Nara is one of the famous tourist spots in Kansai, Japan, and is often included in the itinerary of many people planning a free trip to Osaka or a tour of Kyoto. Nara is one of Japan’s well-known ancient capitals, like Kyoto, it has many temples and historical monuments, such as the World Heritage Site Todaiji Temple, or Kofukuji Temple in Nara city; or Kasugataisha Shrine, the oldest shrine in Nara… etc., are all must-visit spots when planning a trip to Nara; in addition, Nara Park, which has over 1200 deer, is also a must-visit pilgrimage site for many tourists when they visit Nara. If you are traveling to Kansai for the first time, in addition to Osaka and Kyoto, I highly recommend you to arrange a half-day tour or a one-day tour of Nara, to quietly experience the atmosphere and culture of the ancient capital.
If you are visiting Japan for the first time, you can also refer to this article on preparing and planning for a free trip to Japan to arrange your free trip to Japan!
Introduction to Nara and Half-Day Tour Itinerary
Nara is a historic ancient city in Japan, located in the Kansai region, less than an hour’s drive from Osaka. This city was once the capital of Japan, known as the “Nara period”. Nara has a rich history and cultural heritage, making it a place definitely worth visiting.
For those visiting Nara for the first time, most will focus on the attractions in Nara city, including the classic route of Nara Park, Todaiji Temple, Kasuga Taisha, and Kasugataisha Shrine… etc. These attractions are concentrated around Nara Park and are suitable for touring on foot; if you have visited Nara multiple times, you can add Mount Wakakusayama, Yakushiji Temple, Heijo Palace… etc. to your itinerary.
Since Nara is not far from both Osaka and Kyoto, Philos himself set off from Osaka, arranged a half-day tour of Nara, and then continued to visit Uji and other attractions in Kyoto, which is a very good one-day tour itinerary. If you are traveling with elders or children, I highly recommend joining a package tour from a travel agency, which not only provides a guide, but also makes it much more convenient to move around with a dedicated vehicle.
Those interested can also go to the Nara City Tourism Association to download the Nara Tourism Map, which can be used as a reference when going to or arranging a trip to Nara.
Nara City Sightseeing Tour Map
Transportation to Nara, Departing from Osaka or Kyoto
If you look at the relative positions of Nara, Osaka, and Kyoto on the map, you can see that the three places form a triangle, and therefore, whether you are going to Nara from Osaka or Kyoto, it won’t take too long, making it very suitable to arrange a half-day or one-day tour of Nara from Osaka or Kyoto. Below are the ways to get to Nara from Osaka and Kyoto.
How to Get to Nara from Osaka
1. Take the “Yamatoji Line” of JR West Japan: Depart from “JR Namba” station in Osaka city, the journey takes about 50 minutes. If you have a Kansai JR PASS, you can ride for free.
2. Taking the Kintetsu Railway ‘Nara Line’: From ‘Osaka Namba’, the journey takes about 40 minutes. Those with a ‘Kansai Thru Pass’ or ‘Kintetsu Rail Pass’ can ride for free (extra charges apply for express trains).
How to get to Nara from Kyoto
1. Taking the JR West ‘Nara Line’: From ‘Kyoto’ station, the journey takes about 50 minutes. Those with a Kansai JR PASS can ride for free.
2. Taking the Kintetsu Railway ‘Nara Line’: From ‘Kyoto’ station, the journey takes about 50 minutes. Those with a ‘Kansai Thru Pass’ or ‘Kintetsu Rail Pass’ can ride for free (extra charges apply for express trains).
It’s worth noting that the Kintetsu Nara Station is closer to the attractions in Nara city center; it takes 10-15 minutes to walk to Nara Park after getting off the JR. Alternatively, you can take a bus from JR Nara Station.
Taking the JR or Kintetsu to and from Nara is the fastest mode of transportation.
Recommended attractions in Nara
Nara Park
Nara Park is very expansive, covering an area of 502 hectares, and is one of the oldest parks in Japan. Nara Park is famous for its rich natural ecology and friendly deer, attracting a large number of domestic and foreign tourists every year. In Nara Park, there are over 1,200 deer freely roaming. These deer are considered ‘messengers of the gods’ and are protected animals. Therefore, visitors must respect these deer and not harm them, but they can feed them their favorite ‘rice crackers’ (do not feed them food you bring yourself). As a result, you can often see deer in Nara Park following tourists for food.
Nara Park
Address: Kasugano-cho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture
Opening hours: Open 24 hours
Deer can be seen lounging on the lawns throughout Nara Park.
On the path to Todai-ji, you can see deer that are not afraid of people.
If you’re lucky, you can even witness ‘deer fights’.
Todai-ji
Todai-ji in Nara is a must-visit attraction.
Todai-ji is one of the most famous temples in Nara, a World Heritage Site, and a must-visit spot in Nara! Todai-ji is one of the largest wooden structures in Japan, built in the 8th century during the Nara period. It is the head temple of the Kegon school of Buddhism in Japan and one of Japan’s national treasures. The main hall of Todai-ji, the ‘Great Buddha Hall’, has a history of over 1,200 years and is considered the largest wooden structure in the world. Inside, there is a 16-meter-tall ‘Vairocana Buddha’ statue, which is the largest gilded bronze Buddha statue in the world.
Todai-ji
Address: 406-1 Zoshicho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture
Opening hours: 07:30–17:30 (Monday to Sunday)
The main hall of Todai-ji is very impressive up close.
The 15-meter-tall Vairocana Buddha inside Todai-ji in Nara. (Image source: Wikipedia）
Nara’s ‘Great South Gate’ is 25 meters tall, making it the largest temple gate in Japan.
Next to Todai-ji is the ‘Himuro Shrine’, the only shrine in Japan that worships the ‘God of Ice’, and it is the faith center for local ice and ice product manufacturers.
Kasugataisha Shrine
Kasugataisha Shrine is one of the important shrines in Japan.
Kasuga Taisha is a shrine with a long history and cultural value, built in 710 AD during the Nara period, and has a history of over 1,300 years. Kasugataisha, along with Todai-ji, is one of the ‘World Heritage Sites’, and together with Ise Jingu and Iwashimizu Hachimangu, it is known as one of the ‘Three Great Shrines of Japan’. Kasugataisha is characterized by its bright red and white architecture, and the path leading to Kasugataisha is filled with the aura of the woods. Like in Nara Park, there are many deer roaming around Kasugataisha, so if you have food, be careful of the deer eyeing your food!
Kasugataisha Shrine
Address: 160 Kasugano-cho, Nara City, Nara Prefecture
Opening hours: 06:00–18:00 (Monday to Sunday)
Kasugataisha occasionally holds traditional festivals and events, the most famous of which is the ‘Kasuga Festival’.
Walking on the path to Kasugataisha gives a sense of solemn spirituality.
The large torii gate on the path to Kasugataisha.
『Original Source：https://www.phototravel.tw/nara-tourguide/』
