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Travel guide
Nara
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: Late March to April, and October to November
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Welcome
Nara, in a few days
Japan's first permanent capital in the 8th century still has a 15-metre bronze Buddha, thousands of lanterns under the cedars and a park where around a thousand deer roam free. Everything lies within a couple of kilometres, 45 minutes by train from Kyoto, which makes it the easiest day trip in the Kansai region.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Todai-ji and the Great Buddha · about 1 hA 15-metre bronze Buddha completed in 752, in a hall rebuilt in 1709 at two-thirds of its original width, still among the largest wooden buildings.
- Afternoon · Nigatsu-do free · about 30 minA hillside hall of Todai-ji, reached by a stone lane between earthen walls, whose overhanging balcony gives the best free view over Nara's roofs.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Hotel Nikko Nara€110 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Nara Park and its deer free · about 1 h 30Lawns and woods linking the main shrines, roamed by about a thousand sika deer, sacred messengers of the Kasuga gods, which bow for rice crackers.
- Afternoon · Isuien Garden · about 1 h 30Two joined gardens, 17th and 19th century, the second borrowing scenery: Todai-ji's Nandaimon gate and the Wakakusa and Kasuga hills become part of it.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Daiwa Roynet Hotel Nara€90 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Kofuku-ji and the Ashura statue · about 1 hThe Fujiwara clan temple, founded here in 710, whose treasure house holds the 8th-century dry-lacquer Ashura, three-faced and six-armed, with a strikingly youthful expression.
- Afternoon · Naramachi free · about 1 h 30The old merchant quarter south of the park, where narrow machiya townhouses hold cafés and craft shops; the restored Koshi no Ie is free.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Nara Washington Hotel Plaza€85 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Kasuga Taisha and its lanterns · about 1 hThe Fujiwara shrine, founded in 768, reached by a forest path lined with moss-covered stone lanterns and hung inside with bronze ones.
- Afternoon · Horyu-ji · about 2 hA monastery founded in 607 by Prince Shotoku, about 12 km from central Nara, holding the oldest surviving wooden buildings in the world.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Novotel Nara€75 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Sushi and sashimi: raw fish at its freshest, eaten at the counter.
- Ramen: noodles in a deep broth, the comfort food of the country.
- Tempura: vegetables and prawns in a batter light enough to see through.
- Okonomiyaki: a savoury pancake piled with filling, the pride of Osaka and Hiroshima.
- Matcha and wagashi: green tea and the delicate sweets made to go with it.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Never stand your chopsticks upright in rice, and do not blow your nose at the table.
- Tipping does not exist and can embarrass: leave nothing.
- Eating while walking down the street is frowned upon.
- Get an IC card (Suica or Pasmo) rather than buying single tickets.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ Japanese
| English | Japanese |
|---|---|
| Hello | こんにちは (konnichiwa) |
| Thank you | ありがとう (arigatō) |
| Please | お願いします (onegai shimasu) |
| Yes | はい (hai) |
| No | いいえ (iie) |
| Excuse me | すみません (sumimasen) |
| Goodbye | さようなら (sayōnara) |
| Do you speak English? | 英語を話せますか (eigo o hanasemasu ka) |
| I don't understand | わかりません (wakarimasen) |
| How much is it? | いくらですか (ikura desu ka) |
| Where are the toilets? | トイレはどこですか (toire wa doko desu ka) |
| The bill, please | お会計お願いします (okaikei onegai shimasu) |
| Help! | 助けて！ (tasukete!) |
| Cheers! | 乾杯！ (kanpai!) |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyJapanese yen (JPY, ¥)
BudgetAbout €115 a day, mid-range
Best seasonLate March to April, and October to November
PlugA/B · 100V
Tap waterSafe to drink
TippingNo tipping, it is not the custom
Emergency110 (police) / 119
EntryVisa-free for 90 days for EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports.
HealthNo vaccination required. Keep tetanus and polio up to date; hepatitis A is worth considering if you eat well outside the tourist trail.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/nara
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.