Map pins are color coded - BLUE: Hotels | VIOLET: Ryokan | PINK: Places to Eat | YELLOW: Things to See and Do. Nearest Transport: 20min walk from Kintetsu Nara Station Japanese name: 東大寺大仏殿 To get the most from a visit, I recommend ordering a cup of matcha (powdered green tea) and a sweet (Y500), which you can enjoy while gazing over the garden. Japanese address: 奈良市水門町74 It’s best reached by climbing the atmospheric walkway that starts at the northeast corner of Todai-ji’s Daibutsu-den Hall. The Tōdai Temple (745–752) is noted for the Daibutsu, or Great Buddha, a giant statue about 50 feet (15 m) high that is housed in the Great Buddha hall, one of the largest wooden buildings in the world.
It’s divided into two buildings: The older building on the west side is the Nara Butsuzo-kan (Hall of Buddhist Images), which contains the museum’s permanent collection of fine Buddhist images (highly recommended for those with an interest in Buddhism) and the newer building on the east side, where special temporary exhibits are held (ask at the tourist information offices to see what’s on while you are in town). Japanese name: 春日大社 Its artwork and artifacts (now housed in fireproof concrete buildings) include jewels, musical instruments, masks, paintings, sculpture, samples of calligraphy, and household items. District: Nara-koen Area
Click the name of the place in the list. Opening Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm (enter by 4:45pm) Nara is second only to Kyoto as the richest collection of traditional sites in Japan.
The top attractions to visit in Nara are: What are the best outdoor activities in Nara? If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Nara is home to some of the country’s best temples and shrines, along with several fine gardens, museums and traditional neighborhoods. Take some time to stroll the garden (pathways run all the way to the back of the garden). Japanese name: 興福寺 Japanese address: 奈良市雑司町406-1 It's green and there are plenty of deer hanging about begging for deer cookies while beeing photographed by tourists. At any time of year, there is usually be something in bloom, and you can marvel at the genius of the garden designer, who employed the technique of shakkei (borrowed scenery) to incorporate the roof of Todai-ji Temple into the background of the garden. During the reign of the empress Gemmei (707–715) the site of the capital was moved to the northwest sector of the Nara Basin. Children who can squeeze through it are said to be assured of enlightenment. travellers rave about walking tours of Nara, particularly in the historic Naramachi merchant area.
Telephone number: 0742-22-5511 District: Nara-koen Area By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Website: Official website Admission: Y1,000, :: Read reviews of Horyu-ji Temple on TripAdvisor. Opening Hours: 24 hours Japanese name: 二月堂 More than just the shrine buildings, Kasuga-Taisha is a mysterious world of forest, pathways, lanterns and wandering deer. The five-storied pagoda of the Kōfuku Temple dates from 710. Website: Official website Japanese name: 三月堂 Admission: free, :: Read reviews of Nigatsu-do Hall on TripAdvisor. Located in Nishinokyo, about 4km southwest of JR Nara Station, and accessible by bus from downtown Nara (the best way to go) or by Kintetsu Line train (which involves backtracking from Kintetsu Nara Station to Saidaiji Station and switching to a southbound local on the Kintetsu Kashihara Line), Yakushi-ji is one of Nara’s most important temples and home to some of the area’s finest Buddhist images. Opening Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm (enter by 4:30pm) District: Nara-koen Area The city of Nara, the prefectural capital, is located in the hilly northeastern edge of the Nara Basin, 25 miles (40 km) east of Ōsaka. What are the top attractions to visit in Nara? In 2010, festivities are in the works to celebrate this ancient city's anniversary. Because it’s located a relatively long way from downtown Nara and it’s surrounded by some really drab suburbs, I usually only recommend this temple for those with a serious interest either in Buddhism or Japanese history. The city is also a leading commercial and educational centre and has some manufacturing. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in Canada. Telephone number: 0742-22-5511
Horyu-ji Temple contains some of the most important Buddhist images in the entire country, as well as some of the oldest wooden buildings on earth. Nara-koen Park is lined with pleasant pathways and dotted with ponds. Japanese name: 依水園 You will see the list of places on the left hand side.
English address: 1-1 Horyujisannai, Ikaruga-cho, Ikoma-gun Telephone number: 0742-26-8610 (Naramachi Information Center telephone number) Home of the famous Daibutsu (Great Buddha), Todai-ji Temple is a must-see for all visitors to Japan. Nara, Japan, designated a World Heritage site in 1998. Opening Hours: 6:00am-6:00pm (Apr-Sep), 6:30am-5:00pm (Oct-Mar) Admission: Y500, :: Read reviews of Todai-ji Temple on TripAdvisor. These ancient remnants of early Japanese civilization form the basis of Nara’s tourism industry, which has wide appeal to foreigners as well as Japanese. Nara Park, of course, meets all the criteria a park as such requires. In 2010, festivities are in the works to celebrate this ancient city's anniversary. Japanese address: 奈良市中院町21 (奈良町情報館) Undoubtedly, the most interesting feature of the park, especially for children, is the large population of semi-wild deer that roam the park. Nara’s status as a national cultural monument is reflected in a Japanese proverb: “See Nara and die”; i.e., one can die content if one has seen Nara. Google Map: [expand title=”Show Google Map of Nara National Museum” swaptitle=”Hide Google Map of Nara National Museum” targclass=”maptastic”], :: Read reviews of Nara National Museum on TripAdvisor. District: Ikaruga
Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Telephone number: 0742-25-0781 Book your tickets online for the top things to do in Nara, Japan on Tripadvisor: See 25,841 traveller reviews and photos of Nara tourist attractions. English address: 48 Noborioji-cho, Nara-shi Website: Official website Telephone number: 0742-22-7755 Japanese address: 生駒郡斑鳩町法隆寺山内１の１ Japanese name: 吉城園 Website: Official website It’s awe-inspiring and moving. Website: Official website If you're using the map on your phone, open the map and then search for the name of the place. Japan: The Nara period (710–784) In 710 the imperial capital was shifted a short distance from Asuka to Nara. English address: 50 Noborioji-cho, Nara-shi Todai-ji is not just one of Nara’s must-see attractions; it’s one of Japan’s must-see attractions.
Japanese address: 奈良市春日野町160 Isui-en Garden is the best garden in Nara and one of my favorite gardens in Kansai (central Japan). Nearest Transport: 15min walk from Kintetsu Nara Station Kofuku-ji Temple is hard to miss: It’s the huge temple compound that contains the towering pagoda that you’ll spot this on your right as you make your way up Noborioji Street on the way to Nara-koen Park.
This is really a very special world unto itself.