With kids · Nara · Japan
Nara with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Nara is one of the easiest places in Japan to visit with children: deer to feed, a giant Buddha, big lawns to run on and short walking distances. Prepare young children for deer that push for food. Top picks: Nara Park and its deer, Todai-ji and the Great Buddha and Mount Wakakusa. Families usually base themselves in Kintetsu Nara and Higashimuki.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 5
- Best area for families
- Kintetsu Nara and Higashimuki
- Rainy-day options
- 0
- Busiest months
- April and November
Best things to do with kids
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Park · Nara Park
1.Nara Park and its deer
This large public park of lawns, ponds and forest links Todai-ji, Kofuku-ji and Kasuga Taisha. 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.
Feed crackers one at a time and show empty hands when you are done; deer can nip or butt when they see food, especially in autumn rutting season.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Kids
- Free
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Religious site · Nara Park
2.Todai-ji and the Great Buddha
Founded in the 8th century as the head of Japan's provincial temples, Todai-ji's Daibutsuden (Great Buddha Hall) holds a seated bronze Buddha about 15 m tall. 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.
Arrive at opening to see the Buddha before school groups, and look for the pillar with a hole said to be the size of the Buddha's nostril.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Kids
Viewpoint · Nara Park
3.Mount Wakakusa
A grassy hill of about 342 m on the eastern edge of Nara Park, open from spring to autumn, with a panoramic view over the city and the Great Buddha Hall. Each January its slopes are burned in the Yamayaki festival with fireworks.
Climb to the first plateau for sunset views; the summit can also be reached by car via the Nara Okuyama Driveway.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Outdoors
- Active
- Couples
Historic site · Nishinokyo
4.Heijo Palace site
The huge open site of the 8th-century imperial palace, west of the centre, has full-size reconstructions of the Daigokuden (Imperial Audience Hall) and the Suzakumon gate, plus free museums on the excavations.
It is large and exposed; visit in spring or autumn and rent a bike from near Yamato-Saidaiji station.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Free
- Outdoors
- Architecture
Religious site · Nara Park
5.Kasuga Taisha
Founded in 768 for the guardian deities of the Fujiwara clan, this vermilion shrine sits at the foot of the sacred Mount Kasuga. 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.
Walk the stone-lantern approach early in the morning, and come back for the Mantoro lantern festivals in early February or mid-August if your dates allow.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- Couples
Where families should stay
$$$ · 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
Family travel tips
- Let children feed deer crackers away from crowds and show empty hands afterwards; avoid stags in autumn and mothers with fawns in early summer.
- Strollers work on Nara Park's paths, but some temple halls have steps and gravel.
- Children love squeezing through the 'Buddha's nostril' pillar hole in Todai-ji; it is said to bring good luck.
- Bring wet wipes; the deer crackers and the deer leave hands sticky.
- In summer, visit early and rest at midday; the park has little shade near Todai-ji.
When to go with children
The best months overall are March–May and October–November. April and November are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Nara good for kids?
Nara is one of the easiest places in Japan to visit with children: deer to feed, a giant Buddha, big lawns to run on and short walking distances. Prepare young children for deer that push for food.
+What can kids do in Nara?
Nara Park and its deer, Todai-ji and the Great Buddha, Mount Wakakusa, Heijo Palace site and Kasuga Taisha.
+Where should families stay in Nara?
Kintetsu Nara and Higashimuki: Station area beside Nara Park with the covered Higashimuki arcade.