Nara from Kyoto: Private Car & English Driver, No Guide

What's included

What you'll see and do

1. Kyoto

   Be picked up in Kyoto by your Engish speaking driver and head to Nara!

   60 minutes here

2. Nara Park

   Nara Park (奈良公園, Nara Kōen) is a large park in central Nara. Established in 1880, it is the location of many of Nara's main attractions including Todaiji, Kasuga Taisha, Kofukuji and the Nara National Museum. It is also home to hundreds of freely roaming deer.

   40 minutes here

3. Todai-ji Temple

   Adults:600 yen Elementary School Students: 300 yen Todaiji (東大寺, Tōdaiji, "Great Eastern Temple") is one of Japan's most famous and historically significant temples and a landmark of Nara. The temple was constructed in 752 as the head temple of all provincial Buddhist temples of Japan and grew so powerful that the capital was moved from Nara to Nagaoka in 784 in order to lower the temple's influence on government affairs. Until recently, Todaiji's main hall, the Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall), held the record as the world's largest wooden building, despite the fact that the present reconstruction of 1692 is only two thirds of the original temple hall's size. The massive building houses one of Japan's largest bronze statues of Buddha (Daibutsu). The 15 meters tall, seated Buddha represents Vairocana and is flanked by two Bodhisattvas.

   60 minutes here · Admission not included

4. Mount Wakakusayama (若草山) is the grass covered mountain behind Nara Park, located between Todaiji Temple and Kasuga Shrine. The mountain is about 350 meters tall and affords unobstructed views over Nara City. Tourists are allowed to climb Mount Wakakusayama all year round except during winter. A small entrance fee is charged. The grassy slope of the mountain is lined by cherry trees that are usually in full bloom around early April. A steep trail leads along the leftmost edge of the slope to a plateau halfway up the mountain with great views over the city. It takes about 15-20 minutes to reach the plateau and many people do not hike farther. An additional 20-30 minutes would get you to the mountain's peak.

   30 minutes here

5. Horyu-ji Temple

   Horyuji Temple (法隆寺, Hōryūji) was founded in 607 by Prince Shotoku, who is credited with the early promotion of Buddhism in Japan. Horyuji is one of the country's oldest temples and contains the world's oldest surviving wooden structures. It was designated a world heritage site in 1993. Horyuji's temple grounds are spacious and separated into two main precincts, the Western Precinct (Saiin Garan) and the Eastern Precinct (Toin Garan). Adult ￥1,500 Child ￥750 ※ Adult is 12 years-old and over. 8:00~17:00 2/22~11/3 8:00~16:30 11/4~2/21

   60 minutes here · Admission not included

6. Kasuga Taisha (春日大社) is Nara's most celebrated shrine. It was established at the same time as the capital and is dedicated to the deity responsible for the protection of the city. Kasuga Taisha was also the tutelary shrine of the Fujiwara, Japan's most powerful family clan during most of the Nara and Heian Periods. Like the Ise Shrines, Kasuga Taisha had been periodically rebuilt every 20 years for many centuries. In the case of Kasuga Taisha, however, the custom was discontinued at the end of the Edo Period. Free (outer area), 500 yen (inner area) Hours 6:30 to 17:30 (March to October) 7:00 to 17:00 (November to February) Inner area: 9:00 to 16:00

   60 minutes here · Admission not included

7. Shinyakushiji Temple

   Shin-Yakushiji Temple (新薬師寺) was founded during the Nara Period (710-794) by an empress for the sake of the ailing emperor. It is devoted to Yakushi Buddha, the patron of medicine in Japanese Buddhism. Shin-Yakushiji means "New Yakushi Temple", because there already existed a Yakushiji Temple. During its heyday, Shin-Yakushiji consisted of a large complex of buildings, but all except for the main hall (Hondo) have since been lost. 9:00 to 17:00 600 yen

   30 minutes here · Admission not included

8. Yakushiji Temple

   Yakushiji (薬師寺) was constructed by Emperor Tenmu in the late 7th century for the recovery of the emperor's sick wife. One of Japan's oldest temples, Yakushiji has a strictly symmetric layout, with the main hall and lecture hall standing on a central axis, flanked by two pagodas. The main hall was rebuilt in the 1970s after being destroyed by fire and houses a Yakushi trinity, a masterpiece of Japanese Buddhist art. The East Pagoda is the temple's only structure to have survived the many fires that have beset the temple over the years, and dates from 730. It appears to have six stories, but is in fact only truly three-storied, like the West Pagoda.

   30 minutes here · Admission not included

9. Naramachi

   Naramachi (奈良町, literally "Nara Town") is the former merchant district of Nara, where several traditional residential buildings and warehouses are preserved and open to the public. Boutiques, shops, cafes, restaurants and a few museums now line the district's narrow lanes. Many of Naramachi's buildings in the Edo Period and earlier were machiya, long, narrow "townhouses" that served both as shops and as the living quarters of the local merchants. The store fronts of machiya were often kept narrow in order to save on taxes, which used to be calculated on a property's street access rather than its total area. Today, a handful of machiya have been preserved and made open to the public as museums.

   40 minutes here

10. Kyoto

    Return to Kyoto in the ease of a private vehicle

    60 minutes here

Where it starts and ends

Options you can book

• Minivan (Up to 5 Pax)

  Minivan (Up to 5 Pax) Pickup included

• Regular Car (Up to 3 Pax)

  Regular Car (Up to 3 Pax) Pickup included

• Van (Up to 8 Pax)

  Van (Up to 8 Pax) Pickup included

Before you book

Cancellation

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Ticket

Mobile Only

Runs on

Every day

Group size

Up to 8 travelers per booking

Operated by

Japan Guide Agency

Know before you go

• Specialized infant seats are available
• Service animals allowed
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
• Wheelchair accessible
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• There are only a limited number of car seats and booster seats. Rear-facing car seats are not available. You must contact us directly if you need them.

Photos

Traveler reviews

1 verified traveler reviews for Nara from Kyoto: Private Car & English Driver, No Guide. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.