Nara

Meet the Locals

Accompanied by your tour guide, head straight to one of Nara’s top historical sites and one of the largest wooden buildings in the world, the Todaiji temple. Its famous centerpiece is the 15-meter bronze statue of the Great Buddha, Vairocana. On our way, you will be greeted by the friendly deer of Nara. The deer are divine protectors of the ancient capital living in perfect harmony with the locals. Next stop is the second of the seven great temples of Nara, Kofukuji. Make a brief stop at the Sarusawa pond, well known for its turtles and the pretty scenery surrounding it; this is considered a perfect spot for a romantic evening walk in Nara. Move forward into the quiet alleys and backstreets of Nara-machi, the well preserved former merchant's district, where you will be able to see and experience unique traditional arts and crafts. As the best way to experience a city is through its food, you will get the chance to test some of our favorite local delights. The last stop of your journey will take you to a shopping street, where you can find colorful and diverse shops, perfect for souvenir hunting. Both the JR Nara station and the Kintetsu station are within comfortable walking distance from the finishing point of the tour. Your guide will be happy to help you with directions to your hotel or to provide a restaurant recommendation for lunch. Do not forget to ask for more hints and tips on what else there is to do in Nara during your time here. 

Your guide will meet you at your accommodation and help you get familiar with the neighborhood, show you the best places to eat and shop and tell you about the easiest ways to get around. Choose a 2, 3 or 4-hour tour, and by the end you’ll have all the information you need to make the most of your stay. After booking you’ll be sent some questions so that you’re paired with a local guide based on your interests. The tour is completely customized so you can choose the meeting location and the starting time. During the walking tour you’ll have the option of taking public transportation or a taxi to get around the city (at your expense). Hear what it’s like to live in Nara, learn about cultural differences, local events and politics and get to know your guide on a personal level.

Meet your knowledgeable guide at the meeting point and begin your cultural half-day walking tour of Japan's first historical capital. As you walk by the shopping arcade, explore a Japanese old town extremely different from a metropolis like Tokyo. Walk between the historical buildings, and go inside a traditional merchant's house to see how people around here live in the past. Next, take a break from walking to observe the mysterious pyramid-shaped structure in the middle of the quiet town. Admire the view of the city of Nara from the hill, then visit Todai-ji Temple and Kasuga Taisha Shrine, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Learn about the distinct Japanese religious culture as you see a huge temple with a great Buddha statue, then explore a beautiful shrine housing hundreds of lanterns. In this area, meet and feed the wild deer living in Nara Park. For over 1,200 years, locals have believed that deer are sacred divine messengers. Interact with them and see how polite they are. At the end of the tour, savor a delicious Japanese lunch dish made only using local Nara vegetables and fresh meat.

Go on a private city walking tour through Nara and explore the fascinating history, culture, and food scene of this city. You'll be paired with guides that are passionate about the place they call home and who choose to spend their free time sharing it with like-minded travelers matched to them. Meet your guide in Kyoto or Osaka and take the train to Nara, the city where Shinto Buddhism was born. See some of Japan’s most significant temples and shrines. Marvel at art and architecture dating back to the 8th-century.   Walk down quiet streets and shaded paths lined with cherry blossom trees and be amazed by Nanto Shichi Daiji, the seven great Buddhist temples. Discover the magical, wood-built architecture overhung with thousands of lanterns at the fairytale Kasuga-Taisha Shrine. At the famous Nara Park, you can see the iconic tame deers that come close enough to greet you. If you are hungry this would be the perfect opportunity to check out the restaurants and cafes at Higashimuki Shopping Street. In this street, you will also find all sorts of souvenirs.  This tour can be fully personalized depending on your preferences. Your guide can provide you with tips and recommendations for the rest of your stay in Nara.

Explore Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, and neighboring cities like Nara, Hyogo, Wakayama, and Shiga with just a single pass. The Kansai Thru pass is the ideal way to discover the Kansai region and benefit from complimentary discount promotions at about 280 major tourist facilities along the railway lines. Subways, Light Rail, Trams & Cable Cars The Kansai Thru Pass is valid on the Osaka subway, Kyoto subway, Kobe subway, and Osaka Monorail as well as the Eizan Railway and Keifuku (Randen) in Kyoto, the Port and Rokko Liners in Kobe and the Hieizan and Koyasan cable cars. Railways The Kansai Thru Pass is valid on the Hankyu, Hanshin, Keihan, Kintetsu, Kobe Kosoku, Kobe Railways, Eizan, Nankai, Nose and Sanyo railways within the Kansai region. Buses The Kansai Thru Pass is valid on Kyoto City buses, Kobe City buses, Osaka City buses, as well as Hankyu, Itami, Keihan, Kintetsu, Nankai, Sanyo, Shintetsu and Wakayama buses.

An activity to enjoy with a team An innovative, challenging way to study and practice English outdoor and learn about Japan, its culture, and history. This activity was created for two types of people: - Foreign tourists who do not speak Japanese, but want to enjoy exploring the city on their own. They learn about new places, Japanese culture, history, and meet selected locals who can speak English and interact with them at a comfortable level. All combined with a ''Quiz Rally'' concept, to make it more interesting and fun. - Japanese people who wish to spend a day in a fully English-speaking environment without leaving their country. By doing so, they can explore the city and rediscover parts of their culture and history in a different language, and complete challenges in English to have the feeling of visiting a foreign country. This is a great activity to practice English in real-life situations and to challenge yourself before traveling abroad. This is the evolution, and the real life ''英会話'' experience. This experience is a semi-assisted Team English Quiz Rally activity. your guide will not stay with the guests during the activity, but will always be minutes away and ready to meet if a team has any problem.

In this walking tour, you will go to the main shopping street to attend a mochi pounding performance and have a mochi freshly made to get the best quality ever. Then, have a taste of the authentic sushis from Nara called "Kaki no Ha Zushi" (A special sushi rolled in a persimmon fruit leaf). The real fun starts with a Sake distillery, where you will learn a lot about sake, its history, and its manufacturing, all with a delicious tasting session (Up to 5 drinks). Then, next stop with a local craft beer microbrewery with a drink and snacks included. You will then finish with a local Izakaya/Bar, where the owner will welcome you with a drink and food for everyone. What a great way to start the evening!