Stand at the foot of the Nandai-mon gate at Tōdai-ji and you will meet two of Nara's constants at once: the fierce wooden guardians glaring down from either side, and deer nosing at your pockets for biscuits. Walk on through, and the Daibutsu-den opens ahead of you, one of the largest wooden buildings you are likely to stand beside.
Nara suits travellers who are happy to spend a day on foot among temples, shrines, gardens and forest, moving at a slow pace and stopping often. Most of what is described below sits inside or just outside Nara Park, so the day is easy to assemble without long transfers.
This guide covers the main sights within Nara Park and the surrounding area, the gardens and temples worth adding if you have more than a day, and a simple plan for seeing the best of it in one day.
Top things to do in Nara
1. Tōdai-ji
Tōdai-ji is home to the Great Buddha, the Daibutsu, and the Daibutsu-den that houses it. The giant front gate, Nandai-mon, is guarded by two fierce protectors, and deer gather here because it is the best place to look for a hand-out. Inside the hall you will find four other giant statues; walk around the Daibutsu to the left to see them, along with old tiles and leftover relics. To the right of the entrance to the Daibutsu-den is a statue of the Yakushi Nyorai, a Buddha of medicine and healing — touching a part of it and then the corresponding part of your own body is said to heal ailments there.
Before you leave, look for the wooden column with a small hole carved through the bottom, just before the souvenir area behind and to the right of the Daibutsu; squeezing through is said to promise enlightenment. If you have a stick of incense, join the crowd around the incense offerings in the inner courtyard before heading onward. Opening hours vary by season, and the museum opens later than the temple; a combined ticket covers both.
2. Nara Park
Most of Nara's sights, including temples, shrines and the deer, are concentrated in Nara Park, a wide, pleasant space of greenery. According to legend, the god of the Kasuga Taisha came riding a white deer, so the deer enjoy protected status as envoys of the god. In practice they are enthusiastic about biscuits from tourists, empty food wrappers and harassing shopkeepers.
Treat the park as the frame for your day rather than a single stop: the paths between Tōdai-ji, Kasuga Taisha and the gardens all run through it, so you can walk from one sight to the next without leaving the greenery.
3. Kasuga Taisha
Kasuga Taisha is worth a visit for the beautiful approach through the Kasuga-yama Primeval Forest more than for the temple itself. Where Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Taisha is known for torii, Kasuga Taisha is known for stone lanterns. Notice the giant rack of sake barrels near the front gate and the fountain-statue of a giant buck.
The temple is occasionally closed for services, but a walk around the outside is likely to be no less rewarding. The grounds are free, with a charge for the inside of the shrine and a separate charge for the treasure hall.
4. Kasuga-yama Primeval Forest
This is a hill of wild, undeveloped forest leading to Kasuga Taisha and some of the other sights in Nara Park. The path is clearly marked, so you need not worry about getting lost, and it is a quiet walk at any time of day.
If you are determined to feed some deer, save your biscuits for the ones out here rather than the loafers by Tōdai-ji. The forest also connects onward to Shin-Yakushi-ji, following the signs from Kasuga Taisha.
5. Kōfuku-ji
Kōfuku-ji has a three-story and a five-story pagoda. Historically the five-story pagoda has contended with Kyoto's Toji for the title of tallest pagoda in Japan. The Eastern Golden Hall is the part of the complex with an admission charge.
Pair it with Sarusawa Pond, which sits at the east end of Sanjō-dōri with Nara Park behind it or Naramachi to its south, and is a popular viewing spot for Kōfukuji.
6. Sarusawa Pond
This small pond at the east end of Sanjō-dōri is a very popular viewing spot for Kōfukuji, with Nara Park behind it or Naramachi to its south. It is a natural pause between the temple complexes and the streets of Naramachi.
Come here when you want to sit down rather than look up at another hall, and use it as the hinge between the park and the southern part of the day.
7. Nara National Museum
The museum holds one of the world's best collections of Buddhist art, with changing exhibitions, and its National Treasure Hall has an impressive collection of statues. English Guides inside the museum do not guide you through it; they are there to answer questions, and they are highly knowledgeable, so questions that require explanation will teach you a great deal about the exhibits, Buddhism and Buddhist art.
Each year for about two weeks in late October to early November, dates varying, the museum hosts on a rotating basis part of the collection of Shōsōin, the Tōdai-ji treasury, which is otherwise closed to the public. Expect enormous queues, as this is a notable event in the country's cultural calendar and tourists from all over Japan converge on Nara at this time.
8. Himuro Shrine
Himuro Shrine dates from 1217 and is home to several fine cherry trees. The architecture is unremarkable, but the trees in front of the shrine explode into clouds of pale pink and white blossoms in spring, in late March to early April.
