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Great Buddha, Kasuga Shrine and Deer Park Tour in Nara

Top rated
4.9
Activity provider: DeepExperience, Inc.
Great Buddha, Kasuga Shrine and Deer Park Tour in Nara
Great Buddha, Kasuga Shrine and Deer Park Tour in Nara 2
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3-hour tour in Nara, taking in Nara Park, Kasuga-taisha and Tōdai-ji. Run by DeepExperience, Inc., booked direct rather than through a reseller.

Highlights

  • Nara Park
  • Kasuga-taisha
  • Tōdai-ji
  • Runs 3 hours
  • Professional English-speaking guide
  • Guided tour of Nara Park, Kasuga Taisha, and Todai-ji

Great Buddha, Kasuga Shrine and Deer Park Tour in Nara: Key Facts

PriceFrom $110.5 per person
Duration3 hours
LanguagesEnglish
Tour typeGuided Tour
BookingDirect with the local operator — no OTA markup

Full description

This is a 3-hour experience in Nara, built around Nara Park, Kasuga-taisha and Tōdai-ji. It is run by DeepExperience, Inc., an operator we book with directly rather than through a reseller, which is why we can hold your place with them before we treat your booking as final.

Nara was Japan's first permanent capital, from 710 to 784, and its park holds Todai-ji, whose Great Buddha Hall is one of the largest wooden buildings in the world and contains a 15-metre bronze Buddha cast in 752, Kasuga Taisha with its three thousand lanterns, and about 1,200 sika deer that are considered messengers of the gods and are protected. The deer bow for the shika senbei crackers sold in the park and will butt anyone who teases them. Nara is 45 minutes from Kyoto or Osaka by train and is a half-day; Todai-ji before 10:00 is the quiet hour.

The price covers English-speaking guide, Guided tour of Nara Park, Kasuga Taisha, Todai-ji Temple admission fee, Kasuga Taisha special inner shrine admission and Deer crackers. It does not cover Transportation to and from the meeting point, Additional food or drinks and Personal expenses, so budget for those separately. Everything included is listed in full on this page; if something is not on that list, assume it is not in the price.

DeepExperience, Inc. sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed. We need at least one day's notice, and we confirm the date with DeepExperience, Inc. before treating your booking as final. If they cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.

Tour Itinerary

Itineraries are customisable as per your request

The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.

Starting location

氷室神社

Nara Park

Guided tour (30 minutes)

Kasuga-taisha

Guided tour (1 hour)

Tōdai-ji

Guided tour (1 hour)

2 drop-off locations

春日大社二之鳥居, 二之鳥居

Detailed Itinerary

Starting location: 氷室神社

Nara Park: Guided tour (30 minutes)

Kasuga-taisha: Guided tour (1 hour)

Tōdai-ji: Guided tour (1 hour)

2 drop-off locations: 春日大社二之鳥居, 二之鳥居

Includes

  • Professional English-speaking guide
  • Guided tour of Nara Park, Kasuga Taisha, and Todai-ji
  • Todai-ji Temple admission fee
  • Kasuga Taisha special inner shrine admission
  • Deer crackers (shika senbei) for feeding

Excludes

  • Transportation to and from the meeting point
  • Additional food or drinks
  • Personal expenses

Important information

Meeting point

DeepExperience, Inc. sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed.

Know before you go

  • Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts

About this activity

Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more
Duration 3 hours
Check availability to see starting times
Live tour guide
English
Wheelchair accessible

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Main Tour Price
Starting from $110.5
$110.5
Need a custom booking or have a larger group?Contact Support via WhatsApp
Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
Secure payment
Complete your booking safely with Razorpay. Full refund if you cancel 24h prior. Read more

Traveler Reviews

4.9/5
based on 69 reviews
Guide
4.9/5
Value for money
4.7/5
Verified reviews from travelers on this operator’s experience
5
L
Lucie
April 25, 2026

We enjoyed the tour very much. Takashi is a fantastic guide, very knowledgeable and so friendly ! 🤩 Highly recommended !

Review photo 1Review photo 2Review photo 3
5
W
Walter
December 5, 2025

This was an excellent tour! Yoshi was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions with enthusiasm. He was very kind and patient. We definitely learned a lot and would not have enjoyed the shrines as much without his input. Thank you Yoshi, you were amazing!!

Review photo 1Review photo 2Review photo 3
5
J
Jean-Louis
October 25, 2025

Our guide Teppei was simply amazing: incredibly kind, patient, knowledgeable, generous and truly dedicated to making your visit of Nara an unforgettable experience. On top of providing us with historical facts about every temple and shrine we came to visit, Teppei found great pleasure in answering a wide variety of questions about the lifestyle and culture of Japanese people. We cannot recommend this tour highly enough.

Review photo 1Review photo 2Review photo 3
5
H
Hanna
May 17, 2026

The guide was absolutely amazing. We were incredibly late due to issues getting into Kyoto from our previous destination. Yoshi kept in contact and tailored the experience to our new timings. He was incredibly kind, very funny, really picked up on our English humour and was a font of knowledge. We left the trip very happy, with so many new things learned, beautiful pictures and full hearts. He even went as far to send us some recommendations for Whisky and Sake. An incredible host, thank you

5
R
Rohit
October 30, 2025

We had a great tour, thanks to Takashi, he has good insight and shared very informative historical details

5
T
Teresa
October 12, 2025

It was a lovely afternoon. Yayoi was a knowledgeable guide and answered all the questions about the shrines. She was helpful throughout and we enjoyed the conversation and the walk. A wonderful day! Thank you Teresa

5
C
Catherine
September 24, 2025

Nobu was the sweetest girl. We thoroughly enjoyed touring Nara with her. Nobu is knowledgeable & made our tour interesting. It was so hot & she provided us with neck coolers. Nobu also gave us cookies for the deer. She even walked us to the train station afterwards and helped us purchase our express train to Kyoto. We highly recommend Nobu.

