Where to stay · Nara · Japan
Where to stay in Nara
6 neighbourhoods compared, with the trade-offs hotel listings don't tell you.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5
Quick answer
For a first visit, stay in Kintetsu Nara and Higashimuki. Station area beside Nara Park with the covered Higashimuki arcade. Best alternatives — budget: JR Nara and Sanjo-dori.
Key facts
- First visit
- Kintetsu Nara and Higashimuki
- Families
- Kintetsu Nara and Higashimuki
- Budget
- JR Nara and Sanjo-dori
Best area for each kind of trip
| Trip type | Area | Why |
|---|---|---|
| First-timers | Kintetsu Nara and Higashimuki | Station area beside Nara Park with the covered Higashimuki arcade |
| Families | Kintetsu Nara and Higashimuki | Station area beside Nara Park with the covered Higashimuki arcade |
| Couples | Kintetsu Nara and Higashimuki | Station area beside Nara Park with the covered Higashimuki arcade |
| Budget | JR Nara and Sanjo-dori | Second rail gateway with business hotels and a shopping street to the park |
| Luxury | Nara Park and Noborioji | Hotels and ryokan beside the park, a short walk from Todai-ji |
| Food lovers | Naramachi | Old merchant quarter of narrow lanes, machiya townhouses and cafés |
| Quiet stays | Naramachi | Old merchant quarter of narrow lanes, machiya townhouses and cafés |
Nara neighbourhoods in detail
$$$ · Best for first-timers, families and couples
Kintetsu Nara and Higashimuki
Kintetsu Nara station, served by direct trains from Kyoto and Osaka's Namba, sits right at the western edge of Nara Park; Kofuku-ji is a five-minute walk and Todai-ji about 15 minutes. The covered Higashimuki shopping street and Mochiidono arcade run south with cafés, souvenir shops and restaurants, and several hotels are close by.
- Good
- Closest station to the main sights; Direct trains to Kyoto and Osaka; Restaurants on the doorstep
- Watch out
- Busy with day-trippers from mid-morning; Limited hotel choice for the location
- Nearby
- Kofuku-ji, Nara Park, Higashimuki shopping street, Naramachi
$$ · Best for budget, first-timers and families
JR Nara and Sanjo-dori
JR Nara station, on the line from Kyoto and Osaka, is about 1.5 km west of Nara Park. Sanjo-dori, the main street from the station to Kofuku-ji, is lined with shops, eateries and the famous mochi shop, and the area has the city's largest number of mid-range chain hotels.
- Good
- Good-value hotels; Japan Rail Pass trains; Easy walk or bus to the park
- Watch out
- 15–20-minute walk to the main temples; Plain, modern surroundings
- Nearby
- Sanjo-dori, Sarusawa Pond, Kofuku-ji
$$$ · Best for couples, food lovers, culture and quiet stays
Naramachi
South of Sarusawa Pond, Naramachi preserves lanes of wooden machiya with latticed fronts, many now cafés, sake shops, craft galleries and small guesthouses. Gango-ji, one of Japan's oldest temples, sits in the middle. It is atmospheric and a ten-minute walk to Kofuku-ji.
- Good
- Traditional streets and guesthouses; Good cafés and restaurants; Quiet in the evenings
- Watch out
- Few large hotels; Small rooms in converted townhouses
- Nearby
- Gango-ji, Sarusawa Pond, Kofuku-ji
$$$$ · Best for couples, luxury and families
Nara Park and Noborioji
A handful of hotels and ryokan sit on the edge of Nara Park along Noborioji-dori and near the Nara National Museum, including the historic Nara Hotel, opened in 1909. Staying here lets you walk among the deer and visit Todai-ji or Kasuga Taisha at the quietest hours.
- Good
- Sights on the doorstep; Peaceful early mornings and evenings; Traditional ryokan options
- Watch out
- Expensive and limited rooms; Few restaurants open late
- Nearby
- Todai-ji, Nara National Museum, Isui-en, Kasuga Taisha
$$ · Best for quiet stays and culture
Takabatake
Takabatake is a peaceful hillside neighbourhood of old walls and houses south-east of Nara Park, where the novelist Shiga Naoya lived in the 1920s and 1930s. Shin-Yakushi-ji and the Kasugayama forest trails are close, and a few small guesthouses and cafés make it a calm base.
- Good
- Very quiet; Walk through the park to the sights; Local character
- Watch out
- Uphill walk from the stations; Very few places to eat or stay
- Nearby
- Shin-Yakushi-ji, Kasuga Taisha, Kasugayama Primeval Forest
$$ · Best for culture and quiet stays
Nishinokyo
About 6 km west of central Nara, near the site of the ancient Heijo Palace, Nishinokyo holds two of the city's UNESCO-listed temples, Yakushi-ji and Toshodai-ji. It is mostly residential with few places to stay, so visitors usually come by Kintetsu train for half a day.
- Good
- Major temples with far fewer crowds; Easy train link; Calm streets
- Watch out
- Few hotels or restaurants; Away from Nara Park
- Nearby
- Yakushi-ji, Toshodai-ji, Heijo Palace site
Areas compared
| Area | Price | Nearby |
|---|---|---|
| Kintetsu Nara and Higashimuki | $$$ | Kofuku-ji, Nara Park, Higashimuki shopping street, Naramachi |
| JR Nara and Sanjo-dori | $$ | Sanjo-dori, Sarusawa Pond, Kofuku-ji |
| Naramachi | $$$ | Gango-ji, Sarusawa Pond, Kofuku-ji |
| Nara Park and Noborioji | $$$$ | Todai-ji, Nara National Museum, Isui-en, Kasuga Taisha |
| Takabatake | $$ | Shin-Yakushi-ji, Kasuga Taisha, Kasugayama Primeval Forest |
| Nishinokyo | $$ | Yakushi-ji, Toshodai-ji, Heijo Palace site |
Getting to your hotel
Nara has no airport. From Kansai International Airport, limousine buses run to Nara in about 1.5 hours, or take trains via Osaka; from Osaka Itami Airport, limousine buses take about an hour.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best area to stay in Nara for first-time visitors?
Kintetsu Nara and Higashimuki. Kintetsu Nara station, served by direct trains from Kyoto and Osaka's Namba, sits right at the western edge of Nara Park; Kofuku-ji is a five-minute walk and Todai-ji about 15 minutes.
+Where should families stay in Nara?
Kintetsu Nara and Higashimuki: Closest station to the main sights.
+Which area of Nara is best for a budget stay?
JR Nara and Sanjo-dori ($$): Second rail gateway with business hotels and a shopping street to the park.