Separate days for exhibitions and shrine worship?
Give the Great Buddha Hall and museum one day and the shrine approach another, then take a day trip on day three. Use a JR Nara base for Horyuji's wooden buildings or a Kintetsu-Nara base for Asuka's tomb. On the last day, walk Naramachi if there is time before departure.
Choose an itinerary for 4 days / 3 nights
Two Nara Park days and one at Horyuji
Give the Great Buddha Hall and museum together, shrine worship, and Horyuji a day each. Stay three nights near JR Nara Station and walk Naramachi's streets on departure day.
Two Nara Park days and one at Horyuji →4 days / 3 nights BTwo Nara City days and an Asuka return trip
See exhibitions and walk the shrine approach before a trip to Asuka's tomb. Stay three nights near Kintetsu-Nara Station, giving the Great Buddha Hall and museum one day and the shrine another.
Two Nara City days and an Asuka return trip →Two Nara Park days and one at Horyuji
Give the Great Buddha Hall and museum together, shrine worship, and Horyuji a day each. Stay three nights near JR Nara Station and walk Naramachi's streets on departure day.
Day 1: Great Buddha Hall and museum
Start at JR Nara Station. Travel to this local station and airport return journeys are excluded.
- JR Nara Station → Approach to Todai-ji
Take a bus from JR Nara Station to Todaiji Daibutsuden–Kasugataisha-mae, then walk about five minutes to Todai-ji. This is the temple approach; allow extra time through the grounds to the hall desk and for queues.
- Great Buddha Hall ticket desk → Great Buddha Hall and optional museum
Use the JPY 1,200 adult combined ticket for the Great Buddha Hall and museum, checking the museum's operation separately. Museum hours are 9:30 am–5:30 pm from April to October (last entry 5 pm), and 9:30 am–5 pm from November to March (last entry 4:30 pm). These differ from the hall's hours; check notices for your date.
Official Todai-ji visitor guidanceOfficial Todai-ji visitor guidance
- Great Buddha Hall and optional museum → JR Nara Station and your booked accommodation
Have a meal near the park, take a JR Nara Station-bound bus and go to your booked accommodation. For a late arrival, reduce sightseeing rather than squeeze in both facilities. Check city bus times and fares for your date in official guidance.
Check the hall's and museum's operation separately for your date. Shorten the visit if the city bus journey and both facilities leave insufficient time.
Day 2: Kasugataisha Shrine
- JR Nara Station → Approach to Kasugataisha
Look up a Kasugataisha Honden-bound bus from JR Nara Station and get off at the terminus. Follow signs to the general worship area. The botanical garden's three-minute access figure does not describe the walk or queues from this stop to the sanctuary worship area.
English access guidanceOfficial Kasugataisha worship and exit-specific access
- Kasugataisha general worship area → Kasugataisha worship areas
Visit the free general worship area, open 6:30 am–5:30 pm from March to October and 7 am–5 pm from November to February. For an additional main-sanctuary special visit, check the JPY 700 fee, 9 am–4 pm hours and ritual suspensions. Choose a meal nearby afterwards.
- Kasugataisha worship areas → Your starting station and the same accommodation
Return on a JR Nara Station-bound bus to the same accommodation. Choose general worship only if special visits are suspended. The treasure museum and botanical garden are excluded from basic costs. Check both bus directions and boarding points for your date.
English access guidanceJapanese opening and suspension guidance
Match JR Nara Station's Honden-bound bus with your return service first. Distinguish general worship from the separate special visit and its ritual suspensions.
Day 3: Horyuji
- JR Nara Station → Horyuji south gate
Take a Yamatoji Line train from JR Nara stopping at Horyuji. Walk about 20 minutes from the north exit to the south gate. Choose both trains for your date in official JR journey search.
Tourist office's exit-specific accessOfficial JR journey searchStation platform guidance
- Horyuji south gate → Horyuji visiting areas
The western precinct, Daihozoin and eastern precinct combined ticket is JPY 2,000 for adults, payable in cash. Hours are 8 am–5 pm from 22 February to 3 November and 8 am–4:30 pm from 4 November to 21 February. Admission ends 30 minutes before closing; late arrival may limit access to some facilities. Allow extra time beyond the south gate for the grounds and visits.
Official Nara Prefecture Horyuji fees and seasonal hoursOfficial Horyuji combined ticket, cash payment and admission cutoff
- Horyuji visiting areas → Your starting station and the same accommodation
After sightseeing, leave towards the south gate and return to JR Horyuji Station. Check your Nara-bound train and fare for the date in JR journey search, then return to the same accommodation near JR Nara. If using a south-exit bus, check that date's service and fare separately.