5
V
Valentina
September 21, 2025

Highly recommended! We absolutely enjoyed our 3hrs tour in Nara. Our guide Eri was very friendly, punctual, very knowledgeable and always was happy to reply on all our questions! We visited multiple hidden Gems among Nara highlights. Eri was very kind to give us very useful food reccomendations as well. 10/10. Thank you.

5
S
Stewart
August 25, 2025

Ryan’s communication was excellent. We were delayed by traffic, but he very kindly waited for us. We are extremely grateful to him for doing so, because we would never have learned or seen so much on our own. Ryan was entertaining and well-informed.

5
S
Sasithorn
July 25, 2025

Yayoi san was very energetic and passionate about history of Nara and temple as well as very gentle for deer. 🦌

5
L
Laura
October 23, 2025

Our guide Takao Fuchigama aka Teppei was super friendly and had a lot of knowledge to share. We really liked the tour! He also bought some cookies for the dear and made this tour special. We can highly recommend him as a guide!

5
C
Cameron
September 20, 2025

Nara is a must see and getting to have Takashi guide us around was amazing. We learned so much and felt like we really maximized the time there. Lots of walking and steps, most of our trip. But so worth it!!

Frequently Asked Questions

DeepExperience, Inc. sends the meeting point and time by email as soon as the booking is confirmed.
The price does not cover transportation to and from the meeting point, additional food or drinks and personal expenses. Everything it does cover is listed in full on this page, so if something is not on that list, budget for it separately.
Shoes off at every hall, quiet voices, and no photographs inside the halls unless a sign allows it. At a shrine, rinse hands and mouth at the basin, then bow twice, clap twice and bow once; at a temple, hands together without clapping. Dress is relaxed, but shoulders and knees covered is the courteous choice.
We confirm your booking with the operator before we treat it as final, and we need at least one day's notice. Once it is confirmed you get the meeting point, the time and a contact number for the day. If the operator cannot take your date we tell you and refund you rather than leave you waiting.
Professional English-speaking guide, Guided tour of Nara Park, Kasuga Taisha, and Todai-ji, Todai-ji Temple admission fee, Kasuga Taisha special inner shrine admission, Deer crackers (shika senbei) for feeding
The duration of the Great Buddha, Kasuga Shrine and Deer Park Tour in Nara is typically 3 hours. We recommend arriving 15 minutes before the scheduled start time for a smooth check-in. Your guide will meet you at the designated meeting point and ensure the experience runs on schedule while remaining flexible to your pace.
For most experiences, we highly recommend an early morning start. This allows you to avoid the midday heat, bypass the largest crowds, and capture the best lighting for photography. Your guide can advise on the optimal timing based on the season and specific attractions included.
Yes, once your booking is completed via our secure payment gateway, you will receive an instant confirmation email with your tour details, meeting point address, guide's name, and direct contact information. You can also view and manage your booking through your AsiaByLocals account dashboard.
Yes! All our private tours are fully customizable. Whether you want to add extra stops, skip certain locations, change the pace, or adjust the start time — simply let your guide know in advance or on the day. We aim to create a personalized experience tailored to your interests and energy level.
We offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the scheduled start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours may be subject to a partial charge depending on the tour type. Weather-related cancellations for outdoor and boat tours are handled on a case-by-case basis, with full refunds or free rebooking offered when safety is a concern.
Most of our experiences are family-friendly and suitable for children of all ages. However, some tours involving extensive walking, water activities, or early morning starts may be better suited for children aged 5 and above. Please check the specific tour description for age recommendations, or contact us for personalized family itinerary advice.
After booking, you will receive detailed meeting point instructions via email. Most tours include complimentary hotel pickup within the central area. For tours without pickup, your confirmation email will include the exact address, Google Maps pin, and your guide's phone number for easy coordination. Guides typically arrive 10 minutes early and will message you on WhatsApp.
We accept all major credit and debit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), PayPal, Apple Pay, and Razorpay for Indian cards. All payments are processed through a PCI-compliant secure gateway with 256-bit encryption. You can also pay in multiple currencies — the price is automatically converted to your local currency at checkout.
Yes, all AsiaByLocals guides are licensed professionals who have been rigorously vetted through background checks, skill assessments, and customer reviews. Many hold government-issued tourism licenses, university degrees in history or cultural studies, and have years of experience leading tours for international travelers. Every guide maintains a minimum 4.5-star rating to remain active on our platform.
Late March to early April for cherry blossom in Nara Park, or mid-to-late November for autumn colour around Todai-ji — our pick for the best overall balance of weather and crowds. Full season breakdown in our best time to visit Nara guide.
Yes, generally — they're unusually tame from centuries of protected contact with visitors. Buy shika senbei crackers (~¥200) from a licensed vendor, and be extra cautious during October-December rutting season, when Nara city issues an annual warning about more assertive bucks. Full etiquette in our Nara deer park guide.
A 15-metre bronze Buddha cast in 752 CE, one of the largest bronze statues in the world, housed in the Daibutsuden — once the largest wooden building on Earth. History and what to look for inside is in our Todai-ji temple guide.
Both work well — about 45 minutes from Kyoto, 35-40 minutes from Osaka via Kintetsu. Train options and a realistic day schedule are in our Nara day trip guide.
A comfortable half day (about 4 hours) covers Nara Park, Todai-ji and the walk to Kasuga Taisha. Our Nara half-day itinerary breaks it down hour by hour.
Starting from$110.5