📍 1️⃣ Morning: Visit Tôdai-ji & Nara park
⛩️ Tōdai-ji Temple – Home to the world’s largest bronze Buddha statue, housed in the Great Buddha Hall (Daibutsuden), one of the largest wooden structures in the world.
💰 Entrance Fee: 600 JPY
🕘 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
🦌 Nara Park – On your way to Tōdai-ji, walk through Nara Park, where you’ll encounter friendly deer that roam freely. You can buy special deer crackers (Shika Senbei) for 200 JPY to feed them!
🕙 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
2️⃣ Kofuku-ji Nan'endo Temple & Mochi Show Natakanidou🍡
⛩️ Kōfuku-ji Temple – A UNESCO World Heritage Site featuring a five-story pagoda, one of the tallest in Japan. Also, visit the Nan'endo (Southern Round Hall).
💰 Entrance Fee: Free for outdoor grounds, 700 JPY for the museum
🕥 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
🍡 Nakata Nakatanidou Mochi Show – Watch the famous mochi-pounding (mochi-tsuki) show at this popular store. Arrive 10 minutes before a scheduled show for a good spot.
💰 Free to watch, 200-400 JPY per mochi
🕚 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Lunch Break 🍽️
Enjoy lunch at a restaurant near Kintetsu Nara Station or try a traditional ryotei serving somen noodles (cold noodles) or kakinoha-zushi (persimmon leaf-wrapped sushi).
🕧 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
💰 Estimated Cost: 1,500 - 2,500 JPY
4️⃣ Afternoon: Two Possible Itineraries
🛤️ Option 1: Imaicho– Edo-Period Historical District 🏯
A well-preserved Edo-period town with 500 traditional buildings, making it a walk through history.
📍 How to Get There?
🚆 From Nara, take the Kintetsu Line to Yagi-Nishiguchi Station (~30 min, 470 JPY).
🚶 Imaicho is 5 min on foot from the station.
🕐 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
📍 What to See?
🏯 Shonen-ji Temple – The heart of Imaicho.
🍶 Kawai Sake Brewery – Free tastings in a historic merchant’s house.
🏠 Traditional Merchant Houses & Shops – Converted into museums, cafés, and galleries.
💰 Entrance Fee: Free (some museums may charge a small fee)
📍 Return to Osaka/Kyoto: Take the Kintetsu Line from Yagi-Nishiguchi to Kyoto (~50 min, 900 JPY) or Osaka (~40 min, 780 JPY).
Early mornings and weekdays offer a more intimate experience with fewer crowds, while weekends have more shops and cafes open.
🛕 Option 2: Horyu-ji Temple – Japan’s Oldest Temple (UNESCO) 🏯
A UNESCO-listed site famous for its five-story pagoda, one of the oldest wooden buildings in the world.
📍 How to Get There?
🚆 From Nara, take the JR Yamatoji Line to Hōryū-ji Station (~12 min, 220 JPY).
🚶 The temple is 10 min on foot from the station.
🕐 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
💰 Entrance Fee: 1,500 JPY
📍 Return to Osaka/Kyoto: Take the JR Yamatoji Line from Hōryū-ji to Kyoto (~1h10, 1,120 JPY) or Osaka (~45 min, 990 JPY).
Besichtigung
Cafe
