Osaka · NARA DAY TRIPS FROM OSAKA
43 reviewed
Bowing deer, the Great Buddha of Todai-ji, moss-covered lanterns at Kasuga: Nara is the easiest great day out of Osaka. These are the best Nara day trips: what each itinerary actually covers, current prices, and which ones leave enough afternoon to get back for dinner in the city.
A guided 1-day Kyoto and Nara highlights loop by bus: Arashiyama, Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion, Nara deer, and Todai-ji Great Buddha.
“This tour covers three sites in three cities, and you think it would be rushed, but everything is very well paced so you have time to take in all the sceneries and activities.”
Osaka day trip to Kyoto and Nara by shinkansen: Nijo Castle, Kinkaku-ji, Imperial Palace, Todai-ji, Kasuga Shrine.
“I have always loved Kyoto and Nara! This tour is really something that I will take over and over again everytime I travel to Osaka.”
Small-group van day trip from Osaka to Kyoto and Nara: Fushimi Inari, Gion, Nara deer, Todai-ji. Wi-Fi, bottled water, fees included.
“It is worth experiencing the “old” Japan apart from the how modern and advance it is today. Taka, our guide is very accommodating and knowledgeable.”
See UNESCO Himeji Castle, snap deer photos in Nara, and eat in Kobe’s Chinatown on an 11-hour Osaka day trip with a bilingual guide.
“The tour ddn’t feel like a “tour”. It felt like we were just dropped off at the places we wanted to see. How I wish the guides could tell us more about the history of these places. Telling the background of the places and what made it significant makes the tour interesting.”
Private Kyoto & Nara day with English guide, flexible stops, and easy pickup from Osaka area, plus deer, temples, and torii gates.
“We are a family of 4, visiting in Osaka for a few days and wanted a day trip to Kyoto and Nara. Booked a private van with Viator and we are just so glad we did. Overall our trip was really great and it wouldn’t have been possible if not for our tour guide, Hamza. He speaks 7 languages and is super informative. Our gratitude to him for taking good care of us throughout our trip. We met him at our hotel at 8:30am and headed to Nara. It was such a smooth ride up Kasugawa where we fed the deer without the crowd. We proceeded to Todai-ji temple where…”
A private, door-to-door day trip covering Kyoto icons, Arashiyama, and Nara’s great sights with an English-speaking driver and hotel pickup.
“Hussein was a fantastic host showing us around the sights of Kyoto, couldn’t recommend him enough. His communication from the previous evening to confirm pick-up, through to collecting us at our hotel, and all throughout the day showing us around was excellent. Hussein was relaxed and encouraged us to take our time at each of the sights. His knowledge was also really good and always forthcoming with information. If you would like a great experience with a host that is friendly, knowledgeable, and relaxed, Hussein is your guy. Thanks for a great family day Hussein, very much appreciated.Read more”
A full-day Kyoto and Nara UNESCO highlights loop from Osaka, with guided stops at Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari, deer in Nara Park, and Todaiji.
“This was one of my favorite tours in Japan our tour director Lu was amazing! The temples and the Nara deer. Sooo great!”
Private 6-hour Nara day trip from Osaka with hotel pick-up, UNESCO temples, deer feeding, and a friendly English guide.
“Masa was very educational and an extraordinary guide, from all the history of Japan and just general chit chat. The sightseeing of all the attractions was just what I was after. Masa people skills made the tour most enjoyable the man is worth more money. Nara is an extraordinary city a must see when in Japan. Stoped and had lunch and Masa did not disappoint.”
Private Kyoto and Nara day trip from Osaka with hotel pickup, WiFi van ride, and self-paced visits to Fushimi Inari, Arashiyama, and Nara.
“My wife and I had an amazing day trip today from Osaka visiting both Nora and Kyoto. Ali, our guide for the day made sure we had every comfort possible while visiting these amazing cities. We were able to see the key highlights in each of the areas and do so in comfort and style as we went from site to site. Ali ensured we had intimate local knowledge of each of the areas so we could better understand. This tour is five out of five stars but with Ali, it’s six out of five stars.”
9-hour Kyoto, Nara, and Uji day trip from Osaka or Kyoto: deer, Todai-ji, tea stops in Uji, Byodo-in, and Senbon Torii.
“This tour is more of a drive to each destination and then self guide your experience until you’re due back at the bus to proceed with the trip rather than a guided tour. I don’t think i saw this mentioned at the time of booking. While it didn’t bother me too much, other members of my party were frustrated with the lack of itinerary. Our guide Amanda would always go over each stop in English and mandarin however it was very fast and not everyone always understood what was going on. No information about Japan or our stops was provided during travel times either. While this trip did provide easy…”
A full-day loop from Osaka: Katsuo-ji Daruma fortunes, Arashiyama bamboo calm, and Nara Park’s deer and temples, with free time.
“This would have been a 5 Star review as the tour itself and the tour guide were amazing HOWEVER Be very careful when booking this tour as there appears to be a mandatory kimono experience if you pick the wrong option when booking… which is 5000 yen per person… I had no idea I had booked this option and was forced to pay 2000 per person cancellation not to do an experience that I had no idea I had booked in the first place!!!! Very very misleading and almost did but didn’t spoil our day Check and double check what you are booking!”
Osaka-Kyoto-Nara highlights in one English-speaking day: Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari, Nara deer and Todaiji, ending in Shinsaibashi.
“Little disappointed the tour guide just drop us at the tour site with no direction and explanation, as a tourist we were lost and had to ask people and had to follow the map On our own. Instructions were not clear. Even the final drop off location was not at the same place we were picked up.”
Driver-guided day trip from Osaka covering Kiyomizudera, Fushimi Inari, Nara deer park, Todaiji, and Kyoto streets, with shopping time.
“Our guide was Leo. Leo did a fantastic job. He arrived to collect us punctually, then he drove us to Nara Deer Park where we spent 90 minutes. After Nara we went to Kyoto where we spent the rest of the day until 4pm. Leo drove back to Osaka in peak traffic, during this time we never felt unsafe. When we arrived at our accommodation, I inadvertently tripped over, however Leo kindly broke my fall so I remained steady. I highly recommend this tour to anyone who is limited for time and would like to see the main sights of Nara and Kyoto. Leo, thanks so much for a fabulous…”
One-day Osaka-Kyoto-Nara-Uji tour: feed Nara deer, see Todaiji, taste matcha in Uji, and walk the torii at Fushimi Inari.
“Convenient, no need to worry about your transportation, a great choice for those with no sense of direction. Thank you for the guide's humorous, vivid, and detailed explanation, which helped us understand the places we are about to visit!”
Spend a day in Nara and Uji: deer feeding, Todaiji’s Great Buddha, matcha streets, and a natural Uji hot spring, all from Osaka.
“Leo was such an awesome tour guide, he is extremely knowledgeable on ALL things Japan. The deer park was my our favorite, super cute and you get lots of time at this stop. The hot springs was a cool way to end the trip!”
