Where should you go on day two of a two-night Nara trip?
See the Great Buddha in Nara Park on day one, then choose Horyuji's wooden buildings or Ishibutai's massive burial chamber on day two. For Horyuji, use the Yamatoji Line from JR Nara; for Ishibutai, use Kintetsu trains and a local bus. Add a Naramachi walk on the final day around your departure time.
Choose an itinerary for 3 days, 2 nights
Nara Park and Horyuji
Spend separate days seeing Nara's Great Buddha and Horyuji's old wooden buildings. Stay two nights near JR Nara Station; walk Naramachi's streets on departure day if time allows.
Nara Park and Horyuji →3 days, 2 nights BNara Park and Asuka's ancient tomb
See the Great Buddha, then Asuka's massive stone burial chamber the next day. Stay two nights near Kintetsu-Nara Station, walking on day one and using Kintetsu trains and a bus on day two.
Nara Park and Asuka's ancient tomb →Nara Park and Horyuji
Spend separate days seeing Nara's Great Buddha and Horyuji's old wooden buildings. Stay two nights near JR Nara Station; walk Naramachi's streets on departure day if time allows.
Day 1 · Great Buddha Hall and a JR Nara stay
Start at JR Nara Station. Travel to this local station and airport transfers are excluded.
- JR Nara Station → Todai-ji approach
From JR Nara Station, take a bus stopping at Todaiji Daibutsuden–Kasugataisha-mae, then walk about five minutes to Todai-ji. Adult Great Buddha Hall admission costs ¥800 in cash. Allow additional time to follow signs through the grounds to the hall's ticket counter and wait. Pay at reception, then visit the hall.
- Great Buddha Hall → JR Nara Station and your booked hotel
Eat around the park, then take a JR Nara Station-bound bus. Continue to your booked hotel from the station. Check that day's boarding point, fare, and return timetable in the official guide. Shorten the visit around the hall's seasonal closing if arriving late. The museum and Kasugataisha are not included in this day's basic plan.
Check the city bus boarding point, both directions, and fares from JR Nara Station first. Allow time to walk to the Great Buddha Hall and reach your booked hotel.
Day 2 · A day for Horyuji
- JR Nara Station → JR Horyuji Station
From JR Nara Station, take a Yamatoji Line train toward Tennoji that stops at Horyuji. Check departure and arrival times, fares, and return services for your date in the official JR planner.
Tourist information center: access by station exitOfficial JR journey plannerStation platform guide
- JR Horyuji Station North Exit → Horyuji admission areas
Walk about 20 minutes from the North Exit to the South Main Gate, then continue to paid admission reception. An adult combined ticket for the Western Precinct, Gallery of Temple Treasures, and Eastern Precinct costs ¥2,000 in cash. Hours are 8 a.m.–5 p.m. February 22–November 3 and 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m. November 4–February 21. Reception ends 30 minutes before closing; late arrivals may miss some facilities. Allow separate time for walking and visits beyond the gate.
Tourist information center: access by station exitOfficial JR journey plannerStation platform guideOfficial Nara Prefecture Horyuji admission and seasonal hoursOfficial Horyuji combined ticket, cash payment, and reception cutoff
- Horyuji admission areas → Your starting station and same hotel
Have lunch nearby and return to the same North Exit. Check your actual-date return train before setting targets for finishing the visit and reaching the station. Allow time for the grounds, gate-to-station walk, and ticket gates. Official guidance lists platform 2 for Nara; follow on-site changes. Return to the same JR Nara hotel.
Tourist information center: access by station exitOfficial JR journey plannerStation platform guideOfficial Nara Prefecture Horyuji admission and seasonal hours
Check Horyuji Station's platform 2 guidance and on-site changes. Look up both trains and fares for the actual date, allowing separate time for the grounds, walk back to the station, and ticket gates.
Day 3 · Naramachi walk before departure
Take a short street walk if time before departure allows. For an early departure, skip it and head straight to the station.
- Hotel near JR Nara Station → Naramachi streets
Walk Naramachi's streets around Gangoji (Gokurakubo) at 11 Chuin-cho. Official estimates of about 20 minutes from JR Nara Station or 15 minutes from Kintetsu-Nara describe access to Gangoji, not an entire neighborhood walk. Temple admission is excluded from the basic cost.
Official temple accessNara City Tourism Association: hours and admission
- Naramachi streets → Return toward your departure station
Head to your departure station from wherever your walk ends. Finish with time to walk to the station and board your train.
Leave time to reach your departure station from the endpoint of your walk.
Included: Great Buddha Hall ¥800 + Horyuji ¥2,000
Additional costs: JR round trip, city buses, paid reserved seats, Gangoji admission, lodging, meals, and final departure
Great Buddha Hall admission ¥800 and Horyuji ¥2,000 total ¥2,800 for one adult. JR round trips, city buses, lodging, meals, Gangoji admission, paid reserved seats, and final departure are excluded. Check JR times and fares for the actual visit date in the official planner.
Official Todai-ji admission guideOfficial Nara Prefecture Horyuji admission and seasonal hoursOfficial Horyuji combined ticket, cash payment, and reception cutoff
Nara Park and Asuka's ancient tomb
See the Great Buddha, then Asuka's massive stone burial chamber the next day. Stay two nights near Kintetsu-Nara Station, walking on day one and using Kintetsu trains and a bus on day two.
