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Visiting Nara from Osaka ～truly the must-see place in Japan～

Isuien Garden

Deer near Mizutani tea house

Playing with deer

The Great Buddha Statue

Todaiji Temple

Kasugataisha Shrine

Visiting Nara from Osaka ～truly the must-see place in Japan～

Day Trip

Joined 2023

Shuji O.

4.93 / 5

(57 reviews)

Identity Verified

Interview-Based Quality Checks

Osaka

English

8 hours

Private tour (only you and Shuji O.)

Up to 8 people

Nara: the must-see place in Japan.

Nara was the capital of ancient Japan before Kyoto became the capital.

In the Nara era, Buddhism played an important role in stabilizing the country. So you can see many big old temples there. Many of these are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites and are concentrated in a small area. So, if you have only one free day to spend in the Kansai area, I highly recommend visiting Nara.

Itinerary

This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!

09:00 AM

Meeting Point

At you hotel lobby

09:00 AM

Meeting Point

At your hotel in Osaka

09:20 AM

Namba Station, Osaka Station, Tennoji Station

There are two train services from Osaka to Nara

10:10 AM

Kasugataisha Shrine

It's wonderful. You will experience the ancient atmosphere here. You will learn something about Japanese culture.

You'll see a wedding ceremony here if you're lucky (I'm often fortunate).

10:50 AM

Nara Park

There are many friendly wild deer in the beautiful natural pard. You can feed them.

11:20 AM

Sangatsudo Temple

Buddhism has a long history in Nara. Sangatsudo has unique Buddha statues such as the Fukukenjaku-kannon. Please enjoy my presentation.

11:50 AM

Nigatsudo Temple

You can enjoy the view of Nara city from there. You will find the stage used for the dynamic "omizutan" ritual held in February.

12:30 PM

Lunch

Lunch at a casual local restaurant near Nigatsudo Temple

01:20 PM

Downhills to Todaiji Temple

Let's go down to the most important area of Nara

01:50 PM

Todaiji Temple and Great Buddha Statue

You will see two of the most important sites here. The largest Buddha statue(Great Buddha) and the largest wooden building(Todaiji) in the world are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. You can take photos inside.

02:30 PM

Nara Park

You will play with many lovely deer.

03:00 PM

Kofukuji Temple and it's museum/ or another part of Nara Park

You will see the most popular statue in the Tofukuji Museum.

If you prefer, you can walk in another part of Nara Park and old Naramachi town.

04:00 PM

Nara Station

Take a train from Nara Station

05:00 PM

Ending point

Your hotel or where you never get lost

Ending Point

At you hotel lobby or the station

Want to personalize this tour?

This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.

Inclusions & Exclusions

What‘s included

-Guide fee

-Hotel pick-up

What‘s not included

-Transportation fee (you and the guide) about 2000~3500 yen/per person (train, bus)

-Lunch (you and the guide) about 2000~4000/per person

-Admission fees (you only) 2000yen/per person

! When you start from Kyoto, I will ask you 50,000 JPY

Tour Important Information

We walk about 2 miles down hills,

There are nice train services between Nara and Osaka. If you like, you can choose a nicer train service between Namba to Nara with a 520 yen additional fare.

Available in the all year around

Cancellation Policy

Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time

Joined 2023

Shuji O.

4.93 / 5

(57 reviews)

Identity Verified

Interview-Based Quality Checks

About Tour Guide Shuji O.

Hi, I am Shuji, a licensed tour guide living near Kansai International Airport.

I taught world history in high schools for four decades. So, I can explain Japanese culture or history in an easier way tailored to you who have different cultural and historical backgrounds.

I also practiced Kendo, Japanese fencing, for more than four decades, and now I enjoy growing vegetables and going fishing. Therefore, I can also share some Japanese culture and its nature.

I have traveled to more than 25 countries and all over Japan. I’m also passionate about photography and know many photogenic places in Japan.

If you prefer to go off the beaten track, I can take you to hidden gems, including some cozy restaurants. Of course, I also know how to enjoy the crowded, most popular tourist sites. I am here to make your trip stress-free. See you soon!

Reviews

Luis felipe G.

5 / 5

Dec 8, 2025

The best of Kyoto, tailored to your requests.

Dec 8, 2025

Kyoto

7 hours 30 mins

“Kyoto in a Rush”

With so much to see in beautiful Kyoto we were left with a desire to come back. Shuji, a former History teacher, made our tour memorable. He was very accomodating on our needs and showed us what we were most interested. We were lucky to be in Kyoto at the peak of the fall and had opprtunity to see the autum colors in full blown. Shuji took us to the mecca of the fall where we were amazed at the sights. Thank you for such a memorable tour

Shuji O.

Thank you for the kind words. Yes, Kyoto has many wonderful places. I'm so sorry there were no time to going to the Kinkakuji Temple. We had to go back to the ship in time. I was very happy to talk about history. I was surprised to see how much you know about Japan. We also enjoyed talking about Ken Follett's novels. If we had more time, I could show you more places. Yes, please come back to Japan again. Thank you so much for the fun time!

Shannon L.

5 / 5

Dec 6, 2025

Day trip to Himeji Castle from Osaka

Dec 6, 2025

Himeji

5 hours

“Excellent guide and experience”

Shuji took my group on two day trips for Osaka: Nara and Himeji Castle. They absolutely loved Shuji and I appreciated his quick replies to messages; it was very easy to work with him. Highly recommend, and I'll be using Shuji again for other trips in that area.

Shuji O.

Thank you so much for kind words. I thought we would miss the best time to see the fall leaves, but we still enjoyed them. In Nara, deer greeted us as if they were old friends. We went to a lot of really pretty places, like the Isuien Garden. It was so comfortable there. Himeji Castle was also stunning, and we were able to visit and relax there. We were lucky because there weren't many visitors. We could also use the nice restaurant. Thank you for the nice gifts. Yes, I want to travel with you all again!

David B.

5 / 5

Nov 28, 2025

Walking tour in Eastern Kyoto

Nov 28, 2025

Kyoto

8 hours

“A Wonderful Autumn Day in Kyoto”

My wife and our friend spent a wonderful day with Shuji walking throughout eastern Kyoto. He patiently worked with me ahead of time to tweak his standard Eastern Kyoto walking tour itinerary, responding promptly to all messages and making helpful suggestions. On the day of the tour, he arrived promptly at our hotel and ably led us on our adventure. Highlights (for me) included the off-the-beaten-path Komyo-in Temple, with its lovely dry landscape garden and its stunning art exhibit upstairs, as well as a visit to the Sanjūsangen-dō Temple with its 1001 Kannon sculptures (plus another one, that Shuji will show you) and 28 incredible guardian deity sculptures. Throughout the day, Shuji provided background information, patiently answered questions, took pictures, and was always ready to make adjustments as needed. All in all, a delightful experience!

Shuji O.

Thank you for the kind words. Yes, it was a really wonderful day. I hadn't expected to see fall foliage, thinking it would be a little early. But we could enjoy them very much already. We could choose a secret route to avoid the crowd, for the sake of your agreement. The tour was comfortable, and the weather was nice. We don't often have such a nice day. Thank you so much!