Nara Park Travel Guide: Stroll Through a Scenic Blend of History and Nature

From Kyoto Station to Kintetsu Nara Station, the fastest option is the Kintetsu Kyoto Line Limited Express (bound for Kintetsu Nara), taking Approx. 35 minutes. No transfers are needed, so there’s little chance of getting lost.
Even including the trip to Nara Park, you can get there within an hour, making it easy to enjoy on a day trip.
For more detailed directions from Kyoto to Nara, see the article below.

Nara Park is also doable as a day trip from Osaka, not just Kyoto.
From Osaka’s major stations—Osaka Station and Namba Station—you can reach Kintetsu Nara Station within an hour.
Even including the trip to Nara Park, the total travel time is Approx. within 1 hour 30 minutes.
Use the table below for travel times and routes from Osaka Station and Namba Station to Kintetsu Nara Station.

If you’d like even more detailed access information, check the article below as well.

We recommend spring because we want you to see the scenery selected as one of Japan’s “Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots.”
Approx. 1,500 cherry trees are planted throughout the park, creating beautiful pairings with historic architecture.
In particular, the magical scene of Ukimido Pavilion floating on Sagiike Pond together with illuminated cherry blossoms at night is a must-see.
Cherry blossoms are usually at their best from late March to early April. If you visit a bit earlier, from late February to mid-March, you can also enjoy the sight of 250 plum trees in full bloom.

Nara Park in fall, painted in vivid autumn colors, is also recommended.
Shrines and temples across the grounds turn red and yellow, offering beautiful, uniquely Japanese scenery in many different settings.
Another highlight is the variety by timing: ginkgo trees in late October, and Approx. 800 maple trees from mid-November to early December.

If you want to enjoy interacting with the deer, buy “shika senbei” (deer crackers) from shops or vending machines in the park.
Shops and vending machines are placed throughout the park, so you should find them as you stroll around.
Deer crackers cost 200 yen per bundle (10 pieces).
They’re made mainly from rice bran and wheat flour, and contain no coloring, so they’re made with the deer’s health in mind.
When feeding them, the key is to offer one piece at a time quickly, without hesitation.
If a deer can’t get a cracker, it may tug at your clothes or bite, so be careful.
When you run out, spread both hands to show you “don’t have any more.”
This helps prevent trouble while letting you safely enjoy interacting with the deer.

Even though they’re used to people, the deer in Nara Park are wild animals and are not kept in captivity.
To interact safely—and to protect the deer that local people have carefully safeguarded—please be sure to follow these rules.

The grounds include many National Treasure buildings, such as the Daibutsuden (Great Buddha Hall)—one of the world’s largest wooden structures—housing the seated statue of Vairocana Buddha, affectionately known as the “Great Buddha of Nara,” as well as the Hokke-do (Sangatsudo), the oldest of Todaiji’s buildings, and the Nandaimon Gate, Japan’s largest temple gate.
Another highlight is Tegaimon Gate on the west side of the Shosoin Repository, which escaped two wars and still offers a glimpse of the original temple complex layout from the time of its founding.

It began as Yamashina-dera, a private temple built at the residence of Fujiwara no Kamatari in Yamashiro Province, Yamashina Suehara. In 710 (Wado 3), with the relocation of the capital to Heijo-kyo, it was moved to its current location under a plan by Fujiwara no Fuhito and renamed “Kofukuji.”
The grounds are lined with National Treasure buildings such as the Northern Round Hall rebuilt in the Kamakura period, the five-story pagoda and Eastern Golden Hall rebuilt in the Muromachi period, as well as Important Cultural Properties including the Southern Round Hall rebuilt in the Edo period.

Mikasa-yama (Kasuga-yama) has been revered since ancient times as a sacred mountain where deities reside.
Because hunting and logging were prohibited in the Heian period, the primeval forest remains to this day and is designated as a Special Natural Monument of Japan.
In 1998, Kasuga Taisha Shrine and the Kasugayama Primeval Forest were registered as part of the World Heritage site “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara.”
The “National Treasure Hall” within the grounds is a museum that houses Approx. 3,000 items, including National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties.
It displays sacred treasures made in the Heian period, as well as Japan’s representative armor and weapons such as swords, and is known as the “Heian Shosoin.”

Mount Wakakusa stands 342 meters high. It’s a gentle mountain covered entirely in grass. Because it looks like three hats stacked together, it’s also known as “Mount Mikasa.” It’s also famous for the Wakakusa Yamayaki, a traditional Nara event held every January.
From the foot-of-the-mountain gate to the summit, it takes around 30 minutes on foot. From the top, you can look out over Nara’s scenery, including Kofukuji Temple and Todaiji Temple.