It is a short walk from Kintetsu Nara station and sits across the street from the Nara National Museum, so it fits easily between the museum and the park.
9. Isui-en Garden
Isui-en Garden is a magnificently arranged garden full of flowers, surrounded by the rest of Nara Park, with a restaurant on site. It sits between Kasuga Taisha and Kintetsu Nara Station.
Combine it with Yoshikien Garden next door, as the entrances are right beside each other.
10. Yoshikien Garden
Yoshikien Garden is a really nice garden that is worth a visit because it is free for foreigners, with a small charge for others. It sits beside the Isui-en Garden, between Kasuga Taisha and Kintetsu Nara Station.
Because the entrances are right beside each other, the two gardens are best done as one stop rather than two separate outings.
11. Shin-Yakushi-ji
Shin-Yakushi-ji is a single hall with twelve ferocious warrior statues, each with his own collection plate, standing guard by a Buddha of healing. The statues are impressive, and this is as well-protected a Buddha as you are likely to find.
It can be reached through the primeval forest by following the signs from Kasuga Taisha, which makes it a natural extension of the forest walk rather than a separate trip.
12. Ukimidō
Ukimidō is a hexagonal building built on Sagiike Pond in Nara Park so that it appears to float on water. It is a short, quiet stop rather than a long visit.
Fold it into a walk through the park between the larger temples, when you want a change from halls and crowds.
13. Gangō-ji
Gangō-ji was considered one of the seven most important temples in Nara when Nara was the nation's capital. The original temple burned down in the 18th century, but the architectural style remains true to the original, with its unique Korean-style roof, and the mandala within the temple is one of the most famous in the nation.
Around the outside there are many Buddhist statues, but more interesting are the demon statues scattered among them. The demons are comical and seem out-of-place, some even sacrilegious, with one doing Zen meditation among the Buddhist statues and another in a rather erotic pose. It is fun to try to spot them all. The temple is in Nara-machi, near Kofuku-ji.
14. Nara City Museum of Photography
The steel-and-glass building sits as if reflected upon the linear pond that surrounds it. Inside there are reasonably interesting exhibits of photography on local subjects, such as the Mount Wakakusa Fire Festival.
It is near Shin-Yakushi-ji, a couple of blocks outside Nara Park, so it works well as a stop on the way back from the temple rather than a separate journey.
15. Yakushi-ji
Most of Yakushi-ji was reconstructed in the 1970s after a fire, but it is still worth the visit. The Buddhist Yakushi trinity housed in the hondo is a great work, and the two pagodas on each side of the temple make it a unique and recognizable complex. The east pagoda has survived and dates back to 730 AD.
It is a short walk from Nishinokyo Station and Toshodai-ji, so it pairs naturally with that part of the city if you have more than a day.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Tōdai-ji, entering through the Nandai-mon gate and spending time with the Daibutsu and the other statues in the Daibutsu-den. Walk through Nara Park afterwards, letting the deer and the open greenery carry you towards the centre of the park.
Afternoon: Continue to Kōfuku-ji and its pagodas, then pause at Sarusawa Pond, which is a popular viewing spot for Kōfukuji. If time allows, add the Nara National Museum for its Buddhist art and its National Treasure Hall, or Himuro Shrine across the street if you are visiting in late March or early April.
Evening: Take the approach to Kasuga Taisha through the Kasuga-yama Primeval Forest, where the stone lanterns and the quiet path are the point of the visit. If you still have daylight, walk on to Ukimidō on Sagiike Pond, or finish among the gardens at Isui-en Garden and Yoshikien Garden, whose entrances sit right beside each other.
Frequently asked questions
Where are Nara's main sights concentrated?
Most of Nara's sights, including temples, shrines and the deer, are concentrated in Nara Park, a wide, pleasant space of greenery. If you only have one day, focus on the park.
How do you reach Shin-Yakushi-ji?
It can be reached through the Kasuga-yama Primeval Forest, following the signs from Kasuga Taisha. The forest path is clearly marked, so you do not need to worry about getting lost.
When is the best time to see cherry blossoms at Himuro Shrine?
The trees in front of the shrine blossom in spring, in late March to early April. The shrine's architecture is unremarkable, but the blossoms are the reason to come.
What happens at the Nara National Museum in late autumn?
For about two weeks in late October to early November, with dates varying each year, the museum hosts on a rotating basis part of the collection of Shōsōin, the Tōdai-ji treasury, which is closed to the public. Expect enormous queues, as tourists from all over Japan converge on Nara at this time.
Decide how many days you can give Nara, then build your plan around Nara Park and add the gardens, temples and forest walks as your time allows.