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If you are considering doing this as part of your trip, it is a must do! The combination of Katsuo-ji and Minoh Falls allows for a time full of learning about Japanese culture and seeing incredibly beautiful sights. We had the absolute pleasure of having Niko as our tour guide and she easily became the highlight of our trip! Such an amazing way to see the beauty Japan has to offer!

Niko was very attenrive, funny and super nice. 100% reccomended

My girlfriend and I loved this tour!Our guide Niko was so knowledgeable and provided us a truly special experience.If you enjoy temples, nature and hiking - you will love this activity.The price was great for the variety of activities and lunch. The length of the activity was great, and a comfortable pace.I highly recommend this to absolutely anyone, you will not be disappointed

We had such a wonderful day with Niko! She was incredibly personable, fun, and made the entire experience memorable from start to finish. Her knowledge of the temples, waterfalls, and local history really brought each stop to life, and the lunch recommendation was fantastic. We learned so much while also having a great time. We would absolutely book another tour with Niko and highly recommend her to anyone visiting Japan. Thank you for an unforgettable day!

This was a great way to experience different foods in Osaka. We were so happy with our tour guide, Niko. She really made the tour very enjoyable for us and she was a very kind and lovely host. She also made the tour very fun, we had a laugh, she also made sure we got to try very unique foods. She was very knowledgeable, it was a great way to spend a couple of hours, highly recommend this 😊

Niko was an incredible tour guide!

And the tour itself was very special and full of beautiful moments. Both at the temples and shrines AND in nature 

We would recommend this tour to anyone and everyone. 

Do yourself a favour and book this tour! 

We had a great day in Minoh with Magical Trip.  Our guide for the day was Niko and her infectious energy, sense and fun and obvious love for this special part of Osaka made the day.  It was like visiting with a friend, chatting and laughing along the way but we still learned a lot too.Magical Trip has always been tops on the food front on the tours we have done, and today's lunch was no exception, great choice of restaurant, it was delicious and plentiful, that duck was perfection, plus that incredible view.

Dear Niko, thank you very much for your empathetic introduction to Japanese cuisine. With you, we were able to discover delicacies that we would not have tried otherwise. The walk through Cat Street will also remain unforgettable.

Niko is such a treasure! We learned so many things while we toured the market to gather our supplies, cooked amazing food together, and had a blast joking and exchanging stories the entire time. We made okonomiyaki, gyoza, and nikusui; everything was fantastic and was very easy to learn with such a wonderful teacher. Niko made us feel so at home in Osaka, so much so that she is our Osaka Okan Niko! I've never felt more welcomed in a new place than after meeting Niko, she truly makes you feel like part of her family. The only thing you should consider is which day works best for your schedule, you can't miss this experience.

We had a really great day with Niko! It was so much fun, from shopping to the finished meal (it was so delicious!).  One of our highlights in Japan. 😍

The cooking class and supermarket visit with Niko was very good. She is a very kind and patient teacher. The food was very tasty and shame I forgot to take the leftovers with me.

Hi Niko, we had a wonderful time at your cooking class. Especially the gyoza was so tasty!

Niko was amazing. A very cute tour of the fish market and city! Loved getting to try some authentic seafood. She was very sweet and explained everything very well. Highly recommend booking with Niko!

Our favorite experience in Osaka! Niko was our guide and she is so funny and knowledgeable. The food was incredible and she gave us a lot of insight on Osaka culture. Highly recommend

We had a wonderful food tour with Niko and Hide. They took us to some of the rarest and most memorable places and foods in the area, and guided us toward some of the most special and popular local dishes, such as fugu sashimi and takoyaki.What made the experience even more special was that it was not just about the food. They also showed us a small shrine hidden between the busy streets of Osaka and taught us some local customs, such as how to pray there and simple ways to show appreciation for the food we received. That added a really beautiful cultural side to the tour.It was also genuinely nice to see how much they themselves enjoyed the experience. They were warm, funny, and relaxed throughout the tour, often making jokes and making us laugh. Their energy made the whole experience feel personal, authentic, and unforgettable.

