Name: Nara Guided Tours
Brand: GoWithGuide
Rating: 5.0 (174 reviews)

Japan

Nara

Our local guides are ready to help you plan, customize and realize your ideal tour in Nara. All GoWithGuide guides are real locals who know the area on a deep and personal level, and they can’t wait to share their knowledge with you.

When traveling, everyone wants to get the most bang out of their buck. How to do that? Ask the right person to be your tour guide, of course! As opposed to fixed itineraries that are too formal and geared towards large groups, arranging a trip with the help of a local guide will mean the trip will be about what YOU want to see and do.

Go ahead and send a message to one (or several!) of our local guides. They would love to show you their Nara!

Local Tour Guides in Nara

When unable to travel, bring travel to the comfort of your house! Sometimes it is difficult to physically travel to your destination, that’s where virtual guided tours become a perfect alternative.

You can find all sort of activities and tours offered by GoWithGuide’s local guides: cooking classes, history lessons, walking tours, interaction with locals, exploration of the wilderness.. and much more! So let our local Nara guides share their part of the world with you.

Connect with the guide virtually, and then simply to sit back, relax with your favorite beverage and enjoy the tour!

Nara Virtual Tours & Experiences

Whether it’s your first time to Nara or you are back to discover more, a good tour guide can make all the difference. Enjoy the best of what Nara has to offer, without all the fuss of planning everything by yourself!

You can pick your favorite itinerary from the Nara tours offered by our local guides, but feel free to ask for customizations based on your preferences. We want to help travelers get the most out of their trips, and we believe a good tour with a local guide is the best way to ensure that.

There is so much to see and do in Nara, and the best way to get the most out of your time there is to have a local expert with you. GoWithGuide is committed to delivering unforgettable tour experiences, so let us help you create your next favorite memory.

Nara Private Tour Guide

Travel like a real local. With our lineup of varied tours we want to help you customize and realize your ideal tour in Nara. Our guides can arrange for you to visit areas specific to your interests, so there will be no filler in the itinerary!

Browse all the tours we offer in Nara, and find the perfect one for you. The tours come in a variety of categories and lengths, so chances are you will be able to find the tour for you. Looking for something you couldn’t find in our lineup? Go ahead and send a message to one of the guides, they will create your tour for you!

Teaming up with a local guide and getting their help in planning the itinerary is the smart way to travel, so let them sort everything out for you.

Private Tours in Nara

Are you in need of transportation on your trip to Nara? On this page you can find pick-up, airport transfers and chauffeur (Private car charter with professional drivers).

We meticulously check all drivers and Car Companies you find on this page to make sure they have all the necessary documentation and qualifications to run transfer services for their area. Choose from the available listings, or message one of the suppliers directly to inquire about their services.

Having reliable and good quality transportation is an important but often overlooked part of planning a trip. Let our Nara car & van service providers take care of transportation for you, so you can enjoy your sightseeing!

Nara Private Cars, Van & Transfers

The deer of Nara Park is unique as they have long protected as messenger of Japanese God.
These deer acutually bow when greeting you, especially ehen deer crackers are ready to feed them.

The five-storied Pagoda and the Tokon-do of Kofuku-ji temple have been burnt down five times and the present buildings date back to the 15th centry.
Once this temple contained more than 170 buildings, but many have been reconstructed each time. This is typical example that people in Nara support Kofuku-ji temple and love it  historically.

Great Buddha statue(Daibutsu) at Todai-ji temple is the largest bronze Buddha in the world. It weights approximatelly 380 tons, and the height is 15 meters tall.
This statue was originally built in 752 by means of bronze casting  and gold plated on the surface of bronze. This Buddha statue have contributed to expand the Buddhism in Japan as the simbol of Buddha meaning "Shining Light of the Univers".

Kasuga Grand Shrine is Japanes Sinto shrine and built in 768 of Nara period. Due to close ties with the imperial family, many emperors. empresses visited this shrine.The unique feature of Kasuga Shrine is outstanging 2,000 stone lanterns that line the approach to the sanctuary. These lanterns have been donared by worshipers who honor and revere the gods of Kasuga Shrine.

