Beyond famous World Heritage Sites such as Todaiji are ancient sites in the Ikaruga district and Nishinokyo area in central Nara Prefecture. Ancient temples in this area date back to the 6th and 7th century and are home to the first World Heritage Sites in all of Japan and the oldest wooden buildings in the world. If you want to have a more intimate, complete experience, rich in legacy away from the crowds, these areas are a great place to visit.
A majority of these World Heritage Sites are built in more rural parts of Nara, so transportation to them can be challenging. The most efficient and convenient way to reach the temples in this area is to get dropped off by bus via the Nara World Heritage Temple Tour with Kamameshi & Matcha. This tour bus takes you hassle-free through the temples and also includes a traditional Kamameshi lunch and a special matcha garden viewing experience.
Check the tour specifications and reservation information: here
List of temples covered on the day tour:
📍Horyuji Temple
📍Chuguji Temple (lunch after)
📍Jikoin zen Temple (w/ Matcha green tea)
📍Yakushiji Temple
📍Toshodaiji Temple
📍Heijo Palace Site・Suzaku Gate (view from inside bus)
📍Pick up/ Drop off at Kintetsu or JR Nara Station
Japan’s Oldest World Heritage Sites + Matcha & Kamameshi 🍵
While this tour is partially guided, they do leave you personal time to explore each heritage site on your own. For maximum efficiency, the tour also included a scheduled Kamameshi lunch and a matcha tea experience. While the tour is administered in Japanese, non Japanese speakers were given audio guides and pamphlets (for me, in English but there are also simplified and traditional Chinese available).
Several of these temples include Yakushi Nyorai, or the Medicine Buddha, so they are great places to pray for you or your loved one’s health while enjoying ancient architecture and history.
📍10AM~ Depart from Kintetsu Nara Bus Stop
This tour picks up participants daily from either JR Nara Station or Kintetsu Nara Station. After boarding, I was given a route tour map and an audio guide that had multiple language options. The pamphlet gave thorough explanations of the routes, instructions for the day, and maps. This tour is completely given in Japanese, but the guide is very sweet and accommodating to you. The audio guide uses GPS to give live explanations of passing landmarks.
The tour started with the guide on the bus collecting Goshuincho (temple signature books) from any passengers. Goshuin are a beautiful way to remember your visit to temples and shrines in Japan and is thought of as a way to donate and pay respect. They also make beautiful souvenirs as each temple or shrine has their own Japanese calligraphy and are thought as good luck for the afterlife.
Goshuin (Temple Signatures)
If you bring your Goshuincho (temple signature books), the guide will gather the temple signatures for you, saving you a lot of time to explore the grounds. On this particular tour, by paying an extra 2100 yen you can receive 5 in total.
Goshuincho (temple signature books) can be bought at any temple and shrine or even some souvenir stores. On the trip I was able to collect several beautiful goshuin, but one of the most beautiful goshuin I’ve ever received was from Yakushiji Temple, the 4th temple on the tour.
📍11AM~ 1PM Horyuji Temple & Chuguji Temple + Kamameshi lunch
Famous points: First National Heritage Site in Japan, world’s oldest surviving wooden structure, Medicine Buddha (for health prayers), private seated viewing of the 1,400 year old Nyoirin Kannon Bosatsu statue
After viewing the impressive architecture, we made our way to the main hall. Inside was a Medicine Buddha surrounded by two guardians that are meant to protect you at day and night. Many people pray for speedy recovery here. On our way to the Great Treasure Gallery (Daihozoin), we also passed the pond that inspired one of the most well known haiku (japanese poems) in Japan.
After passing the pond, we were left to explore the Great Treasure Gallery (Daihozoin) which housed ancient artifacts used by Prince Shotoku himself. Before meeting up again, there is a restroom and a vending machine to buy drinks from. We headed to Chuguji Temple where we had a private and peaceful viewing of one of Japan’s national treasure, a 1,400 year old Bodhisattva statue. The explanation was in Japanese, but the guide made sure to hand me an English information guide. Next we made our way to a restaurant nearby to eat!
Kamameshi Lunch (30 minute lunch)
This tour includes a kamameshi seafood lunch. Kamameshi is cooked in an iron kiln with flavorful rice that is infused with the flavors of the seafood cooked on top of it. The dish also came with side dishes of fried chicken, pickles, and egg.