Opened in 1895 (Meiji 28) as Japan’s second national museum.
Focusing on Japanese Buddhist art from the Asuka period through the Kamakura period, it holds a large collection of Buddhist statues and artifacts, including many National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties.
Located in a corner of Nara Park and surrounded by Todaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and more, it offers a relaxed environment to learn about Buddhist art and the rich history and culture behind it.

Asajigahara Park Area sits in one corner of Nara Park, where cultural heritage sites are scattered across the vast grounds.
It’s a hilly area on the south side of the park, stretching along the south side of the approach from the first torii gate of Kasuga Taisha Shrine to the main sanctuary, and is known as a scenic spot rich in varied terrain.
In particular, the view of Sagiike Pond, where Ukimido Pavilion stands, is breathtakingly beautiful.

Nara Park is home to cultural heritage sites like Kasuga Taisha Shrine and Kofukuji Temple, along with grand, lush natural scenery.
Among the park’s scenic spots, Sarusawa Pond Park Area is especially easy to visit thanks to its location close to downtown.
It’s a man-made pond with a 360-meter perimeter, located past the Sanjo-dori shopping street, and lined with willow trees for a wonderfully atmospheric feel.

Nara Park is vast and has lots to see.
If you try to visit all seven spots introduced in this article, you should expect it to take a full day.

All of the main spots are within walking distance of each other, but when you factor in breaks, interacting with the deer, and taking photos, it can take more time than you’d expect.
So if you want to enjoy Nara Park within a limited stay, it’s recommended to decide in advance which places you’ll visit.
For example, a plan that visits the World Heritage sites Todaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple, and Kasuga Taisha Shrine and includes time to enjoy the deer can be comfortably done in half a day.

As mentioned above, you can visit the main spots in Nara Park on foot alone.
However, since the walking distances can add up, if you want to reduce the strain or cut down travel time, it’s worth considering the bus.
With Nara Kotsu buses and the Nara Park Gurutto Bus, you can also reach major spots like Todaiji Temple, Mount Wakakusa, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Ukimido Pavilion, Nara National Museum, and Kofukuji Temple by bus.
By combining walking and bus rides well, it becomes easier to create a comfortable sightseeing plan.
Please choose your transportation based on your schedule and energy level for the day.

Located in the heart of Nara Park on the east side of the Nara Prefectural Government Office, the Nara Park Bus Terminal is a facility you’ll want to use as a base for exploring Nara Park.
If you use it well, you can enjoy the vast park more efficiently and more deeply.
In the 1F exhibition room, you can use the “Nara Walking Map,” which lets you choose places you want to visit—from nearby attractions to restaurants and shops—and create and print your own custom map.
Inside, you’ll also find a diorama model that shows the overall layout of Nara Park, a cafe that’s easy to stop by during a walk, and shops where you can buy souvenirs.
Head up to the rooftop garden, and a 360-degree panorama opens up, giving you a sweeping view over Nara Park.
Another big draw is being able to see several of Nara Park’s historic landmarks at once, including Kofukuji Temple’s five-story pagoda, Mount Wakakusa, and Todaiji Temple’s Nandaimon Gate and Great Buddha Hall.

A summer tradition in Nara, where the entire Nara Park area is wrapped in gentle candlelight.
“Tokae” refers to the flower-shaped clump that forms at the tip of a candle wick, and it’s said to bring good luck when it appears.
At the Nara Tokae Lantern Festival, candles are lit with the wish that everyone who visits will find happiness.
It’s also fun that the same candlelight feels different depending on the location, such as Ukigumo Garden Area where candles set on the lawn look like the Milky Way, and Asajigahara where candles are scattered among bamboo objects.

A traditional event passed down since the Edo period, rooted in Nara’s coexistence with deer.
Because fall is the breeding season for male deer, they can become aggressive and may injure people or other deer, so the event began as an accident-prevention measure.
It’s held every October at the “Rokuen Antler-Cutting Grounds” set up within the Kasuga Taisha Shrine grounds.
On the day, people called seko use red flags to drive male deer into the grounds; once captured, their antlers are cut off by Shinto priests.
Since deer have long been regarded as sacred messengers of the gods (“shinroku”), the cut antlers are offered before the deities.

A traditional event held every year on the fourth Saturday of January across the Mount Wakakusa area in Nara Park.
After around 600 large fireworks light up the night sky, sacred fire is transferred to torches by around 300 members of the Nara City Fire Brigade.
With signals from conch shells and trumpets, everything is lit at once, and the mountainside is engulfed in flames, creating a spectacular scene as the whole mountain burns. The flames rising as if scorching the night sky are incredibly powerful.
During the day, the “Giant Deer Cracker Tossing Contest” is held, where oversized deer crackers are thrown from Mount Wakakusa.
Also at Kasugano Garden Area, an “hospitality event” is held with Japanese taiko drum performances, Yosakoi dance, hands-on workshops, and more, so you can enjoy the entire day from daytime into night.

