1. Todai-ji Temple
Todaiji temple, "Eastern Great Temple" is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Japan. Though it was originally founded in the year 738 CE, Tōdai-ji was not opened until the year 752 CE. The temple has undergone several reconstructions since then, with the most significant reconstruction (that of the Great Buddha Hall) taking place in 1709. The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the Kegon school of Buddhism. The temple is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site as one of the "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara", together with seven other sites including temples, shrines and places in the city of Nara.
1 hour 30 minutes
2. Nara Park
Alongside Naramachi and Nishinokyo, Nara Park is one of the must-see areas in Nara City. The vast area covers 660 hectares and is renowned for its free-roaming deer and world famous temples. Feeding the deer is an attraction in itself and special crackers are on sale all around the park. For human refreshments, there are traditional tea houses as well as kiosks selling snacks and souvenirs.
30 minutes
3. Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine
Fushimi Inari Taisha. Designated as an Important Cultural Property, the main shrine building contains five shrines together, these five pillars of Fushimi Inari Taisha are named for the great virtues of Inari Okami that they embody. Inari Okami is known as a deity of business prosperity, the prosperity of industries, the safety of households, safety in traffic and improvement in the performing arts. The 'Senbon Torii' or 1000 tori gates are donations by individuals and companies, and you will find the donator's name and the date of the donation inscribed on the back of each gate.
1 hour 30 minutes
4. Kinkakuji Temple
Its famous Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku)—actually a pagoda made to house the sacred relics of the Buddha—has given this temple the popular name of Kinkaku-ji (“Temple of the Golden Pavilion”), however the official name of this branch temple of the Rinzai-sect Zen temple of Shokoku-ji is Rokuon-ji. The temple was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.
1 hour
5. Arashiyama Kimono Forest
The Kimono Forest is an art installation around the Arashiyama terminal station of the Keifuku Randen Tram Line.
Kimono Forest is composed of 600 clear, acrylic cylinders standing 2 meters tall. Within each cylinder is an example of kimono fabric design.
There are a total of 32 different traditional Kyo-yuzen designs, Kyo-yuzen being the name for a style of fabric dyeing developed in Kyoto during the Edo Period.
30 minutes
6. Arashiyama
The Arashiyama Bamboo Forest in Kyoto is a popular attraction known for its spectacular scenery. With gentle breezes rustling the leaves as they blow through the bamboo, it's a great place to escape the heat of summer while taking gorgeous photos as memories of your travels.
1 hour