Archaeological site of the ancient Imperial Palace of the Nara period with reconstructions and a free museum.
The Nara Imperial Palace Site (Heijō-kyū) is one of the most important archaeological sites in Japan. Between the years 710 and 784, Heijō-kyō was the capital of the Empire and this one-square-kilometre palace was its political and administrative heart. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the site has been the subject of excavations since the 1960s and currently combines open areas with reconstructions of historic buildings: the imposing Daigokuden Audience Hall, the Suzaku Gate and the Eastern Palace Garden are the most photogenic. The Nara Palace Site Museum (Heijōkyū Tōka) displays excavated artefacts, models and explanatory panels that help you imagine what the imperial capital was like 1.300 years ago. Admission to the site and the museum is free. It opens from 09:00 to 16:30, closes on Mondays. The site is about 3 km northwest of the centre of Nara; from JR Nara station it can be reached on foot in 35 minutes or by bus (line 97, Heijōkyū Ato Mae stop). There is also a Kintetsu train with a Yamato-Saidaiji stop, a 10-minute walk away. Ideal to round off the day with a historical perspective different from the temples of the park.
