World Heritage Tour in Nara

This is an itinerary in Nara, covering as many World Heritage Sites (WH) as possible with the discount three day pass, arriving from and leaving to Kyoto/Osaka.

Understand
Nara Prefecture has the most World Heritage Sites in Japan &mdash; 3. This article proposes the most efficient way to cover them. Nara has the following World Heritage Sites:


 * Buddhist Monuments in the Horyu-ji Area
 * Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara
 * Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range (Yoshino and Omine Area)

Prepare
Make sure to get Nara World Heritage three day pass -Nara, Ikaruga, Yoshino Areas (奈良世界遺産フリーきっぷ 奈良・斑鳩・吉野コース Nara Sekai Isan Furī Kippu - Nara, Ikaruga, Yoshino kō-su) at Kintetsu Railway stations (below). It's valid only for Kintetsu Railway and Nara Kotsu Bus services (not for JR), but covers all the transportation expenses of the following itinerary (except Yoshino Ropeway). Tell the ticket clerk on what date you will start using it and you can get a pass one month in advance. There are also one-day and two-day passes without Yoshino area.

This three day pass costs:
 * ¥2800 (¥1400 for a child), if traveling from Osaka (Namba, Nipponbashi, Uehonmachi, Tsuruhashi stations on Kintetsu Line), gaining ¥1690 discount.
 * ¥3000 (¥1500 for a child), if traveling from Kyoto (Kintetsu Kyoto station), gaining a ¥1630 discount.

This itinerary is based on the WEEKDAY timetable, and may vary on Saturday, Sunday and national holidays.

Also bring this PDF MAP of railways in Nara with you.

Get in
Leave your hotel in Osaka or Kyoto as early as possible for Nara after rush hour (7:00-9:00).

From Osaka

 * Rapid Expresses (快速急行) depart from Namba station at 8:38, 8:51, 9:04, 9:13, 9:25, 9:37, 9:44, 9:55, 10:07, 10:17, 10:24, 10:32 and arrive at terminal Nara Station between 9:17 and 11:10, also making stops at Nipponbashi, Uehonmachi, Tsuruhashi stations in Osaka. No change is needed.

From Kyoto

 * Expresses (急行) depart from Kyoto station at 8:39(for Nara), 8:52, 9:09, 9:24, 9:39, 9:52(for Nara), 10:10, 10:25 and arrive at Nara Station between 9:27 and 11:15.

On your way to Nara, stop at Yamato-Saidaiji Station and walk to the Heijo Palace Site (WH) (appr. 15 minutes). The grounds are quite vast, so if you choose to visit the museums (at opposite ends of the area), you may be pressed for time to see the rest of the day's sites, depending on how long you take to see each. It may be wise to give the museums a miss, as they are not of any great interest. At the very least, walk to the center of the grounds to see the actual excavation site and the remnants of the old imperial palace. You may also enjoy seeing the Suzakumon Gate, although it is a modern reconstruction.

Go back to Yamato-Saidaiji Station and head to Nara Staton where you will find the rest of the days sites.

Main article Nara

You can best manage your time by visiting the sites in the following order (You will go through the Kofukuji area on the way to/from Gango-ji Temple, so order is not as important here.) The others are listed in the order you will pass them walking away from the station:
 * Kofuku-ji Temple (WH) (admission free in the premises, open 24h)
 * Gango-ji Temple (WH) (admission ¥400, open 9:00-17:00)
 * Todai-ji Temple (WH) (admission free in the premises, ¥500 for the Main Hall, open 8:00-16:00 in Nov to Feb, longer in the other months)
 * Kasuga Taisha Shrine (WH) (admission free in the premises, open 24h)
 * Kasugayama Premeval Forest (WH)

Note that the three day pass is valid for Nara Kotsu Bus service in central Nara.

Get in
In the morning, catch the train from Kintetsu Nara station to Yamato-Saidaiji station (2 stops from Nara) and then to Yoshino. There are lots of commuter service between Nara and Yamato-Saidaiji stations, arriving at Yamato-Saidaiji every 10 minutes.


 * Expresses (急行) depart from Yamato-Saidaiji station at 8:22, 8:41, 9:28, 9:52, 10:23 bound for terminal Kashihara Jingu Mae station (7 stops). Change your train there for terminal Yoshino Station.

Main article Yoshino


 * Mt. Yoshino (WH)
 * Yoshino Mikumari Shrine (WH)
 * Yoshimizu Shrine (WH)
 * Kimpu Shrine (WH)
 * Kimpusen-ji Temple (WH)
 * Mt. Omine (WH)
 * Ominesan-ji Temple (WH)
 * Omine Okugake Michi (Route)(WH)
 * Tamaki Shrine (WH)
 * Kumano Sankei Michi Kohechi (Route)(WH)

Go next

 * Expresses (急行) depart from Kashihara Jingu Mae station at X:07 and X:37 every hour between 11 and 15, 16:08, 16:37, 17:08, 17:39, 18:08, 18:38, 19:08, 19:40, 20:06, 20:35 and arrive at Yamato-Saidaiji station (7 stops) in 30 minutes. There are lots of commuter service between Nara and Yamato-Saidaiji stations, arriving at Nara in 10 minutes.

Day 3 Outskirt NARA and HORYU-JI
This day, you will leave Nara and have to check out of your hotel in the morning. But you will probably be able to leave your baggage there until late afternoon.

In the morning, catch the bus on Nara-Nishinokyo-Ikaruga Excursion Bus line (Line No. 97) from Kintetsu Nara (at 8:43) or JR Nara (at 8:45) stations to terminal Horyu-ji (E-15)(at 9:43) and Hokki-ji (E-13).

Main article Horyu-ji, Nara

In the afternoon, catch the bus (Line No. 97) at 12:43 or 13:43 to Yakushi-ji (E-10) and Toshodai-ji (E-8). The distance from Yakushi-ji to Toshodai-ji is 600m and can be covered on foot. The latest bus departs from Toshodai-ji (E-8) at 16:23 and arrives at Kintetsu Nara station at 16:40.


 * Horyu-ji Temple (WH) (admission ¥1000, open 8:00-16:30 in Nov to Feb, 30 minutes longer in the other months)
 * Hokki-ji Temple (WH) (admission ¥400, open 8:00-16:30 in Nov to Feb, 30 minutes longer in the other months)
 * Yakushi-ji Temple (WH) (admission ¥800, open 8:30-17:00, the latest entry 16:30)
 * Toshodai-ji Temple (WH) (admission ¥600, open 8:30-17:00, the latest entry 16:30)

Go next
Pick up your baggage at your hotel and leave Nara for Osaka or Kyoto. No extra charge is needed if you travel from Kyoto/Osaka and back to the same city. Otherwise, Pay the extra fee at the Kintetsu train station in Osaka or Kyoto.
 * ¥430 when you travel to Nara from Kyoto and leave for Osaka.
 * ¥540 when you travel to Nara from Osaka and leave for Kyoto.

For Osaka

 * Rapid Expresses (快速急行) or Expresses (急行) depart from Kintetsu Nara station bound for terminal Namba at least five times every hour between 16 and 20. The journey takes three quarters of an hour.

For Kyoto

 * Expresses (急行) depart from Kintetsu Nara station directly bound for terminal Kyoto station at 17:17, 18:16, 19:16, 19:49 and 20:17. The journey takes less than an hour, arriving between 18:03 and 21:03. If you miss these trains, catch the train for Osaka (above) and change the train at Yamato-Saidaiji station (2 stops from Nara).