How to spend 1 Day in Nara Deer Park – Day Trip Itinerary to Nara from Osaka
Find out how you can easily plan a perfect day trip to Nara Deer Park from Osaka. Among other things we cover how exactly you can get there and what not to miss while in Nara – apart from, obviously, the cute deer.
In case you did not know, Nara was briefly the capital of Japan in the 8th century. That is also why Nara is home to a great number of stunning buildings and history filled streets from that period!
Visiting Nara Deer Park is a perfect day trip from Osaka, and was definitely one of our personal highlights from our time in Osaka. Which is why we think you should definitely allocate one day of your Japan trip to visiting the wonderful city of Nara and its furry inhabitants.
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What to do in Nara Deer Park – A 1-Day Itinerary from Osaka
In this itinerary we will show you how to make the most of your time in Nara. More specifically, the itinerary starts and ends at Nara Station and gives you a route to follow from Nara Station to Nara Deer Park and back, while passing numerous highlights along the way!
The city of Nara is of course more than just its park filled with deer. However, this itinerary will mostly focus on Nara Deer Park and its surroundings, since the latter is in fact probably the reason you wanted to visit Nara in the first place. And, rightly so!
As always, before we get into the itinerary itself, let’s first tackle the questions surrounding the framework of your trip!
Why you should visit Nara from Osaka instead of Kyoto
If you look up Nara on a map, you will see that the latter is located at a pretty similar distance from Osaka (28 kilometers) and Kyoto (35 kilometers). Which is why Nara can actually be reached equally as easy from both cities in terms of public transportation.
However there are a few reasons that do speak in favor of making the day trip to Nara Deer Park from Osaka instead of Kyoto. The first reason, probably speaks most to budget travelers. But, accommodation in Osaka tends to be slightly cheaper than their counterparts in Kyoto.
Second of all, Osaka is a great city to spend your evenings in. Kyoto on the other hand does have more to offer during the day. That is why we think you should keep your full days in Kyoto for actually exploring Kyoto itself.
When spending one day in Nara from Osaka, you can still come back to the city in the afternoon and plan a fun activity in the evening. Want to explore the colorful streets of Shinsekai? Go on a street food tour in Dotonbori? Or maybe marvel at Osaka during the night from 300 meters above the ground?
Finally, from Osaka you can catch the Kintetsu-Nara Line, whose trains will get you straight to the train station that is most convenient for visiting Nara Deer Park: Kintetsu-Nara Station. The latter is also going to be the start & end point of this Nara day trip itinerary. Coming from Kyoto, there are a number of different trains that can get you to Nara, however not all of them will stop at Kintetsu Nara Station.
How to get to Nara Deer Park from Osaka
Getting to Nara Deer Park from Osaka is actually pretty straight forward. Your trip will entail two major steps: The first one involves getting to Nara from Osaka. And then, the second step describes how to get to Nara Deer Park from Kintetsu Nara Station.
Step 1: Getting to Nara Station from Osaka
The most convenient way to get to Nara from Osaka is by taking the Kintetsu-Nara Line all the way to Kintetsu Nara Station. Depending on where your accommodation in Osaka is located, you can either get on the train at Osaka-Namba Station or Tsuruhashi Station. Tsuruhashi Station is easily accessible through the JR Osaka Loop Line, while Osaka-Namba Station is most conveniently reached by taking the Midosuji Metro Line.
When taking the Kintetsu-Nara Line you have the choice between two types of trains:
- Kintetsu-Nara Express. Travel time: 41 minutes; Train Fare: ¥ 680
- Kintetsu-Nara Limited Express. Travel time: 33 minutes; Train Fare: ¥ 1.300
Step 2: How to get to Nara Deer Park from Nara Station
Once you arrive at Kintetsu Nara Station, you still have to make your way to Nara Deer Park.
So, how far is Nara Deer Park from Nara Station? Nara Deer Park is located approximately 1,1 kilometers away from Kintetsu Nara Station.
In our opinion the best way to get there is on foot. The route is lined with traditional buildings, shrines and temples and you will encounter numerous deer along the way.
However, if you prefer to not walk to Nara Deer Park, make your way to the bus stop on the opposite side of Kintetsu Nara Station (‘Kintetsunaraeki’ bus stop) and get into one of several busses that will get you to ‘Todaiji-Daibutsuden/ Kasugataisha-mae’ bus stop.
How to spend 1 perfect day in Nara Deer Park?
