Hi, my name is Katie and welcome to my Nara, Japan travel guide! I’m from Canada and am doing an undergrad in neuroscience. I absolutely love traveling and given that university allows you to have four months off in the year, I really try to take advantage of that to see the world!
I’ve wanted to go to Japan since high school and thought that I could finally do it during my gap year. But that was right when the pandemic hit, two weeks before my trip. And so, since then, I’ve been itching to go. When everything started to open up after the worst of the pandemic was over, Japan still had its borders closed and so I used this opportunity to focus on some other trips (my first being Italy and Costa Rica, without my family or anyone looking after me). That is when my travel bug really kicked in.
After my first trip, I realized how easy it was to take care of myself in another country. And then, on top of that, I enjoyed being somewhere new – learning the culture, seeing crazy and beautiful things, and just enjoying being out of my comfort zone. So my next stop was Japan. My family also used to love traveling, so I’ve been very lucky to see the world and what it has to offer even before I decided to try it for myself. So far, I’ve been to about nine countries and I can’t wait to keep exploring the world!
My most recent trip to Japan was last year, in 2023, when they reopened their borders. I was there for just over a month, from early May to early June (as much as I wanted to be there for cherry blossoms in April, my schedule wouldn’t allow it). My visit was amazing and right when I hopped on the plane to come home, I was ready to book my next flight back to Japan!
A Special Two Day Stay in Nara
Nara was incredible! The weather was really nice when I went, so we were lucky in that regard. I stayed for two nights, arriving from Tokyo, and then had a full day to explore before heading to Osaka next. I absolutely loved the atmosphere in Nara. It really depends on where you stay but we stayed close to the deer park, as that is the main attraction Nara has to offer, and it was definitely worth it. It gives off a very old Japanese vibe.
And inside the deer park, with all the temples and shrines, the place felt older than Kyoto in some ways. It was also a very welcoming atmosphere, although very busy with lots of school trips. However, it was also a more cozier and personal atmosphere than Kyoto. When you stay at the park during golden hour, all the buildings and structures look even more beautiful than they did during the day. So if you’re there for more than a day, it’s definitely worth it to walk through the deer park at golden hour.
My Favorite Experience in Nara
Literally everything is special in Nara. Everywhere I went had its own charm and there isn’t one place I wouldn’t go back to. My favorite experience, since I enjoy spontaneous moments, was when I was alone (my friend was studying for an exam at our airbnb) and I was exploring the deer park yet again on my own. I saw some Japanese students all go to this tiny little, unassuming shrine and so I decided to follow them in.
There, they all got ice fortunes! I had never seen one before, although I was familiar with the procedure of getting your fortune in shrines. There is a ticket office where you pay ¥400 and get a little box to shake, with sticks that each contain a number. This number is used to pick out what fortune you get (common shrine procedure). The difference to this was that there was nothing written on the fortune. You had to put your paper on these ice blocks present at the front of the shrine where your fortune would appear!
It was the coolest thing! Even though I couldn’t exactly read it, since it was in Japanese, I got some of my friends to translate it. Just this experience was so cool and not many tourists know about it. I don’t know what the shrine is called as I just walked in randomly. But when in the deer park, it faces across the street from the Nara National Museum. I hope you find it!
5 Best Places to Visit in Nara
Many people come to Nara just for a day trip, in which case, the deer park area is probably the best place to explore since it’s so close to everything. So, here are my top five activities in and around the deer park:
1. The Deer Park
Nara Park is a huge place, with many attractions inside it, and is roaming with deer. The easiest way to get there is following Sanjo-dori Street, all the way from the train station (however, there are many entrances). The best way to explore Nara Park is to just walk through and get lost. When you stumble across an attraction, you can choose to visit it or skip it, and keep on with exploring. Don’t be worried about not seeing the deer because they can be found literally everywhere. There is no way you can’t see them!
They are so used to people that it’s easy to get close and pet them (of course, being respectful). To feed the deer, there are many little stands that sell crackers for ¥150 for 10 crackers. When feeding them, you can bow to them because they will bow back to you before accepting the crackers. But be cautious because they can be quite aggressive if they see you have food.
2. Todai-ji
Todai-ji is an old Buddhist temple. If you pass it inside the deer park, you cannot miss it. Until 1998, it was the largest wooden building in the world (which I didn’t believe when I looked at it but upon approaching it, it’s actually really big). Todai-ji also contains the world’s largest wooden structure, the Daibutsu statue at 157 ft tall. Upon entering the side gate (because you can’t go through the main one), you must purchase a ticket for entry and then you can walk down the main path to the temple.
This is where you will see how big the structure really is. Once you enter, there is no stopping at the door but you can move to the side to admire the large Daibutsu with smaller statues on either side (still huge though). For the temple, you follow the crowd and walk around it in a clockwise circle, with different statues and artifacts along the way. It’s quite a short loop but very worth it. There is also an area to purchase amulets for good luck (but I’d suggest going to a lesser-known temple as these ones are high priced).
