My Honest Thoughts on Visiting Nara, Including the Deer Park

As soon as my girlfriend and I left the station in Nara, a very polite local told us the bus we needed to take to reach the deer park. I’m assuming he knew that we didn’t live there, which I made pretty evident with my massive camera and phone with Google Maps displayed. 

And right he was. During our trip on the Golden Route in Japan, the deer in Nara were one of the things we really wanted to see. We have a nice deer park near where we live in Copenhagen, and they’re pretty cool animals IMO, so beyond the bowing, it seemed like a fun day trip. 

I have to say that Nara was partly what I expected, but also not. I should’ve realized that the deer park is only one part of a city that people live in, for starters. However, I’d also say that it met my expectations in some aspects but fell short in others. 

Since Nara is close to Kyoto and Osaka (and also one of the places many first-time visitors to Japan go), I figured it was worth writing this honest guide. There were some things I didn’t like, and I will not sugarcoat these. At the same time, I will also be fair and talk about the reasons that Nara might be worth visiting for you. My aim is to help you make a decision that suits your needs. 

Let’s Actually Talk About the Deer Park First

First of all, the deer in Nara are spread across a much bigger area than I first thought. And to be totally honest, one look at Google Maps before traveling to Japan would have confirmed this to me. However, you will notice that the area close to the park is crowded when you arrive. 

This is for one simple reason: It’s where you can easily buy crackers for the deer. This means that many of the deer hang around here, and beyond that, many people don’t venture very far. If you want to feed the deer, you can certainly do that here. 

However, I found that the deer closer to the entrance were generally more aggressive when it came to food. This is unsurprising, since I also saw many people give up the crackers they bought for the deer all too quickly. And when I say “many people”, I include myself in this for the first set. 

If you go further into the park, the deer were—from personal experiences—way more relaxed. It’s also less crowded. And to be honest, many of them couldn’t care less that we were there. The deer will bow when they want food; if you don’t have any food for them, show them your empty hands, so they know. 

Some People on Their Best Behavior, Others Not So Much

The most egregious stuff often goes viral online, and I wanted to actually visit the deer park myself to see what it was like. I don’t trust that what I see on social media is the average behavior of many visitors. And in my opinion, the majority of people feeding the deer were respectful. 

There were, however, some individuals who didn’t know how to behave. I did see some people chasing the deer, for example. Again, though, these were in the minority when I was there. I think it goes without saying, but… don’t chase the deer or harass them in any other way. Also, you should only feed them the crackers you buy there; these are specifically for them.

How I Recommend Visiting the Deer Park If You Don’t Want to be Disappointed

First and foremost, bring some physical cash for the crackers. You can withdraw money from the ATMs that are in many convenience stores, and I suggest always having some cash on you in Japan, generally speaking. 

Also, only bow if you’re actually going to feed the deer. If you troll them, and the deer get mad, I’m sorry… but you only have yourself to blame. If you don’t have any food, show your empty palms, and they’ll get the hint. If they’re persistent, walk away. 

I’d also recommend setting your expectations right about Nara in and of itself. While some parts of it are very pretty, the area around the station is utilitarian and frankly quite ugly. This is the same if you go to Kyoto; if you expect everything to be old and beautiful, you will be disappointed. That’s just how it is. 

Speaking of which: From the train station, it’s around a 20-minute walk to the park. You can also take the bus, but we just walked it; getting there is relatively simple. 

My Actual Top Reason to Visit Nara Is to Eat Mochi, TBH

Although I originally visited Nara for the deer, I actually think the main reason to go there is for mochi. At Nakatanidou (Google Maps location here), you can watch people pound mochi and then buy some for yourself. I’m a big fan of mochi in general, and this was one of my favorite places to get it on our Japan trip. 

If I were to return to Nara, I think that this would be the main reason why. Again, bring some physical cash with you if you plan to buy some. 

