Check out our Nara day trip itinerary to discover famous temples, meet friendly deer, and bask in tranquility.
Nara is known for having some of the oldest and most famous landmarks in the country, thanks to its status as the ancient capital of Japan (even before Kyoto!). Oh, and who can forget the friendly, free-roaming deer that contributed to the city’s popularity? Having visited Nara four times in the last few years during spring and autumn, I can vouch for the destination as a peaceful slice of paradise – perfect for a day trip from Osaka or Kyoto, as most of the sights can be explored in about four to six hours.
As the sixth largest city in Kansai, Nara’s many historic monuments have been recognised as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Wandering through these ancient environs will give you a glimpse of what life was like in the 8th century – and a deeper appreciation for what makes Japan such a magical place.
How to get to Nara
Train from Kyoto Station:
The Nara Line gets you to JR Nara Station in about 70 minutes (20 stops). With a scenic route, you’ll go through Uji, Japan’s most famous green tea region, and get a glimpse of Kyotanabe, a rice-growing region between two mountain ranges.
Train from Osaka Station:
The most direct routes to JR Nara Station are the Osaka Loop Line (about 50 minutes, 12 stops) or the Osaka East Line (the Limited Express gets you there in about 58 minutes, 3 stops). You’ll go through suburban Osaka’s residential areas, with a picturesque section as you enter Nara Prefecture through a mountain pass.
Driving from Kyoto or Osaka:
If you’re renting a car, the drive from the Kyoto Station area takes about 55 minutes, while it’s about 45 minutes to an hour from Osaka Station (Umeda), depending on traffic.
How to get around Nara
Nara has excellent, affordable bus services, but my favourite way to explore the city is by bike. When I visited with my family in spring, we rented electric bicycles for the day and saw cherry blossoms galore. I’d recommend you do the same, because those electric bicycles make uphill climbs a breeze!
Bicycle rental options near JR Nara Station:
For QR code or app-based bike-sharing systems, try Docomo-cycle or Hello Cycling. Docomo has one-day passes for sightseeing, and all bicycles are electric. You can pay-per-use with a credit card or register an IC (transit fare) card as an electronic key to unlock the bike. When you’re done, simply return the bicycle at a Docomo-cycle station in any one of the bike ports. Prices range around ¥1,527 (approx $14.20) per day without membership registration.
As for Hello Cycling, the options include city bikes, sports bikes, and motorised bikes that are basically tiny scooters. Prices start from a 30-minute initial fee of ¥130 (approx $1.20) for a city bike, plus ¥100 (approx $1) or ¥150 (approx $1.40) for every additional 15-minute increment.
Tip: if you’re parking your bike temporarily, don’t leave it at the rental company’s bike port, as this automatically returns your bicycle for the day. Simply park along the sidewalks using the wheel lock, and you’re good to go!
Bike rental vendors in Nara:
For these businesses, take note that you have to return the bike to its original location. The closest bike rental shop to JR Nara Station is JR Rent-A-Car, located on the right side of Nara Station’s East Exit. Open from 8am to 8pm, it offers regular bikes (¥700, approx $6.50) or electric bikes (¥1,500, approx $14) for a full day.
Other bike rental stores include Nara Bicycle Rental, Yamato Kanko Rental Cycle, and Nara Rent-a-Cycle 21 – all of which are no more than 15 minutes from JR Nara Station.
Nara day trip itinerary: Top things to do and places to visit
I recommend arriving during early or mid-morning to make the most of your day, especially if you’ve got great weather! This itinerary is best for those exploring Nara on foot, but it can also be enjoyed by those using bicycles or cars, too.
Kofuku-ji
Our first stop is Kofuku-ji, a complex of Buddhist temples that’s one of Japan’s oldest. Built in the year 669, this complex is made entirely of wood and, amazingly, without using a single nail to secure the structure in place.
Known for its five-storey pagoda and central golden hall, Kofuku-ji was the family temple of the famous and influential Fujiwara clan, who were advisors to the Japanese imperial family from the 700s, when Nara was Japan’s capital, until well into the 19th century.
Todai-ji Temple
The next stop on our tour is Todai-ji, which sits just 900m away from Kofuku-ji. As Nara’s top attraction, this is one of Japan’s most famous Buddhist temples and the largest wooden structure in the world. Built in the 8th century, it features the world’s largest bronze statue of the Vairocana Buddha.
Todai-ji also hosts the annual springtime Neri-Kuyo Eshiki Festival, which features a parade depicting the 8th century Princess Chujo returning to Nara from her pilgrimage to the Pure Land, together with a golden-masked Boddhisatva. This festival is supported by local performers, as well as children from local schools. You’ll see many dressed in traditional Japanese attire that was commonplace in the Nara era!
Isuien Garden
A spacious Japanese-style garden and museum complex located 260m from Todai-ji, Isuien Garden hosts a variety of rotating exhibitions, including ancient Japanese, Chinese, and Korean artefacts, plus traditional paintings. Tip: if you’ve cycled here, park your bike out front so you can enjoy the gardens at your leisure!
Stop by for matcha and traditional Japanese sweets like wagashi and zenzai (adzuki bean soup with shiratama mochi) at Teishuken Tea House and take in the garden and water views. The teahouse also serves small, traditional Japanese meals, so you can grab a bite here if you’re hungry.
Nara Park
Less than 15 minutes from Isuien Garden on foot is Nara Park, an excellent location for picnics and a popular place for hanami (cherry blossom viewing) in the spring. If you haven’t already seen deer while exploring the other attractions, you might spot Nara’s most famous inhabitants here!