I had an incredible day with such a wonderful tour guide! I was very lucky to have a private tour, which made the experience even more special. we were able to talk, connect, and genuinely enjoy the day together. She has such a warm, outgoing personality that makes her absolutely perfect for being a tour guide. She is thoughtful, kind, and truly goes above and beyond to create a memorable experience. I couldn’t have asked for a better guide!

Wonderful cooking class. Niko and Tony were wonderful instructers. Food was delicious and a great pace for learning. I would definitely recommend!

Wonderful tour with Niko. I enjoyed all the foods and local shopping experience.

Fun Japanese cooking class, Niko made us feel welcome and was very helpful in cooking traditional Japanese dishes. Fun stories throughout cooking and made new friends.

The most amazing, joyful experience cooking with Niko & our group! We will definitely be taking these recipes home to share with our family & friends 🧡

My Japanese cooking class with Niko was hands down one of the highlights of my trip! From the moment we arrived, Niko made us feel completely welcome and at ease. The class was the perfect balance of hands-on cooking, cultural insight, and fun conversation.We learned how to prepare several authentic Japanese dishes from scratch, and Niko explained each step clearly while sharing fascinating stories about Japanese food culture and traditions. The ingredients were incredibly fresh, and the final meal we enjoyed together was absolutely delicious — honestly better than some restaurants we visited!If you’re looking for an immersive, memorable experience (not just a tourist activity), this is it. I’d recommend Niko’s class to anyone visiting Japan — whether you’re a beginner or already love cooking.Arigatou gozaimasu, Niko! 🍣

This was the most amazing experience. Niko was the best guide and all of the food was delicious. Would highly recommend for a traditional cooking experience in Osaka with a friendly and funny guide.

Had the best time ever with Niko! She was as lovely as can be and very helpful. The food was absolutely delicious and was so nice to have an authentic Osaka experience!

This experience was one of the best things we did while in Japan! Niko was friendly, fun and wise she provided us with a lot of wisdom surrounding her knowledge and gave us the best experience ever. She welcomed us warmly and was very hospitable. Highly recommend

Absolutely loved the experience of shopping in a local supermarket! Niko showed me all the best Japanese ingredients and how to navigate the labels to meet our recipe. The cooking space was cozy and spacious. Easy hands on cooking instructions while chatting with my Osaka Okan Niko! She made me feel at home, was incredibly sweet, and supportive. I cannot wait to cook for my family back home and to come back for another class.

Deep dive in japanese food and tradition : Miko was a special guide full of positve energy GgggggggggggggStrongly recommend her

My girlfriend and I attended this class and had a great time! We are both fairly shy people but we enjoy cooking and thought it might be fun to try this out despite any social anxiety. Luckily, the instructor, Niko was super fun and super nice. She made sure to include everyone who was there throughout the entire experience, no one was left without a job to do in the shopping or the preparation of the meal. The rest of the people who had signed up were very nice as well and so the whole thing felt sort of like preparing and having lunch with a bunch of friends you had only just met.Overall the whole experience lasted a few hours but was easily one of the standout experiences of our trip. I would say the food was quite good for a group of strangers working together to make something new to all of us. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys trying new things or socializing over food, even if you are on the shy side it may surprise you.P.S. Niko, if you are reading this I hope you are doing well! We look forward to coming back and visiting again when we get the chance!-Ja & Amelia

This was a very cool and unique experience. Our tour guide Niko was super energetic, funny, and friendly. Niko took us to all the yummy and authentic Japanese food vendors. She handled all the logistics which made the experience very smooth and enjoyable. She's a genuine kind person which made the tour even more special. I highly recommend her tour!

It was a nice experience! The guide, Nico took us good food stalls like Takoyaki, Oden, Gyoza and more...It just depends on the season and participants' favorites.She is very funny and friendly person. It's worth to try it👍

We had a great time with Niko! Not only was everything delicious but she also pushed us to try new things, like pufferfish! Our tour also felt very personalized and we discovered amazing connections from across the world! We went to many places that were on our list of places we wanted to experience as well. Thank you Niko!

