Travel in Nara
Todai-ji
Todai-ji · 東大寺
Visit Todai-ji’s Great Buddha Hall to see Nara’s Great Buddha up close. Afterwards, you can explore the exhibits at the Todai-ji Museum. A combined ticket is available if you plan to visit both.
Visitor information
Admission
Individual admission to the Great Buddha Hall is ¥800 for junior high school students and older, or ¥400 for elementary school children aged 6–12. The combined Great Buddha Hall and Todai-ji Museum ticket is ¥1,200 and ¥600 respectively. Pay in cash. Other halls, including Hokkedo and Kaidando, charge separately.
Opening hours
The Great Buddha Hall opens 07:30–17:30 from April to October and 08:00–17:00 from November to March. The museum opens 09:30–17:30, with last admission at 17:00, from April to October; from November to March it opens 09:30–17:00, with last admission at 16:30.
What to see at Todai-ji
See the Great Buddha up close in the Great Buddha Hall
The Great Buddha Hall lets you see Nara’s Great Buddha up close. If that is your only planned visit, buy the hall’s admission ticket.
Include the museum’s exhibits
Visit the Todai-ji Museum if you would like exhibits alongside the Great Buddha Hall. A combined ticket covers these two facilities. Other halls, including Hokkedo and Kaidando, charge separately.
How to get to Todai-ji
Walk towards Noborioji from Kintetsu Nara Station to reach Todai-ji in about 20 minutes. Alternatively, take a loop bus from JR Nara or Kintetsu Nara Station, get off at Todaiji Daibutsuden/Kasuga Taisha-mae, then walk about five minutes. Both walking estimates end at the temple. Allow extra time to reach the Great Buddha Hall’s admission desk and wait in line.
Visiting tips
The Great Buddha Hall and museum open at different times
The Great Buddha Hall opens at 07:30 from April to October and 08:00 from November to March; the museum opens at 09:30. If you arrive early, visit the hall first. Check your date’s notices for events or temporary changes.
Leave time for your visit after reaching Todai-ji
The roughly 20-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station to Todai-ji excludes the walk to the Great Buddha Hall’s admission desk and any queue. Leave time to see the Great Buddha. JR Nara and Kintetsu Nara are separate stations, so confirm which one you are leaving from.
Questions about Todai-ji
Does the combined Great Buddha Hall and museum ticket include other halls?
No. It covers only the Great Buddha Hall and museum. Admission to other halls, including Hokkedo and Kaidando, is separate.
Official sources
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- Official Todai-ji visitor information ·
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