Travel in Nara
Todaiji
Todaiji · Todai-ji · 東大寺
Visit Todaiji’s Great Buddha Hall to see Nara’s Great Buddha up close. Afterwards, you can see exhibitions at Todaiji Museum. Use the hall–museum joint ticket if you plan to visit both.
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Visitor information at a glance
Admission
Individual Great Buddha Hall admission costs JPY 800 for junior high school pupils and older, or JPY 400 for primary school children aged 6–12. The hall–Todaiji Museum joint ticket costs JPY 1,200 and JPY 600 respectively. Pay in cash; other halls, including Hokke-do and Kaidan-do, charge separately.
Opening hours and closed days
The Great Buddha Hall opens from 07:30 to 17:30 in April–October and 08:00 to 17:00 in November–March. The museum opens from 09:30 to 17:30 in April–October, with admission until 17:00, and 09:30 to 17:00 in November–March, with admission until 16:30.
What can I see at Todaiji?
See the Great Buddha up close in the hall
The Great Buddha Hall lets you see Nara’s Great Buddha up close. Choose the hall ticket if that is the only facility you plan to visit.
Add the museum exhibitions
Visit Todaiji Museum if you would like exhibitions as well as the Great Buddha Hall. A joint ticket covers both; other halls, including Hokke-do and Kaidan-do, require separate admission.
How to get to Todaiji
Walk about 20 minutes along Noborioji from Kintetsu-Nara to Todaiji. For a bus route, take a loop bus from JR Nara or Kintetsu-Nara to Todaiji Daibutsuden/Kasuga Taisha-mae, then walk about 5 minutes. Both estimates cover reaching the temple; allow extra time to reach the Great Buddha Hall admission desk and queue.
Before you visit
The hall and museum open at different times in the morning
The hall opens at 07:30 in April–October and 08:00 in November–March; the museum opens at 09:30. Visit the hall first if you arrive early. Check visit-date notices for events or temporary changes.
Leave time to visit after reaching Todaiji
The roughly 20-minute walk from Kintetsu-Nara to Todaiji excludes reaching the hall’s admission desk and queuing. Allow time to see the Great Buddha too. JR Nara and Kintetsu-Nara are different stations, so confirm your starting station.
Questions about Todaiji
Does the hall–museum joint ticket cover other halls?
No. It covers only the Great Buddha Hall and museum. Hokke-do, Kaidan-do and other halls charge separately.
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