3. Kasuga Taisha
This shrine takes up a huge amount of Nara Park and is best known for its lanterns that line the pathways of part of the deer park. This shrine also has many other hanging lanterns situated inside and around the actual building. You can just wander around but you can also pay a bit extra if you want to explore the Treasure Hall, praying area or the gardens. It’s a really beautiful place to just stop by and enjoy. And the deer hang out there too.
4. Nakatanidou
This place is famous for their red bean, green mochi! They mochi pound right in front of the window, so be sure to stop by to see it! Then they sell the fresh mochi to all the customers. For one mochi, it’s about ¥130 but you can also buy packs of three. We got there coincidentally right before the mochi pounding started – it was the perfect timing but you can also just ask them when the next mochitsuki is and they will give you the next time!
Then you can wander around the deer park (because it’s a literal two minute walk away) as you wait. Nakatanidou opens at 10am, but I wouldn’t suggest going right as they open since they don’t pound mochi right away and that’s when they sell off the rest of their mochi from the previous day.
5. Kofuku-ji
Kofuku-ji is another temple that you can visit, located right at the edge of the deer park (so it’s a good spot to begin your adventure). It’s famous for its five story pagoda but there are a lot of buildings around, so it’s a fun little square to explore. Many Japanese schools do field trips to Nara and they usually start in this area too, so it can get pretty busy at around 9 or 10am.
But honestly, I liked all the chaos because it wasn’t too overcrowded and I found the whole thing fascinating. But if you want to have this area to yourself, definitely come earlier! You can also enter some of the buildings.
Where to Stay in Nara
When we stayed for a couple of nights in Nara, we opted for an airbnb beside the deer park so that we could explore it bright and early. There are plenty nearby and it’s the perfect spot if you’d like a full day there, and to check out some of the other nearby attractions like Naramachi.
All the airbnbs are super clean since the cleaning standard in Japan is top notch. The airbnb we stayed in specifically was part of a hotel, Hotel Neiraku (a lot of airbnb listings in this area are also hotel rooms). It was around $50 Canadian dollars per night, per person, and was simple but perfect for two people with one room, one bed and a bathroom! The best part was the location – just across the street from the park and Kofuku-ji temple.
We didn’t stay in a ryokan but there are many down there, ranging from $70-$200 per night. If you were planning to go to Kyoto and wanted to do a ryokan, I’d suggest doing your ryokan in Nara (as it’s cheaper than Kyoto) and then staying in a machiya (100 year old traditional house) in Kyoto. This will give you the cheapest options but still the best experiences!
How to Take a Day Trip to Nara
The easiest places to take a day trip to Nara from are both Osaka and Kyoto, where you can take the regular train which takes 30 minutes to one hour (depending where you’re situated in both these places). It’s best to take the train early in the morning if you want to avoid the crowds headed there for the day. Going from places a bit further away like Kobe, or even Tokyo, is definitely possible especially if you’re fine with a longer day trip and are not planning on visiting Kyoto or Osaka (although I highly recommend that you do). This might take two or three hours, as opposed to up to an hour.
The only thing to note is that you would have to take a bullet train to either Osaka or Kyoto first, and then take the regular trains. So it’s an extra stop, as I don’t think there are any trains that go directly to Nara from these places (we went from Tokyo). If you do decide to do this and take the bullet train (or if going from Tokyo to Kyoto or Osaka as well) make sure to sit on the right side of the train to potentially see Mt Fuji out the window!
Tips for Your Visit to Nara
If you decide to stay in Nara like we did, that’s great! But you only need two nights max to explore most of Nara (not just the deer park, you can also hit the attractions further away within that time). I wouldn’t spend any more time than that because there isn’t too much to do and there’s so much more of Japan to see! For the deer park, remember when feeding the deer to wear something with pockets or have a bag which you can put the crackers in when you’re not feeding them. The deer are aggressive, and attack and bite tourists to get you scared so that you drop your crackers.
My friend got bit in the butt and said it was not fun! I made sure to hide my crackers in my pocket and only take out one at a time when wanting to feed the deer. If they follow you around after that, put your hands out in front so they see they’re empty and they’ll leave you alone. Other than that, there aren’t any extra tips for Nara that are different from the rest of Japan.
Things like there are no garbage bins, so it’s good to bring a lplastic bag for your garbage. Or bring a small hand towel to dry your hands in public bathrooms. Everything in Nara is the same in that regard. Last but not least, when walking from the train station to the deer park, on the main street of Sanjo-dori, there is a place called Kakuozan Fruit Daifuku and (I might be biased) but it was the best daifuku I had in Japan! So be sure to stop by!
