Usual hours and prices, checked 2026-10-04 against the sources under “What this place is”. They can change for holidays and events — confirm before you go. Official site
Our guide
Nara Park lies at the foot of Mount Wakakusa in the city of Nara. Established in 1880, it is one of the oldest parks in Japan and a designated Place of Scenic Beauty. Its best-known residents are the more than 1,200 wild sika deer that roam it freely, themselves a designated natural treasure. Officially the park covers about 502 hectares, but with the grounds of Tōdai-ji, Kōfuku-ji, Kasuga Taisha and the Nara National Museum around its edges, the whole area reaches some 660 hectares — which is why so much of Nara's sightseeing happens inside it.
The point this page is mapped to is about 1.5 km in a straight line from Kintetsu Nara Station. The great sights are all close: Nigatsu-dō Hall is about 0.4 km away, Todai-ji Great Buddha and Isuien Garden 0.5 km, Kasuga Taisha 0.7 km and Kofuku-ji 1.1 km.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Five-storied Pagoda, Kofuku-ji - Nara, Japan - DSC07497 — Daderot · CC0 · source · resized
- 浮見堂 — Sho Horiuchi · CC0 · source · resized
- Wakakusayama and Nara Park from Nara prefectural government office — Degueulasse · CC BY 3.0 · source · resized
- Shikasenbei02 — Hirojin taja · Public domain · source · resized
- Nara Tobihino01st3200 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Nara Mizutani-tyaya01ds3872 — 663highland · CC BY 2.5 · source · resized
- Nara Japan 1 — Humanoid one · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Nara (5899118365) — Jeremy Thompson · CC BY 2.0 · source · resized
- Nara (5899117525) — Jeremy Thompson · CC BY 2.0 · source · resized
- Nara (5899116949) — Jeremy Thompson · CC BY 2.0 · source · resized
What this place is
Nara Park (奈良公園) is a public park located in the city of Nara, Japan, at the foot of Mount Wakakusa. Established in 1880, it is one of the oldest parks in Japan. Administratively, the park is under the control of Nara Prefecture. The park is one of the "Places of Scenic Beauty" designated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). Over 1,200 wild sika deer (シカ or 鹿 shika) freely roaming around in the park are also under designation of MEXT, classified as natural treasure. While the official size of the park is about 502 hectares (1,240 acres), the area including the grounds of Tōdai-ji, Kōfuku-ji, Kasuga Grand Shrine and Nara National Museum, which are either on the edge or surrounded by Nara Park, is as large as 660 hectares (1,600 acres).
Visitor information checked: 2026-10-04 · Official visiting information
Background text adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Park & garden
Nearby station
Nearby station: Nara (Kintetsu Nara Line), about 1.5 km from the spot in a straight line.
Worked out on 2026-09-14 from this place’s map position, using HeartRails Express station data and station names from Wikidata. The distance is a straight line, not a walking route, and says nothing about buses, transfers or timetables — plan the trip on Google Maps.
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