Nara: what to see, where to stay and how to get around

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From 710 to 784 Nara, then called Heijo-kyo, was the first permanent capital of Japan, and the court filled it with great Buddhist temples that still stand in a park roamed by deer. A half day; come early, before the tour groups from Kyoto and Osaka arrive. Buy the deer crackers only from the official stalls and keep paper and maps out of reach.

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A short history of Nara

In 710 Japan's first permanent capital, Heijō-kyō, was built here, with a street grid copied from the Chinese capital. Buddhism grew stronger during the Nara period, and in 752 the great bronze Buddha was dedicated at Tōdai-ji Temple; the wooden hall around it is one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. In 784 the emperor left the city, and ten years later he established his capital in Kyoto, while Nara remained a city of temples. According to tradition, the deer that roam the park are messengers of the gods. In 1998 Nara's ancient temples were declared a World Heritage Site.

The ten best sights in Nara

1
Kofuku-ji
The five-storey pagoda
2
Sarusawa Pond
The pagoda reflected in the water
3
Nara National Museum
Buddhist art; treasures shown each autumn
4
Isuien
A garden that borrows the temple roofs
5
Yoshikien
A moss garden next door
6
Nandaimon
The great gate and its giant guardians
7
Todai-ji
The Great Buddha; go at opening time
8
Nigatsu-do
A hillside hall with a view over the city
9
Mount Wakakusa
A grassy hill burned each January
10
Nara Park
Over a thousand free-roaming deer

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What is an audio walk?

Tours in Nara →

A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Nara:

Free walking tours in Nara

The Great Buddha and the deer

Kofuku-ji · The family temple of the Fujiwara, the clan that ruled Japan through its emperors for centuries. Its five-storey pagoda, about fifty metres high, is one of the tallest wooden pagodas in Japan; it is under long restoration and may be wrapped in scaffolding.
Nandaimon · The great south gate of Todai-ji, rebuilt in 1203. In its niches stand two wooden guardian kings over eight metres tall, carved by the sculptors Unkei and Kaikei and their workshop in about seventy days.
Todai-ji · The hall of the Great Buddha, a bronze figure about fifteen metres high dedicated in 752. The present hall, rebuilt in 1709, is about two-thirds the size of the original and still one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. One pillar has a hole the size of the Buddha’s nostril; crawling through it is said to bring enlightenment.
Nigatsu-do · A hall on the hillside above Todai-ji, where every March since 752, without a single year missed, monks carry giant flaming torches along the balcony in the Omizutori ceremony, showering the crowd below with sparks believed to bring good luck.
Tobihino · An open meadow where the deer gather. Over a thousand sika deer live freely in Nara, protected as messengers of the gods: legend says the god of Kasuga arrived here riding a white deer. Many have learned to bow to visitors holding crackers.
Kasuga Taisha · A Shinto shrine founded in 768, painted vermilion and approached through a forest along paths lined with some three thousand stone and bronze lanterns, all lit together only at the lantern festivals of February and August.

Naramachi, the old town

South of the park, the merchant quarter of Naramachi grew up around the grounds of an ancient temple, with narrow lanes of wooden townhouses, now cafés, craft shops and sake breweries. Two or three hours on foot.

Isuien · A garden of the Meiji era that borrows its scenery: the roof of Todai-ji’s great gate and the hills behind are framed as if part of the garden. Beside it, a small museum of Chinese bronzes and Korean ceramics.
Higashimuki Street · The covered arcade between the station and the park. Nearby, the shop Nakatanidou is famous for pounding mochi rice cakes by hand at astonishing speed, two men with a mallet and bare hands in rhythm.
Sarusawa Pond · A small pond in which the pagoda of Kofuku-ji is reflected, the classic view of Nara. A legend tells of a court lady who drowned herself here after losing the emperor’s favour.
Gango-ji · A temple moved here from Asuka when the capital was founded. Part of its roof is still covered with tiles made in the late sixth century, among the oldest roof tiles in Japan still in use.
Naramachi · A restored merchant’s townhouse, long and narrow with a lattice front, open to visitors. Under many eaves of the quarter hang strings of small red cloth monkeys, charms that take misfortune on themselves in place of the household.
Shin-Yakushi-ji · A quiet hall of the eighth century in which a seated Buddha of healing is surrounded by a ring of twelve fierce heavenly generals made of clay, most of them from the same period.

