kankou no mae ni, eki no annaijo de chizu o moraimashita.

direct object particle

Breakdown of kankou no mae ni, eki no annaijo de chizu o moraimashita.

• の: possessive case particle
• で: location particle
• に: time particle

Questions & Answers about kankou no mae ni, eki no annaijo de chizu o moraimashita.

Why is there の in 観光の前に?

Because 観光 is being used as a noun here.

• 前 means before / in front of
• When 前 follows a noun, you usually connect them with の
• So 観光の前に = before sightseeing

Compare:

• 昼ご飯の前に = before lunch
• 旅行の前に = before the trip

If you use a verb instead, you do not use の:

• 観光する前に = before doing sightseeing

Both are possible, but this sentence uses the noun-style expression.

What exactly does 前に mean here?

Here, 前に means before in a time sense.

So:

• 観光の前に = before sightseeing

前 can also mean in front of in a physical sense, but in this sentence it clearly means before because the sentence is talking about the order of actions.

Examples:

• 食事の前に = before the meal
• 出かける前に = before going out

Why is 観光 not 観光する here?