Kansai
Kyoto
Temples, tea houses and cedar hills. Slow mornings and a city that rewards walking without a plan.
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Kansai
Nara
Ancient capital, vast parkland and Japan's oldest wooden halls.
Introduction
Nara was Japan's capital before Kyoto, and the scale of what remains is startling: enormous wooden halls, a bronze Buddha the size of a building, and a park that runs from the station to the foot of the hills.
Almost everyone comes for a few midday hours. Arrive early, or stay the night, and you get the same sights with a fraction of the company.
Mia Fournier · Updated 26 March 2026
- Region
- Kansai, Honshū
- Stay
- Day trip, or 1 night
- From Kyoto
- About 45 minutes
- Best hours
- Before 10am
Why visit
Why Nara
01
Tōdai-ji
One of the largest wooden structures in the world, housing the Great Buddha.
02
The park
Free-roaming deer, lantern-lined paths and space that makes the day feel unhurried.
03
Naramachi
Merchant lanes of dark-timber houses, small museums and quiet cafés.
Neighbourhoods
Best areas
- Nara Park
- Tōdai-ji, Kasuga Taisha and the museum cluster, all walkable.
- Naramachi
- South of the park — the Nara people actually live in.
Things to do
Worth your time in Nara
Tōdai-ji at opening
The hall is calm for the first hour of the day.
Walk up to Kasuga Taisha
Stone lanterns through cedar forest, then on to the Wakakusa hillside.
Isuien or Yoshikien garden
A paid garden and a free one, both worth a slow half hour.
Lunch in Naramachi
Kakinoha-zushi and small kissaten away from the park crowds.
Stay
Where to stay in Nara
- Near Nara Park
- Only worth it if you want the early-morning and evening park to yourself.
- Kyoto or Osaka
- Most travellers base here and visit Nara as a day trip.
Discover Nara experiences
Editorial guidance only. We don't publish prices, ratings or availability.
Eat
Where to eat
- Kakinoha-zushi
- Sushi wrapped in persimmon leaf — the local speciality and a good train snack.
- Somen and kudzu sweets
- Regional noodles and arrowroot desserts served in the old town.
Transport
How to get around
- Kintetsu Nara station is closer to the park than JR Nara; choose your line accordingly.
- Everything in this guide is walkable from the park entrance.
- Buses loop the sights if the hills are too much on a hot day.
Plan
A suggested Nara route
- MorningTōdai-ji at opening, then the lantern path to Kasuga Taisha.
- AfternoonA garden, lunch in Naramachi, and the train back by late afternoon.
Insider tips
What we'd tell a friend about Nara
Keep going
Plan your Nara trip
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