Timeline
10:00
Arrive at Kasuga Taisha as it opens. The grounds are free and the morning light is soft. Walk past the giant rack of sake barrels and the fountain-statue of a giant buck. The temple is occasionally closed for services, but a walk around the outside is likely to be no less rewarding.
10:30
Walk 15 minutes to Ma horoba Daibutsu Purin for a café stop. Order a Daifuku Purin or coffee. The café is open until 17:00 on weekdays and 18:00 on weekends.
11:00
Head to the Kasuga-yama Primeval Forest. It is a gorgeous hill of wild, undeveloped forest leading to Kasuga Taisha. The path is clearly marked, so don’t worry about getting lost. It is a quiet walk through the trees.
11:40
End your walk with soba noodles at Soba-dokoro Ginkou. This noodle restaurant is open from 11:00 to 13:00.
Local tip
The forest path is quiet and clearly marked. Check the opening hours for Soba-dokoro Ginkou as it closes at 13:00.
Check before you go
- Kasuga Taisha opens at 10:00.
- Soba-dokoro Ginkou is open 11:00-13:00.
Built from places in the Wikivoyage guide to Nara (CC BY-SA 4.0), with open map data from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).