Travel Destinations in Nara

Heijo Palace Site

UNESCO Imperial Palace Ruins with Reconstructed Gate and Hall

The ruins of the imperial palace of the Nara-period capital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a ...

Kimpusen-ji

Yoshino's Zao-do Hall and the Blue Zao Gongen, Shown Only in Spring and Autumn

The head temple of Kimpusen Shugen Honshu, a Shugendo school, halfway up Mount Yoshino. Its main ...

Asuka

Japan's Ancient Capital with Megalithic Tombs and Stone Carvings

Japan's ancient capital before Nara, where mysterious megalithic stone tombs, ancient temple ruin...

Tachibana-dera

The Temple That Marks the Traditional Birthplace of Prince Shotoku, with a Two-Faced Stone and an Old Pagoda Base

A Tendai temple on the spot where, by tradition, Prince Shotoku was born. The Asuka-period temple...

Nara Park

Historic park home to over 1,000 freely roaming sacred deer and several UNESCO World Heritage tem...

Asuka-dera

The Asuka Daibutsu, Dated by the Temple to 609 and Called by It Japan's Oldest Buddha Statue, Photos Allowed

A small hall in the fields of Asuka on the site of the temple Soga no Umako began in 588. Inside ...

Isuien Garden

Exquisite Borrowed Scenery Garden beside Todai-ji

An exquisite Meiji-era strolling garden next to Todai-ji, celebrated for its masterful borrowed s...

Kimpu Shrine

The Shrine at the Top of Yoshino's Okusenbon and the Tower Yoshitsune Is Said to Have Kicked His Way Out Of

A small, old shrine in the cedar woods of Okusenbon, the highest part of Mount Yoshino, to the go...

Mitarai Valley

River Gorge with Waterfalls and Emerald Pools

A gorge in Tenkawa village with waterfalls, clear green pools and giant boulders, followed by a r...

Omiwa Shrine

Ancient Shrine that Worships Mount Miwa Itself

One of Japan's oldest shrines, which has no main sanctuary because Mount Miwa behind it is worshi...

Kitora Tomb

A Small Asuka Tomb Painted with the Four Guardian Animals and a Star Chart, and a Free Museum Where the Real Murals Go on Show

A two-tier round tomb from the late 7th or early 8th century whose chamber was painted with the f...

Yakushi-ji

Ancient Temple of Healing with the Frozen Music Pagoda

A World Heritage temple and one of the Seven Great Temples of Nara, celebrated for its elegant Ea...

Fujiwara Palace Site

The Field Where Nara Says Japan's First Grid-Planned Capital Stood, Now Planted with Rapeseed, Lotus and Cosmos

The site of the palace at the centre of Fujiwara-kyo, Japan's capital from 694 to 710, which Nara...

Hokki-ji

Japan's Oldest Three-Storey Pagoda, Out in the Fields North-East of Horyu-ji

A small temple among fields on the north-east edge of Ikaruga. Its three-storey pagoda, finished ...

Mount Wakakusa

Grassy Hill Above Nara Park with City Views

A 342-metre grass-covered hill at the eastern edge of Nara Park, known for its wide views over th...