Getting to Nara
Nara lies off the Shinkansen route, and only a handful of long-distance regular buses pass through the city.
In most cases, you will travel to Nara from Osaka or Kyoto, the two nearest major cities served by the Shinkansen.
Book your hotel in Nara in advance
Nara is mainly accessible via the JR and Kintetsu railway lines.
Transport between Osaka and Nara
Two different operators run several services from Osaka to Nara.
| From the station | Operator | Fare | Journey time | JR Pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Namba | Kintetsu | 680 jpy | 42 minutes | - |
| JR-Namba | JR | 580 jpy | 50 minutes | ✓ |
| Osaka (Umeda) | JR | 820 jpy | 52 minutes | ✓ |
| Tennoji | JR | 510 jpy | 33 minutes | ✓ |
Kintetsu
The Kintetsu Railway takes you closest to the Nara Park tourist area. The Kintetsu-Nara terminus is situated approximately 1,100 metres from the deer park.
Kintetsu trains also stop at Yamato-Saidaijo and Shin-Omiya stations (some express trains do not stop at Shin-Omiya).
From Osaka, these trains run from the following stations at intervals of approximately 10–15 minutes:
- Namba(underground station) – Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi districts
- Kintetsu-Nippombashi– Nipponbashi district
- Osaka-Uehommachi
Several types of train run on this route; they differ in the number of stops and the fare:
- Limited Express – a seat reservation surcharge is required; you must always purchase your ticket from a ticket machine or at the ticket office
- Journey time from Namba to Kintetsu-Nara: approx. 35 minutes
- Does not stop at Shin-Omiya station in Nara or Nippombashi station in Osaka
- Express, Semi-Express, Rapid Express – standard fare with no surcharge
- Journey time from Namba to Kintetsu-Nara: approx. 40–55 minutes
Tickets and fares
You can buy a ticket from a ticket machine or at the ticket office. Above each ticket machine is a map of the routes; find your destination station on the map and then select the appropriate fare on the machine’s screen.
You can also pay your fare using one of 10 Japanese transport cards (Icoca, Suica, etc.). In this case, you simply need to ensure you have sufficient credit on your card and then tap it against the turnstile.
- JR Pass, JR-WEST Pass – cannot be used
- Kansai Railway Pass – can be used
Fares to Kintetsu-Nara Station:
- Namba – 680 jpy (surcharge for the Limited Express train is 520 jpy)
- Nippombashi – 680 jpy
- Uehommachi – 680 jpy
You can find route searches, timetables and further information on the website:kintetsu.co.jp.
JR-WEST
Trains operated by the national rail operator JR-West run to Nara-JR Station, located approximately 2,100 metres fromNara Park. Please use these trains if you have purchased a Japan Rail Pass.
There are two different lines to Osaka, on which only trains without a seat reservation fee operate:
- Osaka Station (Umeda)via Kyobashi (e.g. Osaka Castle)
- Fare – 820 jpy
- Journey time – 52 minutes
- Frequency – every 15 to 20 minutes
- Most trains continue on a circular route, for example via Nishikujo Station (towards Universal Studios)
- Tennojivia Yao, and some trains (mainly in the afternoon) continue without changing trains to JR-Nambastation
- Fare – 510 jpy
- Journey time – 33 minutes
- Frequency – every 15 minutes
Search for services and fares on thewestjr.co.jp website
You can buy a ticket from a ticket machine or at the ticket office. Above each ticket machine, there is a route map where you can locate your destination station and then select the appropriate fare on the machine’s screen.
You can also pay the fare using one of 10 Japanese transport cards (Icoca, Suica, etc.). In this case, you simply need to ensure you have sufficient credit on your card and then tap it against the turnstile.
- JR Pass, JR-WEST Pass – valid for use
- Kansai Railway Pass – cannot be used
Transport between Kyoto and Nara
You can also choose between JR (ideal if you’re travelling around Japan with a JR Pass) or Kintetsu (the station is closer to Nara Park) for your journey to Kyoto.
