One-Day Walking Tour of Amazing 8th Century Capital Nara | 8 hours

14 Reviews | Kyoto
Likely To Sell Out
From $143.48 per person Lowest Price Guarantee
Select Date and Travelers
You can select up to 6 travelers in total.
Adult (6-80) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 6
2
Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Starting from Kyoto
2 Adults x $266.13
$532.26
Approx Total
$532.26
Starting point:
Kyoto Station, Higashishiokoji Kamadonocho, Shimogyo Ward, Kyoto, 600-8216, Japan
Starting from Osaka Namba
2 Adults x $266.13
$532.26
Approx Total
$532.26

Inclusions / Exclusions

  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English
  • Professional Guide
  • Public Transportation Fare abt. 2,000 yen, Admission Fee 1,100 yen/p

Overview

Nara was the capital of Japan in the 8th century prior to Kyoto and is located within an hourā€™s train ride from Osaka or Kyoto. In this tour we will stroll around a 19th century town area in the morning, and then visit a solemn shrine hidden in the forest and a huge temple, both of which were founded in the 8th century. In addition to that, we will have interesting encounters with the wild but friendly deer roaming around Nara Park. In this tour you will be able to appreciate the difference between Nara and Kyoto, the development of culture, architecture and lifestyles in these two periods in Japanese history. We will pick you up at Osaka or Kyoto so there will be no problems with the transfer to Nara.

Meeting points

Select a meeting point

End point

Itinerary

  • Naramachi

    We will start our tour by visiting Naramachi area which was originally founded as temple town in the 8th century and turned into a merchant town. Traditional-style latticed houses 100 years old and more are preserved well here. We will actually enter one of them once owned by a wealthy merchant and explore its luxurious interior. It tells a tale of how Japanese people used to live a hundred years ago. On the other hand, you can also find some new shops among the old houses operated by young, present-day merchants selling cute accessories. Enjoy the combination of 19th and 21st century culture.

    1 hour 30 minutes

  • Kasuga Grand Shrine

    This shrine was founded in the 8th century by the Fujiwara clan which was the most powerful aristocratic family in Japanese history. Even today the head priest of Kasuga Grand Shrine is a descendent from that family. The deity enshrined here was invited from Ibaragi, some 500km away and came all the way riding on the back of a deer. Thatā€™s why the deer in Nara are regarded as the messengers of the deity and have been treated very well.

    1 hour

  • Todai-ji Temple

    This temple, founded by Emperor Shomu more than 1,300 years ago, is designated as UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. Built beneath Mt. Wakakusa, in its huge precincts, it holds many historical buildings some of which are national treasures. The main hall housing gigantic Buddha statues is the worldā€™s largest wooden building. You can imagine the passion of the emperor who built this temple wishing for the stability and prosperity of his nation.

    1 hour

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
  • All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Free Cancellation

February 05100% refund
February 06No refund

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experienceā€™s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experienceā€™s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experienceā€™s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experienceā€™s local time.
  • This experience requires good weather. If itā€™s canceled due to poor weather, youā€™ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews

5.0

14 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    14
  • 4 stars
    0
  • 3 stars
    0
  • 2 stars
    0
  • 1 star
    0

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 14 reviews with 5 stars

Excellent

Published on May, 2024

It has been a excellent and productive day and itā€™s all thanks to Tomoko who accompanied me from Kyoto station to Nara where I visited the amazing 8 th capital which was wonderful than to temple and shrines and thanks to Tomoko again who took time out to accompany to inari shrines which was mesmerising. Tomoko is very knowledgeable and at every point she explained about the Japanese culture and deityā€™s and their significance. A great learning experience I must say. I highly recommend Tomoko for this tours and definitely Iā€™m coming back. Thanks Arigato gozaimashita

Great day and great tour

Published on May, 2024

This tour was amazing. Tomoko was very knowledgeable of Japanese history and she was very accommodating to my husband who has a bad knee. I guess our favorite part of the day was the Todai.Ji temple and all the deer. We also loved walking through the old town and learning more about the traditional architecture.

Fantastic tour

Published on May, 2024

This tour is a must do. Our guide Tomoko was very knowledgeable about Japan history. I much appreciated how accommodating she was for my husband who has a bad knee. There were so many great experiences, that itā€™s hard to pick a favorite.

Learned more about the...

Published on Mar, 2024

Learned more about the old capital of Japan. Nice to see Deers roaming around and it's significance of this place.

Thank you Tomoko

Published on Mar, 2024

It was an amazing tour . I took around 100 pictures . We tested Sake , saw incredible Tempels and fed the Deers. I had a lot of fun.

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