Top Things to do in Nara
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The 10 Best Sightseeing Tours in Nara, Kinki
Thirteen hundred years ago, Nara (then Heiju-kyu) was the imperial capital of Japan. "Old Japan" is still easy to spot here, from Great Buddha Hall to traditional ryokans and the serene Isuien garden. Travelers rave about walking tours of Nara, particularly in the historic Naramachi merchant area.
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1. Day trip to Nara from Osaka or Kyoto, World Heritage Sites and deer park tour
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
Nara locates East of Osaka city and South of Kyoto city. It take app. 1 hour from both cities by public transportation. You can explore Nara as a day trip with a professional friendly guide. Nara is ancient capital city before Kyoto. There are a lot to see!! Especially, around Nara Park. You could see very friendly (and hungry) free-roaming deer, amazingly huge Buddha Statue, very old shrine wiz 3000 lanterns, and second tallest five-storied pagoda. Since this tour is private, if you have any request, it is possible to customize the itinerary.
Inclusions: Hotel meetup, Local guide, Gratuities
Exclusions: Entrance fees (for you & guide), Lunch (for you & guide), Transportation to/from attractions (for you & guide)
Reviewed By dandelionbreak2014
Yumiko was our guide for the day. We were very fortunate to have her lead the way as she is knowledgeable, friendly and experienced. She was well-organised and even taught us useful Japanese phrases which we used in subsequent days! Mount Fuji was visible the entire day, so we felt extremely blessed and happy to have seen the sacred mountain from different locations and at different timings. I highly recommend Yumiko to any person interested in visit Fuji or any other part of Japan!
2. Nara Half-day Private Tour Osaka/Kyoto departure with Nationally-Licensed Guide
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
Explore Nara with a nationally-licensed and experienced multilingual guide! Your guide will help you efficiently enjoy a half-day walking tour of Nara and introduce both modern and traditional sides of this dynamic and ancient Japanese city. Nara's proximity to Kyoto and Osaka, and its rich collection of traditional sites, make it an ideal destination for a day trip from either of its larger neighbors. Your private guide can help you efficiently enjoy a half-day walking tour of this ancient Japanese city. You can start your day at your hotel in Osaka, Kyoto. Let us know what you would like to experience and we will customize a four-hour tour that's best for you! Note*1: Please select your must-see spots from a list in the tour information to create your customized itinerary. Note*2: The Nationally-licensed Tour Guide-Interpreter certification is issued by the Japanese government requires a good knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and history.
Inclusions: Free Photos, Hotel Pick up and Drop-off, Licensed Local Guide
Exclusions: Other personal expenses, Lunch - Lunch (for yourself and your guide), Entrance fee (for yourself), Private Vehicle, Transportation fee (for yourself and your guide)
Reviewed By Cwshaman
The flexibility to chose locations that suited our wants and abilities was great. Hiro San was very quick to put together an itinerary that accommodated a family with a stroller-baby (no monkey park due to long unpacked walking paths). Taking in the beautiful temples and view of the Kyoto from the west was breath taking and the guide was able to explain many things we as new Japanese learners could not read or know through cultural knowledge. Overall a great experience, a wonderful and lively guide, and some great memories.
3. Private Nara Deer and Sake Adventure - Easy Day Trip from Kyoto or Osaka!
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
Explore Nara's scenic beauty and sake on this all inclusive, private tour. A convenient day trip from either Kyoto or Osaka, Nara is a must see on any traveler's list. From the numerous wild deer that roam free in the streets to multiple UNESCO world heritage sites like the giant Buddha at Todaiji, explore both the famous sites and the places that lie just a little off the beaten path. End your day with a one of a kind Japanese sake rice wine brewery tour and tasting in Nara's old town merchant quarters surrounded by medieval townhouses and storefronts. All entrance fees, the sake tasting, and a snack are included in the price so no need to fret about any hidden fees.
Inclusions: Temple admission fees, Sake brewery admittance and sake tasting, Your very own entertaining, private guide who is fluent in English and Japanese, A small snack or sweet
Exclusions: Taxis and train fare, Food and drink outside of the sake tasting and snack
Reviewed By djboote
We had a lovely, informative walking tour and sampled food at two standup bar/restaurants and at a couple of street shops. We had a great evening and learned a lot!
4. The Essence of Nara Cultural Tour: Big Buddha, Bambi and Backstreets
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 20 reviews
Explore the ancient capital of Japan with us and discover a peaceful city, brimming with dazzling temples, shrines, imperial tombs and machiya houses built in the traditional style. We’ll meet divine deer roaming the streets, grab some tasty street food, chat with locals about living and working here and show you our favourite hidden gems in the alleys of the old city. All this at your own pace, without the hassle or the crowds of a typical day in Kyoto. What are you waiting for?!
Inclusions: Local English-speaking guide, Entrance fees for all the sites mentioned, Local snacks
Exclusions: Additional food and drink, Gratuities for your guide
Reviewed By Ebayasianf
I booked a virtual tour of Kyoto's traditional Higashiyama neighborhood from Amazon Explore. We had the pleasure and good fortune to have Akemi as our tour guide. She spoke good English and was very accommodating to our requests for pictures, shopping, and information. We truly felt the Japan experience and enjoyed it so much, we want to do more travel explore segments. We had been to Japan but somehow missed this beautiful neighborhood. Akemi engaged the local people and introduced them to us and they would take the time to say hello! We saw geishas and couples getting married. Then Akemi helped us look for souvenirs, which we have already received back in the U.S.! The best part was Akemi writing on a monkey wish souvenir and hanging it at the temple. We are planning a trip to Japan and were so impressed with Akemi, we definitely will try to contact her for tour services and thank her in person for such a wonderful experience.
