What other travelers are saying about Heijo Palace Site
Its very large and peaceful. It is still in reconstruction and restoration. Nice to visit and see how they build the palace. Absolutely complicated, they are really master of wood. They also have food, coffee and souvenirs shops.
We got there at 8am but entrance only opens at 9am so didn't see inside. Impressive building but still a bit "isolated" in the almost vacant old palace grounds.
It seems a new tourist spot of Nara. Some building are still under construction and it looks like Nara is trying to rebuild the lost palace of Heijo. There are many attractions in the park. 3-4 museums about history of Heijo palace and real excavations. If you are fans of Asian history, you should visit the museum. Almost a copy and record of Chinese tang dynasty. Some pseudo antique buildings like 朱雀门 太极门 are very impressive. There is even a replica ship demo (when Japan sent students to China to study abroad 1300 years ago). The park is full of feeling about history. The only issue which is really bugging is that the park is too big to walk to all attractions. Mission impossible especially in summer. The park should provide some rental bicycles service. Another big problem is that the whole park is cut through by Nara railway track. If you sit in front of Suzaku gate, you will un see the train running across the park almost every 5 minutes.
BTW, there is a small coffee shop named IRACA, close to the tourist center. very yummy ice cream and special drinks & coffee. Strongly recommend to try.
DO NOT COME HERE.
It's heavily under reconstruction, far from the rest of Nara, and there is nothing to see here. Actually just the biggest waste of time.
During April 2024 during my japan visit ,I went to see The Heijo Palace in Nara .It was the Emperor's residence and government offices. All of the original palace was lost and when the capital shifted from Nara, the palace was abandoned and most of the area was used as rice field. The palace has great historical and cultural importance
