Free Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Cancellation Policy
Free Cancellation
April 26100% refund
April 27No refund
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Minivan(for 5 PAX or less)
2 Adults x $769.17
$1,538.34
Approx Total
$1,538.34
Minivan(for 5 PAX or less) : Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat
8:00am, 8:30am, 9:00am, 9:30am, 10:00am, 10:30am, 11:00am
Vehicle: ¥80,600 Pickup included
Inclusions / Exclusions
Mobile ticket
Private vehicle
English speaking driver
Customizable Tour of your choice of 3-4 sites from 'What to expect' list'
Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
Overview
This is the ideal plan for independent travelers that want to discover Nara’s highlights on their own, but would like the comfort and ease of traveling in a private vehicle. Avoid the potential confusion of public transportation system and relax while your English-speaking chauffeur takes the wheel.
Nara's proximity to Osaka, and its rich collection of traditional sites, make it an ideal destination for a day trip from Osaka. You can visit the beautiful temples of this ancient Japanese city and meet the friendly deer that are sacred to the area.
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
AB Hotel Osaka Sakaisuji Hommachi1-4-10 Hommachi, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 541-0053
ANA Crowne Plaza Osaka, an IHG hotel1-3-1 Dojimahama, Kita-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 530-0004
APA HOTEL NAMBEKI-HIGASHI4-29 Namba Sennichimae, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 542-0075
APA HOTEL Namba Kita Shinsaibashi Ekimae1-15-12 Nishishinsaibashi, , Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 542-0086
APA HOTEL Osaka Kadomashi Ekimae2-6 Motomachi, Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 571-0057
APA Hotel & Resort Midosuji Hommachi Eki Tower4-2-9 Minamihommachi, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 541-0054
APA Hotel Higashiumeda Minamimorimachi Ekimae2-4-36 Minamimorimachi, Kita-Ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 530-0054
APA Hotel Midosuji Hommachi Ekihigashi2-3-6 Kawaramachi, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 541-0048
APA Hotel Midosuji Hommachi Ekimae4-5-12 Hommachi, , Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 541-0053
APA Hotel Namba Minami Daikokucho Ekimae3-11-8 Shikitsu Higashi, Naniwa-Ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 556-0012
APA Hotel Namba Minami Ebisucho Eki5-6-14 Nippombashi Naniwa-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 556-0005
APA Hotel Namba Shinsaibashi2-7-12 Nishishinsaibashi, , Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 542-0086
APA Hotel Namba Shinsaibashi Higashi1-7-10 Higashishinsaibashi, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 542-0083
APA Hotel Namba Shinsaibashi Nishi2-14-8 Nishishinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 542-0086
APA Hotel Osaka Higobashi Ekimae1-2-1 Tosabori, Nishi-Ku, , Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 550-0001
APA Hotel Osaka Tanimachi 4Chome Ekimaekita1-3-12 Uchi-honmachi, , Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 540-0026
APA Hotel Osaka Tanimachi Yonchome Ekimae1-1-27 Nonimbashi, , Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 540-0011
APA Hotel Osaka Temma2-16-15 Doshin, Kita-Ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 530-0035
APA Hotel Osaka Temmabashi Ekimae1-3-8 Tanimachi, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 540-0012
APA Hotel Osaka Umeda5-4-25 Fukushima, Fukushima-Ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 553-0003
APA Hotel Shinosaka Eki Tower7-4-20 Nishinakajima, Yodogawa-Ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 532-0011
APA Hotel Shinosaka Ekimae1-21-27 Higashi Nakajima Higashi Yodogawa-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 533-0033
APA Hotel Shinosaka Ekiminami7-9-18 Nishinakajima, Yodogawa-Ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 532-0011
APA Hotel Shinosaka Minamikata Ekimae3-10-5 Nishinakajima, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 532-0011
APA Hotel Shinosaka esaka Ekimae1-3 Enokicho, Suita, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 564-0053
APA Hotel Tennoji Ekimae1-4-11 Abenosuji, Abeno-ku, , Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 545-0052
APA Hotel Yodoyabashi Kitahama Ekimae2-3-10 Koraibashi, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 541-0043
APA Hotel Yodoyabashiekimae3-1-9 Fushimimachi, , Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan, JP, 541-0044
Your driver will pick you up at your hotel in Osaka or your preferred place around Osaka station and Osaka Port. This is a tour with an English-speaking driver. It does not include a government-licensed guide. You will be able to reach your driver via phone during the tour only. ...
Please use email for any communication before the tour. Read more ▼
Itinerary
Todai-ji Temple
Todaiji (東大寺, Tōdaiji, "Great Eastern Temple") is one of Japan's most famous and historically significant temples and a landmark of Nara. The temple was constructed in 752 as the head temple of all provincial Buddhist temples of Japan and grew so powerful that the capital was moved from Nara to Nagaoka in 784 in order to lower the temple's influence on government affairs.
