“Three Thousand Seven Hundred”
The Nara Deer Park in Japan is known for its hundreds of friendly deer that visitors can feed and take photos with. The semi-wild deer freely roam the park, providing a fun opportunity for interaction.
Numerous old temples and shrines, built hundreds of years ago during Nara’s time as the ancient capital of Japan, are also spread out across the 1,600-acre Nara Park.
Apart from feeding the deer, the Todaiji Temple is the most impressive highlight of the park for us, as it is one of the most spectacular monuments we have seen in Japan.
Explore Nara Park: How to Easily Visit from Osaka and Kyoto
Visiting Nara Deer Park: What You Can Anticipate
You can easily spot over 1,000 deer freely wandering around Nara Park!
Semi-wild yet friendly deer in the park can be hand-fed with healthy crackers purchased from special stands for 200 Yen.
Even the park’s deer have mastered the art of bowing to earn crackers! In Japan, the animals are well-mannered.
Breaking the crackers into smaller pieces will help them last longer and provide more opportunities for photographs.
Once the crackers are gone, you can show the deer your empty hands to signal that there is no more food available, preventing them from becoming aggressive in their search for more.
No aggressive behavior observed from deer during two visits to Nara, despite occasional incidents resulting in injuries to people.
Avoid irritating the deer by concealing food behind your back or keeping it out of their reach, as it may cause them to become agitated.
Overall, it’s a one-of-a-kind and enjoyable experience that I haven’t encountered anywhere else!
Exploring Nara Park: Additional Activities and Sights
- Ancient Wooden Gate and Temples in Nara, Japan: Explore Nandaimon Gate, Kofuku-ji Temple, Todai-ji Temple, and Kasuga-Taisha Shrine
Admission Cost
Free in 2021.
Admission to the park is free, but there is a 600¥ ($6 USD) entrance fee for the Todaiji Temple.
For ¥200 ($2), you have the option to purchase a pile of cookies for feeding the deer.
Navigating to Nara Deer Park
Nara Park is situated to the east of Nara city in Japan, and is easily accessible from both Osaka and Kyoto.
Travel south from Kyoto on one of the Kintetsu rail lines for a 30-60 minute journey.
Begin your journey from Namba Station in Osaka and take a 45-minute train ride east on the Kintetsu lines
Best Times to Visit
The Japan deer park is a great place to visit at any time of day, but it tends to get busier around noon.
Nara may not be renowned for its koyo (fall colors), but there are still plenty of bright red leaves to be seen on the trees. We visited in mid-November and the colors were at their peak.
Deer are visible throughout the year, even during cold temperatures.
Best Accommodation Options in Kyoto
Accommodations during our stay
Our stay at Hotel Mikado in Osaka cost 4,000 Yen ($30 USD). If you’re traveling alone or with a partner, you won’t find a better budget hotel in Japan!
We received a clean, private room with heating/air conditioning, a refrigerator, TV, and very fast WiFi for the price. The room is a bit small but comfortable, and the bathrooms are shared, which is typical in Japan.
The location couldn’t have been better – just a short 2-minute stroll to restaurants and the train stations, and only a 15-minute ride to Osaka Castle and Dotonbori shopping street. We even took day trips to Himeji, Kyoto, and Nara!
Keep an eye out for good deals as prices may change periodically.