Nara Early Morning Tour (Osaka Departure Option)

Overview

Available languages

English

4 hours 30 minutes

Mobile ticket

Ran by @guidemejapan on Instagram. Please check our Instagram for visual examples of our wonderful guides!

Nara gets very crowded during the afternoon and it could be hard to take great photos. Therefore, in our tour we go to the main sites of Nara (Kofuku-ji Temple, Todaiji Temple, Nara Park, and Kasuga Grand Shrine) before the crowd comes. Please note that this is a walking tour that uses public transportation, there is no private vehicle.

Also, this tour ends before noon so you will have the noon time to explore other parts of Nara or make a day trip to Osaka/Kyoto as well. A great tour for people that want to maximize their experience in Japan!

This tour will conclude at Kintetsu Nara Station. The fee from Osaka to Nara Station is included in the tour but the fee on the way back is not included. Please do not be late. Any latecomers will not be granted a refund.

This tour has up to 8 people.

In this tour, we will walk about 10,000 steps.

Additional Info

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries

Not recommended for pregnant travelers

Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health

Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What To Expect

Kofuku-ji Temple

Kofuku-ji Temple was established in Nara at the same time as the capital in 710. It is famous for it's five-storied pagoda, the second tallest wooden pagoda in Japan just seven meters shorter than the five-storied pagoda at Kyoto's Toji Temple. See this temple for yourself at sunrise!

1 hour • Admission Not Applicable

Kasuga Grand Shrine

Kasuga Grand Shrine is famous for it's lanterns, which have been donated by worshippers. There are approximately 3000 stone and bronze lanterns, standing as one of Japan's most historical shrines. It holds significance as the sacred grounds that inspired the presence of deer in Nara Park.

1 hour • Admission Included

What‘s Included

English-Speaking guide

Transportation Fee from Osaka to Nara

Food and Drinks (personal expenses)

Admission Fee (800yen for Todaiji-Temple)

Options

Nara Early Morning Tour (Osaka Departure Option)

Reviews

5.00

7 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We had great tour of...
Eyal Y,,Nov 30, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
We had great tour of Nara. Koh our guide was really good and knowledgeable and provided a lot of good information. we got lucky and our family was the only one in the tour, so we got private tour. Pay attention to the fact that this tour will require to return by yourself from Nara. but Koh our guide help us with that with instructions.
Great day in Nara
pamelasU3644AG,,Nov 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I’m really glad we took this tour because Rin added so much to our fabulous experience on Nara! He helped us navigate the trains, provided a lot of historical and cultural context to the sites we visited, and even took pics and recommended a lunch restaurant. We loved our day in Nara — definitely one of the highlights of our trip.
A must book if in the Osaka or Kyoto area
kerbiane,,Oct 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Rin was very a pleasure to meet. Very informative of the points of interest in Nara and surrounding areas. I highly recommend this morning tour!!! 10 out of 10 experience!
Deer! Deer everywhere! 🥰
KatrinaLisbeth C,,Oct 12, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
(It took me a while to finally write a review, for some reason the review page on this tour wasn't working.) But anyway, this is our first time in Japan and I'm so glad this is our very first tour! Our tour guide Lin was very helpful and informative and fun to talk to. She taught us a lot about temples, shrines, as well as a lot of history lessons that became very useful as we ventured around Japan! If you love animals, this is the tour for you! The deer were just absolutely ADORABLE. I love them, and if I could pet them all and feed them I would. I could spend the entire day in Nara park!
Nara Early bird tour with Rin
Q7599JLstellav,,Sep 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Rin was an excellent tour guide.. on time very informative and the pace was comfortable for my ability. Also helped me when having difficulty climbing steep stairs. Would highly recommend this tour
Nara with Soichiro
Clifford F,,Jul 10, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Soichiro was such a wonderful guide and pleasant young man. He was so well-informed as to add much depth to our sightseeing. Nara was beautiful and of course the revered deer were exquisite.
Worth it!
kellic608,,May 27, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
A special place to visit and definitely worth the four hours out of your day to see the bowing deer, Buddha statue, gorgeous mountains and picturesque town. Our guide Kota was an added bonus. He was a wonderful guide and we learned so much about life in Japan.