Until recently, Todaiji's main hall, the Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall), held the record as the world's largest wooden building, despite the fact that the present reconstruction of 1692 is only two thirds of the original temple hall's size. The massive building houses one of Japan's largest bronze statues of Buddha (Daibutsu). The 15 meters tall, seated Buddha represents Vairocana and is flanked by two Bodhisattvas.
1 hour
Nara Park
Nara Park (奈良公園, Nara Kōen) is a large park in central Nara. Established in 1880, it is the location of many of Nara's main attractions including Todaiji, Kasuga Taisha, Kofukuji and the Nara National Museum. It is also home to hundreds of freely roaming deer.
20 minutes
Kasugataisha Shrine
Kasuga Taisha (春日大社) is Nara's most celebrated shrine. It was established at the same time as the capital and is dedicated to the deity responsible for the protection of the city. Kasuga Taisha was also the tutelary shrine of the Fujiwara, Japan's most powerful family clan during most of the Nara and Heian Periods. Like the Ise Shrines, Kasuga Taisha had been periodically rebuilt every 20 years for many centuries. In the case of Kasuga Taisha, however, the custom was discontinued at the end of the Edo Period.
Beyond the shrine's offering hall, which can be visited free of charge, there is a paid inner area which provides a closer view of the shrine's inner buildings. Furthest in is the main sanctuary, containing multiple shrine buildings that display the distinctive Kasuga style of shrine architecture, characterized by a sloping roof extending over the front of the building.
1 hour
Wakakusayama Hill
Mount Wakakusayama (若草山) is the grass covered mountain behind Nara Park, located between Todaiji Temple and Kasuga Shrine. The mountain is about 350 meters tall and affords unobstructed views over Nara City. Tourists are allowed to climb Mount Wakakusayama all year round except during winter. A small entrance fee is charged.
The grassy slope of the mountain is lined by cherry trees that are usually in full bloom around early April. A steep trail leads along the leftmost edge of the slope to a plateau halfway up the mountain with great views over the city. It takes about 15-20 minutes to reach the plateau and many people do not hike farther. An additional 20-30 minutes would get you to the mountain's peak.
20 minutes
Horyu-ji Temple
Horyuji Temple (法隆寺, Hōryūji) was founded in 607 by Prince Shotoku, who is credited with the early promotion of Buddhism in Japan. Horyuji is one of the country's oldest temples and contains the world's oldest surviving wooden structures. It was designated a world heritage site in 1993. Horyuji's temple grounds are spacious and separated into two main precincts, the Western Precinct (Saiin Garan) and the Eastern Precinct (Toin Garan).
1 hour
Naramachi
Naramachi (奈良町, literally "Nara Town") is the former merchant district of Nara, where several traditional residential buildings and warehouses are preserved and open to the public. Boutiques, shops, cafes, restaurants and a few museums now line the district's narrow lanes.
Many of Naramachi's buildings in the Edo Period and earlier were machiya, long, narrow "townhouses" that served both as shops and as the living quarters of the local merchants. The store fronts of machiya were often kept narrow in order to save on taxes, which used to be calculated on a property's street access rather than its total area. Today, a handful of machiya have been preserved and made open to the public as museums.
20 minutes
Kofuku-ji Temple
Kofukuji (興福寺, Kōfukuji) used to be the family temple of the Fujiwara, the most powerful aristocratic clan during much of the Nara and Heian Periods. The temple was established in Nara at the same time as the capital in 710. At the height of Fujiwara power, the temple consisted of over 150 buildings.
The temple features several buildings of great historic value, including a five-storied pagoda and a three-storied pagoda. At 50 meters, the five-storied pagoda is Japan's second tallest wooden pagoda, just seven meters shorter than the five-storied pagoda at Kyoto's Toji Temple. Kofukuji's pagoda is both a landmark and symbol of Nara. It was first built in 730, and was most recently rebuilt in 1426. Neither pagoda can be entered by the public.
30 minutes
Yakushiji Temple
Yakushiji (薬師寺) was constructed by Emperor Tenmu in the late 7th century for the recovery of the emperor's sick wife. One of Japan's oldest temples, Yakushiji has a strictly symmetric layout, with the main hall and lecture hall standing on a central axis, flanked by two pagodas.
The main hall was rebuilt in the 1970s after being destroyed by fire and houses a Yakushi trinity, a masterpiece of Japanese Buddhist art. The East Pagoda is the temple's only structure to have survived the many fires that have beset the temple over the years, and dates from 730. It appears to have six stories, but is in fact only truly three-storied, like the West Pagoda.
30 minutes
Shinyakushiji Temple
Shin-Yakushiji Temple (新薬師寺) was founded during the Nara Period (710-794) by an empress for the sake of the ailing emperor. It is devoted to Yakushi Buddha, the patron of medicine in Japanese Buddhism. Shin-Yakushiji means "New Yakushi Temple", because there already existed a Yakushiji Temple. During its heyday, Shin-Yakushiji consisted of a large complex of buildings, but all except for the main hall (Hondo) have since been lost.
