Everything for your trip to Nara in one place: model itineraries, where to stay, culture experiences, anime pilgrimage, power spots, events & festivals. Open any page for access, highlights and typical dates.
🗺 Day tripAutumnKansai ・ 4 stops ・ October・November
A day trip that takes you through Nara Park in autumn, to Kasuga Taisha and Todai-ji, and then to the Shosoin Exhibition, held only at this time of year. You can walk from the station to the museum, making it well suited to a day trip from Kyoto or Osaka.
🗺 5 days, 4 nightsKansai ・ 18 stops
A touring route that starts at Kansai Airport and covers Osaka, Himeji, Arima Onsen, Kyoto and Nara in five days. You go west as far as Himeji first, then move east to Kyoto and Nara, so you never have to backtrack.
🛏 5 neighborhoodsKansai
Kintetsu-Nara Station Area・JR Nara Station Area・Naramachi・Nara Park & Takabatake・Mt. Yoshino
🖌️ 6 placesTokyo & Around ・ Kansai ・ Chugoku & Shikoku
Using a brush and ink, you practice your favorite kanji or your own name on hanshi practice paper, then write a final copy on shikishi (a decorative square board). Studios in Ginza and Yushima in Tokyo and in a Kyoto machiya townhouse welcome beginners and overseas travelers, while in Nara and Kumano, Hiroshima, you can also get hands-on with making the ink and brushes that calligraphy depends on.
🧘 6 placesTokyo & Around ・ Chubu & Hokuriku ・ Kansai
Zazen (seated meditation) in a Zen temple and shakyo, copying a sutra one character at a time, are temple experiences that let you calm your mind in the middle of your travels. Temples that welcome first-timers include Eiheiji, head temple of the Soto school; Engakuji and Kenchoji, among the Five Great Zen Temples of Kamakura; Tofukuji and Ryosokuin in Kyoto; and Yakushiji in Nara.
🎬 7 placesKansai ・ Kashihara, Nara・Naizen-cho, Kashihara, Nara
Capcom's fighting game series. Kashihara, Nara—the hometown of Capcom's founder—has placed bronze statues of the characters, design manhole covers and murals around town under a comprehensive partnership agreement with Capcom. At an expo held at the Fujiwara Palace Site, an original anime, "Fujiwara-kyo Revived: Fighters Who Ran Through Time," in which Ryu, Ken and the others travel back in time to Fujiwara-kyo 1300 years ago, was also screened.
⛩️ ShrineKansai ・ Sakurai, Nara
A shrine that worships Mount Miwa itself as its sacred body, regarded as one of the oldest shrines in Japan. Nara Prefecture's official tourism site introduces it with phrases such as "Power Spot Miwa" and "all of Mount Miwa is a power spot."
JanuaryKansai ・ Nara
Usually the fourth Saturday of January (fireworks from around 18:15 in the evening, ignition around 18:30)
MarchKansai ・ Nara
Every year, March 1–14 (Otaimatsu nightly around 19:00; 19:30 on the 12th, 18:30 on the 14th)
2027 (the 1,276th): Mar 1 – Mar 14
October–NovemberKansai ・ Nara
Usually late October to early November (about 2–3 weeks)
2026 (78th): Oct 24 – Nov 9, open every day during the exhibition
DecemberKansai ・ Nara
Usually December 15–18 (the Owatari-shiki starts at noon on December 17)
2026: Dec 15 (Tue) – Dec 18 (Fri); Owatari-shiki on Dec 17 (Thu)
MountainPark🍁 Typical peak
Temple
Temple
Shrine
🚃 Private railwayKansai ・ 1day is valid for 1 day of use, 2day for 2 consecutive days, and 5day and 5day plus for 5 consecutive days (from the first day of use)
From ¥1,900
Monthly temperatures, rain and what to wear are in our weather guide.
Itineraries, intercity routes and travel passes that cover several prefectures are listed under each of them.