The old capital and Horyu-ji

West of the modern city lies the field of the ancient palace and the great temples of the eighth century, and further south-west Horyu-ji, older still. A full day by bus and train.

Heijo Palace Site · A wide field where the imperial palace stood. The city was laid out on a grid copied from the Chinese capital Chang’an; the great audience hall was rebuilt in 2010 for the city’s thirteen hundredth anniversary.
Suzakumon · The vermilion main gate of the palace, rebuilt in 1998 on its original foundations, which opened onto a central avenue about seventy metres wide.
Toshodai-ji · Founded in 759 by Ganjin, a Chinese monk invited to Japan to ordain priests. His first five attempts to cross the sea failed through storms and shipwreck, and he had lost his sight by the time he arrived; a lacquer statue of him is shown once a year.
Yakushi-ji · Its east pagoda, from 730, has survived every fire. It seems to have six storeys, but it has only three; each has an extra skirt roof that gives it its rhythm.
Horyu-ji · A temple founded in 607 by Prince Shotoku, who brought Buddhism into the heart of the Japanese state. Its main hall and pagoda, rebuilt in the late seventh century, are the oldest surviving wooden buildings in the world. It was among the first sites in Japan inscribed on the World Heritage list, in 1993.
Chugu-ji · A nunnery beside Horyu-ji with a seventh-century wooden statue of a bodhisattva sitting with one leg crossed and a finger raised to its cheek, its faint smile often compared to the Mona Lisa.

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Getting to Nara and getting around

Kintetsu Nara Station · Closest to the park; trains from Kyoto and Osaka
JR Nara Station · JR trains from Kyoto and Osaka

Cheap eats in Nara

Nara’s own foods are kakinoha-zushi, pressed mackerel or salmon sushi wrapped in a persimmon leaf, invented when fish had to travel inland from the coast; narazuke, vegetables pickled for years in sake lees; and yomogi mochi, green mugwort rice cakes filled with red bean. A box of persimmon-leaf sushi costs about eight to twelve dollars.

Higashimuki Street · Mochi pounding and sushi shops
Naramachi · Sake breweries and cafés
Mizuya Chaya · Tea and udon in the forest

Museums in Nara

Nara’s temples are museums in themselves, with the finest Buddhist art of early Japan.

Nara National Museum · The autumn treasures exhibition
Kofuku-ji · The National Treasure Hall
Horyu-ji · The temple treasure house

Nature and day trips near Nara

A city park that runs into a sacred primeval forest, with grassy hills and deer everywhere.

Mount Wakakusa · The view over Nara
Nara Park · The deer
Yoshikien · The moss garden

Things to do in Nara with kids

With children: bowing deer, the Buddha’s nostril to crawl through and a grassy hill to run down.

Tobihino · Feeding the deer
Todai-ji · The pillar hole
Mount Wakakusa · The grassy slope

Holy places in Nara

Where Japanese Buddhism took root as a state religion, beside the Shinto shrine of the Fujiwara clan.

Todai-ji · The Great Buddha
Kasuga Taisha · The lantern shrine
Toshodai-ji · Ganjin’s temple
Yakushi-ji · The pagoda of 730

Nightlife in Nara

Nara goes to bed early; evenings are sake bars in Naramachi and the pagoda lit over the pond.

Naramachi · Sake tasting
Sarusawa Pond · The lit pagoda

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Frequently asked questions about Nara

What is there to see in Nara?

The top sights in Nara are Kofuku-ji, Sarusawa Pond and Nara National Museum. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.

How many days do you need in Nara?

Three to four days are enough to see the best of Nara without rushing, including at least one walking tour.

Is there a free walking tour in Nara?

Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Nara, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The Great Buddha and the deer.

How do you get to Nara and get around?

The main ways are Kintetsu Nara Station and JR Nara Station. Full details are in the transport section on this page.

Where to stay in Nara, and for how much?

sleepntrip shows only rooms in Nara that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.

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