Day 1 · Walk to the Great Buddha Hall
Start at Kintetsu-Nara Station. Travel to this local station and airport transfers are excluded.
- Kintetsu-Nara Station → Todai-ji approach
Walk about 20 minutes toward Noborioji from Kintetsu-Nara Station to Todai-ji. This estimate describes access to the temple. Allow separate time to follow signs through the grounds to the Great Buddha Hall ticket counter and wait.
- Great Buddha Hall reception after approaching Todai-ji → Visit the Great Buddha Hall
Pay ¥800 in cash to visit the Great Buddha Hall. Afterward, choose a meal in Nara Park or on the way back to the station.
- Great Buddha Hall → Your booked hotel near Kintetsu-Nara Station
Walk to your booked hotel near Kintetsu-Nara Station. Kasugataisha requires additional walking and worship time, so it is excluded from today's basic itinerary.
This day includes the ¥800 Great Buddha Hall visit and a meal in Nara Park. Additional walking to Kasugataisha is excluded from the basic plan.
Day 2 · Trains and bus to Asuka
- Kintetsu-Nara Station → Kashiharajingu-mae Station
Travel from Kintetsu-Nara to Kashiharajingu-mae, changing at Yamato-Saidaiji.
- Kashiharajingu-mae Station East Exit stop 2 → Ishibutai bus stop
From East Exit stop 2, take an Asuka Station-bound bus that stops at Ishibutai. Check both directions in the weekday or weekend/public-holiday timetable for your date. If arriving from Nara City, allow time between train arrival and reaching the bus stop.
Official village timetable: September 1, 2026–March 31, 2027Current Nara Kotsu guide
- Ishibutai bus stop → Ishibutai Tumulus
Walk about three minutes from the bus stop to the tomb. Hours are 9 a.m.–5 p.m., with last admission at 4:45 p.m. Pay the ¥500 adult admission, then have lunch nearby before returning to the Kashiharajingu-mae-bound stop.
National park: revised 2026 Ishibutai admission and walking accessAsuka Tourism Association: current Ishibutai admission and hours
- Ishibutai Tumulus → Your starting station and same hotel
Take the bus, then Kintetsu trains via Yamato-Saidaiji back to your Nara hotel. Match the return bus's arrival with a Nara-bound train on your date.
Current Nara Kotsu guideOfficial village timetable: September 1, 2026–March 31, 2027Current national park guideKintetsu routes and transfer stations
Choose both bus services in your date's timetable first. Match the outbound train arrival with time to reach the East Exit stop, and check the Nara-bound train connection after the return bus.
Day 3 · Naramachi before departure
Take a short street walk if time before departure allows. For an early departure, skip it and head straight to the station.
- Hotel near Kintetsu-Nara Station → Naramachi streets
Walk Naramachi's streets around Gangoji (Gokurakubo) at 11 Chuin-cho. Official estimates of about 20 minutes from JR Nara Station or 15 minutes from Kintetsu-Nara describe access to Gangoji, not an entire neighborhood walk. Temple admission is excluded from the basic cost.
- Naramachi streets → Return toward your departure station
Head to your departure station from wherever your walk ends. Finish with time to walk to the station and board your train.
Leave time to reach your departure station from the endpoint of your walk.
Included: Great Buddha Hall ¥800 + Ishibutai Tumulus ¥500 + Kashiharajingu-mae East Exit–Ishibutai bus ¥440 each way, ¥880 round trip (replaced by ¥750 with the applicable route's day pass)
Additional costs: Kintetsu trains, city buses, Gangoji admission, Kasugataisha special worship, lodging, meals, and final departure
Facilities and the Asuka bus round trip total ¥2,180 for one adult, or ¥2,050 if you actually choose the ¥750 day pass for the same route. Kintetsu trains, lodging, meals, final departure, and special worship are excluded. Do not apply the weekday bus example unchanged to weekends or public holidays.
Official Todai-ji admission guideNational park: revised 2026 Ishibutai admission and walking accessCurrent Nara Kotsu guide
Frequently asked questions
Is the Asuka day pass worth comparing for just a bus round trip?
The adult bus fare between Kashiharajingu-mae East Exit and Ishibutai is ¥440 each way, ¥880 round trip. Using the applicable ¥750 loop bus day pass costs ¥130 less. Kintetsu trains and tomb admission are excluded. Check both bus services and train connections for your date.
Official sources and check dates
- Todai-ji access ·
- Official Todai-ji admission guide ·
- Tourist information center: access by station exit ·
- Official temple access ·
- Nara City Tourism Association: hours and admission ·
- Current national park guide ·
- Official JR journey planner ·
- Station platform guide ·
- Current Nara Kotsu guide ·
- Official village timetable: September 1, 2026–March 31, 2027 ·
- Kintetsu ·
- Asuka Tourism Association: current Ishibutai admission and hours ·
- National park: revised 2026 Ishibutai admission and walking access ·
- Official Nara Prefecture Horyuji admission and seasonal hours ·
- Kintetsu routes and transfer stations ·
- Official Asuka loop bus segment fares and day pass ·
- Official Horyuji combined ticket, cash payment, and reception cutoff ·