- 1 transfer
- 3.5 h
- ¥14,500
The train journey between Tokyo and Nara leads via Kyoto:
1) How to get from Tokyo to Kyoto
2) How to get from Kyoto to Nara
The train journey between Tokyo and Nara leads via Kyoto:
1) How to get from Tokyo to Kyoto
2) How to get from Kyoto to Nara
Several night buses operate every night between Tokyo and Nara. The journey takes about 8 hours. The lowest one way fares start around 4000 yen. Buses on this price level are usually standard buses which offer little comfort. The one way trip by more comfortable buses costs around 8500 yen. Online reservations can be made through Willer and Japan Bus Online.
Above fees and schedules are subject to change. Be sure to check current yen exchange rates.
Nara is served by two railway companies, Kintetsu Railways and JR West. The Kintetsu station is an underground station just a few steps from Kofukuji and Nara Park, while the JR station is a 15-20 minute walk west of Kofukuji and the park. A network of buses, operated by Nara Kotsu, connects the two stations with all sites of interest. All major IC cards are accepted on the trains and buses around Nara, including Suica and Icoca.
Many of Nara's main attractions are found in the centrally located Nara Park and can be visited on foot. The great temples Toshodaiji, Yakushiji and Horyuji, however, stand several kilometers outside of central Nara and are best accessed by bus or train.
The Nara Bus Pass provides unlimited use of Nara Kotsu buses around Nara. It comes as a 1-Day Pass for 500 yen that covers central Nara and the Toshodaiji/Yakushiji area, a 1-Day Pass Wide for 1000 yen that additionally covers the Horyuji area, and a 2-Day Pass for 1500 yen that additionally covers the Asuka area. The pass is on sale at the bus ticket offices across the street from Kintetsu Nara Station and inside JR Nara Station.
A sort of an extension of the Nara Bus Pass' 1-day wide version is the 1-Day and 2-Day Kintetsu Rail Pass, which is available to foreign tourists only. In addition to the buses around Nara (as far as Horyuji), it also covers unlimited rides on Kintetsu local, rapid and express trains between Osaka, Nara and Kyoto. The 1-day pass costs 1500 yen while the 2-day pass costs 2500 yen.
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