This street around this mochi stand was incredibly busy when we visited, and I have to say that it quickly became quite annoying. So, once we got our food, we went elsewhere to eat them. We also went here before going to the deer park, which is what I recommend that you do as well. 

Nara Also Has Some Nice Temples and Shrines

I’m a big fan of Japanese temples, and I’ve mentioned in some of my other guides that I could easily spend months exploring them. Admittedly, visiting temples was not my main reason for going to Nara. Still, we did find some nice ones that I think are worth your time. 

One such example is the Nandaimon Gate, where you can also see deer wander around. Kohfuku-ji is also worth visiting when you’re in Nara.

Compared to Kyoto, we didn’t spend as much time exploring Nara’s temples and shrines. I guess this isn’t surprising, though, since we were in Kyoto for much longer than we were in Nara. And on a side note, you should definitely read my detailed Kyoto itinerary if you plan to visit Japan’s former capital. 

If I were to visit Nara again, I’d definitely spend some more time visiting the shrines and temples. I would also prioritize these over the deer park, in general. 

Admittedly, Though, I Don’t Think Nara Is the Best Day Trip From Kyoto 🤷🏾‍♂️

Osaka deserves more than a day, but it is also within easy reach from Kyoto if you want to see another Japanese city. We spent 3 nights in Osaka, and I must admit that it was such a pleasant surprise. By that, I mean that it was my personal favorite city that we visited on the trip.

Obviously, you’ll need to go to Nara if you specifically want to see the deer there. But if you want a nice day trip and don’t care what you do, I’d argue that there are better options.

And Yes, Nara Is Crowded in Some Spots

As I mentioned earlier, parts of the deer park and the main shopping streets in Nara were very crowded. This definitely got annoying, but I think it would be quite hypocritical to complain about tourists when I am one 🤣. 

What’s nice, though, is that getting away from the crowds is very easy. I thought the same about Kyoto, too, which is a semi-controversial opinion. A lot of it seriously comes down to just going a few streets over or going further into the deer park. 

The crowds in the most popular spots are part and parcel, but I still think that Nara is easy to find space for yourself. I think the same for everywhere on Japan’s Golden Route, to be truthful with you. And let me go one further: It’s the same for most popular tourist destinations around the world. 

Day Trip or Overnight?

We spent a day in Nara, which I felt was enough to see the main sights. It’s easy to reach from Kyoto and Osaka, and you can take a local train from either city. You don’t need to book tickets in advance, either; simply tap your ICOCA card at the train station turnstiles.

I would, however, not have been against staying overnight. As I mentioned before, Nara has some really nice temples and shrines—many of which I didn’t get to see or explore as much as I wanted to. Staying for longer would also have allowed us to explore at a slower pace, which I think would’ve been more enjoyable. 

Whether you visit on a day trip or stay overnight depends on how much time you have. If you’re not in Japan for long, you can see much of what you want to with just a day in Nara (or even half a day, to be truthful). But if you have longer, I don’t see any reason not to stay for a night or two. 

For most people, I would say that Nara is worth visiting. However, I won’t say that it’s worth seeing for everyone—because I don’t think that’s true. Not very certain of me, but I’ll explain. 🙂

If you really want to see the deer, you absolutely should visit Nara. I recommend going deeper in the deer park to get a better experience and that you also know what to expect when you arrive. I do think that if you only spend time by the entrance, you probably won’t enjoy yourself as much; it’s crowded, and the deer are more aggressive. It’s a much less stressful experience if you go further away from the crowds. 

You should also visit Nara if, like me, you like shrines and temples. The city has some really nice ones, and these definitely deserve your time and attention. And if you have some extra time, I also recommend staying overnight in this instance. 

On the other hand, I wouldn’t recommend visiting Nara if you don’t care so much about the deer park. Instead, I think you’ll have more fun if you visit Uji or spend an extra day in Osaka or Kyoto. I will probably visit Nara again, but to be honest, I wouldn’t say that it’s at the absolute top of my must-visit places in Japan.