The easiest way around Nara is on foot, since the major sights and attractions are within walking distance from each other. 

Travelers can also opt to buy the following passes to get around:

• Nara Bus Pass

  • Coverage: all Nara Kotsu buses within Nara City

  • Duration: 1 day

  • Price: 500 Yen

  • Where to buy: Nara Station

• Nara Bus 1-Day Wide Pass

  • Coverage:

    • all Nara Kotsu buses within Nara City

    • also covers buses in Ikaruga

  • Duration: 1 day

  • Price: 1000 Yen

  • Where to buy: Nara Station

• Nara Bus 2-Day Wide Pass

  • Coverage:

    • all Nara Kotsu buses within Nara City

    • also covers buses within Ikaruga

    • also covers buses within Asaku

  • Duration: 1 day

  • Price: 1000 Yen

  • Where to buy: Nara Station

• Kintetsu Rail Pass

  • Coverage:

    • All trains on the Kintetsu Local, Rapid and Express Trains between Osaka, Nara and Kyoto

    • all Nara Kotsu buses within Nara City

    • also covers buses Ikaruga

  • Duration: 1 day or 2 days

  • Price: 1500 Yen or 2500 Yen

  • Where to buy: Nara Station (only available to foreign tourists)

Travelers visiting Nara have two primary options for public transportation: local trains or the bullet train (Shinkansen). For those arriving by local train, the journey often involves a transfer at either Kyoto or Osaka. From Kyoto, you can take the Kintetsu Kyoto Line to Kintetsu Nara Station, which takes about 35 minutes. From Osaka, the Yamatoji Rapid Service to JR Nara Station is a convenient option, with a travel time of about 45 minutes.

Alternatively, if you're coming by Shinkansen, you'll likely transfer at Kyoto Station. From Kyoto, take a local or rapid train to Nara, which adds about another 45 minutes to your journey. This option is faster overall if you're traveling from distant cities like Tokyo.

Valid rail passes:

• Kintetsu Rail Pass

  • Coverage:

    • All trains on the Kintetsu Local, Rapid and Express Trains between Osaka, Nara and Kyoto

    • all Nara Kotsu buses within Nara City

    • also covers buses Ikaruga

  • Duration: 1 day or 2 days

  • Price: 1500 Yen or 2500 Yen

  • Where to buy: Nara Station (only available to foreign tourists)

• Japan Rail Pass

• JR Kansai Area Pass

• JR Kansai Wide Area Pass

• JR Kansai Hiroshima Area Pass

• JR Sanyo San'in Area Pass

• JR Setouchi Area Pass

Rental cars:

We recommend staying here between one and two days.
 

The nearest and most convenient airport to Nara is Kansai International Airport (KIX).

• By car: approximately 1 hour and 1 minute

• By public transportation: the best option is to take a train, which takes about 1 hour and 14 minutes. This involves taking a train from Kansai Airport to Tennōji and then transferring to the Yamatoji Rapid Service to Nara​​​​. 

• Chugen Mantoro Festival

  • Date: August 14th and 15th

  • Time: 19:00 - 21:30

• Basara Festival

  • Date: August 24th and 25th

  • Time: 11:00 - 20:30

Be advised that the following info is based upon previous entries of the festival and that the dates might have changed for the following year. It is also possible that the entire festival is cancelled in the case of heavy rainfall or a natural disaster. Please check with the official organisers' website for the most up-to-date information. 

The best time to see cherry blossoms in Nara, Japan, is typically in early April. This period, however, can vary slightly from year to year due to local climatic conditions. While the cherry blossom season in Japan generally spans from late March to early April, Nara's blossoms often reach their peak within the first week of April.

We recommend the following options for staying connected in Japan:

• Sakura Mobile Travel Sim (data only)
• Sakura Mobile Travel Sim (data + voice)
• Sakura Mobile Unlimited Wifi / Pocket Wifi