USD ($)
Help
Login

Japan
›
Osaka
›
Tours
›
Day Trip
›
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.

4.92 / 5

(52 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.

4.92 / 5

(52 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

Andrew I.

5 / 5

Nov 4, 2025

Customized Tour in Kyoto 2

Nov 4, 2025

Kyoto

6 hours

Customized

“Excellent guide for Kyoto”

Shuji helped us organise a tour for approximately 25 people when our organisation visited Kyoto for a conference. Shuji displayed an excellent knowledge of the sites we visited; not once did we feel like he as lost or didn't know the way. He had a good strategy for keeping track of so many people and ensuring that no one got lost. We appreciated that he helped us navigate the logistics including getting so many people to the different places by subway. I would definitely book a tour with Shuji again if I were in the area.

Shuji O.

Hello Andrew, Thank you for the great review. I'm so glad to read this. Yes, we had many things to consider.But you got ready for it really well. You were a great leader, and the other staff members also helped us a lot. Your group was from different countries, but you were very disciplined. You all had a great time. I hope your conference was successful. Yes, I would be always ready to welcome you. Thank you so much!

Wyatt L.

5 / 5

Nov 3, 2025

The best of Kyoto, tailored to your requests.

Nov 3, 2025

Kyoto

8 hours 30 mins

“Private tour of Kyoto”

Shuji hosted me on a spectacular one day custom tour of Kyoto. I only had one day coming in from Tokyo and he built a schedule that maximized my time in a relatively relaxed manner. Shuji proposed a great itinerary and was flexible to make changes that suited me. He was a wealth of knowledge about the temples, the neighborhoods, and the history. Most importantly, he took me for a wonderful lunch where I had the best pork chop I have ever eaten!

Shuji O.

Thank you so much for your excellent review! I'm pleased to hear you liked it. Yes, we met on the Shinkansen platform and said goodbye at the Shinkansen station. It was a kind of whirlwind tour, but enjoyable nonetheless. I hope you enjoyed Kyoto, despite having only one free day in Tokyo. I hope you have fond memories of it! Thank you very much again!

Martha N.

5 / 5

Nov 3, 2025

Bamboo grove and Arashiyama area, three World Heritages.

Nov 3, 2025

Kyoto

8 hours

“A wonderful day”

shuji was a very knowledgeable and pleasant guide. He gave excellent background and history on all the sites. He took us to the big popular spots and a couple unusual and lovely places. Very clear and good English. We enjoyed our day with him.

Shuji O.

Thank you for the kind words! We had a little rain, but we still enjoyed visiting all the places we went. You both were so smart, and we could appreciate a little of Japan's history, art, and culture. We could have spent more time talking about our travel or dogs. Thanks for the Merlin! Have fun on the tour tomorrow!