Great variety of food and locations incl Octopus Balls and Puffer Fish. Visited several different areas including Kitchenware Street which needless needed a revised later for stocking up on gifts.Visited shrine and ended in main street Dotonbori.Nikko our guide was absolutely great and with a small group of just 6 it allowed excellent engagement and comparison of our times in Japan.Just one word of caution - the tour covers quite a variety of locations and moves quite quickly to fit so much in.

Niko was the perfect guide, what a beautiful person; funny, kind, informative and generous.We tried food we probably wouldn't have attempted ourselves, puffa fish, octopus balls lolNike guided us efficiently through the crowds, ending at Dotinburi.Highly recommend this half day tour, it's not just a food tour, there's a temple stop, japanese knife shop and a little of Osaka history.Thankyou Niko

I had a wonderful time learning to cook with Niko and the other participants. The class was fun and the food was delicious!  The best part was Niko though. She’s a great teacher who put her all into the class and made sure everyone was included!

I had a great time learning how to cook okonomiyaki and gyoza. Niko was the best teacher ever!  She kept the pace moving flawlessly and you could tell she enjoyed interacting with all of us!

We had a great experience shopping and cooking with Niko today. She is kind, patient and knowledgeable. We made 3 delicious dishes that we plan to replicate at home. (She gave us the recipes)I highly recommend this cooking class.

So informative and so much fun. I am not a cook but will definitely  try making omonomiyaki when I get home. The best part was oir instructer Nikki  who was so nice and personable. A great way to experience local osaka culture!

What a fantastic experience with Niko! We cooked delicious food in a beautiful open kitchen setting. Niko was incredible - she thoughtfully adjusted the menu to meet my dietary requirements, which I greatly appreciated. Her warm, kind-hearted nature made the class absolutely perfect and unlike any other cooking class we’ve ever taken. We were genuinely sad when it came to an end. 10/10 highly recommend! Thank you Niko! From Jake and Annelise

What a fantastic experience with Niko! We made delicious food in a beautiful setting. Niko was incredible - she thoughtfully adjusted the menu to meet my dietary requirements, which I greatly appreciated. Her warm, kind-hearted nature made the class absolutely perfect and unlike any other cooking class we’ve ever taken. We were genuinely sad when it came to an end. 10/10 highly recommend!

We made three delicious dishes: a tasty steak soup, gyozas and okonomiyaki. The recipes were well explained, tasty and challenging enough to try again at home.After cooking we were given a sake tasting, where we could compare different sakes and taste how the taste differs per region.The Mood was good: cozy music, nice conversations with the other guests and our enthusiastic and cheerful guide Nikko, who guided everything with great energy and humor.An absolute must for anyone who wants to get acquainted with Japanese cuisine in an accessible way!

The experience was wonderful. Niko is a very cheerful person that gives you an amazing vibe and she made the whole experience great. We tasted diferent food and she teach us about japanese culture.

Niko was an amazing tour guide! She had us try foods I never would have considered. She was friendly, funny and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend hiring her for your food tour!

Amazing time! Niko was the best! We tried food I would have never tried unless I took this tour and had a blast! Will for sure recommend

Had an amazing time with Niko. She’s was very friendly and made me feel welcome. Meeting was prompt and we were straight off to the supermarket which was a lovely experience and seeing the ingredients we’d be using. I’m a keen cook myself so made it even more enjoyable learning a new cuisine. Niko made things more interesting by playing Russian roulette with the food by putting wasabi in. I’d recommend this activity to anyone, I throughly enjoyed and would do it again.

I had a great time on this tour - Niko was very friendly and brought so much energy to the experience. She showed us some special spots and introduced me to new foods. I really enjoyed exploring with her!

