Itinerary · Japan
Nara with kids in one day: how far is it to walk?
A family day in Nara: walking times to the deer in Nara Park and Todai-ji's Great Buddha Hall, deer rules for kids, pacing the day and what to bring.
Published
Flights to Kansai Airport (KIX)
Is one day enough for Nara with kids?
Nara is an old capital where Todai-ji's Great Buddha, Kasuga-taisha and Nara Park, home to about 1,300 deer, are close together. A day trip to 2 days is enough, so a single day works even with children.
With kids, start with walking times. Nara Park is about 8 minutes on foot from Kintetsu-Nara Station, and Todai-ji and Isuien about 15 minutes. From JR Nara Station it is about 20 minutes to Nara Park, so starting at Kintetsu-Nara keeps the walking short. This post plans a day around the deer and the Great Buddha at a child's pace. For getting there from Osaka or Kyoto and the standard day route, see the post below.
- Kintetsu-Nara Station to Nara Park: about 8 minutes on foot
- Kintetsu-Nara Station to Todai-ji or Isuien: about 15 minutes on foot
- JR Nara Station to Nara Park: about 20 minutes on foot
- Naramachi: about 15 minutes' walk from Kintetsu-Nara Station, about 20 minutes from JR Nara Station
Morning: meet the deer in Nara Park
Nara Park is about 8 minutes' walk from Kintetsu-Nara Station. About 1,300 wild deer roam its roughly 660 hectares, and it is open every day, free of charge, so you can easily stay longer or leave early depending on how the kids are doing.
The deer are a national natural monument and wild animals. If your child wants to feed them, agree on the rules below before you enter the park. Deer crackers (shika-senbei) cost JPY 200 for 10 as of 2024.
- Feed the deer only deer crackers
- Give them one at a time, quickly
- When you run out, spread your arms to show you have none left
- Don't tease them by pretending to feed them
- Watch belongings such as maps and plastic bags: the deer try to eat them
- Male deer can be aggressive, especially in autumn
- Take your trash with you (there are no trash bins in the park)
Around lunchtime: Todai-ji Great Buddha Hall
Walk on through Nara Park to Todai-ji, about 15 minutes on foot from Kintetsu-Nara Station. The hall housing the Great Buddha of Nara is considered the largest wooden structure in the world.
It is open 7:30–17:30 from April to October and 8:00–17:00 from November to March, and costs JPY 800 for adults. A joint pass with the Todai-ji Museum is JPY 1,200. Check official information for child fares. Because closing time is fixed, if you expect the kids to spend a long time with the deer, you can see the hall first and return to the park afterwards.
- April–October: 7:30–17:30
- November–March: 8:00–17:00
- JPY 800 adult; joint pass with the Todai-ji Museum JPY 1,200
- Child fare: check official information
Afternoon: one more stop, at an easy pace
In the afternoon, pick just one more place depending on how the kids feel. Kasuga-taisha is a shrine founded in 768, known for its vermilion buildings and 3,000 donated lanterns. Its gates open 6:30–17:30 (March–October) and 7:00–17:00 (November–February); the main worship area is free, and special worship at the main sanctuary is JPY 700. Isuien is a Japanese garden made of two parts, one from the Edo period and one from the Meiji era. It is open 9:30–16:30 (entry by 16:00; until 17:00 in April–May), closed Tuesdays, JPY 1,200 adult for the garden and museum. In Naramachi, lined with old machiya townhouses, look with your kids for the red monkey charms (migawarizaru) hanging under the eaves.
If little legs are tired, don't insist on walking. Nara Kotsu's Loop Bus runs frequently from JR Nara and Kintetsu-Nara stations to Nara Park and the main sights. The Bus 1-Day Pass is JPY 600 for adults and JPY 300 for children, per Nara Kotsu's English page. There are also rental bicycles, including power-assisted bikes, and sightseeing taxis whose drivers act as guides.
- Kasuga-taisha: main worship area free; special worship JPY 700
- Isuien: JPY 1,200 adult; closed Tuesdays
- Naramachi: migawarizaru charms, Koshin-do, the Naramachi Lattice House
- Mount Wakakusa: about 40 minutes on foot to the summit; check official information for opening periods
- Bus 1-Day Pass: JPY 600 adult, JPY 300 child
What to bring and how to pace the day
Save the kids' energy by traveling light and switching to the bus when they tire. Check official information on rest facilities in the park before you go. The Nara City Tourist Information Center in front of JR Nara Station's East Exit offers temporary baggage storage.
Local food includes kakinoha-zushi (pressed sushi wrapped in a persimmon leaf), kuzumochi (a chewy, sweet wagashi made from Yoshino kudzu starch) and cha-gayu (rice porridge cooked in hojicha). Kakinoha-zushi keeps at room temperature, so it is also a popular gift.
- Japanese yen in cash: Kofuku-ji admission is cash only
- A plan for carrying your trash home: there are no trash bins in Nara Park
- Keep maps and plastic bags out of the deer's reach
- Clothes for the weather: see the averages below
- Coming straight from the airport: the airport limousine bus (Kansai Airport to JR Nara Station) takes about 100–120 minutes, JPY 2,400 adult and JPY 1,200 child one way; tickets are sold at the airport
When to go with kids
Highlights include cherry trees along the Saho River in spring, the Nara Light-Up Promenade (July–September) and Nara Tokae in August in summer, and autumn leaves in Nara Park. Note that the park is crowded in autumn leaf season and that male deer can be aggressive in autumn. If meeting the deer up close is the main goal, keep this in mind and consider spring first. Autumn-leaf timing changes every year, so check the official forecast if you go in autumn.
Japan Meteorological Agency normals for Nara station (1991–2020) give average highs of about 20°C and lows of about 9°C in April, and about 25°C and 14°C in May. August is very hot, with highs of about 33°C. Check the weather forecast just before you go, and check official Japanese government information on entry procedures.
- April: high about 20°C, low about 9°C, rainfall about 99 mm
- May: high about 25°C, low about 14°C, rainfall about 139 mm
- August: high about 33°C, low about 24°C, rainfall about 128 mm
- November: high about 17°C, low about 7°C, rainfall about 71 mm
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FAQ
How much are child fares?
Child fares are JPY 1,200 one way on the airport limousine bus and JPY 300 for the Bus 1-Day Pass. For child entry fees at places such as Todai-ji's Great Buddha Hall, check official information. Nara Park is free.
How much walking is it with kids?
About 8 minutes from Kintetsu-Nara Station to Nara Park and about 15 minutes to Todai-ji. If the kids get tired, take the Loop Bus; the Bus 1-Day Pass is JPY 300 for children.
Can my child feed the deer?
Only with deer crackers (JPY 200 for 10 as of 2024). Give them one at a time, quickly, and spread your arms when you run out. Never tease the deer by pretending to feed them.
Is autumn OK with kids?
You can go, but the park is crowded in autumn leaf season and male deer can be aggressive in autumn. If you go then, follow the deer rules even more carefully.
Related reading
ⓘ Photo credits
- Waiting at an airport gate · Matthew Henry matthewhenry / CC0
- Isuien Garden · Kimon Berlin ( Gribeco ) / CC BY-SA 4.0