A 660-hectare park among temples, ponds and free-roaming deer; a completely free stroll accessible all year.
Nara Park is one of the most unusual public spaces in the world: 660 hectares of nature, thousand-year-old temples and more than 1.300 sika deer that walk freely among the visitors. Declared sacred animals, messengers of the gods in the Shinto tradition, the deer are so tame that they even make a little bow to ask for the famous shika-senbei crackers (150 ¥ a packet), sold by street vendors throughout the park. The walk through the park is completely free and naturally connects the great monuments of the city: the Tōdai-ji, the Kasuga Taisha, the Kōfuku-ji and the Isuien and Yoshikien gardens. The best time to visit it is spring (cherry blossom in April) and autumn (reddish foliage from late October). In summer the deer have their young and in autumn they are in rut, so it is advisable to keep some distance and not give them human food. The park is a 20-minute walk from JR Nara station and 5 minutes from Kintetsu Nara station. There are no closing hours. Wear comfortable shoes for walking on the uneven ground and, if you go in summer, sun protection, as some areas have little shade.
