Things to do in Nara

11 activities, venues and outings in Nara, from theatres and live music to parks and tours.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Do
Nara Visitor Center & Inn
Learn basic Japanese calligraphy or origami. They'll pick out kanji that match the sound of your name so you can learn to write them with a calligraphy brush pen. Or you can learn to make an origami deer, something you're not likely to find outside of Nara. The teachers are charming, and the center has other cultural activities as well, and all the other information you'd expect from a visitor center.
Closed · opens 10 amFree
Do
Shuni-e (Omizu-tori)
修二会 (お水取り)
An annual Buddhist memorial service that has been carried out first in 752 AD and continues today without a year off. Priests run around the Nigatsu-dō carrying large flaming torches.
Mar 1-14, evening
Do Not mapped
Deer-horn Cutting Ceremony
Deer have their horns cut to prevent people from being injured.
October
Do Not mapped
Mount Wakakusa Fire Festival
若草山焼き Wakakusa-yamayaki
Great fireworks and the dry grass on the slopes of this mountain is set on fire by two temples. The size of the burn depends on how dry the grass is.
The night before the 2nd Mon in January. In case of bad weather the date may change, so call to check
Do Not mapped
Nara Tōka-e
なら燈火会
An annual light festival. 10,000 candles illuminate the area around Nara Park and major temples.
Closed
Do Not mapped
Nara Walk
Tour covers popular destinations around Nara Park: Great Buddha, Todaiji Temple, Kofukuji Temple, Deer Park and Kasuga Grand Shrine. Reservations not necessary for regular tours. Private tours or tours in French available with reservation.
Mar - Sep: daily 10:00¥3000
Do Not mapped
Naramachi
奈良町
The neighborhood, founded in the 8th century when Heijōkyō was the capital of Japan, today contains several small museums, machiya (町家) (traditional Japanese merchant houses from Edo Period), unique cafes and restaurants. (David Bowie is rumored to have owned a house here.) It's well worth the time to stop and do a tasting at Harushika (春鹿), Naramachi's fabulous Nihon-shu (sake) brewery.
Do Not mapped
Saturday Walking Tour
This tour is led by a professional English-speaking local guide. You will see old "machiya" houses and lively local alleys full of interesting sights. The tour ends near Kasuga Shrine and Todai-ji Temple so that you can visit these major sights of Nara afterwards.
Apr-Jul, Sep-Nov: Sat 10:00-13:00Adults ¥2000, children under 15 free
Do Not mapped
Nara S.G.G. Club
Do Not mapped
Nara Student Guide
Do Not mapped
Nara YMCA Goodwill Guides

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Nara (CC BY-SA 4.0).