2 days in Nara

Day by day

1. Day 1: Todai-ji and the Great Buddha and Nara Park and its deer

   Todai-ji and the Great Buddha, Nara Park and its deer, Kasuga Taisha and Nara National Museum, then Sunset at Nigatsu-do in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Todai-ji and the Great Buddha

      The present hall, rebuilt in 1709, is still one of the largest wooden buildings in the world. The approach passes through the Nandaimon gate, guarded by two carved wooden kongōrikishi statues about 8 m tall.

   2. Late morning

      Nara Park and its deer

      More than a thousand sika deer, regarded as messengers of the gods and protected as a national natural monument, roam freely and bow to visitors who offer shika senbei, deer crackers sold at stands.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Persimmon-leaf sushi

      Specialist shops along Sanjo-dori, in Higashimuki and at the stations; good as a take-away lunch in the park.

   4. Afternoon

      Kasuga Taisha

      About 3,000 lanterns, donated over centuries, line the approach and hang in the corridors; inside, the Fujiwara-no-Toro room shows bronze lanterns lit in darkness.

   5. Late afternoon

      Nara National Museum

      Each autumn the Shoso-in Exhibition shows a selection of imperial treasures from the 8th century, which draws long queues.

   6. Evening

      Sunset at Nigatsu-do

      Watch the sun set over the Great Buddha Hall's roof and the city from the hall's wooden veranda.

2. Day 2: Kofuku-ji and Isui-en and Yoshiki-en gardens

   Kofuku-ji, Isui-en and Yoshiki-en gardens, Nigatsu-do Hall and Naramachi, then Ukimido at dusk in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Kofuku-ji

      Its five-storey pagoda, one of the city's symbols, has been under a major restoration with scaffolding expected to last until around 2031.

   2. Late morning

      Isui-en and Yoshiki-en gardens

      Isui-en, a Meiji-era strolling garden, uses Todai-ji's Nandaimon gate and Mount Wakakusa as borrowed scenery, and has a small museum of Chinese and Korean ceramics. Yoshiki-en next door has moss, pond and tea gardens.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Nara-zuke pickles

      Pickle shops on Sanjo-dori, Higashimuki and in Naramachi, often with samples.

   4. Afternoon

      Nigatsu-do Hall

      It is the stage for Omizutori, a rite held every March for more than 1,250 years, when monks swing huge flaming torches along the balcony.

   5. Late afternoon

      Naramachi

      Cafés, sake shops and craft stores fill the old houses.

   6. Evening

      Ukimido at dusk

      Walk to the hexagonal pavilion on Sagi-ike pond, lit up in the evening, a short walk from Kasuga Taisha.

Before you go

• Nara National Museum: During the autumn Shoso-in Exhibition, timed or advance tickets have been needed; check the museum's site.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 9–12 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.8 hours in December to 14.5 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. Walking is the best way to see Nara Park, Naramachi and the main temples, which are linked by flat paths and gentle slopes.

More or fewer days

• One day in Nara
• 3 days in Nara

Questions travellers ask