus stop on the far side of the castle which is just to the right of the main gate in a bigparking area. Look for the yellow and red bus stop sign. And if you miss the bus, just wait for the next.

You will not have time to take the tour of the castle, but you will have time to walk around the castle.

There are places to buy food and drink around the castle grounds which are expansive. And there are paddle boats that offer rides on the canals.

For more travel tips, please check out my popular travel blog.
Written March 19, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Adel T
Cebu City, Philippines87 contributions
Apr 2017 • Family
This is a fairly new attraction in Osaka. Saw an ad in Klook.com and the tickets were on sale, so I took a shot and bought our tickets at half the price. It was really a good deal! You can start the tour any day you like for two consecutive days. It included a ride on either a top-off bus or a closed top bus. It was raining the first day we availed the tour so we had the closed top bus. The only con I could say about this tour attraction was that the bus stops were really hard to find, at least the Namba Park one was (stop #1) - all others were on pretty much visible stops like the one in front of the Osaka Station or at Shinsaibashi.
Tour guide spoke good English and was accommodating to questions and inquiries from passengers. There was also a brief introduction of each area or bus stop to give the passengers an idea of what was notable on those places. The popular bus stops were the Osakajoen (Osaka Castle) and the Shinsaibashi area.
There a no tickets for the ride, just a free booklet guide that serves as your ticket. It was only checked the first time we rode the bus, so I wonder whether they remembered us through some sort of a hidden camera or they just trusted that we indeed paid for the ride, which of course we did.
It included a cruise on 3 or 4 different courses on different locations in Osaka. We took the one which stops at Love Central since it has the most convenient schedule for us. It was the highlight of our trip! We were cruising along Sakuranomiya park where hundreds of sakura trees line up the river bank. It was awesome! The weather also cooperated the second day so we had tons of pictures taken. We were the only ones who were in the cruise, so it looked like we rented a private yacht. The boat man was also very nice and accommodating, always laughing although he spoke not much English.
It was a great, value for money experience. Highly recommended to those who want to see Osaka without going through train station after train station. The open top bus is much, much better than the closed top one. Take the cruise and plan your stops well to take all 3 or 4 courses.
Written April 14, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Gareth M
Melbourne, Australia15 contributions
Jun 2018 • Couples
We were only in Osaka for one day, and found this an easy way to see the sites of Osaka. The buses were regular, and found the tour guides on the bus very knowledgeable, in particular Mii who was lovely, and gave us a great insight into Osaka life. We found the boat cruise an excellent addition, make sure you book this early, as it does sell out (they can call them on the bus for you) and the subway ticket was a bonus, made getting back to the hotel late at night so much easier.
Written August 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Majojam
Quezon City, Philippines40 contributions
I got this tour for our family because we wanted an overview of the city in the comfort of a bus. We got that indeed, managed to go around the city with minimal hop-off’s. The commentary can be improved though. The usherette was basically just saying the names of certain buildings or establishments, nothing more. There was no depth. But what really disappointed us was the package should have been with a river cruise. But we were told that the cruise could only accommodate a limited number (40 I think) and was already fully booked for the day! Thus, unless you just want to lazily go around Osaka in a bus, I wouldn’t recommend this.
Written May 9, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SueS
Norwich, UK248 contributions
Mar 2018
Bought my ticket before travelling to Japan, thought it was going to be a bus tour round the city with running commentry, but it is just a bus round the city. Guide on board just announcing what the next stop was with very little information in between. Don't book this tour is you are expecting a running commentry during your route. We did get the ticket which had the boat and subway included, and enjoyed the boat trip, but again no commentry. The bus itself is good if you want to get your bearings in the city, and it gives you an rough idea where things are, just don't expect a running commentry. Also dont make the same mistake I did with the subway ticket. I thought from the time you used it you had 24 hours to use it again, so I used it at 18.00 for the first time, then the next day was told I could not use it as a day had passed.
Written April 2, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kukur0911
Brisbane, Australia31 contributions
Apr 2017 • Couples
With only 1 clear day in Osaka, my wife and I used the hop on/hop off bus in Osaka. Because of our interests we never got off at the shopping centres, and focused more on the non retail attractions. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience, to anyone; however if time is short, its a great way to maximise your visit to Osaka. Would certainly recommend it..
Written May 1, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jennifer T
Sydney, Australia116 contributions
May 2016 • Couples
We hadn't booked a tour of Osaka yet and was offered this tour and for only $30 we decided to do it as we were time poor.
When we finally found stop #1 (nearly 2 hours later, a phone call to the company and some help from a friendly security guard) we boarded an empty bus! The tour guides were all very helpful and their English was good and they gave good recommendations and insight to some places.
We were told they were only about 3 months old, hence why the empty buses, but they have a few things to iron out - like clearly stating where each pick up point is (for eg. underneath this particular building, between these two cross streets, etc..)
Written June 23, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennifer T, I realize this is a very, very late reply, but we have been working on the issues you mention and would like to acknowledge your input. These issues can be hard to solve because of the local regulations as to where we can put up signs to make stops easier to find (pretty much not allowed at all, unfortunately). Again, thank you for your review and we hope you get the chance to visit again and also try our river cruise.
Written October 18, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

