Kofuku-ji / 663highland · CC BY-SA 4.0
ITINERARY
Nara in One Day on Foot from Kintetsu-Nara Station5 stops, in the order with the least travel time
From Kintetsu-Nara Station you can walk to Kofuku-ji, Todai-ji, Nigatsu-do, Kasuga Taisha and Naramachi in a single day. Horyu-ji and the other temples to the west are covered in the Nara 2-day itinerary.
Planned and checked by Waka Travel (Japan) ·
- Trip
- Day trip
- Stops
- 5
- Total travel
- 1 h 41 mintrain & bus
Assumes you arrive at Kintetsu-Nara Station at 09:00 and leave Kintetsu-Nara Station at 17:00 (a typical schedule when coming from Kyoto or Osaka).
The Great Buddha Hall (Daibutsu-den) at Todai-ji is open 7:30–17:30 from April to October and 8:00–17:00 from November to March.
Route and arrival times
All times are Japan time (JST), in 24-hour format.
Day 109:00–17:11 · travel 1 h 41 min
- 09:00Kintetsu-Nara Station 近鉄奈良駅Depart
- ↓ Travel 8 min
- 09:08Kofuku-ji 興福寺1 h
- ↓ Travel 18 min
- 10:26Todai-ji 東大寺2 h
- 12:26Lunch 1 h
- ↓ Travel 8 min
- 13:35Nigatsu-do 二月堂30 min
- ↓ Travel 19 min
- 14:24Kasuga Taisha 春日大社1 h
- ↓ Travel 27 min
- 15:51Naramachi ならまち1 h
- ↓ Travel 21 min
- 17:11Kintetsu-Nara Station 近鉄奈良駅Arrive
Travel times are estimates based on straight-line distance. They don't include transfers, timetables or opening hours (how far off they can be).
If you stay overnight in Nara (general guide)
| If you're mainly visiting | Area to stay |
|---|---|
| Stay the night before and start walking in the morning | Around Kintetsu-Nara Station 近鉄奈良駅周辺 |
| Try a stay in a traditional machiya townhouse | Naramachi ならまち |
| Traveling to and from Kyoto or Osaka by JR | Around JR Nara Station JR奈良駅周辺 |
| Day trip from Kyoto or Osaka | No overnight stay 宿泊なし |
General guidance, not calculated by this site.
If you have time
- Nara Park 奈良公園
- Nara National Museum 奈良国立博物館
- Gango-ji 元興寺
- Isuien Garden 依水園
Left out to keep each day manageable.
Why this order
4 notes
- Every stop is around Nara Park, so you can walk the whole route without taking a train or bus.
- Hotels cluster around Kintetsu-Nara Station, close to Nara Park. Stay the night before and you can start walking in the morning, before the crowds.
- This day trip sticks to the area around Nara Park, separate from the Nara 2-day itinerary. Nigatsu-do is up the slope east of the Great Buddha Hall, and from its veranda you look out over the city of Nara.
- On the last day you finish at Naramachi and get back to Kintetsu-Nara Station in 21 min (arriving 17:11).
FAQ
Can you see these 5 classic Nara sights in a day?
Yes. In this order, even the longest day ends around 17:11, and travel adds up to 1 h 41 min in one day (travel times are estimates based on straight-line distance).
Can I see Nara as a day trip?
Yes, if you stay around Nara Park. This itinerary leaves Kintetsu-Nara Station at 9:00, walks to Todai-ji, Kasuga Taisha and Naramachi, and gets back to the station in the late afternoon (around 17:00).
Can I also visit Horyu-ji on the same day?
Horyu-ji is well to the west of Nara Park and takes about 2 hours to see, so adding it makes a day trip rushed. If you want Horyu-ji too, the Nara 2-day itinerary is a better fit.
What are Todai-ji's opening hours?
The Great Buddha Hall is open 7:30–17:30 from April to October and 8:00–17:00 from November to March. This itinerary arrives at 10:26 and allows 2 hours there.
Is it OK to feed the deer, and what can I give them?
Only deer crackers (shika senbei). The Nara City Tourism Association asks visitors not to feed the deer anything else, not to tease them by pretending to offer crackers, and to take their trash home so the deer don't eat it.