Kyoto - Depart from Kyoto

Gyoki Statue with a Fountain - Meet up with your guide at the meeting point and board the express train to Nara to begin the day’s adventure. Pass by the Gyoki Statue

Nara Park - From there, you’ll head to Nara Park where you’ll see the friendly, free-roaming Sika deer, considered sacred messengers of the gods in the Shinto religion. Take in the vast, wide-open spaces and lush greenery, and snap a few photos with the deer (considered the symbol of Nara), before heading to Todaiji.

Todai-ji Daibutsuden (Great Buddha Hall) - This UNESCO World Heritage Site stands majestically within the park and houses the awe-inspiring Great Buddha (Daibutsu), one of the largest bronze statues of Buddha in Japan. Up next is a traditional lunch at Kotoya Restaurant where you’ll get to enjoy some local Nara specialties before you head to Kasuga Taisha shrine.

Kasuga Taisha Shrine - Take in the picturesque shrine adorned with thousands of hanging lanterns before taking a stroll in Naramachi and get a glimpse of the narrow lanes lined with well-preserved traditional merchant houses that encapsulate the essence of the Edo period.

Naramachi - Visit Naramachi and visit various kinds of specialty shops and retro museums there.

Kyoto - Travel back to Kyoto

Kofuku-ji - xplore the Kofukuji Temple grounds as you learn about the history and establishment of the Heijo-kyo imperial capital.