Had an amazing experience with Niko as our guide and cooking instructor. We started in a local grocery store and being able to explore the different products with a local added so much to the experience. Then we went to the immaculate cooking space nearby. Everything was spotless and organized. Niko’s warmth and hospitality made us feel right at home. Niko guided us through the recipe preparation in a very fun and relaxed way, all the while sprinkling in interesting details about Japanese culture. Niko went above and beyond and made those few hours both informative and entertaining. Thank you, Niko!

Our guide NIKO was excellent A real ray of sun!!!  Extremely professional is interested in its customers

Our guide Niko was very professional and funny, she gave us a very entertaining tour where we could taste typical food, learn many things about Japan, and also visit places in Osaka that we didn’t know about. As a bonus, you will take home the memories with the photos that Niko kindly took. A 10 for this tour and a 10 for Niko.

This was an amazing experiment! Niko is a wonderful and informative host. We made gyoza and beef broth with okonomiyaki for lunch. It was delicious - Oishi!!!!!! I would highly recommended visiting Magical Trip cooking when you visit Osaka. Thank you Niko!!!! You are the best!

Our guide Niko was very friendly and the cooking class was a great experience. Looking forward to cooking these dishes at home.

Excellent experience with Niko! Very friendly and well informed on cooking Japanese dishes. Recommend! Went to the market and then a private place to cook.

Niko was a wonderful tour guide, not only showing us around the Kuromon market but really bringing us into the world of these little side streets and food culture. I was a little ill so didn't eat too much, but it was still well worth it to have a taste of fresh takoyaki and see all the cool shops. We had a fantastic time exploring and lovely conversations. Would recommend to anyone who loves trying new foods or getting a warm and friendly welcome to Osaka!

Niko is an intelligent, friendly, and experienced guide! She  learned what we like to eat and showed us amazing new Japanese food according to our taste. She also told us about Japanese traditions and cooking tips. It’s a super fun  and   yummy tour!!

Very fun tour and amazing experience. Tries so many new things! Niko was so nice and fun to talk to! She told us about Japanese culture and answered all of our questions.

Niko has been our Osaka okan for nearly five hours and we can say she’ll continue to be forever ❤️A smooth exchange between the Japanese and Italian culture! Niko gave us a truly immersive experience, both kitchen-related AND (!) deep soul-related (I even got emotional) We went grocery shopping together, cook together and then had lunch together with so many little surprises in the meantime. It was like being invited at her home ❤️ For sure we’re going to keep in touch, we can’t wait to be with her again! And please okan, take care of your pinky finger!!!!Strongly recommend!!!

We  tried things we wouldn’t have by ourselves. It was interesting to say the least! Niko is so fun and keeps things moving.

Our very friendly guide, Niko, took us on a delightful tour of Kuromon market and Dotonbori.  The food experience was exceptional - Niko suggested interesting food choices that we might not have had the courage to try on our own!  A very nice introduction to the food scene and bustle of Osaka!  Highly recommended.

We had a great time walking the markets with Niko. She’s a spirited guide and her good mood in contagious. We tasted many different foods. Great value for money. Thank your for a great day☺️

An absolutely amazing tour with our guide, Niko. She really went all out to make sure we had a great time, introducing us to tasty treats that we probably wouldn't have tried otherwise. She had us laughing and enjoying ourselves the entire tour, answering any questions we had and taking lots of fun pictures. I could not recommend this tour - and Niko as a guide - highly enough!!

It was a funny and interesting tour and our tourguide Niko was sooo nice! She could speak very well englisch and showed us new things to try. We had to laugh so much with her and gladly she took many photos for us.

Nice and informative tour, has all participants well integrated, gladly again :3 Lawn was very delicious and different

The tour with Niko was just awesome.We have seen and tasted a lot. Niko has responded to all of us and taken very good care of each of us.In addition, she showed us interesting places and explained.It was great all round.Would definitely book again.Thank you Niko!

Went on a food tour through the markets and dontonbori. Tasted some delicious flavors and walked around soaking in the atmosphere. Our family loved our guide Niko, especially the kids. She's so funny and has great energy. We felt like part of her family.

