Explore Japan's first capital city on a half-day walking tour with a local guide. Discover a secret spot, and visit both a temple and a shrine listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Get a taste for Japanese religious culture, then savor a local lunch.
About this activity
- Free cancellation
- Cancel up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund
- COVID-19 precautions
- Special health and safety measures apply. Learn more
- Mobile ticketing
- Use your phone or print your voucher
- Duration 4 hours
- Starting time 10:00 AM
- Instant confirmation
- Live tour guide
- English
- Small group
- Limited to 10 participants
Experience
Highlights
- Visit two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Todai-ji Temple and Kasuga Taisha Shrine
- Find out more about Japan's distinctive religious culture
- Explore places that are off the beaten path in Nara
- Relish a tasty Japanese lunch that only uses local vegetables and fresh meat
- Meet and feed the wild deer living in Nara Park
Full description
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.
Includes
- Entrance fees to all temples and shrines visited
- 1 packet of crackers to feed the deer
- Lunch
- Extra food and drinks (available for purchase)
COVID-19 precautions
Safety measures in place
- All areas that customers touch are frequently cleaned
- Customers must keep distance in vehicles
- The number of visitors is limited to reduce crowds
Traveler requirements
- Customers are required to bring and wear masks
- Customers will get a mandatory temperature check
Select participants and date
Participants
Date
Prepare for the activity
Meeting point
In front of the Gyoki Bosatsu statue near Exit 2 or East Exit of Kintetsu Nara Station. Your guide will be holding a board with the local partner's name on it. Please don't go to JR Nara station, you need to be at Kintetsu Nara Station. Please arrive at the meeting point 10 minutes before the activity starts.
Open in Google Maps ⟶Important information
Know before you go
- All ages can join this tour
- Bring comfortable shoes for walking
- If you are vegetarian or require a gluten-free lunch, please contact the local partner before the tour date
- The local partner may not be able to serve you the lunch if you have food restrictions or allergies
- Though you will take a few short breaks during the walking tour, please let the local partner know beforehand if your group's members are worried about a particular health problem
- You do not need to pay for the guide's food and drinks
- Please bring some cash if you would like to purchase additional snacks and drinks
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the tour starting time
- Free date/time rescheduling up to 24 hours before the tour starting time (depending on availability)
- Please arrive at the meeting point 10 minutes before the activity starts
- Out of respect for our other guests and to ensure the best tour for everyone, the tour must start on time
