Todaiji Temple and Sika Deer, Nara 2 Days 1 Night Itinerary Sharing
#ItinerarySharing #100TravelStyles
Nara is a city that is worth a slow night in. Unlike the hustle and bustle of Kyoto, it is very peaceful and quiet. There are many attractions and food, as well as the clingy sika deer. It's a pity to go back and forth on the same day, so you should come for at least 2 days and 1 night. The itinerary is as follows:
Day 1: Osaka-JR Nara Station-Sarusawa Pond-Nara Park-Nara Tsutaya
Day 2: JR Nara Station-Yoshikien-Todaiji-Wakakusa-Kyoto
[Must-see attractions]
1. #東大寺
The ancient Buddhist temples in the Kyoto and Nara areas all have a strong imitation of the Tang Dynasty. The Great Buddha Hall of Todaiji Temple is the largest single wooden structure in the world. It looks majestic and huge from a distance and even more magnificent when viewed up close. A giant bronze Buddha stands before you, 15 meters high, so solemn and dignified. The best location to take pictures is to shoot the reflection of the lake from the Mirror Lake outside. It is most beautiful when there are clouds in the sky.
2. #若草山
A hill on the east side of Nara Park, the whole green grass makes people feel comfortable and relaxed. Wakakusa Mountain is high above, and you can overlook the city of Nara from afar. It is especially beautiful and dreamy when the sun sets. And there are also cute sika deer in Rukayama, it's really cute to be photographed together.
3. #奈良茑屋書店
This is a very distinctive building, with large honeycomb wood grilles used as the canopy in the corridor and roof, named Tianping Square. Nara Tsutaya Books is a "book & cafe" style bookstore. In addition to the bookstore itself, it also houses Starbucks, FamilyMart, Nakagawa Shoshichi Shoten, and Porco's Diner, a pork burger specialty store.
【Must-eat food】
1. #麺屋龍
A small ramen shop at the intersection of JR Nara Station. The space is only enough for 6 bar stools, but it can't limit the skills of the ramen chef. He will still toss the noodles and drain the soup for you on the spot! I chose the combination of Pao Li Chicken White Soup Ramen + Karaage Chicken. The chicken white soup is like a milk pot soup, as white as milk foam, rich and not greasy. It is not a problem to drink it all.
2. #奈良中谷堂
A famous red bean mochi shop in Nara. They once performed high-speed mochi pounding on a TV show. Their technique is amazing. A piece of mochi costs 180 yen. The outer skin is chewy and the filling is slightly sweet. It is quite delicious. You need to queue up a little, but you don’t have to wait too long. You can buy some to try on the way to Nara Park.
3. #Music and Coffee
Located in a narrow space on the second floor at the end of Bingfandian Street, the shop only has a working bar, a cashier counter, and two tables. The entire space uses dark wood, the atmosphere is very quiet, and the wooden furniture makes it look more old-fashioned and retro. I chose the bitter and thick espresso and poured it over the vanilla ice cream, which gave me a taste of finding joy in the midst of suffering. Desserts include cheese cake and donuts, which are rich and creamy and melt in your mouth.
【Accommodation recommendation】
#奈良大和罗内酒店
Moving from Osaka to Nara for one night, I chose to stay at the Daiwa Roynet Hotel Nara Natural Hot Spring next to the Nara JR station. The main reason is that the rooms in the Daiwa series are not too small, and secondly, it is close to the JR station, which is convenient for moving to Kyoto. The standard double room is about 5 pings in size and costs about $2,000 including breakfast. Because it is a hot spring hotel, they provide indoor pajamas, which are quite comfortable and nice.
[Photography and check-in spots]
1. #吉城园
The quiet and classic Japanese garden is located beside a gentle river. There are wooden teahouses and fresh green maple leaves in the garden. Under the warm sunshine, the Japanese landscape garden of Jicheng Garden is dyed into a beautiful painting.
2. #奈良公园
If you want to get up close to sika deer, Nara Park is the right choice! The sika deer are docile and not afraid of strangers. Buy a piece of senbei and both adults and children can interact with the deer and take photos. It is quite cute and healing.
3. #奈良公园バスターミナル屋上庭園
The wooden roof of the Starbucks in Nara Park has a beautiful rooftop platform. Standing on it, you can clearly see the deer in the park. It is very comfortable and easy to take pictures. It is especially atmospheric and full of artistic conception on rainy days.
[Tips]
There are two Nara stations, one is JR Nara Station and the other is Kintetsu Nara Station. Both stations can provide connections between Osaka and Kyoto. Kintetsu Station is quite busy and close to Nara Park, so it is convenient to walk to the scenic spot.
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