3 days / 2 nights in Nara: where should you go on day 2?
After seeing the Great Buddha in Nara Park on day 1, choose Horyuji’s wooden architecture or Ishibutai Tomb’s massive stone chamber for day 2. Use the JR Yamatoji Line from Nara for Horyuji, or Kintetsu and local buses for Ishibutai. Add a final-day Naramachi walk to suit your departure time.
Choose a 2 nights, 3 days itinerary
Nara Park and Horyuji
Give the Great Buddha and Horyuji’s historic wooden architecture a day each. Stay near JR Nara for two nights, with a Naramachi walk on departure day if time allows.
Nara Park and Horyuji →2 nights, 3 days BNara Park and Asuka’s tomb
See the Great Buddha, then Asuka’s large stone chamber the next day. Stay near Kintetsu Nara for two nights, walking on day one and taking Kintetsu and buses on day two.
Nara Park and Asuka’s tomb →Nara Park and Horyuji
Give the Great Buddha and Horyuji’s historic wooden architecture a day each. Stay near JR Nara for two nights, with a Naramachi walk on departure day if time allows.
Day one: Great Buddha Hall and JR Nara accommodation
Start at JR Nara Station. Transport to the starting station and airport transfers are excluded.
- JR Nara Station → Todaiji approach
Take a bus from JR Nara stopping at Todaiji Daibutsuden/Kasuga Taisha-mae, then walk about five minutes to Todaiji. Adult hall admission is JPY 800 cash. Add grounds walking and queues to reach reception, then pay and visit the hall.
- Great Buddha Hall → JR Nara and booked accommodation
Have a meal near the park and take a JR Nara-bound bus. Continue to your booked accommodation after arrival. Check boarding points, fares and return buses for your date. Shorten a late-arrival visit around seasonal hall closing times. The museum and Kasuga Taisha are excluded from this day’s basic visits.
Check city bus boarding points, return services and fares from JR Nara first. Allow time to walk to the hall and reach your booked accommodation too.
Day two: give Horyuji a day
- JR Nara Station → JR Horyuji Station
Take a Yamatoji Line service from JR Nara towards Tennoji stopping at Horyuji. Check outward and return times and fares in JR’s official search for your date.
Tourist information centre access routes by exitJR official journey plannerStation platform information
- JR Horyuji north exit → Horyuji visiting areas
Walk about 20 minutes from the north exit to the South Gate, then go to paid reception. Adult joint admission to the Western Precinct, Great Treasure Gallery and Eastern Precinct costs JPY 2,000 cash. Hours are 08:00–17:00 from 22 February to 3 November and 08:00–16:30 from 4 November to 21 February. Reception ends 30 minutes before closing; some facilities may be inaccessible when arriving late. Add grounds walking and visiting time beyond the South Gate.
Tourist information centre access routes by exitJR official journey plannerStation platform informationNara Prefecture’s official Horyuji fees and seasonal hoursHoryuji official joint ticket, cash payment and admission deadline
- Horyuji visiting areas → Starting station and the same accommodation
Have lunch nearby and return to the north exit. Check your actual return train before deciding when to finish, allowing for grounds walking, the South Gate–station route and ticket gates. Nara-bound services are officially listed at platform 2, subject to local changes. Return to the same JR Nara accommodation.
Tourist information centre access routes by exitJR official journey plannerStation platform informationNara Prefecture’s official Horyuji fees and seasonal hours
Check platform 2 guidance and local changes at Horyuji. Search return trains and fares for your date, adding time for grounds walking, station access and gates.
Day three: Naramachi walk before departure
Take a short street walk if time allows. For an early departure, skip it and go directly to the station.
- Accommodation near JR Nara → Naramachi streets
Explore Naramachi around Gangoji (Gokurakubo) at 11 Chuincho. Official walking estimates of about 20 minutes from JR Nara and 15 from Kintetsu Nara describe temple access, not a whole neighbourhood walk. Temple interiors are excluded from the basic cost.
Temple’s official access informationNara City Tourism Association hours and fees
- Naramachi streets → Return towards the departure station
Go from your walking endpoint to the departure station. Finish with enough time for station access and boarding.
Allow time from your walking endpoint to the departure station.
Included: The total includes JPY 800 for the Great Buddha Hall and JPY 2,000 for Horyuji.
Extra costs: The total excludes return JR fares, city buses, paid reserved seats, Gangoji interiors, accommodation, meals and final onward travel.
Adult admission totals JPY 2,800: Great Buddha Hall JPY 800 + Horyuji JPY 2,000. JR return fares, city buses, accommodation, meals, Gangoji interiors, paid reserved seats and final onward travel are excluded. Check JR times and fares for your actual date.
Todaiji official visitor informationNara Prefecture’s official Horyuji fees and seasonal hoursHoryuji official joint ticket, cash payment and admission deadline
Nara Park and Asuka’s tomb
See the Great Buddha, then Asuka’s large stone chamber the next day. Stay near Kintetsu Nara for two nights, walking on day one and taking Kintetsu and buses on day two.