Through visitting these temples and shrines, we can imagine the culture and history of Nara period, 1,300 years ago.


One day trip of Nara Park 

Your most memorable tour to Nara (Kyoto or Osaka departure)

Nara is the old capital of Japan , a very rich city with beautiful temples,shrines and parks. You can have a very nice walk through the Nara deer park, and visit Todaiji temple and Kasuga Shrine. 

Nara Highlights: Personalized One-Day Private Tour

One Day Tour in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nara

Guests can expect easy customization (S01 - S08) of their private tour in Nara so as to meet their needs. 
One-day tour either from Osaka or from Kyoto (about 50 mins/one way) is available in which I can pick you up at your hotel in those cities. 
After guest's selection and needs the guide can arrange best itineray of the tour and feedback it to the guest with proper tour cost and time. 

 ------ Overview of each spot -------
S01. Kasuga Taisha Shrine
   It is Nara's most celebrated and important shrine established in 8th century and famous for many stone lantans along approach 
   and bronze hanging lanterns in inner buildings.  [World Heritage Site]

S02. Todaiji Temple
   It is huge temple-complex and the must-see spot for the 15m tall gilt bronze Daibutsu (Great Buddha) is housed in the largest wooden structure in the world 
   and Japan's largest national treasure  [World Heritage Site] (Admission: 600yen/adult)

S03. Nara Park
   It is vast green area where 1200 wild deer roam around which are protected as divine messengers which tourists can enjoy feeding with designated cracker.

S04. Yoshikien Garden
   Yoshikien has three unique gardens: a pond garden, a moss garden and a tea ceremony garden.  
   Visitors can enjoy appriciating those three different variations in one spot.  And free of charge for foreign tourists !

S05. Kofukuji Temple/National Treasure House
   It is a large temple complex of historical Buddhist buildings including symbolic five-story pagoda. 
   A lot of national and cultural treasures are exhibited at its museum [World Heritage Site]

S06. Nara Town Walk 
   We can enjoy strolling around narrow streets that makes up the merchant quarter of the city 
   where many of the traditional buildings preserved as nice restaurants, cafes, handyicraft shops,museums etc similar to those in Kyoto.
  [ Available contents ]
    * Stroll around local streets lined with many shops and restaurants some of those in traditional town house. 
    * Drop in nice shops along alleys featuring in very unique handmade products you cannot find in other places
    * Inner tour of traditional merchant town house where you can learn how town people lived and ran business in old days.
    * Visiting local shrines and temples including Gangoji Temple [World Heritage Site]
    * Tasting various kinds of Japanese sake (wine) in sake brewer with explanation and cup present (500yen)

S07. Dajoin Garden 
   This garden is a tranquil garden centered around a lake in Nara which was designed in the Pure Land style type of Japanese garden,
    especially good for cherry-blossom viewing in spring and autumn leave viewing. (Admission: 200yen/adult)

S08. Isuien Garden
   It has two very beautiful gardens in "strolling-around-the-pond" style built in two different periods which allow visitors enjoy various scenerys 
   while walking around  (Admission: 900yen/adult [pottery collection exhibit included])

Customized Private Tour in Nara

You can visit most of major destinations in eastern Nara city. Then you will feel different atmosphere from Kyoto and Osaka. It is quieter town than them. And you will have to play with deer because they are very friendly. 

