Nara Ikaruga 1 Day Ticket: Itinerary & Tips

Nara is less than one hour travel from Kyoto. It is both easy and convenient to take a day trip to Nara from Kyoto. Travelers going to Nara usually have one distinct purpose: to chase deers (or be chased)!

What to Do in a Nara Day Trip?

We started our day trip in Kyoto, took the Kintetsu to Nara, and then head to Osaka for the night. We purchased the Nara-Ikaruga One Day Pass (奈良・斑鳩 1day チケット) which includes unlimited bus ride and round trip to Nara from Kyoto or Osaka. It cost 1850 yen.

We used this pass to travel from Kyoto to Osaka, while making a cursory pass through to Nara.

Why Nara?

Nara was Japan's first permanent capital established in 710 AD. During 710 to 784, Nara enjoyed great prosperity. Till now, eight temples, shrines and ruins remain and they are collectively referred to as "Historical Monuments of Ancient Nara".

Also, visiting the deers is a great bonding activity for the family.

Tip 1: What Type of Rail Pass?

The first tip is to decide what pass you'll be using. We purchased the Nara-Ikaruga One Day Pass because it include bus rides in Nara. This pass is ideal if you're on a day trip from Kyoto or Osaka. There are of course other options, such as the Kintetsu Rail Pass (1 day or 2 days).

If you wanted to visit Nagoya and Ise-Shime, Kintetsu Rail Pass (5 days) is a good choice. It is only 3800 yen and offers unlimited rides on the Kintetsu for 5 days.

You can check the Kintetsu timetable to check train times and fares. The Kintetsu railway has limited express, express and local trains.

We took the express train and 50 minutes later we're at Nara.

We found a coin locker near the exit of Kintetsu Nara Station to store our luggage. Then we're off to exploration!


Nara, here we come!

Tip 2: Nara Kintetsu Station

The JR Nara Station, is around 12 minutes away on foot. Hence, I would recommend traveling to Nara by Kintetsu, instead of JR to save time. A bus station is located near the Nara Kintetsu Station.

If you want to sample some local specialty food, I would recommend taking a walk into the shopping district from the exit of Nara Station. Specialty food in Nara include: persimmon leaf sushi (kakinohazushi) and soft rice cake (yomogimochi). You can witness the making of yomogimochi at Nakatanido (中谷堂). It is a traditional dessert which involves continuously hitting grounded rice with a wooden mallet.


Nara Kintetsu Station

Once you stepped out of the Nara station, you'll notice that the atmosphere is quite different than Kyoto. Nara has a rustic charm and it is surrounded by hints of Buddhism. For instance, you'll see this statute of a monk standing in front of a fountain. He is known to give money and food to people who have suffered in the past. Today, you'll likely find people donating and bowing to the living monks.



As you continue to follow you crowd, you'll see a shopping street that resembles that of Osaka. You'll find old coffee shops, pickled vegetable shops and vintage clothing items. Nara is rather famous for its pickled vegetables due to its long distance from the sea.


Shopping street

Tip 3: Feeding Deers at Nara Park

As you follow the crowd, you'll soon see a pond. Keep walking and you'll start to notice the smell of deers...

Nara Park was established in 1300. It is one of the oldest park in Japan. We spotted the first deer wandering near the park. The deers in Nara may look tame, but they can become quite aggressive when  hungry. Often you'll see school girls screaming when being chased by hungry deers. The deers also ate a tourist's map. So beware of your belongings...



If you want to feed deers, look for the 150 yen signs around the park to purchase deer crackers. The deers are known to bow to visitors to be fed. The deers were selectively aggressive. I was lucky enough to feed some really gentle deers.

Tip 4: Group Photo at Todai-ji Temple (東大寺)

Todai-ji is a landmark in Nara. It is the largest wooden structure building and home to the Great Buddha. The entrance fee is 500 yen. We were accompanied by a group of students on our day of the visit. If you're brave enough, you can ask them to take a group photo with you!


The size of the Buddha inside Todai-ji is impressive.





On the day of our visit, we saw worshippers getting dressed for a ceremony to be held by a monk.

Tip 5: Don't Walk to the Kasuga Taisha Shrine!

After visiting the Todai-ji, we were a bit hesitant to wait for a bus, so we walked to Kasuga Taisha Shrine. It was a bad decision. Kasuga Taisha Shrine is actually quite far away and it involved quite a bit of climbing.

Kasuga Taisha was part of the "Historical Monuments of Ancient Nara", yet I have to say visiting the Todai-ji itself was quite enough. If you're only visiting Nara for a day trip, I would recommend skipping the Kasuga Taisha Shrine.


Credit: Wiki by Pundit

The deers found near the area were quite skinny. Probably due to the lack of deer crackers stalls and tourists that provide food?

Tip 6: Packing Lunch and Snacks is Always a Good Idea

We almost forgot lunch! We wandered off away from the shopping streets and tourist areas. It can be quite challenging to find food if you wander too far away into the forest areas.

We walked back to Nara Park. There was a restaurant that offered steamed rice and seafood, but it was closed for the day! At that point, we were hungry enough to consider snacking deer crackers! So we headed to one of the traditional tea garden hoping to find some food.

Luckily the shop sells congee and related snacks. A congee set costs 1000 yen. It is congee with miso, with side dishes, pickles and steamed egg roll.



I believe the congee set is vegetarian. This set is ideal for people who want to experience traditional Japanese food and try Nara specialty food. For those who would like to drink coffee, there is also a cake set provided in the menu.



They also provide a kind of special dessert, which tastes very similar to the yomogimochi that we tried earlier at Nakatanido, near the Kintetsu Nara Station.

Tip 7: Visit the Naramachi Early (and avoid Mondays)

The shops in Naramachi opens in 9:00 and gradually close at 16:00 to 17:00.

The Naramachi consists of special houses that were part of the merchant's traditional homes. It is quite similar to those found in Takayama Hida. The Lattic House, Nara Craft Museum and Imanshike Shoin Residence is closed on Mondays.

As we wander aimlessly in the streets of Naramachi, we found a supermarket. Hurray! This supermarket sells plenty of local food, including Nara pickles (yes, pickles again!). My mum really enjoy the taste of pickled vegetables.

We found a bus stop nearby and took the bus back to the Kintetsu Nara Station. It was then we realized how long we've been walking!

Tip 8: Don't Forget the Buddha Pudding!

I can't stress how much I love this Nara pudding! It tasted even better than Kobe pudding.

Before you leave Nara, you need to visit a special shop that sells Buddha related souvenirs inside the Kintetsu Nara Station. It also sells stationary, including stickers, plastic folders and T-shirts.

Do remember to drop by this shop to purchase this delicious Buddha Pudding!


Nara pudding. So cute!

In short. I'm quite satisfied with this impromptu day trip to Nara. We should have followed the direction  of the maps and be less ambitious in visiting all the famous sites in Nara. I hope you'll find the travel tips useful for your next visit to Nara! :D


Ending our trip in Osaka