The kamameshi was flavorful and the side dishes added a nice variety to the dish. The pot was deeper than I thought, and was full of flavorful and crispy rice! The seafood included crab, scallops and shrimp.
📍1:50PM~ Jikoin Zen Temple (Matcha tea experience)
Famous points: Moss garden and flowers, matcha tea service, tea room
Next stop was Jikoin Zen Temple, a tranquil and beautifully designed temple on a hill. Leading up to the temple were moss gardens, beautiful plum blossom trees, and camelia flowers. Everyone shuffled to the tea room and soon was welcomed by the temple’s monk who gave an explanation of the temple’s history. Although it was only in Japanese, his style of speech was artistic and unique, almost like an old traditional play.
After the tea service, visitors are able to explore the grounds before heading back to the bus. You also have an opportunity to talk to the monk for further questions if you want.
Matcha Tea ＆ Sweets
You will be served matcha tea and a sweet sugar treat shaped like the family emblem of the temple. Looking out at the mountain view with the cool breeze was healing in itself.
📍2:45 PM~ Yakushiji Temple
Famous points: Healing Buddha (for health), Buddha to pray for a first love/special meeting
Making your way to Yakushiji Temple, you instantly realize how massive the area is. The color and architecture of the buildings gave an aura of ancient China. This particular temple was built for the speedy recovery of the emperor’s wife, which she did heal from, but ironically was followed by him getting sick after. Enshrined in the center is a Medicine Buddha dedicated to healing her. The guide leads you to Toindo Hall, which also has a Buddha where you can pray to meet your first love or a special person.
Inside the pagodas are magnificent and intricate murals of Buddha reaching Nirvana, however if you enjoy flowers and are there during the plum season, in March, behind the main lecture hall you can find a large plum tree garden. It was a fragrant and beautiful surprise.
The day I went, the monks were doing a sermon talking about the Great Japan Earthquake in 2011. After everyone prayed together, they handed out petals that were used in the ceremony for anyone to take. I received a few from the monk. Talk about lucky! After that, we had the opportunity to see national treasures within the hall and roam on our own.
📍3:50PM~ Toshodaiji Temple
Famous points: Chinese Buddhist monk Ganjin (鑑真), moss garden, ancient relics from the 6th century
Our last stop of the day was Toshodaiji Temple. This ancient temple is significant due to the Chinese monk named Ganjin (鑑真) who introduced Chinese culture to Japan, changing Japan’s history forever. Though pictures were not permitted, housed inside of Kondo Hall were stunning and gorgeous statues of a detailed 1000 handed Bodhisattva and Buddha. The grounds were tranquil and peaceful, but the best area was hidden in the back.
Leading to the grave of Ganjin (鑑真), there is a large moss garden shaded within the trees. The whole area was quiet and cool– it felt like a private experience and was great for pictures. As you approach the grave you can enjoy the natural wildlife and pay your respects if you please.
Suzakumon Gate
On the way back to JR Nara Station and Kintetsu Nara Station, the bus makes a stop briefly in front of Suzakumon Gate. There is time to take pictures and listen to the guide’s explanation.
~5:00 PM Arrive back at the station
At the end of the day the bus drops everyone off at the station on schedule. Today, a lot of ground was covered and in all honesty, without the bus taking us to each place it would have taken too much time to transfer from one place to the other. I personally preferred these World Heritage Sites over the ones closer to the stations because it felt completely different. You could truly still feel the history and sacredness of the past there.
Each area had different Buddhas to pray to and different styles of statues. While some were made from ancient Korea or India, it was very interesting to make comparisons. You could differentiate them from how thin the Buddha was, their faces, and in some cases even their poses.
If any of these world heritage sites tickle your fancy, this was an efficient way to spend the day considering most were in very rural areas with hard to find food places. I felt like I got what I paid for because everything, including entrance fees and the food were taken care of for me.
At the end of each tour, there is also a gift for participants. This time, I got a cute magnet of the deer mascot of the area, Shikamaru-kun which opens from a deer cracker.
This tour runs daily, but you can make an online reservation in advance: here
