A Day in Nara Park: From Ancient Temples to Sacred Deer
Nara Park is a unique city park located in the city of Nara, Japan. This picturesque park offers visitors an opportunity to get close to and see the famous bowing deer while immersing themselves in the rich history of ancient Nara. Nara Park is home to thousands of deer as well as shrines and temples that date back hundreds of years. A day in Nara is a must, especially if staying in nearby Kyoto or Osaka. This post is ideal for those wanting to spend a day in Nara and highlights all my recommended places to see and how to make the most out of your visit to Nara Park.
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Nara Park is by far the most popular attraction and most visited area in Nara. For good reason, Nara Park is home to the famous bowing deer as well as many of the shrines and temples to include Tōdai-ji.
If you only have a day in Nara, I highly recommend making Nara Park your main attraction. You can spend all day here, but for those traveling from places like Kyoto, a half day is sufficient enough to see some temples and feed crackers to the deer.
Nara Park covers about 66 hectares or 1,600 acres and was established in 1880. There are a total of 8 sites within Nara Park that make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara.
Nara Park is free to enter, but many some of the temples and museums do charge an entrance fee.
Getting to Nara Park from Nara Station
In my Travel to Nara post, I detailed information on getting to Nara from Kyoto or Osaka by train.
Once you arrive at Nara Station, Nara Park is still about a 15-20 minute walk away or a 5 minute bus ride.
The few times I’ve traveled to Nara, I opted to walk directly to Nara Park from Nara Station. Walk down the main road (Sanjo Dori St) in the opposite direction of Nara Station toward Nara Park.
Sanjo Dori St is a hopping place full of fun shops and restaurants. I do recommend browsing the shops and taking your time along this road and the covered pedestrian streets, but first, Nara Park.
Following Sanjo Dori St will lead you directly into Nara Park. From here, you can walk around or relax at Sarusawa-ike Pond, continue straight, or take a left up the stairs and visit Kofu-ji Nan-endo and the Kofuku-ji Pagoda.
The Deer at Nara Park
The deer at Nara Park are one of the main attractions. Every tourist that visits Nara Park always talks about the deer, they are definitely the stars of the show here.
Within Nara Park, there are around 1,400 wild deer that roam the grounds. These deer although cute are still wild and deserve respect. They are sacred after all and considered a national treasure.
The deer are scattered all throughout Nara Park, so don’t let the first few deer fool you into thinking you need to capture photos or feed them right away. Trust me, they are everywhere.
The deer in Nara Park can freely walk the park and are often times unfazed by us humans or even traffic going through Nara Park.
There are opportunities to feed the deer. Please only feed them with crackers sold throughout the park. Shika Senbei is a type of rice bran cracker sold within Nara Park.
Besides being a national treasure and if the deer in Nara couldn’t be any cooler, they are known to politely bow for their treats. So next time, you visit Nara and want to feed the deer, make sure they lower their heads and bow to you in order to receive that delicious treat.
Must Visit Sites in Nara Park
If you only have a day in Nara Park, I recommend at least visiting the sites below. These are my favorite recommendations and sites I take victors to every time for a great experience.
Srusawa-ike Pond
If you decide to walk Sanjo Dori St from Nara Station to Nara Park, you will find yourself at Sarusawa-ike Pond.
I recommend Sarusawa-ike Pond just to take a quick breather, figure out how you want to tackle Nara Park, and take in the beautiful scenery of the pond surrounded by historical buildings.
Kofuku-ji Complex
After visiting Srusawa-ike Pond, I recommend going left up the stairs to the Kofuku-ji Complex which is home to a beautiful Five-storied Pagoda, Kofuku-ji Nan-endo, and Kofuku-ji Chukondo.
Tōdai-ji
Tōdai-ji is the most famous Buddhist temple in Nara and one of Japan’s grandest. Tōdai-ji is home to the Daibutsuden or Great Buddha Hall.
The Great Buddha Hall in Nara houses the Great Buddha Vairocana Buddha. Vairocana Buddha is 15 meters tall. The Great Buddha Hall in Nara is considered to be the largest wooden structure in the world, it is a site to see!
For more information about Tōdai-ji, I have a whole post dedicated to visiting Tōdai-ji.
Kasuga-Taisha
Another important shrine in Nara is Kasuga-Taisha. This shrine is dedicated to the deity that is responsible for Nara’s protection.
Visiting Kasuga-Taisha does take some walking as it is the furthest shrine from the park entrance. But the walk is gorgeous and well worth the effort.
The moss covered Toro or lanterns line the path leading to the shrine. Kasuga-Taisha is beautifully painted white and orange and is full of hundreds of golden lanterns.
Ukimido
My day in Nara Park starts at Sarusawa-Ike Pond and kind of ends at another pond, but the main attraction here is Ukimido, a beautiful gazebo.
Ukimido sits beautifully above the water. There are benches inside the gazebo, so it makes for a perfect place to rest.
There is a boat rental here in case you want to do more then just relax and take in the beautiful sites.
Conclusion
Nara and especially Nara Park is one of my favorite places to visit in Japan. Nara Park is a unique and beautiful destination that offers visitors a chance to interact with the famous bowing deer, explore the ancient temples and shrines, and see beautiful nature. If you want that Instagram photos with the deer in Nara or are a history buff and want to see Todai-ji and the Great Buddha then a day in Nara Park will definitely leave a lasting impression.
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Activities and Tours 🏖️🚁
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Train Travel 🚂🚊
For the JR Pass, tickets can be purchased on the JR Pass site.
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