Nara Highlights from Kyoto or Osaka

Dans ce tour, j’aimerais vous présenter non seulement les temples ou sanctuaires très connus mais aussi la charme des endroits plus calmes et mystiques. On suit une ruelle apercevant des traces de l’antiquité, dans l’ambience serein. J’espère que ce sera une excellente expérience pour vous！

Temples et Sanctuaires à Nara : Visite Guidée d’une Journée

-Yakushi-ji Temple has old history back to Fujiwara-kyo period.(a former capital of Japan.
-Temple was built in 680, but has been moved to the current location at Nara period.
-All buildings, with the exception of the East Pagoda, were destroyed by fire and natural disasters several times durin 16th century.
-Since 1967, major restoration project has been carried out, and new Kondo(Main Hall), Saitou(West Pagoda), Koudo(Lecture Hall)
 have been newly built.  We can feel that the original temple at Nara period based on these restored buildings. It's so colorful.
-We can see new wall paintings indicating "Silk Road" and learn how the culture has been transferred to Japan including Buddhism.

-Toshodai-ji Temple was built by famous Chinese priest Ganjin, Jian Zhen in 759.
-In the early 8th century, there were no formally trained Buddhist priest in Japan.
-Ganjin was invited by Japanese emperor as a Buddhist teaching master to come to Japan and provide Buddhist doctorines.
-He took 12 years to come to Japan after five time attempts to cross the ocean, and eye disease blinded Ganjin during these attempts.
-Buddhism statues at Toshodai-ji were crafted under the direction of Ganjin, and therefore these have a distinct Tang Chinese style.

-Essentially we can compare the new temple(Yakushi-ji) and old temple(Toshodai-ji) at the same tour.

In case when we visit Mausoleum of Emperor Suinin;
-Mausoleum of Emperor Suinin has beatiful Keyhole-shaped tumulus surrounded by water trnch.
-This tumulus has a length of 277 meters and was built in late 4th century.
-This tumulus was built much earlier than Nara period, but it is well maintained, and we can understan the typical old tumulus.    

Nara Yakushi-ji /Toshodai-ji Temple --- World Heritage

Dans ce tour, vous pourriez visiter deux temples bouddhique et un sanctuaire shintoïste, qui datent du 8e siècle. C’est un tour plein de charme J’espère que ce sera une excellente expérience pour vous！

Demi-journée de Visite à Nara

-Horyu-ji Temple contains about 2,300 important cultural and historical structures and articles including nearly 190 items of Natuinal Treasures or Important  
 Cultural Propaerties. It is miracle to have these well reserved for such long period.
-Among these buildings, statues, and articles, we can see the effect of Western cultures such as Greece, China, India, and korea, which have been transferred
 through the Silk Road.
-This cultural transfer can be seen at Fujinoki Kofun tumulus also in the harness and horse fittings.
-Prince Shotoku built the Horyu-ji Temple in order to inroduce and expand Buddism in Japan, and he is called as "Father of Japanese Buddhism".
-The spirit of Prince Shotoku can be seen through the temple, and especially in the first Japanese constitution called the 17-Article Constitution.
-The key point of his spirit is "WA", which means harmony in life, and world.


One day trip of Horyu-ji Temple

A full-day highlights tour of Nara

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Top Nara, Japan Private Tours and things to do: Visit Nara, Nara with Local Guides. Check reviews, photos, request an itinerary, plan a day trip or walking tour.

One day trip of Nara Park

One day trip of Nara Park

Your most memorable tour to Nara (Kyoto or Osaka departure)

Your most memorable tour to Nara (Kyoto or Osaka departure)

Nara Highlights: Personalized One-Day Private Tour

Nara Highlights: Personalized One-Day Private Tour

One Day Tour in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nara

One Day Tour in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Nara

Customized Private Tour in Nara

Customized Private Tour in Nara

Nara Highlights from Kyoto or Osaka

Nara Highlights from Kyoto or Osaka

Temples et Sanctuaires à Nara : Visite Guidée d’une Journée

Temples et Sanctuaires à Nara : Visite Guidée d’une Journée

Nara Yakushi-ji /Toshodai-ji Temple --- World Heritage

Nara Yakushi-ji /Toshodai-ji Temple --- World Heritage

Demi-journée de Visite à Nara

Demi-journée de Visite à Nara

One day trip of Horyu-ji Temple

One day trip of Horyu-ji Temple

A full-day highlights tour of Nara

A full-day highlights tour of Nara

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