Nara day trip: one-day itinerary
- japansophy
- 10 hours ago
- 9 min read
The city of Nara has a long cultural history and preceded Kyoto as Japan's capital way back in the 8th century in what became known as the Nara period. It is dotted with ancient tombs, temples and shrines, parks and gardens and makes the perfect day trip from Kyoto or Osaka. We've put together a one-day (walking) itinerary, talking in the city's highlights without feeling rushed. Read on for ideas on what to do and see on your Nara day trip.
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*All train and ticket prices below are as of February 2026 and are subject to change)
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Getting to Nara
Nara has two train stations: JR Nara and Kintetsu Nara. Kintetsu Nara station is around 10 minutes' walk closer to the main points of interest but the JR line might be more convenient for you on the other side of your journey and is included in the Japan Rail Pass.
How to get to Nara from Osaka
By JR: Take the Yamatoji Rapid Express from JR Osaka (50 mins; 840 yen*). This service runs around three times an hour during the day, with more frequent trains from Namba or Tennoji, for example.
By Kintetsu: Take the Rapid Express from Namba (take the Midosuji subway line to Namba from the Umeda area if that's where you're based). The trip takes 35-40 minutes and costs 590 yen*.
How to get to Nara from Kyoto
By JR: Take the JR Miyakoji Rapid service from Kyoto Station. It takes 45 minutes and costs 720 yen*
By Kintetsu: Take the Express (40 mins; 760 yen*) or the Rapid Express (35 mins; 1280 yen* but includes reserved seat) from Kyoto Station.
Nara highlights: what to see and do on a Nara day trip
Luckily, most of the main attractions in Nara are within easy walking distance and, starting at either Jr Nara or Kintetsu Nara station, can be covered in a sort of loop route. Here are our suggestions for a Nara day trip itinerary. We've marked them all on a map that you will find under Travel Resources.
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Todai-ji
Todai-ji is the big daddy (well, the Big Buddha) of all of Nara's many attractions. This huge temple was until recently the world's largest wooden building and though you might have seen pictures, it's difficult to comprehend the sheer scale of the main temple hall until you're standing in front of it. And to think that used to be 30% bigger! The Great Buddha Hall is home to the 15m-tall Great Buddha. Nandaimon gate on the approach to the temple is an attraction in itself and is the largest wooden gate in Japan.
Open from 8am - 5pm (7:30am - 5;30pm April to October). Admission to the Great Buddha Hall: 800 yen* for adults.
Yoshikien, Isuien or Manyo Botanical Gardens
Doing all three of these beautiful gardens is probably overkill, especially for a day trip, so, we suggest picking one. Yoshikien and Isuien are right beside each other to the west of Nandaimon Gate. Isuien is the larger of the two and the more celebrated, with ponds, tea houses and even a little waterfall. Isuien is open from 9:30 - 5:30 (last entry 5pm) and is closed on Tuesdays, early January and the end of September. Admission is 1200 yen* for adults.
Yoshikien is a small but perfectly lovely garden with a tea house and a little pond. It's an especially pretty spot to enjoy autumn foliage and is open from March to the end of December. Admission to Yoshikien is FREE for tourists.
Manyo Botanical Gardens are within the precincts of Kasuga Taisha Shrine (separate admission to the gardens: 700 yen*) and are famous for its wisteria blossoms (May). They are open daily during wisteria season, from 9am - 4:30pm (last entry 4pm) but closed on Tuesdays the rest of the year.
Kasuga Taisha
Kasuga Taisha is about 20 minutes' walk south-east from Yoshikien garden. It is extremely photogenic thanks to its vermillion architecture and hundreds of hanging lanterns, and is closely associated with Nara's deer (which are, after all, considered to be sacred messengers of the gods). You can walk around and explore the grounds for free; admission to the main shrine is 700 yen* for adults or you can join a tour for 1200-1500 yen*.
