Nara day trip guide: Todai-ji, the deer, Kasuga Taisha and getting there

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Nara was Japan's capital in the eighth century, and it still has some of the country's oldest and grandest temples, set in a huge park full of free-roaming deer. It is an easy day trip from Kyoto or Osaka, and compact enough to see the highlights on foot.

Getting there: JR or Kintetsu

Two railway companies serve Nara, and their stations are in different places.

Kintetsu Nara Station is right at the edge of Nara Park, a few minutes' walk from the deer and Kofuku-ji. Kintetsu trains run from Kyoto Station and from Osaka (Osaka-Namba and other stops in the Namba area). This is the more convenient choice for most visitors.
JR Nara Station is further west, roughly 20 minutes' walk or a short bus ride from the park. JR trains run from Kyoto and from Osaka (Osaka/Umeda area and Tennoji). It makes sense if you hold a JR Pass.

From either city the trip takes around 35 to 50 minutes depending on the train. Faster limited express services on Kintetsu need a supplementary ticket; ordinary express trains do not. IC cards like ICOCA and Suica work on both.

Nara Park and the deer

The park's deer, over a thousand of them, are considered messengers of the gods in local tradition and are a protected natural monument. They wander the park, the temple grounds and even the streets.

Shika senbei (deer crackers) are sold by vendors around the park. Feed the deer only these, never your own snacks or anything wrapped in plastic.
Many deer bow their heads before being fed. Bow back and hand over a cracker.
Do not tease them by holding out food and pulling it away. They can head-butt, bite and kick, and they will chase anyone holding a bag of crackers.
Show your empty hands when you run out; this tells them you are done.
In autumn the bucks are in mating season and more aggressive, even though their antlers are cut. In late spring and early summer, mothers protect their fawns; keep your distance.
Keep maps, tickets and paper bags out of reach: the deer eat paper.

Todai-ji

Todai-ji's Great Buddha Hall (Daibutsuden) is one of the largest wooden buildings in the world, and inside sits the Daibutsu, a bronze Buddha about 15 metres tall. The scale is hard to take in until you are standing under it.

Pass through the Nandaimon gate, guarded by two fierce wooden figures.
Inside the hall, look for the pillar with a hole in its base said to be the size of the Buddha's nostril. Squeezing through is said to bring luck; expect a queue of schoolchildren.
Walk up the hill to Nigatsu-do, a hall on a wooden terrace with a fine view over Nara, and nearby Sangatsu-do. Both are quieter than the main hall.

Kasuga Taisha

A walk through the woods east of the park leads to Kasuga Taisha, a shrine with bright vermilion buildings. The approach is lined with around two thousand stone lanterns, and the shrine buildings hold hundreds of bronze hanging lanterns. They are all lit only during lantern festivals in February and August; the rest of the year the forest walk is the draw. The surrounding Kasugayama Primeval Forest is part of the UNESCO site.

Naramachi

South of the park, Naramachi is the old merchant quarter: narrow lanes of wooden townhouses, small museums, craft shops and cafés. It is the place for lunch and a slower hour after the big temples. Look for the red cloth monkeys hanging under the eaves, charms against misfortune.

Other sights

Kofuku-ji, with its five-storey pagoda, right by Kintetsu Nara Station.
Isuien Garden, a strolling garden with borrowed views of Todai-ji's gate.
Mount Wakakusa, a grassy hill with a city view.
Further out, Horyu-ji, among the oldest wooden buildings in the world, is worth half a day of its own.

A simple day plan

Morning: arrive at Kintetsu Nara, see Kofuku-ji, then walk through the park to Todai-ji before the crowds.
Late morning: Nigatsu-do, then the forest path to Kasuga Taisha.
Lunch and the afternoon in Naramachi.
Head back in the evening; many temples close around late afternoon.

Weekdays are much calmer than weekends, and the autumn colours and spring blossom bring crowds. Check opening hours on the temples' official sites before you go. Fed the deer, or got chased by one? Share your Nara story or questions in the comments.