Nature Walk at Minoo Park, the Best Nature and Waterfall in Osaka
Description
This walking tour is about 4 hours in total, away from the hustle and bustle of the big city Osaka. You can enjoy the seasonal nature while hiking. It is about 30 minutes from Osaka by the train on the Hankyu line. Mount Minoo a wide monumental park, “Mino Park”, which has a beautiful waterfall, “Minoo Waterfall” that has been selected as one of the best waterfalls in Japan. Around the waterfall you can enjoy various sceneries throughout the four seasons from the fresh green in spring, up until the beautiful autumn leaves in autumn. Minoo Park was designated as a quasi - national park on December 11, 1967 as one of the Meiji 100th year commemorative project. A treasure trove of natural habitats of around 1,300 kinds of plants, 3,500 insects, a lot of wild birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fishes, etc surround the park. The special natural monument, the Japanese salamander, also inhabits the mountain area of Minoo.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Minoo Park was designated as a quasi - national park on December 11, 1967 as one of the Meiji 100th year commemorative project. A treasure trove of natural habitats of around 1,300 kinds of plants, 3,500 insects, a lot of wild birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fishes, etc surround the park. The special natural monument, the Japanese salamander, also inhabits the mountain area of Minoo.
"Ryuanji" has been the center point of the waterfalls since ancient times. Here exists a dojo where mountainous training was often held at. Mountain Priests gather here from across the country in April, July and November for a special sacrificial ritual. “Benzaiten”, the god of wealth, is enshrined in the temple’s main hall and is reported to be Japan's oldest of the Seven Deities of good luck.
“Minoo Waterfall” is Osaka’s most recommended waterfall in Japan. The large waterfall has a width of 5 meters and height of 33 meters. The large drop creates an impressive view at the base where the water falls in front of you with a white color. The water rapidly flowing down from the rock walls has an impressive amount of force. The way the surface of the water folds back upon hitting protruding rocks is very mysterious. When approaching the waterfall, you can let the sounds of the splashing water and the winds send negative ions throughout your body.
Inside the store you can enjoy lunch and tea time in a calm atmosphere. The authentic roasted luxury beans are always carefully siphoned, the rich flavors and slightly bitter taste is known to be exquisite.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Please come with easy-to-move clothes and easy-to-walk shoes.
- How to enter hot springs is taught beforehand by the guide.
- Tours may be cancelled due to the weather condition on the day.
- Please make sure to arrive at Minoo Station on the Hankyu Line, and be careful not to confuse it with "Minohsemba-Handaimae" or "Minoh Kayano" stations on the Kita-Osaka Kyuko Line.
Reviews(27)
An excellent experience with Etsuko's kindness. Thank you for everything!
Dear Jesus, Thank you for your positive feedback! We are so happy to hear that you were satisfied with our Minoo tour with Etsuko. We sincerely appreciate the recommendation and hope to see you back for more tours in the future! Best regards, Kyoko
Naoko, our guide, was exceptional in so many ways. First, she was very accommodating on the starting schedule when the weather turned rainy. She lead a leisurely nature walk to the shrine & waterfall, and pointed out features & wildlife that we would have missed. Being a local, she was also able to educate us on Japanese culture including the wabi sabi spirit, filial piety, haiku, and day-to-day life. We really enjoy her company. This tour is the highlight of our Osaka visit.
Dear Sylvia, Thank you for booking our Minoo Park nature walk, and leaving a positve review! We’re delighted to hear that Naoko’s flexibility, local knowledge, and thoughtful guiding made the experience so special. It’s wonderful that you enjoyed the scenery, culture, and her company. We truly appreciate your kind words and are glad this became a highlight of your Osaka visit! Best regards, Kyoko
We had a wonderful time doing this hike with Yukari. Number one, she was an absolute sweetheart. She was very knowledgeable on the history of Japan, the town, and the waterfall. She also gave us suggestions for the rest of our trip through other cities. The hike to the waterfall was a trek but definitely worth it. We highly recommend this tour if you want to go outside of the big city and immerse yourself in nature!
