Things to do in Nara
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Nara
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Yamayaki on the 4th Saturday, otherwise quiet, crisp and crowd free temples.
Setsubun Mantoro, Nara Rurie illuminations, Harushika brewery tours and late plum blossom.
Omizutori at Nigatsu-do from 1 to 14 March, with cherry blossom beginning in the last week.
Sakura peak in Nara Park and at Yoshino. Book early, go on weekdays and start at dawn.
Wisteria, fresh green and lush Akame and Soni, with Golden Week crowds in late April to early May.
Tsuyu rains in June to early July, then heat. Gardens are lush and temples are empty.
Hot and humid, sightsee early and late. Chugen Mantoro lights Kasuga Taisha on 14 to 15 August.
Heat breaks late month, crowds are low and typhoon risk lingers early on.
What's on
- Wakakusayama Yamayaki 4th Saturday in January
The grass of Mt Wakakusa is ceremonially set alight at dusk after fireworks.
- Setsubun Mantoro around 3 February
All roughly 3,000 Kasuga Taisha lanterns are lit for one evening.
- Nara Rurie mid-February
Illuminations light the park precinct, museum, Todai-ji and Kasuga approaches in the evening.
- Omizutori 1 to 14 March
Monks swing giant torches from the Nigatsu-do balcony in a rite held for over 1,250 years.
- Chugen Mantoro 14 to 15 August
All Kasuga Taisha lanterns are lit again amid Obon.
- Shika-no-Tsunokiri October weekends
The traditional deer antler cutting ceremony, organised by the deer preservation foundation.
- Shosoin Exhibition late October to November
Imperial storehouse treasures at the Nara National Museum. Book timed tickets.
Worth the trip for
Best things to do in Nara
Todai-ji
Home to a 15 metre bronze Great Buddha in one of the largest wooden halls on earth, and best seen at opening.
Nara Park
A vast park where over 1,200 sacred deer roam freely between temples, lawns and ponds.
Kasuga Taisha
A vermilion shrine reached through forest paths lined with thousands of stone and bronze lanterns.
Kofuku-ji
Nara's skyline pagoda, free grounds and a National Treasure Museum holding superb Buddhist sculpture.
Naramachi
Edo period merchant lanes of machiya houses, craft shops, small cafes and sake tasting, best after day trips leave.
Isuien Garden
A two part strolling garden using Todai-ji and Mt Wakakusa as borrowed scenery, with a museum and teahouse.
Yoshikien Garden
Three compact gardens, pond, moss and tea ceremony, in the grounds of a former temple residence.
Nigatsu-do
An elevated hall with the classic panorama over Todai-ji, the park and the city, free and best at sunset.
Where to stay in Nara
Nara Park edge / Noborioji
first trip, all-round base
Walk to Todai-ji, Kofuku-ji and Kasuga Taisha in 5 to 20 minutes, with dawn and dusk in the park.
Naramachi
atmosphere, couples, repeat visitors
Machiya lanes, small inns and the city's best small restaurants, ten minutes from the park and best at night.
Kintetsu-Nara / Higashimuki and Sanjo-dori
value and logistics
Covered shopping streets with business hotels and hostels, and the earliest trains to Kyoto, Osaka and Yoshino.
JR Nara / Sanjo-Oji
rail passes and modern chains
The most modern rooms and easy JR access, in exchange for a 15 to 20 minute walk or short bus to the park.
Think twice about
- Yamato-Saidaiji and far west suburban station areas
Perfectly safe, but a characterless commute with no advantage over the centre.
- Highway side business hotels south of the city
Car dependent and charmless for a park focused trip, around the Nara Kenko Land area.
- Basing in Kyoto or Osaka for a Nara priority trip
The 45 minute each way day trip turns Nara into a crowded 11am to 3pm scrum and misses dawn and dusk.
Best restaurants in Nara
Kakinoha-zushi Souhonke Hiraso
The 1861 house for persimmon leaf sushi, with lunch sets pairing it with Miwa somen and tea porridge.
Kakinoha-zushi Hompo Tanaka
The other great persimmon leaf sushi house, best as a mixed takeaway box to eat in the park.
Nakatanidou
High speed yomogi mochi pounding as performance, and warm kinako dusted mochi for about 200 yen.