5. KYOTO & NARA by Minivan Toyota HIACE 2019 Customize Your Itinerary
Overall Ratings
4.6 based on 5 reviews
Private VIP Tour in KYOTO & NARA allows you to “Customize Your Itinerary” to fit your specific travel expectations. You have your own private Minivan Toyota HIACE 2019 and English speaking driver for approximately 8 hours. Our team assists you to manage the tour, give recommendations, make reservations and check information. <<< You customize your own Day Trip in KYOTO & NARA >>> STEP1: We propose list of famous destinations while you share with us your travel desires and special requests. STEP2: With careful communication and planning, we share and exchange our draft detailed itinerary. STEP3: We revise/finalize the itinerary. ***You can always change the itinerary even on the day while traveling on the van. Please feel free to reach our team and driver for recommendation at any time. ***Extra 1 ~ 2 hours will be given for free only in case of heavy traffic jam and unexpected delay(s). ***Extra charges will be applied for over time service.
Inclusions: Air-conditioned vehicle, Private transportation
Exclusions: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Reviewed By iamwillbar
We chose this experience so we could fit a number of sights into a single day as we could since we were only spending 3 full days in Kyoto. This allowed us to focus on seeing the things we wanted to rather than transportation between each sight. Marine-san worked with us over email to come up with an itinerary that was efficient and included the majority of the sights that we wanted to see. On the day Shenji-san sent us a message so we had his contact details and arrived promptly at our hotel. He drove us to each location, took photos of us (so we could all be in them!), and gave us additional facts about each location. He was a fantastic host for the day and we'd highly recommend this experience.
6. Nara Like a Local: Customized Private Tour
Get to know the city through the eyes of a passionate local. With no set itinerary, you can customize the tour or leave it up to the local for an insightful introduction to the city. Make travel about the people you meet not just the places you see.
Inclusions: Local guide ("Lokafyer", Customized private walking tour
Exclusions: Personal expenses, Tips and gratuities (optional), Optional activity costs, Food and drinks, Transportation to/from attractions (It’s a walking tour, car transportation isn’t included)
7. Discover Traditional Nara Walking Tour (Half day)
This tour visits three must-see spots in deer park, Nara. Kasuga-taisha shrine - praised for its beautiful vermilion constructions and three thousand of stone lanterns and hanging lanterns, Todai-ji temple - renowned for its Great Buddha originally created in the eighth century, and Kofuku-ji temple - closely related to Fujiwara family, a noble family once at the summit of its prosperity. This tour is recommended not only for first-time visitors to Nara but also for repeat visitors to discover new charms of Nara.
Inclusions: Guide in English, Public transportation, Air-conditioned vehicle
Exclusions: Lunch, Drinks, Shopping expense, Other personal expense
Reviewed By Muhammad Hilmi M
Spend 1/2 day here. once you reached the station, exit and take the 1 day pass that cost your Y500. Alternatively the tickets to NARA dear park is Y210 each way. The deer wont disappoint you as there's plenty of them. After Oct 2019, the cost of biscuit to feed the deer is Y200 instead of Y150. Plenty of temples around but you need good legs. Alternatively you can take the rickshaw for a small fee. For the muslims, there's a good halal outlet, PY Halal that offers 100% muslim food and the owner is pleasant. There an attached prayer room in the same restaurant. You wont miss it as it is where the shopping area is located.
8. Nara Todai-ji Lazy Bird Tour <30mins from Kyoto>
The ancient capital of Nara, older than even Kyoto, is easily reached by train from Osaka or Kyoto. The enormous Main Hall of Todai-ji Temple with its Great Buddha inside, the deer park where you can feed crackers to the semi-wild deer, everything is more laid-back and quieter than Kyoto with much fewer tourists. Stroll through the vast temple grounds and back into the city where the tour takes you to a typical Izakaya standing bar to try some local sake and food. A wonderful way to spend a leisurely afternoon!
Inclusions: Guide fee
Exclusions: Admission fees, Drink and Food, Transportation fare
Reviewed By MCJ62
Our tour guide was Kommy. He was very knowledgeable of the areas and we received good background information. It was a good way to spend the afternoon and see Osaka. I would recommend this tour.
9. Nara Early Bird Tour
Nara is the ancient capital of Japan prior to Kyoto, and the Japanese dynasty started from this area. In this tour, you will visit representing sightseeing and photo spots in Nara. This tour is designed to enable you to enjoy spots in a completely relaxed way while strolling around early in the morning with fresh air and fewer tourists. Nara is the only place in the world where about 1,300 wild deer roam freely. You can get really close to those cute animals and feed them while they bow begging for deer crackers. Let's experience ancient Japanese culture and enjoy the site of adorable animals.
Inclusions: Guide Fare
Exclusions: Food & Drink, Transport Fare
Reviewed By MCJ62
Our tour guide was Kommy. He was very knowledgeable of the areas and we received good background information. It was a good way to spend the afternoon and see Osaka. I would recommend this tour.
10. Nara Lazy Bird Tour
From the best spots which represent the ancient capital of Nara we have selected three places, including world cultural heritage sites and national treasures, Todai-ji Temple with its Great Buddha is a must when visiting Nara, and the peacefulness of Kasuga Grand Shrine with its surrounding forest is very refreshing. We also have plenty of time to enjoy the semi-wild deer roaming around freely in the city, another symbol of Nara. This tour is designed to start after the peak visiting time, so you can experience these wonderful spots in a relaxed atmosphere.
Inclusions: Guide Fare
Exclusions: Food & Drink, Transport Fare
Reviewed By MCJ62
Our tour guide was Kommy. He was very knowledgeable of the areas and we received good background information. It was a good way to spend the afternoon and see Osaka. I would recommend this tour.