The entire green area comprises Mount Wakakusa and the surrounding temples, shrines, and gardens that used to make up Japan’s ancient capital. Due to their cultural significance, these areas are completely protected.
The friendly deer live within this area – from the mountains to the parks – and you’ll likely see boxes or stands where you can buy rice crackers for ¥150 to ¥200 (approx $1.40 to $1.90) to feed the deer. Some of the animals have even learned to return a bow if you bow first – a trick they associate with receiving rice cracker treats.
Tip: while the deer in Nara are somewhat accustomed to people, they are still wild animals and may suddenly attack, even when unprovoked. General caution is advised if you interact with them.
P.S. there’s a special deer park open to the public called Roku-en, located close to the Manyo Botanical Gardens. Run by the Nara Deer Protection Association, it’s a protected space where pregnant does raise their fawns or injured deer get veterinary care. In early summer, the park usually holds exhibitions for visitors to see baby deer, alongside educational displays with more information about these fascinating animals.
Yumekaze Plaza
Hungry yet? Stop at Yumekaze Plaza, an old-town area with souvenir shops, snacks, sweets, and plenty of dining options offering authentic Naran cuisine.
At Izasa-Nakatani-hompo, you can buy bentos to-go, including sushi wrapped in persimmon leaves (known as kakinoha-zushi, this is an ancient Naran practice that helped preserve food when travelling long distances). The restaurant on the second floor serves kamameshi, a traditional rice dish cooked in an iron pot featuring seasoned rice, and a wide range of ingredients like chicken, unagi (eel), seafood, or vegetables.
Other Naran noodle dishes to try include Nara ramen (also called Tenri ramen), topped with Chinese cabbage, sliced pork, and chives in a soy-based stock with a strong garlic flavour; and Miwa somen, a thin, hand-made, wheat flour noodle that can be enjoyed hot or cold. For local desserts, head to Daibutsu Pudding for pudding flavours, cookies, coffee, jam, and jelly.
Manyo Botanical Gardens & Kasuga-Taisha Shrine
Kasuga-Taisha is a striking vermilion and white building adorned with brass lanterns. Legend says that the Shinto sword-wielding god of thunder, Takemikazuchi-no-mikoto, once rode on the back of a white deer to the top of Mount Wakakusa to protect Nara from evil spirits. Because of this, the deer in Nara are considered heavenly animals and messengers of the gods sent to protect the city and Japan. Kasuga-Taisha remains an important shrine for the imperial family and the nation.
Oh, and if you visit in May or November, check out the festival at the Manyo Botanical Gardens, where traditional court music is played and dancers in period attire perform.
Asajigahara Enchi Park
Asajigahara Enchi Park is famous for its Ukimido Pavilion. On still days, you can see the pavilion and the surrounding greenery reflected on the water’s surface like a mirror. Surrounded by beautiful bamboo groves of the Old Yamaguchi House Garden, this is a picturesque place to sit and relax by the water, taking in the beauty of a traditional Japanese garden.
Harushika Sake Brewery Store
Located in the centre of Naramachi, the city’s former merchant district, Harushika Sake Brewery was established in 1884. It’s open from 10am to 5pm (except Tuesdays), and you can sample five types of sake for about ¥700 (approx $6.50) per person. Naramachi also has plenty of beautiful, old Japanese-style houses, which make for a good stroll!
Kasuga-an
If you love warabi mochi, a jelly-like dessert made from bracken (a type of fern), or kuzumochi, a soft and chewy dessert made from Japanese arrowroot, you’re in luck. These desserts are easily found in Nara and often enjoyed with kuromitsu, a brown sugar syrup, or other Japanese flavourings like matcha powder and adzuki bean paste.
Try them all at Kasuga-an, a quaint little Japanese teahouse serving wagashi (Japanese sweets). In summer, the menu includes flavoured kakigori, or shaved ice desserts. It’s open from 11am to 6pm, so stop by before you head back after your Nara day trip.
Keep this handy guide in your back pocket for your next Japan holiday!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to see everything in Nara?
About half a day (four to six hours) is enough time to see most of the sights mentioned above. But if you’re in Nara for more than a day, travel northwest to see kofun (keyhole-shaped imperial burial grounds) or the site of the ancient imperial palace.
When is the best time to visit Nara?
As with most places in Japan, the best time to visit is in the spring (late March to May) or autumn (late September to November) because of the seasonal colours.
Winter is generally the “off season” for Nara, but visiting is still enjoyable because of the mild temperatures. Snow falls occasionally but it is uncommon, while summer is hot and humid - generally the worst season to visit unless you’re driving!
Does Nara Station have coin lockers?
Yes, it does! If you’re just passing through Nara, you can store your stuff safely while sightseeing. These coin lockers are available on the first and second floors of JR Nara Station, with prices starting from ¥300 (approx $2.80) for a small one.
Pro tip: Large lockers can fit 868mm x 355mm x 645mm items, so measure your suitcases beforehand to know if they’ll fit.
Where can I throw my trash?
The shrines, parks, and gardens form a huge, green area that functions as a protected, well-maintained park. Trash bins here are few and far between to prevent the deer from rummaging through human waste. My advice? Bring small plastic bags and hold onto your trash until you find a bin. Try not to leave your trash behind. Wet wipes are also handy for an outdoor-heavy location like Nara!
You’ll find most trash receptacles around Nara Station, where bins are labelled as “Combustibles,” “Glass Bottles,” “Cans,” or “PET Bottles (Plastic)”. I’d advise against throwing your trash in public toilet bins, as I’ve witnessed crows digging in and leaving a mess, making it unpleasant for other visitors.
