Is it worth going to Nara Park?

While the deer are incredible (and sometimes a bit scary when you have food!), the park itself is incredibly beautiful. Nara Park is adjacent to the stunning Todai-ji, Kofuku-ji and Kasuga shrines. It's also dotted with lanterns and statues that make you feel connected to Japan's history and spiritualism.



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Nara is a peaceful and welcoming city that boasts an impressive number of historically and culturally significant sites within its picturesque borders, on top of which it is the proud home of over 1,200 freely roaming sacred deer.

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Things to Know Before You Go Nara Park is free to enter, though many of the attractions charge for admission. If you want to feed the deer, you must purchase special crackers, which are available from vendors throughout the park. You may not feed the deer anything else, and you can not leave any trash in the park.

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Nara, once known as Heijo-kyo, was the first capital of Japan (710-794). It's home to 3 of Japan's World Heritage Sites and many impressive shrines, temples and ruins.

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Nara is a small but hugely historic city lying around 40KM to the direct south of Kyoto and 35KM to the east of Osaka – it takes around 50 minutes to reach Nara from both starting points. The city is serviced by two main train stations – Kintetsu-Nara Station and JR Nara Station.

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Nara: An Endlessly Rewarding Destination As you can see, Nara is a fantastic place to visit—but it doesn't end there. The city is also a great base for exploring the rest of the prefecture, particularly if it's not your first time here.

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Admission is free, but you will most likely wish to purchase deer crackers during your visit. A pack of ten crackers costs 150 yen. The Todaiji Temple is open from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm during the months of April through October, and 8 am to 4:30 pm from November through March. Admission is 500 yen.

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A Nara day trip from Osaka is a wonderful addition to your itinerary. With one day in Nara you'll be able to visit the deer park, see some amazing temples and try some local treats. Our Nara day trip was one of our favourite days in Japan!

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The JR Nara line takes 45 minutes by express train or 70 minutes if you catch a local train from Kyoto Station. It's covered by the JR Pass but the price is 690 yen if you don't have one. This is the best way to get from Kyoto to Nara if you have the Japan Rail Pass.

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The one way trip takes 45 minutes, costs 720 yen and is covered by the Japan Rail Pass. For the same fare, the trip could also be made by twice-hourly local trains in 75 minutes. Twice-hourly limited express trains take about 35 minutes and cost 1280 yen for the one way trip from Kyoto Station to Kintetsu Nara Station.

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Nara's sights include Todaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Heijo Palace, Nara National Museum, the Neiraku Museum and the Isuien Garden Complex.

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The Local Food of Nara
  • Traditional Rice Porridge (Nara-wide) ...
  • Nara Green Tea Rice (Nara-wide) ...
  • Persimmon Leaf Sushi / Magnolia Leaf Sushi (Nara-wide) ...
  • Mehari Rice Balls (Totsukawamura, Shimakitayamamura etc) ...
  • Somen Noodles / Boiled Noodles (Nara-wide) ...
  • Nara Noppe (Nara-wide) ...
  • Vinegar Persimmon (Nara-wide)


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Buses & Bus Tours Nara Kotsu operates the prefecture's extensive bus network, making it possible to travel to many of the more remote areas not served by rail. They also run many tourist-friendly bus routes linking the key attractions in Nara City, and in other popular areas like Asuka.

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