Both operators serve Kyoto Station.
| Operator | Price | Journey time | JR Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kintetsu | 760 jpy | 40 minutes | - |
| JR | 720 jpy | 45 minutes | ✓ |
Kintetsu
Direct trains to Kintetsu-Nara station from Kyoto run twice an hour, with one more expensive Limited Express service and one standard service each hour.
Trains from Kyoto to Yamato-Saidaiji station run much more frequently, roughly once every 10–15 minutes; there, you’ll need to change to another train heading towards Nara city centre (on average once every 5–10 minutes).
Several types of train operate on this route, differing in the number of stops and the ticket price:
- Limited Express – a seat reservation surcharge is required; you must always purchase your ticket from a ticket machine or at the ticket office
- Journey time: Kyoto – Kintetsu-Nara approx. 40 minutes
- Does not stop at Shin-Omiya station
- Express, Semi-Express, Rapid Express – standard fare with no surcharge
- Journey time: Kyoto – Kintetsu-Nara approx. 50 minutes
Tickets and fares
You can buy a ticket from a ticket machine or at the ticket office. Above each ticket machine is a map of the routes; find your destination station on the map and then select the appropriate fare on the machine’s screen.
You can also pay your fare using one of 10 Japanese transport cards (Icoca, Suica, etc.). In this case, you simply need to ensure you have sufficient credit on your card and then tap it against the turnstile.
- JR Pass, JR-WEST Pass – cannot be used
- Kansai Railway Pass – can be used
Fares from Kyoto to Kintetsu-Nara Station:
- Limited Express – 760 jpy + surcharge for seat reservation 520 jpy
- Other trains – 760 jpy
You can find route searches, timetables and further information on the website:kintetsu.co.jp.
JR-WEST
Trains operated by the national rail operator JR-West run to Nara-JR Station, located approximately 2,100 metres fromNara Park. Please use these trains if you have purchased a Japan Rail Pass.
There is one line to Kyoto, on which only trains without compulsory seat reservations operate.
The journey takes 45 minutes and trains run every 20–30 minutes.
Search for connections and fares on the websitewestjr.co.jp
Fares and tickets
You can buy a ticket from a ticket machine or at the ticket office. Above each ticket machine, there is a route map where you can locate your destination station and then select the appropriate fare on the machine’s screen.
The fare is 720 jpy.
You can also pay the fare using one of the 10 Japanese transport cards (Icoca, Suica, etc.). In this case, you simply need to have sufficient credit on your card and tap it against the turnstile.
- JR Pass, JR-WEST Pass – can be used
- Kansai Railway Pass – cannot be used
Transport to other cities
Direct Kintetsu and JR trains run to the town of Kashiru, about 20 km south of Nara.
The journey is particularly worthwhile on Kintetsu trains, as there are connecting services operated by the same company from Kashira to Yoshino National Park.
You can only reach all other destinations in Japan via Osaka or Kyoto.
Not even Nagoya, which looks relatively close to Nara on the map, is accessible by direct trains or buses.
For long-distance travel, we recommend travelling via Kyoto, as both railway lines running from Kyoto to Nara (Kintetsu and JR) start at the main Kyoto Station, where the Shinkansen also stop.
There are no direct trains from Nara to Shin-Osaka Shinkansen Station.
Nearest airport
Nara does not have its own airport; the nearest ones are in Osaka.
Direct buses run from Nara to Osaka’s two largest airports:
- Itami ITM – the airport serving busy domestic routes
- Buses run approximately once an hour and the journey takes 90 minutes
- Price – 1 750 jpy
- Timetable available on the operator’s website: hankyu-kankobus-co.jp
- Kansai KIX – a major international airport
- Buses run only 5 times a day and the journey takes105 minutes
- Price – 2 400 jpy
- Timetable on the operator’s website: kate.co.jp
Any questions left?
If you have any questions or comments about the article...
