Kansai International Airport 1 hr
Kasuga-taisha (34 min) Bright vermillion columns support the roof of this Shinto shrine originally established in 768 A.D.. Mount Ikoma (41 min) Popular mountain in Kongō-Ikoma-Kisen Quasi-National Park featuring an amusement park. Isui-en & Neiraku Art Museum (35 min) Sizable collection of ancient Chinese bronze wares, mirrors & seals, along with Korean pottery. Hōryū-ji (8 min) Buddhist temple with frescoes, statues & the world's oldest wooden buildings on its grounds. Mount Shigi (20 min) 437m-high peak with Chogosonshi temple, home to a large sculpture of a tiger, plus a bungee jump. Gango-ji Temple (32 min) Ancient Buddhist temple in lush surrounds featuring a sloping tiled roof & an ornate pagoda. Mount Wakakusa (44 min) 1,122-foot tall hill with an annual festival called Yamayaki, where dead grass is burned. Tōshōdai-ji (28 min) Buddhist temple complex known for its 8th-century Golden Hall, acknowledged as a national treasure. Tōdai-ji (35 min) Buddhist temple originally built in the mid-700s, with Japan's largest bronze Buddha statue. Nara Dreamland (35 min) Amusement park, ruins, roller coaster, park, and water park Kōfuku-ji (34 min) Complex of Buddhist temple halls & pagodas, plus an on-site museum showcasing national treasures. Yakushi-ji Temple (23 min) Originally built in 680, this Buddhist landmark was once one of the Seven Great Temples in Nara. Nara Park (30 min) Landscaped, public park with ancient temples & the Nara National Museum of art, plus tame deer. Heijō Palace Remains (29 min) Reconstruction of the 8th-century imperial palace that once stood on this site. Todaiji Nigatsudo (36 min) Hilltop hall, part of Tōdai-ji Buddhist temple, with sweeping views of Nara from its balcony. |