Tourist office's exit-specific accessOfficial JR journey searchStation platform guidance
The roughly 20-minute walk to Horyuji's south gate is one way from the station. Add temple, meal and return walking time when choosing your JR return train.
Day 4: Naramachi and departure
Take a short street walk if there is time before departure. For an early train, omit the walk and go straight to the station.
- Accommodation near JR Nara Station → Naramachi streets
Use Gangoji (Gokurakubo), 11 Nakaincho, as a reference for a walk through nearby Naramachi. Official walks of about 20 minutes from JR Nara or 15 minutes from Kintetsu-Nara describe temple access, not a full street walk. Temple interiors are excluded from basic costs.
Official temple accessNara City tourism association hours and fees
- Naramachi streets → Return towards your departure station
Head from your walk endpoint to the departure station. Finish with enough time to walk back and board your train.
Allow time from your walk endpoint to the departure station.
Included: Great Buddha Hall and museum combined ticket JPY 1,200 + Horyuji JPY 2,000 + Kasugataisha general worship JPY 0
Additional costs: The following costs are excluded: JR, city buses, Kasugataisha special visit, treasure museum, botanical garden, Gangoji interiors, accommodation, meals and final departure.
Adult admission totals JPY 3,200, or JPY 3,900 if adding the JPY 700 Kasugataisha special visit. JR, city buses, accommodation, meals, treasure museum, botanical garden and final departure transport are excluded. Look up trains, buses and fares for your date separately.
Official Todai-ji visitor guidanceOfficial Nara Prefecture Horyuji fees and seasonal hoursJapanese opening and suspension guidanceOfficial Horyuji combined ticket, cash payment and admission cutoff
Two Nara City days and an Asuka return trip
See exhibitions and walk the shrine approach before a trip to Asuka's tomb. Stay three nights near Kintetsu-Nara Station, giving the Great Buddha Hall and museum one day and the shrine another.
Day 1: park and Todai-ji exhibitions
Start at Kintetsu-Nara Station. Travel to this local station and airport return journeys are excluded.
- Kintetsu-Nara Station → Approach to Todai-ji
Walk towards Noborioji from Kintetsu-Nara Station for about 20 minutes. This is the Todai-ji approach; allow extra time through the grounds to the Great Buddha Hall desk and for queues.
- Great Buddha Hall ticket desk → Great Buddha Hall and optional museum
Choose the JPY 1,200 Great Buddha Hall and museum combined ticket. Museum hours are 9:30 am–5:30 pm from April to October (last entry 5 pm), and 9:30 am–5 pm from November to March (last entry 4:30 pm). These differ from the hall's hours; check notices for your date.
Official Todai-ji visitor guidanceOfficial Todai-ji visitor guidance
- Great Buddha Hall and optional museum → Your booked accommodation near Kintetsu-Nara Station
Have a meal near the park or station, then go to your booked accommodation near Kintetsu-Nara. Check museum operation and the hall's seasonal hours separately, shortening sightseeing for a late arrival.
Check both hall and museum hours. If you arrive too late to visit both, choose one.
Day 2: shrine and a break
- Kintetsu-Nara Station → Approach to Kasugataisha
Walk about 25 minutes from Kintetsu-Nara Station to Kasugataisha. This is the shrine approach; follow signs to the general worship area and allow extra time for the grounds and queues.
English access guidanceJapanese opening and suspension guidance
- Kasugataisha general worship area → Kasugataisha worship areas
Visit the free general worship area. Main-sanctuary special visits cost JPY 700, run 9 am–4 pm and may be suspended for rituals. Add one only after checking your date's suspensions and admission times.
- Kasugataisha worship areas → Your starting station and the same accommodation
After a meal and a break nearby, retrace the route to your accommodation. For a bus instead, check operation and fares for your date separately.
Today's plan uses a return walk from Kintetsu-Nara to the shrine. Add the special visit only when time and ritual conditions allow; look up a bus alternative separately.
Day 3: Asuka tomb return trip
- Kintetsu-Nara Station → Kashiharajingu-mae Station
Travel from Kintetsu-Nara via Yamato-Saidaiji to Kashiharajingu-mae. Check your train connections for the date separately.
- Kashiharajingu-mae Station east-exit stand 2 → Ishibutai bus stop
At Kashiharajingu-mae Station's east-exit stand 2, take an Asuka Station-bound bus stopping at Ishibutai. Check both directions in the weekday timetable or the timetable for Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays for your date. From Nara City, allow time from the train arrival to the bus stand.