Day one: walk to the Great Buddha Hall
Start at Kintetsu Nara. Transport to the starting station and airport transfers are excluded.
- Kintetsu Nara Station → Todaiji approach
Walk towards Todaiji along Noborioji from Kintetsu Nara for about 20 minutes. This describes temple access; add time through the grounds and queues at the hall reception.
- Todaiji approach, then Great Buddha Hall reception → Great Buddha Hall visit
Pay JPY 800 cash for the hall, then have a meal in Nara Park or on the return route towards the station.
- Great Buddha Hall → Booked accommodation near Kintetsu Nara
Walk to your booked accommodation. Kasuga Taisha would require extra walking and worship time, so it is excluded from this day’s basic course.
Plan a meal in Nara Park after the JPY 800 hall visit; meals cost extra. The additional walk to Kasuga Taisha is outside the basic route.
Day two: trains and buses to Asuka
- Kintetsu Nara Station → Kashiharajingu-mae Station
Travel from Kintetsu Nara to Kashiharajingu-mae, changing at Yamato-Saidaiji.
- Kashiharajingu-mae east-exit stand 2 → Ishibutai bus stop
From east-exit stand 2, take an Asuka Station-bound bus stopping at Ishibutai. Check return services in the weekday or weekend/public-holiday timetable for your date. From Nara City, allow time after the train to reach the bus stand too.
Village’s official 2026-09-01–2027-03-31 timetableNara Kotsu current information
- Ishibutai bus stop → Ishibutai Tomb
Walk about three minutes from the stop to the tomb. Open 09:00–17:00, with last admission at 16:45. Pay JPY 500 adult admission, have lunch nearby and return to the Kashiharajingu-mae-bound stop.
National park’s revised 2026 Ishibutai fees and walking accessAsuka Tourism Association’s current Ishibutai fees and hours
- Ishibutai Tomb → Starting station and the same accommodation
After the bus, take Kintetsu via Yamato-Saidaiji back to your Nara accommodation. Match return bus arrival and Nara-bound trains for your date.
Nara Kotsu current informationVillage’s official 2026-09-01–2027-03-31 timetableNational park’s current informationKintetsu lines and interchange stations
Choose return buses first, allowing for the Nara train arrival and east-exit bus-stand walk. Check the return bus–train connection too.
Day three: departure preparations in Naramachi
Take a short street walk if time allows. For an early departure, skip it and go directly to the station.
- Accommodation near Kintetsu Nara → Naramachi streets
Explore Naramachi around Gangoji (Gokurakubo) at 11 Chuincho. Official walking estimates of about 20 minutes from JR Nara and 15 from Kintetsu Nara describe temple access, not a whole neighbourhood walk. Temple interiors are excluded from the basic cost.
- Naramachi streets → Return towards the departure station
Go from your walking endpoint to the departure station. Finish with enough time for station access and boarding.
Allow time from your walking endpoint to the departure station.
Included: The total includes JPY 800 for the Great Buddha Hall, JPY 500 for Ishibutai and buses between Kashiharajingu-mae’s east exit and Ishibutai at JPY 440 each way: JPY 440 × 2 = JPY 880 return. Replace the return bus fares with JPY 750 if choosing the eligible day ticket.
Extra costs: The total excludes Kintetsu trains, city buses, Gangoji interiors, Kasuga Taisha special worship, accommodation, meals and final onward travel.
Adult admission and Asuka return buses total JPY 2,180, or JPY 2,050 if you choose the eligible JPY 750 bus day ticket. Kintetsu, accommodation, meals, onward travel and special worship are excluded. Do not apply weekday bus examples unchanged to weekends or holidays.
Todaiji official visitor informationNational park’s revised 2026 Ishibutai fees and walking accessNara Kotsu current information
Frequently asked questions
Is the Asuka day pass worth comparing for just a return bus journey?
The adult bus fare between the east side of Kashiharajingu-mae and Ishibutai is JPY 440 each way, JPY 880 return. The eligible sightseeing bus day pass costs JPY 750, JPY 130 less. Kintetsu trains and tomb admission are excluded; check return buses and rail connections for your visit date.
Official sources and confirmation dates
- Todaiji approach ·
- Todaiji official visitor information ·
- Tourist information centre access routes by exit ·
- Temple’s official access information ·
- Nara City Tourism Association hours and fees ·
- National park’s current information ·
- JR official journey planner ·
- Station platform information ·
- Nara Kotsu current information ·
- Village’s official 2026-09-01–2027-03-31 timetable ·
- Kintetsu ·
- Asuka Tourism Association’s current Ishibutai fees and hours ·
- National park’s revised 2026 Ishibutai fees and walking access ·
- Nara Prefecture’s official Horyuji fees and seasonal hours ·
- Kintetsu lines and interchange stations ·
- Asuka sightseeing bus official section fares and day pass ·
- Horyuji official joint ticket, cash payment and admission deadline ·