Nara appears in 5 of our itineraries across Japan,
ranging from 9–14 days. Every one is private, and every one can be
reshaped around the time you want to spend here.
Nara is forty minutes from Kyoto by train and was Japan's first permanent capital, established in 710 AD. Its central attraction is the 1,200 deer that roam freely through Nara Park — considered divine messengers of the Kasuga Taisha shrine since the 8th century, protected by imperial decree for most of the time since, and currently maintained at their historic number by the city. The deer approach people for the special crackers (shika senbei) sold by vendors throughout the park, bow when they are offered one, and eat from your hand with complete indifference to the attention they receive. Todai-ji — the Great Buddha Hall, the largest wooden structure in the world, housing a bronze Buddha 15 metres tall cast in 743 AD — is the centrepiece of the Nara World Heritage Site. Kasuga Taisha shrine, whose 3,000 stone and bronze lanterns are lit twice a year, and the Isui-en garden, one of the finest in the Meiji period with the Great Buddha Hall framed in the background. Return to Kyoto for the evening.
Nara's sacred deer — 1,200 free-roaming in the park
Todai-ji — the largest wooden structure in the world
Kasuga Taisha shrine — 3,000 lanterns in the forest
Nara is forty minutes from Kyoto and was Japan's first permanent capital in 710 AD. The 1,200 deer in Nara Park have been considered divine messengers of the Kasuga Taisha shrine since the 8th century and have spent 1,300 years being treated accordingly — they approach visitors for the shika senbei crackers sold throughout the park, bow when they receive one, and are an experience of comfortable proximity to a wild animal that has nowhere else in the world. Todai-ji — the Great Buddha Hall — is the largest wooden structure in the world, housing a bronze seated Buddha 15 metres tall cast in 743 AD. The Kasuga Taisha shrine in the forest beyond the park, with 3,000 stone and bronze lanterns lining the approach, and the Isui-en garden whose design frames the Great Buddha Hall in its background view. Return to Kyoto.
Nara Park deer — 1,200 sacred animals
Todai-ji Great Buddha Hall — the largest wooden structure in the world
Kasuga Taisha shrine — 3,000 lanterns in the forest
Nara is forty minutes from Kyoto and houses Japan's oldest and most significant Buddhist monuments in a park where 1,200 deer roam freely, considered divine messengers of the Kasuga Taisha shrine since the 8th century. Todai-ji — the Great Buddha Hall — is the largest wooden structure in the world and houses the bronze Vairocana Buddha, 15 metres tall, cast in 743 AD. The Kasuga Taisha shrine approaches through 3,000 stone and bronze lanterns in the cedar forest. The Isui-en garden of the Meiji period, whose composition frames the Great Buddha Hall in the background like a painting. The deer in Nara Park approach people for the shika senbei crackers, bow when offered one, and eat from your hand with a casual divinity that seven centuries of sacred status has given them. Return to Kyoto for the evening.
Nara's sacred deer — 1,200 in the park
Todai-ji Great Buddha Hall — largest wooden structure in the world
Nara was Japan's first permanent capital in 710 AD and its Buddhist monuments are the oldest in Japan. Todai-ji — the Great Buddha Hall, the largest wooden structure in the world — houses the bronze Vairocana Buddha cast in 743 AD. Kasuga Taisha shrine in the cedar forest with its 3,000 stone and bronze lanterns. Horyu-ji — thirty minutes west of Nara city — is the oldest Buddhist temple in Japan (completed 607 AD) and contains some of the oldest wooden structures in the world, including a five-storey pagoda whose central pillar has been standing since the 7th century. The 1,200 deer in Nara Park, considered divine since the 8th century, bow when offered crackers and eat from your hand with supernatural calm. Return to Kyoto for the final evening.
Todai-ji Great Buddha Hall — largest wooden structure on earth
Horyu-ji — Japan's oldest temple and the oldest wooden buildings in the world
Nara in the morning: Horyu-ji — the oldest Buddhist temple in Japan, completed 607 AD, with wooden structures that have been standing for over 1,400 years — before the midday crowds. Return to Nara city for Todai-ji (the Great Buddha Hall, the largest wooden structure in the world) and the 1,200 sacred deer in the park. Kasuga Taisha shrine in the cedar forest. Isui-en garden. Return to Kyoto for a final evening in the city.
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