Its origins trace back to Asukadera, Japan’s oldest full-scale Buddhist temple, founded in Asuka Village in the late 6th century by Soga no Umako. Later, with the relocation of the capital to Heijo-kyo, it was moved into Heijo-kyo and renamed Gangoji.
As one of the eight component parts of the “Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara,” the former monks’ quarters—Gokurakudo (Gokurabo Main Hall) and Zen Room (Gokurabo Zen Room)—are registered as a World Cultural Heritage site.
Some roof tiles relocated from Asukadera still remain on part of the roof, conveying the atmosphere of the past.

One of Japan’s rare old town districts, alongside Kyoto and Kanazawa.
Machiya townhouses built from the Edo period to the Meiji period still remain in the area centered around the former precincts of Gangoji Temple, making it a great place for a retro stroll.
Today, the nostalgic streetscape is lined with cafes, restaurants, and variety shops, making it a tourist spot visited by a wide range of generations.
The “Naramachi South Tourist Information Center” is a visitor center that repurposes machiya townhouses that once stood throughout the area. It has walking maps at the reception window, and it’s recommended to stop by before exploring.

A place that flourished as Japan’s capital after the relocation to Heijo-kyo in 710.
The large-scale capital city, with a total area of around 2,500 ha and modeled after Chang’an, the Tang dynasty capital, is said to have been home to over 100,000 people.
“Heijo Palace” was the core facility of Heijo-kyo, where politics and ceremonies were conducted as the emperor’s residence.
Today, reconstructed sites such as Suzaku Gate, the First Daigokuden Hall, the First Daigokuden-in South Gate (under reconstruction), the Second Daigokuden Hall, and the Toin Garden are maintained and preserved as Heijo Palace Site Historical Park.

For over 60 years since its founding in 1959, the long-established kamameshi restaurant “Kamameshi Shizuka” has operated two locations in Nara City.
Even now, as a famous restaurant that always comes up when people talk about kamameshi in Nara, it has stuck to its style of carefully cooking each order over an open flame, one pot at a time.
That’s why lunchtime lines are an everyday sight at the Koen Branch, located in front of the Nara National Museum.

The Naramachi area is lined with many machiya townhouses from the Edo to Meiji periods, and in recent years it’s been lively with refined cafes and shops.
One pioneering spot in the area is “Kanakana.”
This traditional-house cafe is a renovated machiya over 100 years old, and stepping inside feels pleasantly like tracing back a nostalgic memory.

A specialty restaurant for shabu-shabu and meat kaiseki, standing in Naramachi’s atmospheric streets.
The building is a renovated former residence over 100 years old, with a calm, Japanese-modern space that retains wooden latticework, earthen walls, and beams, creating a relaxed atmosphere.
The signature menu is shabu-shabu made with Nara’s branded Yamato beef, branded pork, and plenty of fresh Yamato vegetables grown by local farmers.

Located in one corner of Nara Park, it offers a great location that’s perfect as a base for sightseeing in Nara.
The building was designed by master Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. Outside the windows, trees sway in the breeze, and you can feel the sacred atmosphere of Nara Park. The rooms also feature open-air baths, letting you relax at your leisure.
Five types of all-suite rooms are available, from Stylish Suites to Fufu Luxury Premium Suites, and another appeal is the attention to detail—fabrics and furniture vary by room.

A small culinary ryokan on the far northern edge of Nara Park, near where the Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji Temple sits, with the atmosphere of a classic Nara machiya townhouse.
Pass through the stone-paved entrance sprinkled with water, and you’re welcomed by a distinctive building featuring a dirt-floor space and an open atrium ceiling.
Each of the 12 guest rooms has its own character and furnishings, with a variety of styles available, including mainly tatami rooms scented with rush grass and Japanese-Western rooms with beds.

A refined ryokan located Approx. a 10-minute walk from “Kintetsu Nara” Station, close to Nara’s main sightseeing areas such as Nara Park and Todaiji Temple.
From inside the property, you’ll find wonderful views that let you feel the World Heritage atmosphere of ancient Nara, including Todaiji Temple.
Rooms include a range of designer options with different concepts, such as luxurious rooms with open-air observation baths overlooking Mount Wakakusa, a Premium Kids Room with a slide, and compact Japanese-modern rooms with a raised sitting area.