Once you arrive at Kintetsu-Nara Station, your day exploring Nara can officially begin! On the map down below you can find an outline of our 1-Day Nara Itinerary that we will walk through step-by-step in this post.
The route is meant to be done on foot and gives you the opportunity to see the MUST-SEE attractions of Nara, tells you where to find the best restaurants as well as where to go for your souvenir shopping! So, let’s start!
Note: Save this map on Pinterest via the button in the top left corner for later use!
After getting off the train, head out of Kintetsu-Nara train station towards Higashimuki Shopping Street. Let’s leave the souvenir shopping until the very end though, so for now just pass the shops and make your way towards Sarusawa-ike Pond.
In case you haven’t had any breakfast yet, either grab a quick bite at the 7-Eleven convenience store across the street from Kintetsu-Nara Station or head to one of the many cafés in the area surrounding the train station.
Our recommendations: Either head to 'Rokumei Coffee', 'Cafe Plum' or 'Sarutahiko Coffee Nara' for a delicious cup of coffee! 🍵
1. & 2. Marvel at Sarusawa-ike Pond and Kofuku-ji Temple
After breakfast, it is time to start sightseeing. Your first stop is the Kōfuku-ji Temple Complex. To get there, head down ‘Sanjo dori St’ until you reach the lovely Sarusawa-ike Pond. From here you can simply take a staircase that will lead you to the stunning Kōfuku-ji Temple Complex.
Apart from the museum, the entrance to the rest of the temple grounds is free of charge. We would actually suggest sticking to the free temple grounds. Our personal highlights were the Southern Round Hall and the five-story pagoda!
3. Make your way to the entrance of Nara Deer Park
Now it is finally time to make your way towards the main part of Nara Deer Park. Either walk through the grounds of the National Museum or follow the street until you reach the entrance of the park. The entrance to Nara Deer Park is free of charge since the latter is simply a public park.
No matter what route you take, you should have encountered at least a few deer by now. Because, they are literally everywhere!
Where do deer in Nara come from?
But, where do the deer in Nara actually come from? Are the deer a tourist attraction? Were they domesticated? Well, the quick answer is: No, the deer in Nara are wild animals that roam around Nara park on their own accord. However, they naturally have become accustomed to the presence of humans over the years.
The long answer involves a little background knowledge about Kasuga Taisha Shrine – which is located on the wider grounds of Nara Park. A legend claims that the deity of the shrine rode to Nara on a deer. That is why deer were and still are considered sacred animals in Nara and thus protected and cared for here!
4. Try Dango at Mitarashi-dango
When making your way towards the massive Tōdai-ji Gate, there is a quick pit stop that we highly recommend you take! On the left side of the Southern Gate of Tōdai-ji Temple you will find a parking lot with a small dango stall.
In case you have never heard of dango, the latter is a Japanese snack made of rice flour. Typically it is formed into a round shape and served e.g. in groups of three on a skewer! They are sold at this particular stall for ¥100 a skewer.
5. & 6. Explore the stunning Tōdai-ji Gate & Great Buddha Hall
Next up is undoubtedly one of the major highlights of Nara: Tōdai-ji Temple. To get to the temple itself you first have to walk through the impressive Southern Gate. The latter is a massive wooden gate that is a little over 25 meters high and therefore the largest temple gate in all of Japan!
The Great Buddha Hall of Tōdai-ji temple is not any less impressive either. Inaugurated in 752 A.D., the temple is home to a number of national treasures, the most famous obviously being the 15 meters high bronze Buddha statue.
🏯 Entrance Fee: ¥800 to enter the Great Buddha Hall
🕙 Opening Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
7. Visit Hokkedō and Nigatsu-do Hall
From the main hall of Tōdai-ji temple make your way towards Hokkedō and Nigatsu-do hall. Especially the latter is kind of our personal favorite due to its unique layout. Nigatsu-do is a hall of Tōdai-ji and is located on a hill. It has a stunning wooden platform that allows for panoramic views over Nara. So make sure to not miss out on this one!
🏯 Entrance Fee: Entrance to both Hokkedō and Nigatsu-do hall is free of charge!
8. Eat Lunch at ‘Todaiji Emado Chaya’
Below Nigatsu-do hall there is a small Japanese restaurants that serves a selection of traditional rice and noodle dishes. The food is rather simple but quite tasty. Since the restaurant is not huge it can get quite busy though. Prices range from ¥1.000 – ¥2.000 per person. Address: 407 Zoshicho, Nara, 630-8211, Japan
In case this spot is not what you were looking for or is too busy when you visit, you can find a few other lunch spot suggestions under section 10!
