Best Things to Do
Best Things to Do
Nara
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Nightlife
Top 11 Best Things to Do in Nara - 2024
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Updated May 2024
- 7.44.7/51915 ReviewFree"Apart from of course the feline friends that roam around the park, it’s overall an extremely beautiful place to spend a cool winters morning, even when there is hardly any vegetation and the grass is dry and brown. My favourite activity was eating at this little udon restaurant perched at the edge of Sarusawa-Ike Pond, with a Starbucks on the other side. The famous mochi shop with the pounding chefs is just down the road leading away from the Starbucks. I want to walk up Wakakusayama Hill in Nara Park and see the whole city from the top, in the future."Nara3.5km from downtownHighlights: Nara Park is located on the east side of Nara City, at the foot of Mount Kasuga. The park has beautiful and picturesque scenery all year round. Hundreds of wild sika deer live in the open meadows. Around the park are Todaiji Temple and Kasuga Taisha Shrine. Close to the lovely sika deer park, the scenery is pleasant, with twigs sprouting in spring, maple leaves in autumn, and it is also suitable for leisurely strolls in other seasons. It is easy to see deer in Nara, and Nara Park is a place where deer herds are more concentrated, so some people call it "Sika Deer Park". In the park, flocks of sika deer can be seen everywhere, and it is a great pleasure for tourists to come into close contact with them. The deer are either silently foraging on the grass, or play with each other, or come to you and bend their heads to rub against you, which is very lovable. There are quite a few stalls selling deer cakes here, you can buy some to feed the deer. The clever little deer will follow you as soon as it smells the deer cake in your hand. Visiting quaint temples and shrines In addition to the lovely herds of deer, the temples and shrines around the park are also attractive places for tourists. The babbling waters, ponds and creeks also add color to the park, and the large roofs and towers of the temple can be seen looming in the woods. To the north is Todaiji Temple. Its majestic Great Buddha Hall is the largest wooden ancient building in the world. In the hall, you can see a huge bronze Buddha statue. You can also overlook the scenery of Nara when you walk to Ergakudo. At the foot of Kasuga Mountain in the southeast, there is Kasuga Taisha Shrine, surrounded by lush and beautiful vegetation, which looks ancient and natural. Thousands of lanterns are lit on both sides of the stone road leading to the main hall during the Wan Lantern Festival in February and August every year, creating a wonderful sacred scene that is very unforgettable. In addition, attractions such as Nara National Museum, Yisui Garden, and Kofukuji Temple are also nearby.Show Less
- 6.34.7/5870 Review"Very pure and impressively massive wooden temple , the largest wooden building in the world , with a serene and grand bronze statue of Buddha inside, one of the largest Buddha figures on earth. I first visited Nara and Todaiji almost 40 years ago. Nara is a quiet city. The sightseeing of Todaiji and the Nara park, with its adorable and sometimes a bit naughty deers, brings you a genuine moment of joy and tranquility."Nara3.2km from downtownHighlights: Todaiji Temple is located on the north side of Nara Park, also known as Dahuayan Temple, Jinguangguang Sitianwang Huguo Temple, etc. It was established in 728 by Emperor Shengmu who believed in Buddhism. The Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji Temple is the largest ancient wooden building in the world. Inside the hall is a statue of Lucena Buddha about 16 meters high, which is the largest bronze Buddha statue in the world. As a landmark of Nara, it is always packed with tour groups and students from all over Japan. The entire Todaiji Temple covers a wide area. In addition to the Great Buddha Hall, there are many unmissable sights, including the South Gate, Eryuetang, Sanyuetang, Zhengcangyuan, etc. Before visiting the main hall, remember to take a look at the south gate. There are two huge Niwang statues on both sides of the gate. They are more than 8 meters high, look fierce, and are very beautifully carved and vivid. There is a Todaiji Museum on the west side of the South Gate, where you can learn about the history of Todaiji and watch cultural relics. Entering from the west side of the south gate, you can reach the main hall of the Todai Temple - the Great Buddha Hall, also known as the Golden Hall. Standing in front of the Great Buddha Hall, you will definitely feel its shock, majestic and revealing a simple charm. The existing Great Buddha Hall was built in 1709. Although it is the largest ancient wooden building in the world, it is only about two-thirds of the original building. Walking into the Great Buddha Hall, you can see the bronze statue of Lucena Buddha more than 10 meters high, which has a strong visual impact. After centuries of vicissitudes, the head of the Big Buddha has been stolen several times. If you look closely, you will find that the color of the head and body is slightly different. The hall also enshrines the Void Tibetan Bodhisattva, Ruyi Wheel