Nara Park (Deer Park)
If you've been following our route, you will have already met plenty of deer on the way: it's impossible to visit Nara without spotting a Bambi or two! But if you've made it to Kasuga Taisha shrine, you're already in deer home turf. Leave Kasuga Taisha and walk west through this vast, green park in the direction of the train stations, bowing to and being bowed to by deer as you go. You can buy special deer crackers from stalls around the park but be aware that these act as a sort of deer-mega-magnet and you could find yourself suddenly surrounded by cute but persistent cracker-sniffers. Some recent posts on social media have complained about the deer being "mean" or "aggressive": it's important to remember that these deer are not domesticated pets and will not take kindly to tourists teasing them with food for a good pic.
This is a good place for a Japansophy tip:
You're going to want to look good in your Insta posts but wearing light-coloured trousers/skirts and good shoes on your day trip to Nara is ill-advised. The deer WILL approach you and are likely to slobber over you ("is that a deer cracker in your pocket or...?") and there's deer poo everywhere that you're not going to want to scrape off your new white Onitsukas afterwards.
Ukimido pavilion
So, we leave Nara Park behind and walk further west to Sagi pond. The main attraction here is a beautiful wooden pavilion stretching out into the water but, if you have some time to spare, you can also hire a little boat and enjoy the pond from another angle. It's especially pretty here in the autumn when the leaves change colour and the pavilion is lit up at night.
Kofukuji temple and Sarusawa pond
Continue to head (north)west to Kofukuji temple and Sarusawa pond (about 10 minutes' walk). Kofukuji temple is one of Japan's oldest and best-known Buddhist temples. Although most of its original buildings succumbed to fire and neglect over the years, the temple has been largely restored. The five-storied pagoda is currently undergoing restoration work that isn't expected to be completed until 2032 at the earliest (which means that the famous view over Sarusawa pond is also undergoing a face-lift) but the other buildings, including the imposing Central Golden Hall, a three-storied pagoda and the cute octagonal halls are still very impressive. Walk around the complex for free. Entry to the central and eastern Golden Halls is 500 yen* each and they are open from 9am - 5pm (last admission 4:45pm).
Nakatanido
If you're in need of a quick break, there's a Starbucks right beside Sarusawa pond with views out over the water. We're not far from Kintetsu Nara station now, though, so there are hundreds of little eateries and coffee shops in the surrounding streets. We're on our way now to a mochi shop that has reached such levels of social media fame that it can barely keep up with demand. The reason: passers-by get to watch the shop's mochi-makers in action several times a day, rhythmically pounding the rice until it becomes a sticky mass and shaping the delicious mochi. The shop usually has a sign up saying when the next "show" will be and it attracts huge crowds.
Naramachi, Gango-ji temple and Koshi-no-ie
From Nakatanido, we head south through the covered shopping arcade just to the left of the store front down to the traffic lights on Naramachi Odori street, where we turn left. Around 50 metres down this road, you'll see the Naramachi Tourist Information Office. We walk down the small street to the side of this office into the historical Naramachi district. You'll pass beautifully preserved merchant houses and machiya. Many of these buildings have been turned into gorgeous little cafés or restaurants but some, like Koshi-no-Ie and Nigiwai-no-Ie, have been immaculately kept as they were to allow visitors to step back in time. Admission to these preserved machiya is free.
Allow yourself time here to wander around and discover not only Gango-ji temple (another UNESCO World Heritage site) but also the myriad of other little temples and shrines and you could well have all to yourself.
At this point, your Nara day trip would end and you would head back up north to Kintetsu Nara station or west to JR Nara station (both around 15-20 mins' walk). But if you have more time or are making Nara a 2-day trip, we have a few more ideas for you that are a little way outside the centre of town but are worth the effort.
