Nara, Japan

Ok. I fell absolutely in love with Nara! I love the movie Bambi so being able to see all the cute deers touched my little old heart. I hope you make/have time to visit this super cute town. Everything from the parks to the streets was captivating! I stayed at Centurion Hotel Classic Nara. Location is great! I spent 2 days here and can’t wait to go back!

How to get there:

From Osaka: There are multiple Yamatoji rapid trains that operate every hour between JR Osaka Station and JR Nara Station. I did the one way trip and it took around 45 minutes and cost about 820 yen. This was covered by the Japan Rail Pass I purchased prior to my trip. Note: This train also stops at Osaka's Tennoji Station which is about 30 minutes.

My favorite spots:

  • Nara Park: One of the oldest parks in Japan, this is where all the deer roam freely. If you’re an animal lover like I am, then you will be in heaven. You can buy little pieces of deer crackers from the stalls for 150 yen and enjoy feeding the animals. So worth it!

  • Tōdai-ji: Beautiful buddhist temple.

  • Hōryū-ji: Another beautiful buddhist temple!

  • Kasuga-taisha: Shinto Shrine.

  • Higashimuki Shopping Street: Perfect for shopping and casual eats.


Sightseeing:

  • Isui-en & Neiraku Art Museum

  • Nigatsu-dō (temple)

  • Iga Ueno Castle

  • Hiraoka Shrine

  • Mount Wakakusa

  • Kasuga Taisha Manyo Botanical Gardens

    Food:

  • Maguro Koya - Delicious tuna!

  • Tonkatsu Ganko - Japanese cuisine

  • Shizuka - Traditional Japanese

  • 江戸川 ならまち店 - The unagi restaurant is known for its soul warming food. I had such amazing sushi and miso soup here!

Danielle Giordano