To Nara, better from Osaka or from Kyoto?

Hi,

I'd be staying both in Kyoto and Osaka. Is it better to go to Nara from Osaka or Kyoto? What factors should I consider?

Thanks!

They're both close enough. Work out your itineraries for the other two cities and decided which you'd rather have more time in. You could just "go with the flow" and slot Nara in when you've got a spare day! I would suggest staying overnight between Osaka and Kyoto, though - there's so much to see in Nara, and it's a lovely little city.

Thanks, sq. We are at the early stages of planning our itinerary so I still have flexibility on the number of days I'll be staying between Kyoto and Osaka. Sharing my high-level plan so far:

Day 1-5: Tokyo and Hakone
Day 6-9: Kyoto
Day 10-12: Osaka

I can slot in Nara anytime between Day 6-12 at this point in time. I'd like to get feedback on what are the pros and cons if I go to Nara from Osaka or from Kyoto.

Thanks!

Osaka and Kyoto are both pretty close to Nara, so there is not a big difference in the travel time. If I remember correctly, you need about 35-45 Minutes from Kyoto to Nara and 30-40 from Osaka.
Nara is a nice city, have fun with the deer!

According to Hyperdia, by JR from Kyoto to Nara it is about 45 minutes (710 yen fare), and from Osaka to Nara it is about 55 minutes (800 yen fare).
Not really a significant difference for time or cost.

But going from Kyoto has one distinct advantage - along the way is Uji which has a number of good places to see. Not really much from Osaka along the way.
Nara is often neglected by some tourists, which is a shame. Missing the Todaiji in Nara is like going to India and skipping the Taj Mahal. Nara Park has a lot of great sights. A few other great places missed out even by those who go to Nara though are the [Isuien](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kk-7IoLELio "Isuien") and Yoshikien Gardens. They are gorgeous and not crowded at all.
Also along the Nara line is one of Kyoto's best places - the Fushimi Inari Shrine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EandKTAwfOM
Fushimi can be time consuming though; you could spend a couple of hours to over half a day if you want to romp over all the trails.

Thanks a lot, Caro and Ken. Great insights!

We may not have enough time to drop by Uji. If that's the case then it seems that there's really no difference if we come from Osaka or Kyoto.

Unless there are other thoughts? :)

I always find there's a lot more to see and do in Kyoto than Osaka, so I'd do the trip from Osaka, to maximise the amount of time you have to see things in Kyoto.

Thank you for your insights! Will definitely stay longer in Kyoto!

I also think that Nara would make a great side trip from Osaka because there's more to do in Kyoto. Kyoto is a great city to wake up in and not have to travel out of and back into. Actually my first trip in Japan was really similar to yours; except instead of staying in Osaka I stayed in a town in between called Oji. We made day trips to Horyuji, Nara, and Osaka before moving onto Kyoto. I love cities, but I got my city fill in Tokyo. That is just my two cents! I'm in love with Kyoto and want to stay only in Kyoto when I'm there, so I may be biased!