• Todai-ji Temple - Todaiji (東大寺, Tōdaiji, “Great Eastern Temple”) is one of Japan’s most renowned and historically important temples, serving as a landmark in Nara. Built in 752 as the principal temple for all provincial Buddhist temples in Japan, it became so influential that the capital was relocated from Nara to Nagaoka in 784 to reduce its impact on governmental matters.

Todaiji’s main hall, the Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall), was once the largest wooden building in the world, even though the current 1692 reconstruction is only two-thirds the size of the original. This grand structure houses one of Japan’s largest bronze Buddha statues (Daibutsu). The 15-meter-tall seated Buddha represents Vairocana and is accompanied by two Bodhisattvas.

• Nara Park - Nara Park (奈良公園, Nara Kōen) is a vast park located in central Nara. Established in 1880, it hosts many of Nara’s key attractions, including Todaiji, Kasuga Taisha, Kofukuji, and the Nara National Museum. The park is also home to hundreds of freely roaming deer.
• Kasuga Taisha Shrine - Kasuga Taisha (春日大社) is Nara’s most esteemed shrine. Founded alongside the capital, it is dedicated to the deity protecting the city. Kasuga Taisha was also the family shrine of the Fujiwara, Japan’s most influential clan during the Nara and Heian Periods. Like the Ise Shrines, Kasuga Taisha was rebuilt every 20 years for centuries, a tradition that ended at the close of the Edo Period.

Beyond the shrine’s offering hall, which is free to visit, there is a paid inner area offering a closer view of the shrine’s inner buildings. The main sanctuary, located furthest in, contains multiple shrine buildings showcasing the distinctive Kasuga style of architecture, characterized by a sloping roof extending over the front.

• Wakakusayama Hill - Mount Wakakusayama (若草山) is the grassy mountain behind Nara Park, situated between Todaiji Temple and Kasuga Shrine. Standing about 350 meters tall, it offers unobstructed views over Nara City. Visitors can climb Mount Wakakusayama year-round, except in winter, for a small entrance fee.

The mountain’s grassy slope is lined with cherry trees, typically in full bloom in early April. A steep trail runs along the leftmost edge of the slope to a plateau halfway up, providing excellent city views. It takes about 15-20 minutes to reach the plateau, and many choose not to hike further. An additional 20-30 minutes will take you to the mountain’s peak.

• Horyu-ji Temple - Horyuji Temple (法隆寺, Hōryūji) was established in 607 by Prince Shotoku, who is credited with promoting Buddhism in Japan. Horyuji is one of the country’s oldest temples and contains the world’s oldest surviving wooden structures. It was designated a World Heritage Site in 1993. The temple grounds are spacious, divided into the Western Precinct (Saiin Garan) and the Eastern Precinct (Toin Garan).

Horyuji Temple is approximately one hour from the Nara park area. Visiting this temple may mean missing out on other attractions.

• Naramachi - Naramachi (奈良町, literally “Nara Town”) is the former merchant district of Nara, where several traditional residential buildings and warehouses are preserved and open to the public. The district’s narrow lanes are now lined with boutiques, shops, cafes, restaurants, and a few museums.

Many of Naramachi’s buildings from the Edo Period and earlier were machiya, long, narrow “townhouses” that served as both shops and living quarters for local merchants. The store fronts of machiya were often kept narrow to save on taxes, which were calculated based on street access rather than total area. Today, a few machiya have been preserved and opened to the public as museums.

• Kofuku-ji Temple - Kofukuji (興福寺, Kōfukuji) was the family temple of the Fujiwara, the most powerful aristocratic clan during much of the Nara and Heian Periods. The temple was established in Nara when the capital was founded in 710. At the height of Fujiwara power, the temple had over 150 buildings.

The temple features several historically significant buildings, including a five-storied pagoda and a three-storied pagoda. At 50 meters, the five-storied pagoda is Japan’s second tallest wooden pagoda, just seven meters shorter than the one at Kyoto’s Toji Temple. Kofukuji’s pagoda is both a landmark and symbol of Nara. It was first built in 730 and was last rebuilt in 1426. Neither pagoda is open to the public.

• Yakushiji Temple - Yakushiji (薬師寺) was built by Emperor Tenmu in the late 7th century for his ailing wife. As one of Japan’s oldest temples, Yakushiji has a strictly symmetrical layout, with the main hall and lecture hall on a central axis, flanked by two pagodas.

