Nara

From the Daibutsu-den to the lanterns of Kasuga

Morning. From Kintetsu Nara Station, walk five minutes to Kōfuku-ji to see the pagoda and the treasure hall. Cross into Nara Park, where the deer start following you, and continue to Tōdai-ji. Pass through the giant Nandai-mon gate with its two fierce guardian figures, then enter the Daibutsu-den to stand beneath the Great Buddha.

Midday. Climb behind Tōdai-ji to Nigatsu-dō, a hall on the hillside with a wide veranda looking over the city. Eat lunch near the Nara National Museum, which is worth a stop if you care for Buddhist sculpture.

Afternoon. Follow the lantern-lined path through the woods to Kasuga Taisha, the Shinto shrine of the Fujiwara clan. If you have energy, climb Mount Wakakusa for the view across the basin.

Evening. Wander south into Naramachi for dinner in a converted townhouse. Next day, take bus 97 west to Tōshōdai-ji and Yakushi-ji, then on to Hōryū-ji, which holds some of the oldest wooden buildings in the world. Day-trippers can return to Kyoto or Osaka in under an hour.

Persimmon-leaf sushi, Miwa sōmen and Nara sake

Nara's food is quieter than its neighbours' and rooted in the surrounding mountains. The best-known speciality is kaki-no-ha zushi, pressed mackerel or salmon sushi wrapped in persimmon leaves, a method from Yoshino to the south. Boxes are sold at shops near the stations and in the arcades leading to the park, and make a good picnic.

Miwa sōmen, thin wheat noodles from the Miwa area, are served cold in summer and in hot broth in winter. Look also for kuzu starch from Yoshino, used for silky kuzu-kiri noodles dipped in sugar syrup and for wagashi sweets in the tea houses of Naramachi.

Local green tea is called Yamato-cha, and the region claims a long role in the history of sake. Harushika, one of the oldest breweries still running, offers tastings in Naramachi. The Higashimuki and Mochiidono shopping arcades between Kintetsu Nara Station and Naramachi hold most of the casual restaurants and snack shops.

One snack is not for you: shika-senbei, the rice crackers sold all over the park, are made for the deer.

Wakakusa's burning hillside and the Shōsōin season

The year opens with fire. On the evening of the fourth Saturday in January, fireworks are followed by the burning of the dry grass on Mount Wakakusa, a ceremony shared by temples and the shrine; see our page on Wakakusa Yamayaki for details. Bad weather can postpone it.

Spring arrives early. March averages a high of 14C and April 20C, and cherry trees bloom across Nara Park and the Heijō Palace site in early April. May is warm at 25C and still relatively dry, a good time before the June rains of about 184mm.

Summer is hot and sticky. July and August highs of 31-33C make midday walking hard, so start at Tōdai-ji when it opens and spend the afternoon in museums or Naramachi cafés. September remains warm at 29C with heavy rain.

Autumn is the other high season. October drops to 23C and November to 17C, maples colour the park, and in late October to early November the Nara National Museum holds its annual exhibition of treasures from the Shōsōin storehouse, which brings long queues and full hotels. Winter is cold but bright, January highs near 9C and lows around freezing, and the temples are at their quietest.