9. Explore Nara Deer Park
From Tōdai-ji Nigatsu-do Hall slowly make your way back down the hill towards the entrance of Nara Deer Park. However this time, take your time to explore the park in depth and (respectfully) interact with the deer to your hearts content.
Fun fact: Why do Nara deer bow?
If you bow your head to a deer in Nara, there is quite a high chance that they will mirror your behavior by bowing back to you. Nara deer are used to being fed crackers from tourists and over time they learned that they are more likely to get one if they bow back.
Said crackers are made from plain wheat flour and rice bran and can be bought from locals around the park. If you are interested in buying some, your best bet is to look for a stall close to the entrance of Nara Deer Park.
10. Got more time? More suggestions on things to do in Nara!
If you would like to spend more time in Nara before making your way back to Osaka, you will find a few suggestions on activities near Nara Deer Park that are actually quite worthwhile in this section! The suggestions are in no particular order.
10.a. Stroll around Isuien Garden
Isuien Garden is a stunning traditional Japanese garden, located right next to Nara Deer Park. The garden also houses a small art museum which mostly showcases early East Asian art.
🏯 Entrance Fee: ¥1200
🕙 Opening Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
10.b. Visit the Nara National Museum
This museum houses mostly Buddhist art, which belongs to different temples throughout Nara. The building of the museum itself is in a western style which was typical during the Meiji Period.
🏯 Entrance Fee: ¥700
🕙 Opening Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
10.c. Find other lunch options near the entrance of Nara Deer Park
As promised before, here are a few other lunch spot suggestions. Note that during peak season Nara gets really busy, so you might need to wait in line for a while in order to eat in some of the more popular restaurants!
🍣 Izasa-Nakatani-hompo Yumekaze-hiroba. A sushi restaurant serving beautifully arranged dishes. From the first story you get a view towards Tōdai-ji main hall. Address: Japan, 〒630-8212 Nara, Kasuganocho, 16 内 東大寺門前夢風ひろば
🍱 Tsukihiboshi. This restaurant is buffet-style with a focus on pickled vegetables. Address: 59-9 1階 Noboriojicho, Nara, 630-8213, Japan
🍚 Kamameshi Shizuka Kouen-ten. A restaurant specialized in kamameshi, a Japanese rice dish cooked in an iron pot with various toppings. Address: 59-11 Noboriojicho, Nara, 630-8213, Japan
10.d. Marvel at Kasuga-Taisha
As already mentioned when answering the question on where the deer in Nara come from, Kasuga-Taisha is the shrine whose deity is originally responsible for the deer being considered as sacred in Nara! So it would only be fitting to make a quick visit to the shrine that started it all, right?
🏯 Entrance Fee: ¥500 for the inner shrine, the outer part is free of charge
🕙 Opening Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
After exploring a number of shrines and temples and taking way too many pictures of deer, it is time to slowly make your way back to Kintetsu-Nara Station. However, there are still two spots which we suggest you hit along the way! Especially the first one is a personal highlight for us!
11. Try freshly made Mochi at ‘Nakatanidou-Mochi’
‘Nakatanidou’ is a small shop near Sarusawa-ike pond, that is popular for its mochi (Japanese rice cakes) that are still produced the traditional way. You can watch from outside as the mochi are being made inside the shop and subsequently buy a freshly made Japanese rice cake to have a taste. Highly recommend!
12. Do some souvenir shopping in Higashimuki Shopping Street
Right outside Kintetsu-Nara Station you will find the covered Higashimuki Shopping Street. The latter is the perfect location to do some last-minute souvenir shopping before hopping on your train back to Osaka!
Final thoughts on visiting Nara Deer Park
Nara Deer Park is an awesome day trip that we highly recommend you make when spending a few days in Osaka! Not only do you get to interact with deer, but you also get to explore the stunning temples and shrines of one of Japan’s former capitals! Note: If you happen to visit during Sakura season, Nara Deer Park will be even more beautiful!
While Nara is definitely one of the more touristy destinations in Japan, we do think that the city is absolutely worth a visit. Which is probably also why so many people decide to add Nara to their Japan itinerary. Especially, if you visit Japan for the first time!
Finally, we hope you enjoy your day trip to Nara as much as we did ours! And, as always: Happy Travels!