Avalokitesvara and so on. Walking around the Buddha statue, you will see a hole at the bottom of a wooden pillar, called "Buddha's nose", it is said that if you can pass through it, you will get peace and happiness. Usually there will be many children waiting in line here, if adults also want to try it will be more difficult, but fortunately a staff will pull you out. In addition, you may wish to go to the model of Todaiji Temple to study the scene of the temple in its heyday. Climb up and overlook the Great Buddha Hall and go to the Ergakudo on the top of the eastern hill, where you can overlook the scenery of Nara, especially at dusk. Turn left outside the exit of the Great Buddha Hall, walk along the fence through the pond, and then walk up the mountain along the stone road. The scenery along the way is very charming. Soon you will reach the platform at the top of the mountain, where there is Er Yue Tang. A few steps further south is Sanyuedo (Hokaido), an ancient building of Todaiji Temple, which houses some exquisite statues from the Nara period. When you walk into Todai-ji Temple or take a walk in the temple, you can see deer all over the place. If you come here in spring and autumn, it is also a very elegant experience to enjoy the cherry blossoms or red maples while strolling.Show Less
- 6.04.6/5724 Review
based on 1787 reviews"It was quite a long walk from Nara station to reach the temple, but there are so many sightseeing spots in between, so you don't really feel the long walk. The temple gives off very tranquil feeling."Nara4km from downtownHighlights: Kasuga Taisha Shrine is a religious place of worship for Shintoism in Japan. It was established in 710 and has been included in the list of world cultural heritage. It is dedicated to the four guardian deities of the Fujiwara family, and is now an important worship site in Japan. The entire shrine rests on the foot of Kasuga Mountain, surrounded by lush and beautiful vegetation. Kasuga Mountain has always prohibited logging, so everything here seems natural and ancient. There are beautiful views along the way. At the intersection near the Nara Prefectural Office, you can see a tall Ichino Torii, and go all the way along the long Omotesando. From time to time, there will be lively and cute deer coming to you. If you happen to buy deer cookies, you can feed them all the way. Walking near Feihuoye, on the left is the Nara National Museum. If you are interested in Buddhist culture, you can visit it. The Nara Buddha Museum inside has a very good collection. And in the woods on the right side of the path, is the home of the lovely deer - Luyuan. Continue along Omotesando, from here, stone night lights will gradually appear on both sides of the path, and there are dense forests on both sides. There is a Manyo Botanical Garden at the right turn of the access road. There are more than 300 kinds of plants in it. It is recorded in the ancient Japanese song collection "Manyoshu". You can enjoy different plants according to different seasons. In winter, it is limited. During the lantern festival to be held, you may wish to go on a night tour. The spectacular stone lanterns on the access road turn right and then walk forward to a small crossroads, facing a squatting stone deer, and in front of them are the washbasins of the shrines, where you can clean your hands and prepare to worship to show your respect to the gods . According to legend, the horse of the god of the shrine is a deer, so people believe that the deer in the nearby mountains and forests are the messengers of the god. There are dense stone lanterns on both sides of the access road. These are donated and built by believers and believers. The rows are uneven and spectacular. There are currently about 1,800 lanterns. You can see that these stone lanterns are covered with moss, which is very ancient and Zen. At this time, walk north for a few minutes along the path on the left, and you can visit the Treasure Hall, but until the summer of 2016, it is still under maintenance and temporarily closed. The cute little deer sign and the ancient wisteria go up the stairs, pass the south gate, and officially enter the Kasuga Taisha Shrine. On the left side of the door, you can buy a wishing royal guard, write an ema or smoke a deer. sign. In this courtyard, there is a wisteria plant that is over 700 years old. The branches are on the wooden shed, and the purple flower sea when it blooms in spring is very beautiful. You need to buy a ticket to enter the main hall. The first is the shrine for worship and prayer, and the main hall of the shrine is inside. There is a row of scattered copper lanterns hanging between the West Corridor and the Zhihui Hall, with the Japanese shrine architecture in vermilion, which is very distinctive. It is also a popular location for tourists to take pictures. After passing through the dance hall, you will enter the Apple Garden, so named because of the presence of an apple tree. Nestled on the front of the Zhihui Hall is a huge cypress tree, which is said to have a history of 800-1000 years. The unique thing is that there is a branch that emerges from the roof of the Zhihui Hall and grows vigorously. The manifestation of vitality. The main hall and the apse are located in the shrine. The