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Nara Day Trip: Explore Temples, Deer, and History
4.9
17 Ratings
Kyoto
Explore Nara’s cultural gems and scenic beauty on a full-day tour from Kyoto. Visit Todaiji, Kasuga Taisha, and Nara Park’s friendly deer.
Explore Nara’s cultural gems and scenic beauty on a full-day tour from Kyoto. Visit Todaiji, Kasuga Taisha, and Nara Park’s friendly deer.
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Kyoto - Begin the journey from Kyoto.
- Gyoki Statue with a Fountain - Meet the guide at the designated spot and board the express train to Nara to start the day’s adventure. Pass by the Gyoki Statue.
- Nara Park - Proceed to Nara Park to encounter the friendly, free-roaming Sika deer, revered as sacred messengers of the gods in Shinto…
- Kyoto - Begin the journey from Kyoto.
- Gyoki Statue with a Fountain - Meet the guide at the designated spot and board the express train to Nara to start the day’s adventure. Pass by the Gyoki Statue.
- Nara Park - Proceed to Nara Park to encounter the friendly, free-roaming Sika deer, revered as sacred messengers of the gods in Shinto belief. Enjoy the expansive, lush surroundings and capture some photos with the deer, a symbol of Nara, before moving on to Todaiji.
- Todai-ji Daibutsuden (Great Buddha Hall) - This UNESCO World Heritage Site majestically resides within the park and houses the impressive Great Buddha (Daibutsu), one of Japan’s largest bronze Buddha statues. Following this, enjoy a traditional lunch at Kotoya Restaurant, savoring local Nara specialties before visiting Kasuga Taisha Shrine.
- Kasuga Taisha Shrine - Admire the beautiful shrine adorned with thousands of hanging lanterns, then take a stroll in Naramachi to glimpse the narrow lanes lined with well-preserved traditional merchant houses that capture the essence of the Edo period.
- Naramachi - Explore Naramachi and visit various specialty shops and retro museums.
- Kyoto - Return to Kyoto.
- Kofuku-ji - Explore the Kofukuji Temple grounds while learning about the history and establishment of the Heijo-kyo imperial capital.
What's Included
- English-speaking tour guide
- Entrance fees for Todaiji Temple and Kasuga Shrine
- Snacks
- English-speaking tour guide
- Entrance fees for Todaiji Temple and Kasuga Shrine
- Snacks
What's Not Included
- Hotel pick up and drop off
- Transportation (Note: JR Pass can be used/JPY 1280 one way)
- Japanese Traditional Lunch at Kotoya (around JPY 2500)
- Personal expenses
- Hotel pick up and drop off
- Transportation (Note: JR Pass can be used/JPY 1280 one way)
- Japanese Traditional Lunch at Kotoya (around JPY 2500)
- Personal expenses
Additional Information
Embark on an exciting full-day journey to the delightful city of Nara, conveniently accessible by train from Kyoto. Discover the city’s rich cultural and historical sites with the help of a knowledgeable guide. Enjoy the company of the gentle, free-roaming deer in Nara Park. Explore Todaiji, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which houses the magnificent…
Embark on an exciting full-day journey to the delightful city of Nara, conveniently accessible by train from Kyoto. Discover the city’s rich cultural and historical sites with the help of a knowledgeable guide. Enjoy the company of the gentle, free-roaming deer in Nara Park. Explore Todaiji, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which houses the magnificent Great Buddha. Admire the beautiful landscapes at Kasuga Taisha shrine. Wander through the streets of Naramachi and observe the well-preserved traditional merchant houses.
Location
7-Eleven Heart-In - JR Kyoto Station Central Entrance
Meeting point at 7-Eleven Heart-In - JR Kyoto Station Central Entrance. Please look for a guide wearing a TripGuru shirt or holding a TripGuru sign.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(17 Ratings)
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Irene
Jan 20, 2026
Ceci a wonderful tour guide - Ceci our guide was accommodating, focused on your needs, engaging, knowledgeable, intelligent and told interesting facts. if she didn’t know the answer straight away she would find it for you. Kind, compassionate, flexible. And best of all, she was calm and experienced with a most positive attitude when I lost my wallet leading to a truly miraculous return of my wallet!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Isabelaz910
Jul 16, 2025
Excellent tour to Nara - The tour to Nara was an amazing experience. We were able to enjoy each place calmly and learn a lot about the local history and culture. The guide was excellent: very friendly, flexible and always willing to adapt the tour to our interests and pace.
Thanks to your willingness and knowledge, the day was fluid, interesting and very pleasant. I recommend this tour 100%.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dreamer23165886365
Jun 25, 2025
Fantastic - What a great guided tour! Our guide Alex gave us insightful information and great pieces of advice for our whole trip! 🤩
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Edugdelarubia
Jun 24, 2025
Amazing visit thanks to the guide - Alex was an amazing guide. He has a lot of knowledge and made our visit a 10/10. He came to our hotel to pick us up and gave us all the help and information we could wish. After the visit, he also gave us a lot of valuable information with regards to shops, visits and nice areas of the city
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marvin_h
May 21, 2025
Fun tour of Nara park area. - Really enjoyed our tour with Katsuhiko Ishida. He was very knowledgeable of the area and had a command of the English language like a native speaker. He made the experience so interesting and fun and Nara is a real enjoyable place with the friendly deer.
Review provided by Viator
Phillip_f
May 18, 2025
Nara Deer … Must See… Don’t miss out. - Nara is the must-see city in Japan. Just a short train ride from Kyoto or Osaka. The deer are so charming and friendly. Feeding them is a blast. Temple and Shrine are off the charts beautiful. Don’t forget to eat Mochi. Our guide Yochee is a Nara native and brings a lot of intimate flavor to the experience.
Review provided by Viator
Cggvgg
May 17, 2025
Very interesting visit with a good guide - Highly recommended, especially by the guide, Alex, who gave us a lot of information about the visit and also useful information for the trip in general, two by one. If I had more time, we'd take more excursions with the same guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Steven_c
May 15, 2025
Very interesting, and... - Very interesting, and great guide Gustavo. We all enjoyed the day very much and Gustavo showed us sections of Nara we would have missed without his knowledge
Review provided by Viator
Quest66558763188
May 2, 2025
Amazing tour! - Nobumasa was a great guide!
The route we took was a perfect demonstration of Nara's best qualities and specialities!
Thank you!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Afonsop611
May 2, 2025
Awesome stroll around Nara Parks and Fujimi. - Great walk around Nara Park and some temples. Seeing the deers was great and the views were amazing. A shame it was raining quite heavily in the morning but that didn’t stop us from having a great time.
Our guide was super friendly and full of energy and even took us to try mocchi.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