The main hall was rebuilt in the 1970s after being destroyed by fire and houses a Yakushi trinity, a masterpiece of Japanese Buddhist art. The East Pagoda is the temple’s only structure to have survived the many fires over the years, dating back to 730. It appears to have six stories but is actually only three-storied, like the West Pagoda.

• Shinyakushiji Temple - Shin-Yakushiji Temple (新薬師寺) was founded during the Nara Period (710-794) by an empress for the ailing emperor. It is dedicated to Yakushi Buddha, the patron of medicine in Japanese Buddhism. Shin-Yakushiji means “New Yakushi Temple” because a Yakushiji Temple already existed. During its peak, Shin-Yakushiji was a large complex, but only the main hall (Hondo) remains.

Inside the main hall are life-size statues of 12 guardian deities surrounding a two-meter-tall seated Yakushi Buddha, the temple’s main objects of worship. The Yakushi statue is made of wood, while the guardians are made of clay. Each guardian has a unique character and weapon, offering visitors much to admire. There are also a few small paths around the temple grounds.

• Nara National Museum - The Nara National Museum (奈良国立博物館, Nara Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan), located in Nara Park, is an art museum primarily showcasing Japanese Buddhist art. Established in 1889, the museum retains its original building, now joined by a new wing connected via an underground passage.

Both wings display the museum’s permanent collection, which includes Buddhist statues, paintings, scrolls, and ceremonial objects mainly from Japan. The new wing also hosts temporary exhibitions, including an annual autumn exhibition of treasures from Todaiji Temple. A museum ticket grants access to both wings, with English explanations available throughout.

• Heijō Palace Site Historical Park - During most of the Nara Period (710-794), Nara was Japan’s capital, known as Heijo-kyo. The Heijo Palace spanned about one kilometer in width and length, serving as the emperor’s residence and government offices. Due to its historical and cultural significance, the palace site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nara.
• Toshodai-ji Temple - Toshodaiji (唐招提寺, Tōshōdaiji) was founded in 759 by Ganjin, a Chinese priest invited to Japan by the emperor to train priests and enhance Japanese Buddhism. Ganjin’s role in introducing Buddhism to Japan was significant, and his arrival and teachings at Toshodaiji (meaning “temple of the one invited from Tang China”) were crucial steps in that process.

Toshodaiji’s main hall (kondo) was reopened in late 2009 after nearly a decade of renovation, during which it was dismantled and reconstructed. The temple’s lecture hall (kodo) was originally an administrative building in the Nara Imperial Palace and was later moved to Toshodaiji. Today, it is the only surviving building from the former palace.

• Isuien Garden - Isuien (依水園) is a beautiful Japanese garden featuring elements like Todaiji Temple’s Nandaimon Gate and Mount Wakakusayama as “borrowed scenery.” Isuien means “garden founded on water,” named because its ponds are fed by the nearby Yoshikigawa River. The Yoshikien Garden is located just across the river.
• Yoshikien - Yoshikien (吉城園) is a charming Japanese garden in central Nara, named after the Yoshikigawa River, a small river beside the garden, and built on the site of Kofukuji Temple’s former priest residences. Foreign tourists enjoy free entry to the garden.

Yoshikien features three distinct gardens: a pond garden, a moss garden, and a tea ceremony garden. A visit to Yoshikien offers the chance to see three different styles of Japanese gardens in one location. For those interested in more Japanese gardening techniques, the Isuien Garden is just across the small river.

• Meet up with guide on foot within designated area of Nara
• Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
• Customizable Tour of your choice of 3-4 sites from ‘What to expect’ list

• Transportation fees, Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
• Private Vehicle
• You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
• Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under What to Expect.

Experience Nara with a certified and well-versed multilingual guide! Your guide will assist you to make the most of a half-day pedestrian tour of Nara, showcasing both the contemporary and historical facets of this unique and age-old Japanese city.

Nara’s close location to Kyoto and Osaka, along with its impressive array of traditional attractions, makes it a perfect place for a day excursion from either of these larger cities. Your private guide will facilitate a memorable and efficient half-day walking tour of this historic Japanese city.

Note1: Please choose your preferred spots from a list provided in the tour details to design your personalized itinerary.
Note2: The National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter accreditation is granted by the Japanese government and necessitates a comprehensive understanding and knowledge of Japanese culture and history.

• This is a walking tour. Pick up is on foot.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.