Official village timetable, 1 September 2026–31 March 2027Current Nara Kotsu guidance
- Ishibutai bus stop → Ishibutai Tumulus
Walk about three minutes from the Ishibutai stop to the tomb. Hours are 9 am–5 pm, with last entry at 4:45 pm. Visit the tomb and have lunch.
National park: revised 2026 Ishibutai fees and walkAsuka tourism association: current Ishibutai fees and hours
- Ishibutai Tumulus → Your starting station and the same accommodation
Return to the stop for a Kashiharajingu-mae-bound bus, then take Kintetsu back to your Nara accommodation. In wind and rain, swap with a city sightseeing day, but recheck the bus timetable for the new date and day of the week.
Current Nara Kotsu guidanceOfficial village timetable, 1 September 2026–31 March 2027Current national park guidanceAsuka tourism association: current Ishibutai fees and hoursNational park: revised 2026 Ishibutai fees and walk
Do not use Asuka's weekday bus timetable for weekends or public holidays. Check the actual connection between your Nara return trains and Kashiharajingu-mae's east-exit bus stand for your date.
Day 4: street walk, then departure
Take a short street walk if there is time before departure. For an early train, omit the walk and go straight to the station.
- Accommodation near Kintetsu-Nara Station → Naramachi streets
Use Gangoji (Gokurakubo), 11 Nakaincho, as a reference for a walk through nearby Naramachi. Official walks of about 20 minutes from JR Nara or 15 minutes from Kintetsu-Nara describe temple access, not a full street walk. Temple interiors are excluded from basic costs.
- Naramachi streets → Return towards your departure station
Head from your walk endpoint to the departure station. Finish with enough time to walk back and board your train.
Allow time from your walk endpoint to the departure station.
Included: Great Buddha Hall and museum combined ticket JPY 1,200 + Ishibutai JPY 500 + Kashiharajingu-mae east exit–Ishibutai bus JPY 440 each way, JPY 880 return (replace with JPY 750 relevant route day pass if chosen) + Kasugataisha general worship JPY 0
Additional costs: The following costs are excluded: Kintetsu railway, city buses, Kasugataisha special visit, treasure museum, botanical garden, Gangoji interiors, accommodation, meals and final departure.
Adult admission and Asuka return buses total JPY 2,580, or JPY 2,450 with the relevant bus day pass. Special shrine visits add JPY 700. Kintetsu, accommodation, meals, city buses and final departure are excluded. The tomb opens at 9 am, with last entry at 4:45 pm, and is about three minutes from the Ishibutai stop. Match railway connections for your date separately.
Official Todai-ji visitor guidanceNational park: revised 2026 Ishibutai fees and walkCurrent Nara Kotsu guidanceJapanese opening and suspension guidance
Frequently asked questions
Does the hall and museum combined ticket include Hokkedo or Kaidando?
The JPY 1,200 individual ticket for junior secondary school age and above covers only the Great Buddha Hall and museum. Other halls, including Hokkedo and Kaidando, cost extra. The two included facilities also have different seasonal hours and last-entry times; check before choosing your visiting order.
Does the Asuka bus day pass include Kintetsu from Nara?
No. The Asuka sightseeing day pass is a bus ticket; Kintetsu and tomb admission are separate. The adult Kashiharajingu-mae east exit–Ishibutai return bus fare is JPY 880, versus JPY 750 for the relevant day pass. Arrive from Nara by train, change to the bus, then use bus and Nara-bound train separately on the return.
Official sources and check dates
- Approach to Todai-ji ·
- Official Todai-ji visitor guidance ·
- Japanese opening and suspension guidance ·
- English access guidance ·
- Tourist office's exit-specific access ·
- Official temple access ·
- Nara City tourism association hours and fees ·
- Current national park guidance ·
- Official JR journey search ·
- Station platform guidance ·
- Current Nara Kotsu guidance ·
- Official village timetable, 1 September 2026–31 March 2027 ·
- Kintetsu ·
- Asuka tourism association: current Ishibutai fees and hours ·
- National park: revised 2026 Ishibutai fees and walk ·
- Official Nara Prefecture Horyuji fees and seasonal hours ·
- Kintetsu routes and interchange stations ·
- Official Todai-ji visitor guidance ·
- Tourist office's exit-specific access ·
- Official Kasugataisha worship and exit-specific access ·
- Official Asuka sightseeing bus segment fares and day pass ·
- Official Horyuji combined ticket, cash payment and admission cutoff ·