Nara 2-Day Itinerary
A curated 2-day trip plan for Nara, Japan — featuring Tōdai-ji, Nara Park, Kohfuku-ji.
Day 1
East Nara: Tōdai-ji and Nara Park
- 9:00 AMTōdai-ji1.5 hours
Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Japan. The construction of the temple was an attempt to imitate Chinese temples from the much-admired Tang dynasty. Though it was originally founded in the year 738 CE, Tōdai-ji was not opened until the year 752 CE. The temple has undergone several reconstructions, including one initiated by Minamoto Yoritomo in 1181 which included the standardization of existing buildings and the strengthening of visible pillars. Since then, one of the most significant reconstruction took place in 1709. However, it was on the verge of collapse in the late 19th century due to the weight of its huge roof. The collapse was prevented through a first restoration (1904–1913), and its current appearance was completed using steel framing between 1974 and 1980. Its Great Buddha Hall houses the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese as Daibutsu (大仏). The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism. The temple is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara", together with seven other sites in the city of Nara.
- 10:45 AMNara Park2 hours
Nara Park is a public park located in the city of Nara, Japan, at the foot of Mount Wakakusa. Established in 1880, it is one of the oldest parks in Japan. Administratively, the park is under the control of Nara Prefecture. The park is one of the "Places of Scenic Beauty" designated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Over 1,200 wild sika deer freely roaming around in the park are also under designation of MEXT, classified as natural treasure. While the official size of the park is about 502 hectares, the area including the grounds of Tōdai-ji, Kōfuku-ji, Kasuga Grand Shrine and Nara National Museum, which are either on the edge or surrounded by Nara Park, is as large as 660 hectares.
- 1:00 PMKohfuku-ji1 hour
Admire the iconic five-story pagoda and elegant temple architecture within Nara Park's eastern precinct.
Day 2
South and West Nara: Gardens, Museums, and Shrines
- 9:00 AMIsuien Garden and Neiraku Museum1.5 hours
Stroll through two connected gardens framing Todai-ji across the water, then explore East Asian art in the museum.
- 10:45 AMNara National Museum1.5 hours
The Nara National Museum is one of the pre-eminent national art museums in Japan.
- 1:00 PMKasugataisha Shrine1.5 hours
Hike through a primordial forest hung with thousands of bronze lanterns to reach this atmospheric shrine.
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