Osaka: ｰ20 Foot of Mount Wakakusa — Guide Junichi

April, 2025

This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.

Tour Itinerary

  • 10:00 Start of Tour (Candeo Hotels Osaka The Tower)
  • Tour begins (Candeo Hotels Osaka The Tower Dojimahama)
  • Car By car
  • 11:00-12:00 Horyuji Temple Horyuji Temple
  • Car By car
  • 12:30-13:00 Yakushiji Temple Yakushiji Temple
  • Car By car
  • 13:10-30 Lunch Shabaton 124-1 Rokujo-cho, Nara City Northeast corner of the intersection just by Yakushiji Temple
  • 　　　　 Car By car
  • 14:00-14:30 Todaiji Temple Nandaimon Gate and Ukigumo Enchi Park
  • Walk 5 minutes
  • 14:40-15:10 Todaiji Temple Great Buddha Hall Great Buddha Hall
  • On foot
  • 15:20 Todaiji Temple Shoro Bell Tower Bell Tower
  • On foot
  • 15:30-16:00 Todaiji Temple Nigatsu-do Hall Nigatsu-do Hall
  • On foot
  • 16:10ｰ20 Foot of Mount Wakakusa
  • On foot
  • 16:30-17:00 Kasuga-taisha Shrine Kasuga-taisha Shrine
  • （If we take our time viewing Kasuga-taisha Shrine, it won't fit within the time, so shall we extend?
  • 　After getting the guest's consent, only the car was extended in time. As the guide, I said farewell in Nara within the time limit.）
  • 　　　By car
  • 17:25 JR Nara (Guided tour ends. Tour with car continues)
  • （From here on the guide is not needed, so I entrusted it to the driver.
  • 　　As stated above, this was done with the consent of both the driver and the guest）
  • By car
  • 18:30? Tour with car ends (Candeo Hotels Osaka The Tower Dojimahama)
  • Due to traffic congestion, it seemed it would take quite a long time. The end time is unknown.

# What's a Private Day Trip from Osaka to Nara Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests' original request was to see, in addition to the deer and Nara Park, Horyuji, Yakushiji, Kofukuji, Todaiji, and Kasuga Taisha — all of them if possible.

Since the five-story pagoda at Kofukuji was under repair and could not be viewed, the guests decided to give up on that one.

However, beforehand we had the following exchange:

"It will be difficult to fit everything else into an 8-hour tour from Osaka with a car, so would it be all right if we extended the time?"

"Of course, that's fine."

"Extending the time for both the car and the guide would be expensive, so how about the guide (myself) saying goodbye in Nara, and extending only the car?"

During these exchanges, I also showed [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/)'s overtime extension fee regulations: Extension fee per hour for the driver and the guide is 21,000 yen. Extension fee per hour for the driver is 14,000 yen.

● Within my guiding hours, I said goodbye in Nara. I asked the driver to take the guests to their hotel in Osaka on the assumption that the time would be extended. According to the taxi company's regulations, an extension of within 30 minutes is 3,150 yen, and the guests agreed to this. Since the navigation showed considerable traffic congestion, it is unclear whether the extension was kept within 30 minutes or ended up being one hour.

● This time, since it was a tour expected not to fit within 8 hours, I was able to communicate with the guests in advance with that in mind.

So here is my question. If a tour that is scheduled to finish within the time runs over due to traffic congestion or the like, what happens to the vehicle fee? (To avoid such situations, I usually allow plenty of buffer, wrap up sightseeing early, and head back with the vehicle. But there is always the risk of exceeding 8 hours.)

● The tour itself, thanks in part to the deer and the cherry blossoms, was very much enjoyed. It seems that one of the guests' relatives, who is around my age and also formerly worked in education like me, may also come to Nara. If that happens, I might be able to hear firsthand stories from the era of the civil rights movement, famous for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Click here for more details: Nara Day Trip from Osaka by Private Car with Licensed Guide

Tour Report by Junichi

Hello! Thank you for choosing Nara! I bet you’ll love Nara. I specialize in Nara because Nara is the unique place where in one day you can cover the history and religions of Japan from the ancient times to the post war era while enjoying rambling in the UNESCO World Heritage park, having communication with lovely deer, surrounded with the beautiful nature.
I grew up in Nara, went university in Kyoto, enjoyed teaching at high schools and a university in Osaka. The three former capitals of Japan are home to me.
After retiring from teaching I began guiding so that I can meet various people from various corners of the world with a variety of cultures and backgrounds. Each time I guide, I find it hugely rewarding because I learn a lot from my guests sharing the history, culture and all that I know about Nara, Kyoto and Osaka.
I used to be a marathon runner, mountain climber and skier though I am not much of them anymore.
What I especially recommend is to stay in Nara a couple of days and enjoy communicating with friendly deer while visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Nara in early morning, temples and shrines at night are well worth experiencing.

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