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Deers at Nara park during a sunny day in the cherry blossom season

Nara Park (Nara Deer Park)

Name: Nara Park (Nara Deer Park)
Address: Nara, Japan
Rating: 4.5

4.5 (200)・Park・Tourist Attraction・Point Of Interest・Establishment

Nara Park, often called Nara Deer Park, is a unique and enchanting public park in the city of Nara. This expansive park is famous for its historical temples and museums and its hundreds of freely roaming deer, considered in Shinto to be messengers of the gods. The deer are tame and have become a symbol of the city and a major attraction for visitors from all over the world.

Spanning over 1,240 acres, Nara Park is home to some of Japan’s most venerated sites, including Todai-ji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and the Nara National Museum. The park's natural scenery changes beautifully with the seasons, from cherry blossoms in spring to colorful leaves in autumn, making every visit a picturesque experience.

Visitors to the park can interact with the deer, which are surprisingly friendly and accustomed to human presence. You can feed them with special deer crackers called "shika senbei," which are available for purchase within the park. This interaction provides a unique and memorable experience, allowing a close encounter with nature and wildlife.

Hours:

24/7

Closed:

No closing days

Available:

All year

Minimum Age:

All ages are welcome.

Fees

Free

Hours

Monday: Open 24 hours

Tuesday: Open 24 hours

Wednesday: Open 24 hours

Thursday: Open 24 hours

Friday: Open 24 hours

Saturday: Open 24 hours

Sunday: Open 24 hours

Phone

+81 742-22-0375

Website

www3.pref.nara.jp

The area

Address

Nara, Japan

Top ways to experience Nara Park (Nara Deer Park)

8hrs

Full-Day Private Guided Tour to Nara Temples

From $227 /person

5hrs

Nara Half Day Trip Walking Tour

From $83 /person

approx. 6hrs

Private Nara - Highlights Bike Tour

From $454 /person

What other travelers are saying about Nara Park (Nara Deer Park)

Beautiful park with so much to see. The temples and shrines are all around and spectacular to see the size of them. There is plenty of flora and fauna to admire, especially the deer that will happily bow if you feed them the crackers provided or even if you just bow to them first they will bow back.

Matthew Jones

Apr 18, 2025

Sensational park featuring deer 🦌. There is wonderful nature, and of course the magnificent temples. All around, you see something inexplicably gorgeous. Truly stunning and phenomenal. The dazzling temples really are something spectacularly exquisite. Good day trip from Osaka.

Luke Mielty

Apr 20, 2025

Very busy but definitely enjoyable. Do remember although the deer will feed from you they are still wild animals and will follow you around being very persistent. Well worth looking at the nearby temples and shrines as well as checking out the food spots.

Gareth Belward

Apr 18, 2025

Amazing wildlife park with buddhist temple! The deers are very cute and friendly and let you pet them gently. A must -do on the list if you’re visiting Japan.

Mihaela Teodorescu

Apr 18, 2025

We visited the buddhist temple and walked past plenty of lovely deer. Some of the deer do get aggressive though when there is food around. It was so nice to be able to feed them for 200¥. The temple is very beautiful and makes for great photos. This is a great place for tourists as plenty of staff speak some english.