Multiple Yamatoji rapid trains operate every hour between Osaka (JR Osaka Station) and Nara (JR Nara Station). The one way trip takes 45 minutes, costs 840 yen and is covered by the Japan Rail Pass. The trains also stops at Osaka's Tennoji Station (30 minutes, 510 yen one way).
By limited express, the one way trip from Osaka-Namba Station to Nara (Kintetsu Nara Station) takes about 30 minutes and costs 1200-1300 yen. By express, it takes just a few minutes longer, but costs only 680 yen. Trains also stop at Tsuruhashi Station on the JR Osaka Loop Line. The Japan Rail Pass is not valid on Kintetsu trains.
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 600 yen that covers central Nara and the Toshodaiji/Yakushiji area, a 1-Day Pass Wide for 1100 yen that additionally covers the Horyuji area, and a 2-Day Pass for 1650 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 are the 1-day and 2-day versions of the Kintetsu Rail Pass, which are available only to foreign tourists. In addition to the buses around Nara (as far as Horyuji), these Kintetsu Rail Pass versions also cover unlimited rides on Kintetsu trains (except the supplement fee for limited express trains) between Osaka, Nara and Kyoto. The 1-day pass costs 1900 yen while the 2-day pass costs 3700 yen.
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