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The Eastern Golden Hall and five-storey pagoda of Kofuku-ji in Nara, before the pagoda's current repairs
The Main Hall and five-storey pagoda in the Western Precinct of Horyu-ji
The vermilion middle gate of Kasuga Taisha with its hanging bronze lanterns
The rebuilt Central Golden Hall and the Eastern Golden Hall of Kofuku-ji
The pond garden of Isuien with the roof of Todai-ji's Nandaimon gate beyond the trees

Things to do in Nara: 8 experiences

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Photo: 663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0

Horyu-ji, Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture

Take the train to Horyu-ji, the world's oldest wooden buildings

Check dates and prices

Photo: ONO Masanobu, CC0

Kasuga Taisha, Nara Park

Walk the lantern path through the forest to Kasuga Taisha

Check dates and prices

Photo: Saigen Jiro, CC0

Kofuku-ji, Nara Park

See the Ashura statue in Kofuku-ji's National Treasure Museum

Check dates and prices

Photo: Saigen Jiro, CC0

Isuien, Nara

Sit in Isuien's garden and borrow the view of Todai-ji's gate

Tours in Nara

Photo: Kimon Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0

Nara was Japan's capital in the 8th century, before Kyoto, and its great temples from that time still stand around a park full of free-roaming deer. The Japan page already covers the deer and the Great Buddha of Todai-ji. This page is everything around them.

Most of it is a walk from Kintetsu Nara station: Kofuku-ji at the edge of the park, the garden of Isuien beside Todai-ji, Kasuga Taisha and its forest to the east, Mount Wakakusa above them, and the old merchant lanes of Naramachi to the south.

Two trips go further: to Nishinokyo in the west for Yakushi-ji and Toshodai-ji, and to Ikaruga for Horyu-ji, the oldest wooden buildings in the world.

8 things to do in Nara

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The vermilion middle gate of Kasuga Taisha with its hanging bronze lanterns

Walk the lantern path through the forest to Kasuga Taisha

Kasuga Taisha, Nara Park

1 to 1.5 hoursGo alone or with a tour

A vermilion shrine at the edge of a sacred forest, reached by a path of stone lanterns that are all lit twice a year.

Check dates and pricesGuided walk to the Great Buddha and Kasuga Shrine
Been there?
The rebuilt Central Golden Hall and the Eastern Golden Hall of Kofuku-ji

See the Ashura statue in Kofuku-ji's National Treasure Museum

Kofuku-ji, Nara Park

1 to 1.5 hoursGo alone or with a tour

The Fujiwara clan's temple, five minutes from the station, with one of Japan's most loved Buddhist statues in its museum.

Check dates and pricesHalf-day walk through Nara's UNESCO temples
Been there?
The pond garden of Isuien with the roof of Todai-ji's Nandaimon gate beyond the trees

Sit in Isuien's garden and borrow the view of Todai-ji's gate

Isuien, Nara

About 1 hourNo booking needed

Two strolling gardens, from the Edo and Meiji eras, that use Todai-ji's great gate and the hills as their backdrop.

Tours in Nara
Been there?
A lane of old wooden townhouses with lattice fronts in Naramachi

Wander the merchant lanes of Naramachi and step into Gango-ji

Naramachi, Nara

1.5 to 2 hoursFree

Narrow lanes of lattice-fronted townhouses on the grounds of a temple that began as Japan's oldest.

Tours in Nara
Been there?
The grass-covered slopes of Mount Wakakusa above Nara Park

Climb the grass slopes of Mount Wakakusa for the sunset over Nara

Mount Wakakusa, Nara Park

1.5 to 2 hoursNo booking needed

A bare grassy hill above Nara Park, with the Great Buddha Hall and the whole city below, set on fire once a year.

Been there?
Old evergreen trees along a path in the Kasugayama Primeval Forest

Walk into the Kasugayama Primeval Forest behind the shrine

Kasugayama Primeval Forest, Nara

2 to 3 hoursFree

A sacred mountain forest where hunting and logging were banned in 841, a short walk from the busiest deer park in Japan.

Been there?
The Main Hall and five-storey pagoda in the Western Precinct of Horyu-ji

Take the train to Horyu-ji, the world's oldest wooden buildings

Horyu-ji, Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture

Half a day with the trainGo alone or with a tour

A temple founded in 607 whose main hall, pagoda and gate are the oldest surviving wooden structures in the world.

Check dates and pricesTwo-hour guided visit of Horyu-ji
Been there?
The pagodas and halls of Yakushi-ji in Nishinokyo

Visit Yakushi-ji and Toshodai-ji, two great temples by one station

Nishinokyo, Nara

2 to 3 hours for bothNo booking needed

Two of Nara's great temples, a short walk apart west of the centre, far from the deer crowds.

Tours in Nara
Been there?

Traveller picks

Hidden gems suggested by travellers. We check each one before it goes up; the words are theirs, not ours.

No traveller picks for Nara yet. Know a place most visitors miss?

Plan your trip

  • Getting there

    Kintetsu trains reach Kintetsu Nara station from Osaka Namba in about 40 minutes and from Kyoto in about 50. JR trains stop at JR Nara station, a little farther from the park. Kintetsu Nara is the one to aim for: it is a few minutes from Kofuku-ji.

  • Getting around

    Walk: the park, Kofuku-ji, Todai-ji, Kasuga Taisha and Naramachi are all within half an hour of each other. The city loop bus helps for Kasuga Taisha and Mount Wakakusa. For Nishinokyo take the Kintetsu Kashihara line, and for Horyu-ji the JR Yamatoji line or bus 98.

  • How many days

    In must30's view, one full day covers the park, Todai-ji, Kofuku-ji, Kasuga Taisha and Naramachi. Stay a night, or come back for a second day, for Horyu-ji and the Nishinokyo temples, which most day trippers miss.

  • When to go

    Spring brings cherry blossom in the park and wisteria at Kasuga Taisha in late April and early May; autumn colour follows in November. Summer is hot, but the shrine lights its lanterns in mid August. In January, Mount Wakakusa burns on the fourth Saturday.

  • Where to stay

    Most visitors sleep in Osaka or Kyoto and come for the day. Staying near Kintetsu Nara station lets you see the park early and late, when the crowds are gone and the deer have it to themselves.

Questions travellers ask

Is one day enough for Nara?

For the park, Todai-ji, Kofuku-ji, Kasuga Taisha and Naramachi, yes, if you start early. Horyu-ji and the Nishinokyo temples need another half day each, because they are outside the centre.

Can I see Kofuku-ji's five-storey pagoda?

Only under scaffolding. The pagoda is being repaired from July 2023 until March 2034. The grounds stay open and free, and the museum with the Ashura statue and the two golden halls are open as usual.

How do I get to Horyu-ji from Nara?

Take the JR Yamatoji line from JR Nara to Horyuji station, 12 minutes, then walk 20 minutes or take bus 72 to Horyujisando. Bus 98 runs direct from the Nara stations in about an hour.

When are the lanterns of Kasuga Taisha lit?

All of them, about 3,000, are lit during the Mantoro festivals in February and in mid August. The rest of the year the path is lined with the same lanterns, unlit, and the grounds are free.

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