Nara Deer Park, a historical park in Japan, is famous for its hundreds of friendly deer that you can feed and take photos with. These semi-wild deer roam freely around the park, making for an enjoyable interaction.

Surrounding the 1,600-acre Nara Park are numerous ancient temples and shrines that date back centuries, when Nara was the ancient capital of Japan.

For us, the biggest highlight of the park (besides feeding the deer) was the magnificent Todaiji Temple, one of the most spectacular monuments we've seen in Japan.

Lastly, Nara is easily accessible from two other popular Japanese tourist destinations: Osaka and Kyoto. This travel guide will explain how to get to Nara Park and provide all the information you need to know before you go!

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Nara Deer Park – A Place Worth Looking Forward To

With over 1,000 deer wandering around Nara Park, you can easily find them!

They are semi-wild but friendly. The park has dedicated biscuit stalls where you can buy a packet of healthy biscuits for 200 yen and feed them yourself.

Some of the deer in the park have even learned to bow (like nodding) to get biscuits! Even animals in Japan understand politeness.

Feeding the Deer in Japan

Feeding the Deer

Breaking the biscuits into small pieces is a good idea, as it makes them last longer and gives you more opportunities to take photos.

When you've finished your biscuits, you can show the deer your empty hands to let them know there's no more food, otherwise, they might want more.

We didn't see any aggressive behavior from the deer during our two visits to Nara, but it can happen sometimes and result in injuries.

Just make sure not to tease the deer by hiding food behind your back or holding it out of their reach, as they can get annoyed.

Overall, it's a unique and fun experience that I've never heard of anywhere else!

The Ancient Todaiji Gate in Nara

The Ancient South Gate of Nara Park

Other Attractions and Activities in Nara Park

• South Gate: An ancient wooden gate with two Japanese demon statues guarding the entrance.

• Kofuku-ji Temple: An ancient temple built in 669 AD, featuring a five-story wooden pagoda.

• Todaiji Temple: A magnificent monument and one of Japan's most spectacular landmarks. Definitely worth a visit!

• Kasuga Shrine: An orange shrine at the end of a woodland path.

Todaiji Temple, one of Japan's largest and most spectacular landmarks, is located on the northern side of Nara Park.

How to Get to Nara Deer Park

Nara Park is located in the eastern part of Nara City, Japan, and is easily accessible from both Osaka and Kyoto.

From Kyoto, take the Kintetsu Railway Line south for 30 to 60 minutes.

From Osaka, depart from Namba Station and take the Kintetsu Line east for 45 minutes.

Nara Deer and Autumn Colors

When to Visit

Any time of day is suitable for visiting the Japanese Deer Park, although it can be a bit busy at noon.

Nara isn't the best place to view autumn foliage, but you can still see many trees with bright red leaves. We visited in mid-November, which was the peak of the foliage season.

You can see deer throughout the year, regardless of the cold weather.