Dear Katherine, Thank you for your kind words! We're so glad you enjoyed the peaceful hike with Yukari and appreciated her knowledge and recommendations. It means a lot to hear you’d recommend the tour. Thank you for the great review—we hope to welcome you again someday! Best regards, Kyoko
This was such a fun experience! Naoko is such a lovely person. She was very helpful and knowledgeable. I had a great time on the hike and she made me feel so comfortable and safe. I would recommend this as a great experience, not only for small groups but also for solo adventurers. You can't beat getting to have a personal experience with such a top tier local guide and Minoo Path is gorgeous.
Dear Kaylea, Thank you so much for joining the Minoo Park walk and for your wonderful review! We are delighted to hear you felt comfortable and enjoyed the hike with Naoko. We truly appreciate your recommendation, and wishing you many more great adventures in Japan! Best regards, Kyoko
This was such a fun experience! Naoko is such a lovely person. She was very helpful and knowledgeable. I had a great time on the hike and she made me feel so comfortable and safe. I would recommend this as a great experience, not only for small groups but also for solo adventurers. You can't beat getting to have a personal experience with such a top tier local guide and Minoo Path is gorgeous.
Dear Kaylea, Thank you so much for joining the Minoo Park walk and for your wonderful review! We are delighted to hear you felt comfortable and enjoyed the hike with Naoko. We truly appreciate your recommendation, and wishing you many more great adventures in Japan! Best regards, Kyoko
I had a lovely time on this tour. Yoshimi did an excellent job. She was very organized, friendly and knowledgeable. I really enjoyed walking along the trails and seeing lots of beautiful scenery. While learning and having great conversations with Yoshimi. I would definitely recommend this tour.
Dear Tracey, Thank you for your lovely review! We are happy to hear that you had such a relaxing and enjoyable tour with Yoshimi. Thank you for recommending the tour and we look forward to welcoming you back in the future! Best regards, Kyoko
What a scenic and beautiful park. The hike was peaceful and filled with picturesque views throughout the journey to the waterfall. Our guide was excellent! She was friendly, her English was excellent and contributed to such a joy-full experience.
Dear valued guest, Thank you for exploring the different side of Osaka with us! We are so glad to hear that our experienced guide added to your experience. Thank you for the review and we look forward to welcoming you back in the future! Best regards, Kyoko
It was a great tour - beautiful nature, fresh environment, and Ms Naoko Fukunishi was an excellent tour guide. Unfortunately, the leaves haven’t changed their green color. We wish we could come one month later to enjoy the autumn foliage.
Dear valued guest, Thank you for your review! We’re glad you enjoyed the tour and the refreshing natural surroundings. Naoko will be delighted to hear your kind words! It’s a shame the leaves hadn’t turned yet—autumn foliage here is truly stunning. We hope you’ll visit again next season to catch it in full color! Best regards, Kyoko
I had an amazing time with Naoko as my tour guide. She was very knowledgeable, well prepared and extremely kind and friendly. The nature was beautiful and the sights are breathtaking. I highly recommend stopping by the insect museum - the butterfly dome was simply magical. Don’t hesitate is you are looking for something out of the ordinary in Osaka area.
Dear valued guest, Thank you so much for your review! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a memorable time with Naoko. We’re so glad you enjoyed the butterfly dome! It’s definitely a hidden gem in the Osaka area. Hope to welcome you back for more unique adventures! Best regards, Kyoko
Absolute highlight of my trip. The nature walk was gorgeous, the waterfall was so beautiful. Beautiful. My guide was very funny and kind, knowledgeable able to provide good information.
Dear valued guest, Thank you for booking our Minoo tour and leaving this review! We are so delighted that you decided to explore the nature beauty in Osaka and that it became your highlight of the trip. We hope to have you back again! Best regards, Kyoko