entire surface of the building is painted in vermilion. There are also many Japanese religious buildings in the courtyard, such as the Taga Shrine, which prays for longevity. You only need to put 200 yen in the "Housing Box". There are a large number of small shrines on the way from the Ni-no-torii gate to the main shrine, and after leaving the main shrine and continuing to the south, there are dozens of large and small Shemo shrines on the side of the path. They are all located within the Kasuga Taisha Shrine, or because the deities worshiped have a deep relationship with the main god of Kasuga Taisha, or are under the management of Kasuga Taisha, there are many popular shrines such as the couple Daikuni Shrine and Jinlong Shrine. It is said that Praying for marriage or golden luck is very effective. The special Wanlan Festival can try to walk around the shrine along the three-way corridor of the shrine starting from the imperial corridor, and you will see a large number of copper lanterns hanging on the corridor. Kasuga Taisha Shrine has many different festivals every year, and the Mando Festival, which is held twice a year (February and August), is not to be missed. During the Lantern Festival, nearly 3,000 lanterns in the shrine are lit up, and the wonderful sacred scene is amazing. Every November around Japan's "Seven-Five-Three" Children's Day, parents will also bring their 3, 5, and 7-year-old children to the shrine on weekends to pray in kimono. In the northeast corner of the main hall, there is a small room called "The House of Fujinami". There is no natural light and no lights in the house, but dozens of lit copper lanterns are densely hung, and three walls are inlaid with mirrors. , it adds a bit of mystery and depth, and if you still have time to stroll around this cottage, you can experience the atmosphere of the Lantern Festival.Show Less - 5.24.6/5224 Review"鉴真东渡这个词应该不少人听说过，讲的就是唐朝和尚东渡日本传扬佛教和唐人先进文化的故事。位于奈良的唐招提寺就是鉴真到达后，日本人为其兴建的寺庙，至今留有当年构造和诸多古迹。"Nara2.1km from downtownHighlights: Tangshoti Temple is located in Gojo-cho, Nara. It is a temple founded by the eminent monk Jianzhen of the Tang Dynasty. It still has a strong style of the Tang Dynasty. The golden hall and the lecture hall are all wooden buildings in the 8th century, which are extremely precious. Historical Background Monk Jianzhen accepted the invitation of Emperor Shengmu to come to Japan to promote Buddhism and reform Japanese Buddhism. However, after 5 times of distress at sea and blindness, it took him 12 years to finally arrive in Nara. In 759 AD, Tang Zhaoti Temple was established by Emperor Ling Jianzhen on the basis of the old house of the Seventh Prince of Emperor Tenmu. "Zhaoti" means a dojo for practice beside the Buddha, and Tang Zhaoti Temple means that this temple is an exclusive dojo built for monk Jianzhen who came from the Tang Dynasty to practice, for him to set up an altar to preach scriptures. After Jianzhen passed away, the temple was still under construction, and most of the courtyards were not completed until the Heian period. Therefore, the style of Tangshoti Temple combines the architectural features from the Tianhe period to the Heian period, and is a very valuable world cultural heritage. After paying respects to Master Jianzhen, Jianzhen was buried here. There is Jianzhen's tomb in the temple, and many devout Buddhists from China and Japan will come here to pay respects. In front of the tomb, there is a Qionghua tree transplanted from Yangzhou, the hometown of Master Jianzhen. In addition, the Yuying Hall, where the statue of the master is placed, preserves the precious woodcut statue of Jianzhen. The eyes are closed, the demeanor is dignified, and there is a firm and unswerving temperament between the eyebrows. Every year, it is only displayed on the day of Jianzhen's death (June 6).Show Less
- 5.24.5/5230 Review
based on 369 reviews"The Nara Park will see this small, but not small mountain, there seems to be no many trees under the mountain, the whole lawn, there are a lot of deer here, very peaceful."Nara4.6km from downtownHighlights: Wakakusa Mountain is located near Todaiji Temple and Kasuga Taisha Shrine. Visitors can climb it from the Spring Festival to the autumn, and you can see the scenery of Nara from the middle of the mountain. On the top of the mountain, there is an ancient burial mound with a round front and a back, and you can enjoy the beautiful night view of Nara from the top of the mountain at night. Wakakusa Mountain is very famous for the "Wakakusa Burning Mountain" festival, which is a traditional event held every January with fireworks and burning the mountain.Show Less
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FAQ
What are some Best Things to Do in Nara?
Some Best Things to Do in Nara include:Nara Park|Tōdai-ji|Kasuga Taisha|Toshodaiji|Mount Wakakusa
What are some highly-rated Best Things to Do in Nara?
Some highly-rated Best Things to Do in Nara include:Nara Park:4.7|Tōdai-ji:4.7|Kasuga Taisha:4.6|Toshodaiji:4.6|Mount Wakakusa:4.5
At what locations in Nara can Best Things to Do in Nara be found?
The Best Things to Do in Nara are mainly located in:Nara Park:Nara|Tōdai-ji:Nara|Kasuga Taisha:Nara|Toshodaiji:Nara|Mount Wakakusa:Nara
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