Kamameshi Shizuka
Kamameshi rice steamed to order in an iron pot since 1959, with seasonal toppings opposite the museum.
Menya Noroma
Rich emulsified chicken broth ramen that tops prefectural rankings, worth the queue and the short hop west.
KITSUNE
Yamato beef sukiyaki with three house sauces in a Naramachi machiya, lunch for value and dinner to splurge.
La Terrasse
Park side French fine dining with seasonal courses and terrace seats, the special occasion lunch locals recommend.
La Terrasse Irisee
Starred French dining by Ayameike pond, destination level and worth reserving well ahead.
Best bars in Nara
Lamp Bar
A candle lit, no sign cocktail bar in Naramachi, the atmospheric nightcap in a city that sleeps early.
Outdoor things to do in Nara
Mount Wakakusa
A short steep climb behind Todai-ji for the definitive view over the park, temple roofs and the Nara basin.
Kasugayama Primeval Forest
Signed forest trails through woodland protected for over a thousand years, quiet on weekdays and crowd free.
Nara - Heart of Nature Cross Bike Tour
A five to six hour e-bike ride from the park to a lost forest temple and rural lanes toward Yagyu.
Mount Ikoma
Kansai's retro playground mountain, reached by Japan's oldest cable car, with views to Osaka, Nara and Kyoto.
Yoshinoyama
Japan's most famous cherry blossom mountain, with some 30,000 trees rolling uphill in bands each spring.
Horyu-ji
The world's oldest surviving wooden architecture, founded in 607 and far quieter than the Nara Park temples.
Asuka
Cycle a flat loop between imperial tombs, terraced rice fields and carved stones in the cradle of Japan.
Akame 48 Waterfalls
A 4km gorge trail past a series of falls through mossy forest once linked to Iga ninja training.
Best hotels in Nara
Shisui, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Nara
Park edge flagship built around the former governor's residence, with onsen style baths and polished dining.
Fufu Nara
A small luxury ryokan resort with private open air herb baths in a garden near the park's quiet south end.
Nara Hotel
The grand 1909 railway hotel inside the park, with tiled roofs, a famous tearoom and deer on the lawn.
JW Marriott Hotel Nara
Modern international five star comfort with pool, spa and serious dining, a short ride from the park.
Kotonoyado Musashino
A classic park ryokan with tatami rooms and kaiseki, and deer outside at breakfast.
Edosan
A traditional inn set practically inside the Kasuga forest approach, in and around the park grounds.
Shikitei
A traditional park ryokan, one of Nara's best, with tatami rooms and kaiseki dinner.
Hotel Nikko Nara
A reliable full service hotel directly by JR Nara, a sensible family and first night choice.
Is Nara expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ¥11,000 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ¥23,000 a person |
| Splurge | ¥46,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Nara National Museum: weeks ahead
- Nara - Heart of Nature Cross Bike Tour: a few days ahead
- Yoshinoyama: weeks ahead
- Nara Wakakusa Country Club: weeks ahead
- Horyuji Country Club: weeks ahead
- Asuka Country Club: weeks ahead
- Nara Manyo Country Club: weeks ahead
- Mount Koya: weeks ahead
- Park edge luxury books out two to three months ahead for sakura, autumn colour and the Shosoin Exhibition.
- Reserve KITSUNE, both La Terrasse houses and kaiseki dinners. Book Yoshino limited express seats in blossom week.
Is Nara safe?
- Deer are wild: feed only official shika senbei, show empty palms when done, and take extra care in rut and fawning seasons.
- Nara is exceptionally safe. Carry water in July and August heat, and know that the emergency visitor hotline runs 24/7.
Nara travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- The 11am to 3pm day trip scrum at Todai-ji, cracker stalls and Higashimuki. Go at 8am or 5pm instead.
- Buy kakinoha-zushi from Tanaka or Hiraso shops, not inflated station gift shop boxes.
Getting around Nara: public transport and more
- Kintetsu-Nara is five minutes from the park; JR Nara is 15 to 20 minutes west. The core is a 2km walking spine.
- City loop buses help between JR station, the park and Kasuga Taisha. Airport buses run direct from Kansai in about 1h 30m.
Who Nara suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Nara your trip
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