Yakushi-ji
Yet another UNESCO World Heritage site, this temple has two beautiful pagodas, cloisters and a huge "Golden Hall". The easiest way to get here is by bus (No. 78 or 98) from JR Nara station. The bus ride will take around 30 mins. BONUS: there is a gorgeous cherry-blossom-lined path just to the south of the temple and Oike pond is just 200 metres away: a koi and turtle filled lake with a famous view of Yakushi-ji and its two pagodas with a backdrop of Mount Wakakusa.
Speaking of which...
Mount Wakakusa
The grassy hill on Mount Wakakusa to the east of Todai-ji is becoming a popular spot for chilling and deer-spotting with amazing views of Nara in the basin below. You can walk up the hill if you're burning off all those mochi or take the special scenic Wakakusayama Hilltop Bus from JR Nara station or Kintetsu Nara station (4 times a day from early March to early December. 150 yen*. Check departure times here).
Daiichiji Daigokuden
This huge, beautifully restored hall rises up in a vast park in the north-west of the city and was the largest building in what was the Heijo palace complex, used in its time for receiving foreign envoys and for ceremonies. It's free to enter and is open from 9:30am to 4:30 pm (last admission: 4pm; closed Mondays). There are other buildings in the complex, some currently undergoing restoration, but the monumental size of the complex and relative isolation of the structures within it is somehow otherworldly and makes quite the impression. The park is a 45 minute walk from JR Nara station or a 10-minute ride on the bus (no. 163; prepare to have to walk a lot within the park). Alternatively take bus no. 14 direct to Daiichiji Daigokuden in the north of the complex (25 mins).
Horyu-ji
It's a little complicated to get to this UNESCO World Heritage site but the "World's oldest wooden building" has earned a place on any Nara itinerary. This temple complex has been around since the 7th century and features a grand hall and a pagoda. The easiest way to get there from central Nara on public transport is to take the Yamatoji line to Horyuji station and take the no. 72 bus from there to the temple. Admission is 2000 yen* for adults and the temple is open from 8am until 5pm from February to November and until 4:30 the rest of the year.
Staying in Nara
While Nara makes the classic day trip from Osaka or Kyoto, as you can see above the city has so much to offer and you could easily spend several days here. Nara is full of quiet, historically important and beautiful shrines and temples - without Kyoto's overcrowding. Staying the night in Nara will allow you to explore the city at your own pace, see some of the absolutely gorgeous sites that are outside the city centre and visit the more popular sites in the early morning before the day-trippers arrive. Click below to check out airbnbs, ryokans and hotels in Nara.
Nara day trip FAQ
Is Nara in Kyoto?
No, Nara is its own city and is even in a whole other prefecture... but it's not far from Osaka or Kyoto.
Is Nara worth visiting?
If you spend much time on social media, you might have the impression that Nara is just a park with some deer. But as you can see above, Nara has a lot to offer and is comparable in many ways to Kyoto: full of history, ancient temples and shrines. Since Nara is just 40 minutes on the train from both Osaka and Kyoto, it's definitely worth even a half day trip.
How far is Nara from Tokyo?
It's far! From Tokyo, Nara is a 3.5 hour journey on the Shinkansen and JR train (Shink to Kyoto, change there to the JR line; tickets are likely to cost around 15000 yen* each way). If you're desperate to get in some deer time, it's still doable as a day trip, though.
What is there to do in Nara?
Most people visit Nara to feed the deer to be honest but Nara is like a quieter version of Kyoto in many ways so a lot of your day trip will be taken up visiting some of the UNESCO World Heritage sites, ancient temples, shrines and palaces. Stroll around the Naramachi preserved merchant district, go boating on lakes, have a picnic on a hillside overlooking the city, explore the city's traditional cuisine scene, take a rickshaw ride... and make friends with the deer!
Where to stay in Nara Japan?
Nara has a population of around 350000 but feels like a small town. Stay in the centre, near JR Nara or Kintetsu Nara stations. Nara doesn't have a subway, so if you stay outside the station area, you'll have a peaceful time, likely with beautiful views, but you will spend a lot of time on the extensive but rather slow bus service.
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