tvlbuddy
Phoenix, AZ139 contributions
Jun 2018
We caught the hop on at #2 stop close to our hotel and made the entire route back. The explanations along the way could have been clearer. They spoke "Japanese English." But the staff was very accommodating. They helped my wife put her scooter on the bus. It did just fine, although I had to carefully watch the process. The pick up points are very difficult to find by reference to their map. The signs are in obscure points with no other pointers near the stop .But the police and locals were helpful when I referred them to the map.
Written June 20, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

organisit
Australia113 contributions
I waited at Shinsaibaishi this morning at 9:23 and 10:23 for the bus on 24-Mar-2018 but no staff member in red coat and no bus turned up. I took a taxi to Osaka Castle and wanted to catch the bus at 13:35 and I flagged down the driver before the stop but he wouldn't speak to me. None of the signs in Dotombori are in English and I tried asking on Live chat this morning with "Noah" but no response at all. I have to wait for another bus for 2hrs. If this is your service for the Olympics, you will go out of business. I bought a ticket for 2 days.....what waste of money.
Written March 24, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear organisit, Thank you for taking the time to write your review. We are very sorry you had troubles with the Wonder Loop bus and finding the stops. Due to the construction of new bus stops signs during March, required by the city office, we were forced to remove the existing signs and dispatch staff to each stop approximately ten minutes before the scheduled bus departure. We will have to look into if a staff member did tend to the location at the times you were there. Either way, we are sorry the service did not live up to your expectations. Regarding flagging down the driver at Osaka Castle, we are not really sure what you are referring to, but the Osaka Castle Park bus stop is well marked and the bus driver can only let people on or off at the bus stop, not anywhere else. The chat function on our website is staffed during office hours but often there are a lot of inquires at the same time, especially during morning hours. We looked through the chat records and you left "Noah" a message at 09:48 to which he replied at 09:52 with an apology for not being able to tend to your question quicker because of another support call. The record says you left the chat while he was typing his reply. We hope you understand that he did his best to answer as quick as he could.
Written March 26, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

hiHen
318 contributions
Jun 2017 • Friends
Let me start by saying that I've been fortunate to go to quite a few cities in the world and quite a few tour buses, they are convenient and easy. I don't have a problem with hop on hop off buses in general.
... but the Osaka Wonder Loop Bus is really, really bad. Probably the worse I've been on. I can see that if you've never been on such a bus before, it would be ok. But compared to just a standard service in a city, it's terrible.
The main problem is that they have lots of guides that take it in turn to man the bus and give you information as you travel along, but the 'guides' are badly informed, have very bad English and most of them have no interest in being there or doing their job.
Most guides sit at the front ignoring you and quickly say words that do t make sense in English. Others tried hard, but because there is no script or standard things they should tell you about, they end up giving quick vague information thats basically useless.
At no point did we hear any history about Osaka, any interesting stories or facts or insider information on particular things to see or do.
After leaving the bus, we found lots of things we could have found quicker if they had told us.
There were also long periods of silence with a bored 'guide' just looking into the distance or one just used his iPhone.
At Osaka castle some asked a question about facilities there and a museum, the guide replies that the last time she went to the castle was about 40 years ago, when she was a child so had no clue what was there!!
The owners should sack half the guides, retrain the rest, make them see all the sites and introduce informative pre-recordings between each stop in clear English.
I cannot recommend the Osaka Wonder Loop tour bus, it's a waste of money and time.
Written June 25, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
purpleboss, Thank you for taking the time to put your thoughts down in a review here on Tripadvisor. I am sorry to hear the service didn't live up to your expectations, but I recently joined the team at Osaka Wonder Loop and hope to work together with everyone here on bettering anything that we find is not up to the standards it should be. I do understand your review is about three months prior to my reply, but I wanted to respond to let you to know that your thoughts have been read by the operator.
Written September 25, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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