Is Nara Good for Kids? Our Honest Take
If you've been following our blog, you've probably picked up that Jackson is a real animal guy - so of course, Nara with kids was a hit. Here's exactly what we did, deer bites and all.
Traveled: Late May / Early June 2026. All prices are in USD at the exchange rate at the time of purchase.This post contains affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Instant best friends.
Getting to Nara From Osaka
We didn't book a hotel for Nara, since it was a day trip from Osaka built into our itinerary, so there's no accommodation cost to report here. We took the commuter train from Osaka using our Suica cards, which took about 45 minutes. Nara is also an easy day trip from Kyoto.
Read More: Is Osaka Good for Kids? Our Honest Take
Nara's Famous Deer - What to Actually Expect
Jackson loved the deer in Nara Park so much that he started giving out hugs. Watch out for this, and maybe actively discourage it because we found a tick on him later that day (still crawling, thankfully, not stuck, but gross either way).
Many of the deer are used to being fed by tourists and genuinely expect it. Be mindful of this if you're eating anything nearby, and especially if you purchase deer crackers - be prepared to hand them out quickly, or you'll be swarmed. Not that they'll attack you, exactly, but they will absolutely crowd you, and a few even sampled us directly. Honestly, they were a hoot and a lot of fun but just know that not all of them are docile little things patiently waiting their turn.
Probably, where the tick came from…
Renting Bikes in Nara
We decided to rent bikes while in Nara, and it ended up being one of the more fun experiences of the whole trip. Jackson rode along with Matt, and both bikes were electric, which let us cover a lot of ground. We rode for a while along a path that followed a river, then made our way back toward the temple.
Riding bikes around Nara was truly one of the highlights of our 14 days in Japan.
Downtown Nara
We spent some time in downtown Nara too, where we watched mochi being pounded in person at Nakatanidou,and it was a fun, lively thing to see. There are also plenty of shops to browse in this area.
Mochi from Nakatanidou - fun fact, it is naturally gluten free due to the ingredients used at this shop. This was accurate at the time of our visit but ingredients can always change - double check and confirm directly with the shop!
Todai-ji Temple and the Great Buddha
The temple itself was beautiful, and the Buddha statue inside was genuinely magnificent. At the time of our visit, you had to pay cash to enter the grounds where the Buddha sits. Otherwise, you can still get a good view of the structure itself from outside, for free. The entry fee was fairly inexpensive though, and worth it for a view of Buddha.
Read More: Nara Day Trip Cost: A Real Family Breakdown
A few facts that made the visit even more impressive once we knew them: Todai-ji was commissioned by Emperor Shomu in the 740s, and the Great Buddha was consecrated in 752. The Great Buddha Hall (the Daibutsuden) is one of the largest wooden buildings in the world, even though the current hall, rebuilt in the early 1700s, is only about two-thirds the size of the original. The Great Buddha itself stands about 15 meters (49 feet) tall, and its open hand alone is roughly the size of an adult human. The whole site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This is inside the temple grounds that you can access once you pay the (inexpensive) fee.
The Food
We had some of the best pizza in Nara - I know, we were in Japan, but gosh, it was so yummy. If you're gluten-free and into that sort of thing, be sure to check out our Ultimate 14-Day Japan Travel Guide-Gluten Free Edition for the details.
Read More: Is Japan Gluten-Free Friendly? Our Honest Experience Traveling With Dietary Restrictions
One of the best gluten-free pizzas that we have ever tasted!!
So, Is Nara Good for Kids?
Overall, we really enjoyed our time in Nara. We highly recommend it as a day trip, or even a half-day trip if you skip the bike rental. We were able to do everything we did in a single day and still make it back to Osaka in time for dinner. Truly, the bike rental was a highlight of the entire 14 days so if you have the time we recommend it!
Two practical tips: be sure to check your kids for ticks after visiting, and arrive early. We did, and it was still crowded but it got very crowded by the time we were leaving.
One of Jackson’s many friends in Nara.
Where to Next: Tokyo (Haneda)
After Nara, we headed back to Osaka, and then on to Tokyo for our last night before flying home. Our Haneda hotel is counted in the Tokyo breakdown.
Read More: Where to Stay Near Haneda Airport with Kids?