Inside the main hall there are life size statues of 12 guardian deities surrounding a two meter tall statue of a seated Yakushi Buddha, which are the temple's main objects of worship. The Yakushi statue is made of wood while the guardians are made of clay. Each guardian has a different character and possesses a different weapon, and visitors can spend quite a while admiring them. There are also a few small paths around the temple grounds.
20 minutes
Nara National Museum
The Nara National Museum (奈良国立博物館, Nara Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan), located in Nara Park, is an art museum which primarily displays Japanese Buddhist art. Established in 1889, the museum retains its original building and is joined by a new wing that is connected to the original building by an underground passage.
Both wings display the museum's permanent collection, which includes Buddhist statues, paintings, scrolls and ceremonial objects mainly from Japan. The new wing also houses temporary exhibitions, including an annual exhibition every autumn of treasures from Todaiji Temple. A ticket to the museum gives access to both wings, and English explanations are available throughout the museum.
30 minutes
Heijō Palace Site Historical National Park
During most of the Nara Period (710-794), Nara served as the capital of Japan and was known as Heijo-kyo. The Heijo Palace extended about one kilometer wide and one kilometer long and served as the site of the emperor's residence and government offices. For its great historical and cultural importance, the palace site is included as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Nara.
1 hour
Toshodai-ji Temple
Toshodaiji (唐招提寺, Tōshōdaiji) was founded in the year 759 by Ganjin, a Chinese priest who was invited to Japan by the emperor in order to train priests and improve Japanese Buddhism. Ganjin's influence in the introduction of Buddhism to Japan was monumental, and his arrival and teaching at Toshodaiji (which roughly translates to "temple of the one invited from Tang China") were important stages in that process.
Toshodaiji's main hall (kondo) was re-opened in late 2009 after being renovated over a period of almost ten years, during which the building was dismantled and reconstructed. The temple's lecture hall (kodo) was originally an administrative building located in the Nara Imperial Palace and was later moved to Toshodaiji. Today, it is the only surviving building of the former palace.
30 minutes
Isuien Garden
Isuien (依水園) is an attractive Japanese garden with a variety of features, such as the use of Todaiji Temple's Nandaimon Gate and Mount Wakakusayama as "borrowed scenery". Isuien means "garden founded on water", and the garden's name is derived from the fact that its ponds are fed by the small adjacent Yoshikigawa River. The Yoshikien Garden is located just on the other side of the river.
20 minutes
Yoshikien
Yoshikien (吉城園) is a pleasant Japanese garden located in central Nara. It is named after the Yoshikigawa River, a small river that runs beside the garden, and was built on the site of Kofukuji Temple's former priest residences. The entry fee to the garden is waived for foreign tourists.
There are three unique gardens within Yoshikien: a pond garden, a moss garden and a tea ceremony garden. So, a visit to Yoshikien provides the opportunity to see three different variations of Japanese gardens in one spot. If visitors still want to see more techniques of Japanese gardening, the Isuien Garden is located just across the small river.
20 minutes
Sample Menu
Additional Info
Specialized infant seats are available
Service animals allowed
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
Wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
There are only a limited number of car seats and booster seats. Rear-facing car seats are not available. You must contact us directly if you need them.
Free Cancellation
April 26100% refund
April 27No refund
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
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We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her We had a great experience touring New York City with Jonathan. He's a great tour guide and he made it very memorable and enjoyable. The tour was also super informative and I'm glad to have had a great tour guide during my visit in NYC. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking for a tour her
Reviews by TravelOne travelers
Showing 1-4 of 4 reviews with 5 stars
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Outstanding Excursion to Nara Gardens ftom Osaka Port
Published on Oct, 2024
The experience to Nara Gardens was exceptional. Our guide/driver, Kazunori Maeda was outstanding!! This excursion was taken while in port in Osaka with no problems returning on time by 3:30. We enjoyed this so much and appreciated the drive around the port once we returned to see a few more sites. 10 STARS - IT’S A MUST!!!
Excellent day in Nara
Published on Apr, 2024
We had a perfect day in Nara. Mr. Maeda was a professional and very friendly driver, the car was so comfortable. We would recommend this tour to everyone
Amazing Nara Tour
Published on Mar, 2024
This was an amazing tour. Kazu Maeda was our exceptional tour guide. He took us all around Nara allowing us to explore on our own which was nice. We never felt rushed. He talked about the history and culture of each location. He was very attentive to us and made sure we were comfortable. We highly recommend this tour and ask for Kazu (Maeda Taxi).
This is our second time using Viator. We will always use them for traveling.
Nara Tour
Published on Jul, 2023
It was a wonderful day. Maeda was an excellent driver and very helpful. Nara is a beautiful place and I do recommend the Tour.
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