A deer stole a map out of Jenna’s back pocket before we’d been in Nara for ten minutes.
In This Post
We visited Nara on day five of a two-week Japan trip in March 2023. It was originally supposed to be a full day: Kyoto in the morning (Bamboo Grove, Fushimi Inari), train to Nara in the early afternoon, then on to Osaka by evening. In practice, we spent about four hours in Nara. That was enough. It might actually be the ideal amount of time.
The whole Japan trip is in Japan: Two Weeks of Temples, Ramen, and Perfect Trains. This post focuses on the Nara day trip specifically: the deer, Todai-ji, what was worth doing and what we’d skip.
Getting to Nara from Kyoto
We took the JR Nara Line from Kyoto Station. The ride is about 45 minutes, covered by the JR Pass (which cost us 236 per person for the 7-day pass). The train was clean, quiet, and mostly empty in the early afternoon. From JR Nara Station it’s about a 15-minute walk east to the park, or you can take a bus for 220 yen.
We walked. The route goes through a few blocks of shops and restaurants and then suddenly opens up into the park’s western edge, where you see the first deer standing on the sidewalk like they own the place. Because they do.
The Deer
There are roughly 1,200 deer in Nara Park. They’re wild in the sense that they’re not fenced in or managed, but they’re so accustomed to tourists that they’ll walk up to you and nudge your pockets looking for food. Some of them bow. I don’t mean they sort of dip their heads: they do a full, deliberate bow, and if you bow back, they bow again. It’s an exchange. You can tell which ones have figured out that bowing gets them crackers.
The deer crackers (shika senbei) cost 200 yen ($1.50) from licensed vendors around the park. The moment you hold up a packet, every deer within 30 meters notices. I watched Jenna get surrounded by six of them in about four seconds. One reached into her back pocket and pulled out a folded park map, which it then tried to eat. We rescued the map. The deer looked offended.
Some advice that nobody tells you until it happens: if you run out of crackers, show the deer your empty hands, palms up. They understand this and will (usually) lose interest. If you just hold your hands at your sides, they’ll keep nudging you.
Todai-ji Temple
Todai-ji is the reason you go to Nara beyond the deer. The building itself is the largest wooden structure in the world (it’s actually smaller than the original, which burned down twice). Inside is a bronze Buddha statue that’s 15 meters tall and weighs 500 tons. The scale doesn’t register until you’re standing in front of it. I’ve been to a lot of temples in Japan. Kinkaku-ji in Kyoto is more photogenic. Fushimi Inari is more dramatic. Todai-ji is more awe-inspiring.
Entry is 600 yen ($4.50). There’s a famous pillar near the back with a hole cut in the base that’s the same diameter as the Buddha’s nostril. If you crawl through it, legend says you’ll be granted enlightenment in your next life. I did not crawl through it. The line was twenty minutes long and the hole looked uncomfortably tight.
The Rest of the Park
We walked through the park for another hour after Todai-ji. The grounds are large and peaceful once you move away from the main tourist path. There are smaller temples, ponds, and forested sections where the deer are more relaxed and less aggressive about food. We found a bench near Sagiike Pond and sat for twenty minutes watching deer graze in the late afternoon light. It was one of those moments where you stop taking photos and just look.
We skipped the Nara National Museum (ran out of time) and the Kasuga Grand Shrine (we’d been to enough shrines by day five that adding another felt like homework). I’ve heard the lantern-lined path to Kasuga is particularly good at dusk, but we needed to catch the train to Osaka.
What Didn’t Work
We tried to fit too much into one day. The morning in Kyoto (Fushimi Inari, Bamboo Grove, Philosopher’s Path) left us with about three and a half hours in Nara before we needed to catch the train to Osaka. That’s technically enough time, but everything felt rushed. If I went back, I’d give Nara a full morning or dedicate a separate day to it.
The other issue: we arrived around 2pm, which is apparently peak feeding time. The deer were at their most assertive. A woman near us had her entire convenience store bag ransacked. Going earlier or later would probably mean calmer animals.
Logistics and Timing
The JR train from Nara to Osaka took about 50 minutes (covered by JR Pass). We arrived in Osaka by 6pm, checked into the Fairfield by Marriott in Namba ($408 for two nights), and walked to Dotonbori for dinner. The bullet train from Nara to Osaka is technically 11 minutes, but that’s the Shinkansen from a different station. The JR local line is cheaper and simpler for this route.
Total Nara costs: 200 yen for deer crackers, 600 yen for Todai-ji entry, and train fare covered by the JR Pass. Under $10 for one of the most memorable afternoons of the trip.
For more Japan day trips, see the Mt. Fuji day trip from Tokyo, which is a completely different experience (structured bus tour vs. self-guided wandering) but equally worth doing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should I spend in Nara?
Three to four hours is enough to see the deer, visit Todai-ji, and walk through the park. A full day lets you add Kasuga Shrine and the museum without rushing.
Are the Nara deer dangerous?
Generally no, but they can be pushy when they see food. They may headbutt you gently or nip at clothing. Show empty palms when you run out of crackers, don’t tease them, and keep bags zipped.
Is the JR Pass worth it for a Nara day trip?
If you already have a JR Pass for your Japan trip, the Nara train is covered at no extra cost. A standalone round-trip ticket from Kyoto is about 1,420 yen ($10), so the pass isn’t necessary just for Nara.
Can I visit Nara and Kyoto in the same day?
Yes, and most people do. We did Kyoto sights in the morning and Nara in the afternoon. It works but feels rushed. If your schedule allows, giving Nara its own half-day is better.
Written by Jenna Fattah
I have visited 25+ countries across 6 continents, attended 7 Formula 1 races, and spent 4 years writing about what actually works and what I would do differently. Every recommendation on this site comes from trips I planned and paid for myself. Read more about me