Okan Niko was the best. very friendly and knowledgeable. worked hard to incorporate everyone and their needs. Will recommend to anyone

Niko was fantastic she went above and beyond to show us many interesting and delicious things about food and culture. She always had great energy and good humor and there was no dull moment on the tour. I highly recommend this experience!!

Niko was AMAZING! So friendly, knowledgeable and super funny! We had a great time and learnt so much about Japanese food and culture.

We had such a great time on Niko’s tour of her favorite Osaka bites, kitchen utensils and other local goodies and surprises! If you love food, cooking, a good laugh, wow sights and moving insights; you won’t be disappointed.

Niko was a fabulous tour guide! She made the trip very fun and enjoyable. We tasted some great food and only wish I had organised this for the beginning of our trip in Osaka so we could have gone back to those places to get more. Highly recommend this tour thank you Niko for being an amazing guide

Niko was a great guide that tailored the food tour according to my preferences, and gave me a lot of interesting information about the different foods in the market. She gave a great sushi recommendation for my lunch, which has been the freshest I've tasted so far. If you want to learn more about the variety of Japanese food, I highly recommend this tour!

Niko is a lovely and fun guide - with a lot of knowledge about not only the food in Osaka but the history and culture as well. My favourite was the fatty tuna sushi and strawberry choc mochi, as well as visiting hidden shrines and having our fortunes read <3 thank you Niko for a great experience! :)

This was a wonderful food tour with Niko who was a great guide! We sampled all kinds of authentic Japanese foods and visited fascinating and unusual shops. Despite torrential rain, Nico wove through the markets mostly under cover to show us hidden treasures of the city. We wandered down lovely narrow lanes in this fabulous city while tasting all kinds of food. Nico was so interesting and kind and fun and at the end of the tour helped us find our correct train. Highly recommended.

Niko was a great guide!  Tour was fun and time flew by. Tasty snacks, beautiful pottery, and cute miniature display food.

Had such a great time. best guide( Niko) and the best walking tour ever been on). Niko  had great enthusiasm, she was very informative  and  Funny .  Food a tried was good. Highly recommend . 2 hour  tour I will never forget…. Thank you

We had a great experience with our excellent guide Noriko. Interesting and good food and a nice introduction to Japanese culture. Very knowledgeable and lovely guide.

Riko & Kiyo provided an amazing experience showing me around the Kuromon Fish Market area and beyond. As someone who was nervous travelling by themselves for the time, they made me feel incredibly welcome ! I can't recommend them both enough.

I cannot recommend this your enough! Niko was brilliant guide and talked us through the markets and gave great recommendations on the best things to eat! She also took us past the shops and suggested unique gifts that we could take home fro our families. A particular highlight was going to visit the smallest shrine in Japan and having our fortunes translated, as well as going to a shrine and Niko talking us through how to make a prayer correctly. Honestly, this was one of the highlights of our trip and Niko truly was like our own Japanese mother! Thank you!

Really enjoyed our your with Nico. She is very funny and knowledgable. She explained us the local food. We even tried a few, and it was delicious.  Thank you very much. X

Nico was an excellent guide! Very friendly, fun, and excited to show us everything that Kuromon Market had to offer! We even got to see a Dragon Quest-themed convenience store that blew me away!

Niko was so friendly, welcoming and comforting. I enjoyed seeing Namba and the food as well as going to the temple to pray.

Niko

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My Upcoming Tours

Tours I Guide

Osaka Soul Food Cooking Class: Market Tour, 3 Dishes & Recipes

Master Osaka’s Must-Sees: 5-hour Osaka Castle, Kuromon & Dotonbori Highlights Tour

Osaka Local Foodie Tour in Dotonbori and Shinsekai

Kuromon Market Walking Street Food Tour in Osaka

Osaka Early Bird Trail: Katsuo-ji Daruma & Minoh Falls Walk

Kyoto Gion Tea ceremony & Wabi-sabi Walking Tour

Kyoto Ramen & Gyoza Cooking Class with Professional Chefs

4.5-hour Kyoto Historical Highlights Bike Tour with UNESCO Zen Temples

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