Osaka cruise port -

[ValHam]

Any suggestions of what to do for a day when we get to Osaka Port -

 

[chapjim]

Take a train to Kyoto.

Edit: I don't know how much time you'll have but the train to Kyoto only takes about fifteen minutes. If you don't want to do Kyoto, the Osaka Castle is worth seeing.

Does the cruise line have any tours? A guided tour may be more rewarding that setting out on your own.

 

[Passepartout]

Google is your friend. There are castles and shrines and tons of historical stuff in Kyoto.

 

[WaikikiFirst]

Any suggestions of what to do for a day when we get to Osaka Port -

you really have to define how many hrs you have. does the ship leave the same day or stay in Osaka overnight? do you have to be back by dinner or something like 10 pm? What month? Weather? How much do you like to walk, even hike?
I have been all over Japan. Osaka is prob my least favorite place in Japan. Nara & Kyoto are nearby so either is an option, but beyond that, time needs to be tightly defined

 

[ValHam]

We shall be on the cruise 2 days one night - We plan to go to Osaka castle the first day and into town at night. The second day the cruise leaves at 4 - Going in Oct - thanks for all the help

 

[elaine]

If you arrive by 11 am the 1st day, I'd go to Kyoto, as you're not pressed to get back. Then, next day, do Osaka area. We were there in April and Kyoto is beautiful/amazing--a highlight of our trip. There is a very good (somewhat hidden on 2nd floor) Kyoto tourist information center with maps/excellent advice. If you take the train, you could easily be back by 5-6 to go out in Osaka. We only had 5 hours in Kyoto and saw quite a bit. Elaine

 

[WaikikiFirst]

I can't pin down how "relaxed" you want to be when touristing, so not sure how much to put on your plate for a single, not-so-long, day, but
a) I've never spent less than 3 days in Kyoto when I have gone there. I was there for a month 2 summers ago. Saying, I'm not sure what you should / could see in 6 hrs after arriving at the main train station. I also only used a taxi in Kyoto twice in a total of 6.5 wks there. Not sure how much time they will save. So,
#1 Kyoto thought = the Imperial Palace & surrounding park is a top site & it is not far N/W of the train stn. Taxi to it. I wandered around there 3x in the month 2 summers ago.
This is the only 1 in Kyoto where I think you can relax and not worry about time. There are other things to see not far east of the main stn, but I think my #2 dominates them easily.
#2 Kyoto thought = if you can figure out how to do it in the time you have, my top destination would be the far N/W corner where Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-ji, & Ninna-ji are all within walking distance of each other. You have undoubtedly seen pics of the last 2 & maybe all 3 (iirc, Ninna-ji is where Scarlet J walked around in Lost in Translation & Ryoan-ji is the "place with the rocks" (LOL). PRoblem is time. You may not walk as quickly as we do and depending on when you finally get there, you may need to taxi between them. Seeing all 3 is a WOW day, but you need to do a schedule.
Which train to Kyoto? arrive what time? maybe it is AM traffic hour, though you'd be surprised how small of a town Kyoto actually is, not in SqMi, but in hustle/bustle)
Taxi faster to get out N/W or get on an express train going due west, then get off at the stop due south of Ninna-ji? If train, then taxi north to those 3.
#3 Kyoto thought = pretty close to main stn, to the east is a mountain with shrines for a fox-god. whole place is named Fushimi Inari-taisha. There are things to see at the bottom of the mtn but the deal is that in those days the monks who built this stuff were often seen as a threat by the shoguns (government, as it were). So monks built a lot of this stuff on the outskirts and up on the mtns. Kyoto is almost 300 deg surrounded by mtns iirc. google Fushimi Inari, but realize to get the real view and real knowledge you should climb halfway up a mtn. If you do, you will realize there are many 80 yr old Japanese ladies climbing with you.
You can see the letter "K" dominates the naming around Kyoto, so if I mixed up which name goes with which ... oops. Google can get it right
#4 Kyoto thought = another mtn one which is awesome but not on std "tourist" lists. In the northern mtns, you can take a scenic train up a beautiful valley to a mtn town called either Kuramasou or Kifune. You'd take a train back to Kyoto from the other one. In between, you can hike over a small mtn called Kuramadera with shrine of same name. same story as Fushimi Inari. Monks hiding in the mtns basically owned this mtn and built trails and shrines all over it.
#4 is only if you're endurance-minded and hiking over a small mtn while seeing great stuff will add to the experience, but TIME will be big factor on this one.
I could do all of these in 1 day from where I stayed in Kyoto without getting up early and using local buses to get around, but it was summer with long days and no need to be back in Osaka at 4 pm.
and in #4, you could get lost and there will be much much less chance to find solid English-speakers around

anyway those are the names to google & that was a brain dump for me to read before I go back to Kyoto again

 

[ValHam]

We have booked 6 nights in Kyoto - We want to experience Kyoto at a slow pace. I am 71 and my husband is 73. However, in Osaka we shall be on a cruise so am not sure what I shall do our second day since the ship leaves at 4. Thanks kindly for telling me all the interesting things you did in Kyoto. I shall take your advice but do it slowly.

 

[pedro47]

Suggestion only check out Cruise Critic for your cruise line and the cruise port excursion. It is free to join Cruise Critic.

 

[Passepartout]

We have booked 6 nights in Kyoto - We want to experience Kyoto at a slow pace. I am 71 and my husband is 73. However, in Osaka we shall be on a cruise so am not sure what I shall do our second day since the ship leaves at 4. Thanks kindly for telling me all the interesting things you did in Kyoto. I shall take your advice but do it slowly.

If you book a ship's tour excursion, they guarantee that you will be back before the ship sails. If you 'self cater' an excursion, being back on time is up to you and the varieties of travel, or you will pay your own way to meet the ship at its next port. It will not wait if you are late.

Jim

 

[WaikikiFirst]

6 nights in Kyoto - in Osaka we shall be on a cruise so am not sure what I shall do our second day

Well, there you go. As I said in my first post: Nara. Kyoto is the obvious #1 choice but Nara is similar, also great, and may be a faster train ride than Kyoto is, but iirc, basically the same. I haven't been to Nara in 30 yrs, and the sites are fewer and more obvious, so a quick google search will easily fill 1 short day for you. BUt, Nara.
If it were summer, there might be a beach nearby that would be worth seeing, but not in Oct. And I am blanking on any island nr Osaka to ferry to.

 

[HedonisticEpicurean]

I echo WaikikiFirst above. I would do Kyoto and Nara if possible. The Aoniyoshi is a luxury sightseeing train operated by Kintetsu Railways connecting Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. You need to specifically request one of the luxury trains as they are sold separately at the train station. Advanced reservations are usually required for the luxury trains. The best part is that these luxury trains are only a few dollars more than the regular trains and constitute a memorable experience.

Other option is the bullet train from Osaka to Hiroshima. The bullet train only takes 1:30 and time spent in Hiroshima is enlightening and educational. The Hiroshima Peace Museum is a must visit, IMO.