Day Trip to Nara (Japan Travel Guide)
As a city of historical importance, Nara stands as an area full of national treasures and cultural exploration, and that’s not to mention the Deer… lots of Deer.
In this Nara travel guide I’ll be sharing how to make the most out of a beautiful day in Nara, one of the most famous and best day trips within Japan.
Getting to Nara is easy, ideal as a day trip from either Kyoto or Osaka, it takes less than an hour to reach by Train from both of the cities. Of course if you wanted, you can always stay overnight in Nara as well.
After exiting the Train station, head on out and straight upwards towards Nara Park. There are signs and directions leading the way, or if in doubt, just follow the crowds. After roughly a 15-20 minute straight line walk, passing local independent shops and souvenir stores on the way, you’ll eventually come to the front end of the park. You’ll first be met by a small Pond, and then up the hill and stairs to the left is the Kofuku-ji temple and various other historical monuments.
Once you’ve taken the time to explore this section, keep making your way further along and deeper into the heart of Nara Park.
It won’t take long, and out of nowhere, you’ll soon be surrounded and in the presence of hundreds and hundreds of Deer. Often the main reason why so many visitors take the time to explore Nara each year, the Deer here are the most beautiful and peaceful animals you could wish to greet. From the full grown parents, to the little baby fawns, whole families of Deer roam freely within the park.
There is an option to purchase biscuits to feed the Deer at various small stalls and market points, which in my opinion is a sort of tourist trap, however it works for all involved either way. Although be warned, as soon as the Deer sense you have food, they are coming for you straight away! That being said, they are never aggressive or harmful, as they only try to get food off you in a playful way.
On a side note, please don’t be that person who provokes the Deer. Unfortunately I’ve seen this on numerous occasions when visiting Nara over the years, idiotic individuals purposefully teasing the Deer and/or getting right up in their faces acting stupid for no apparent reason. This is when the Deer will naturally attack, and then the provoker getting angry at being attacked… what do you expect? There are plenty of warning signs up in place around the park nowadays warning of such behaviour, and a rise in Deer attacks due to unruly behaviour from the public. Enjoy the beautiful animals for what they are, kind, caring and loving creatures, bow your heads to them and they will bow back to you.
More than just a huge natural park home to hundreds of beautiful Deer, Nara Park is also host to various other key and iconic locations. Towards the north side of the park, here is where you’ll find Tōdai-ji Temple. This giant Buddhist temple will leave you stunned and in awe, alongside the beautiful gardens and outer space, the architecture and frame work of the temple is truly a sight to behold.
Within the actual temple is the Great Buddha Hall, home to the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, better known in Japanese as Daibutsu. There is a small entrance fee for this temple and its grounds, however it’s definitely worth paying the admission to see and explore this historic beauty for yourself.
Before heading home towards to the Train station and back to base, make sure to take the time to explore the historic Nara town. Winding your way through the narrow alleyways and streets, this beautiful area of Nara is often overlooked and disregarded by many. However there is plenty to be discovered and explored, within these streets you get a real sense and feel of the local community and rural Japan.
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