Best UNESCO world heritage sites in Ancient Nara to visit?! + MAP of Historic Nara 🍵 Japan travel blog

Hi there!

UNESCO calls the world heritage sites of Nara collectively as the historic monuments of ancient Nara.

List of world heritage sites in Nara

Nara is the location of a former capital city of Japan, in the years 710 to 784. This means it’s a city full of history and culture.

Nara is commonly visited as a day trip from Kyoto or from Osaka.

And with nearly 10 sites that include temples, a shrine, a palace, and a forest on the list of UNESCO designated historically and culturally important places in Nara, how to choose which of them to go to when you only have one day in Nara?

The most popular of these sites are popular for a reason.

But that doesn’t mean the others don’t deserve a look too.

Most of these top places to visit in Nara have grounds that you can roam around.

The famous Nara deer might be roaming with you too. 😉

So if you’re looking to experience a bit of history and culture in Japan, Nara can be a good city to visit.

And another one of the best cities to visit for the same reasons is Kyoto, which is also famous for being a former capital city of Japan.

There are also a ton of world heritage sites in Kyoto too, even more than there are in Nara.

More below about planning a trip to ancient Nara to see UNESCO world heritage sites!

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Now…

First, a map of Nara so you can make plans to visit these historical and cultural places.

Then, a list of some of the world heritage sites that are also among the most visited spots in Nara.

After that, some more world heritage sites for you to explore.

Map of UNESCO world heritage sites in Nara

Better plan out your day in Nara based on where these temples and shrines are located.

Have a look at the map of Nara’s world heritage sites.

If you’re coming from Pinterest mobile, open up this page in your browser to view the map! Then you can also view this Nara map on your Google maps app too.

Top Nara attractions: List of places to visit in Ancient Nara

Listed entry fees are approximate and are subject to change!

1. Todaiji Temple with Great Buddha

Cost: 600 yen (US$5)

2. Kofukuji Temple

Cost: 300 yen (US$3)

3. Kasuga Taisha Shrine

Cost: 500 yen (US$4)

More historic monuments of ancient Nara

• Gangoji Temple
• Toshodaiji Temple
• Yakushiji Temple
• Kasugayama Primeval Forest
• Heijo Palace remains (Nara Imperial Palace)

Plan your trip to Nara

For the best way to see the most popular world heritage sites when you’re short on time, see this one day itinerary of the best places to visit in Nara!

HAPPY HISTORIC NARA TRAVEL PLANNING!

Traveling around Japan and can't read Japanese? No problem! Just use the camera on the google translate app!

Is a JR pass worth it?!

• Google maps can make it easy to figure out whether or not you should get a JR pass!
• In google maps, type in your departure and arrival city, and choose the transit icon. The route will come up, and so will the estimated cost at the bottom!
• Here is an example of a train route with cost on google maps.
• So do that for all of your long distance routes to figure out how much it might cost.
• Next, go here to see how much a JR pass costs from an official JR pass vendor (and partner of this website).
• And compare!
• Not all forms of public transportation are JR, but long distance shinkansen bullet trains are, and that's where the most cost savings will come.

Best of Kyoto (and Japan!)

• Best temples to visit in Kyoto
• Japanese gardens in Kyoto

👇 Explore the best places to visit in Japan!




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