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Nara

  • City
  • March – May, October – November
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About Nara

Nara was Japan's first permanent capital and its UNESCO-listed park is one of the country's most beloved and surreal experiences — over 1,400 wild deer roam freely, bowing for 'deer crackers' sold at every street corner. The Great Buddha of Tōdai-ji, housed in the world's largest wooden building, is a truly humbling scale. As a day trip from Kyoto, Nara is unmissable.

Highlights

  • 1,400 free-roaming deer in Nara Park
  • Tōdai-ji temple and world's largest bronze Buddha
  • Kasuga-taisha lantern shrine at dusk
  • Yoshiki-en garden tea ceremony
  • Naramachi historic merchant quarter
  • Day-trip distance from Kyoto (45 minutes)

Nara in photos

Nara — photo 1
Photo: 柏翰 / ポーハン / POHAN · BY 2.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 2
Photo: 柏翰 / ポーハン / POHAN · BY 2.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 3
Photo: 柏翰 / ポーハン / POHAN · BY 2.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 4
Photo: Me in ME · BY 2.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 5
Photo: Otraff · BY 3.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 6
Photo: RageZ · BY 2.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 7
Photo: Hungarian Snow · BY-SA 2.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 8
Photo: Maarten1979 · BY 2.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 9
Photo: yurayura_naoko · BY 2.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 10
Photo: Yukiko Matsuoka · BY 2.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 11
Photo: Racum · BY 2.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 12
Photo: Ray in Manila · BY 2.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 13
Photo: Ray in Manila · BY 2.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 14
Photo: hans-johnson · BY-ND 2.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 15
Photo: SteFou! · BY 2.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 16
Photo: Takashi(aes256) · BY-SA 2.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 17
Photo: roger4336 · BY-SA 2.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 18
Photo: Oyvind Solstad · BY 2.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 19
Photo: pingnews.com · PDM 1.0 · Openverse
Nara — photo 20
Photo: nosha · BY-SA 2.0 · Openverse
▸ Where you'll stay

Where you'll stay in Nara

Live map of hotels and villas around Nara — powered by Stay22. Pan, zoom and compare live prices to pick your base.

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Hotels & rentals around Nara

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▸ What you'll do
What's on

While you're there

24
JUL
Tenjin Matsuri — Osaka, July 2026
4 本町3丁目6番 中央区, 大阪市, Osaka, Japan · festival
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25
JUL
Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival 2026 — Tokyo, July 2026
1 西新宿2丁目5番 新宿区, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan · festival
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30
JUL
Sumiyoshi Matsuri — Osaka, July–August 2026
4 本町3丁目6番 中央区, 大阪市, Osaka, Japan · festival
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16
AUG
Kyoto Gozan no Okuribi (Daimonji Bonfire Festival) — Kyoto, August 2026
301-1 奈良屋町 中京区, 京都市, Kyoto, Japan · festival
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13
SEP
Grand Sumo Tournament — September (Aki Basho) 2026 — Tokyo, September 2026
14 両国2丁目17番 墨田区, Tokyo Prefecture, Japan · sport
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Explore the area

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Local attractions & tours

Skip-the-line tickets and small-group tours in Nara — compare across our partners.

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▸ When you'll go

Best time to visit Nara

March – May, October – November

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▸ Trip extras
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More trip extras

Parking, holiday extras, and more — coming soon.

Coming soon

We're lining up parking, holiday extras and activities you'll be able to add to any trip from here.