Which places does this itinerary cover?

This tour visited Hotel Kintetsu Nara (Start of Tour), Nakatani-do, Kofukuji Temple, 30 Kasuga-taisha Shrine, at the foot of Wakakusayama Hill, Todaiji Temple (UNESCO World Heritage):, 30 Todaiji's Nigatsudo Hall, Todaiji's Shoro Bell Tower, Todaiji's Great Buddha Hall, Todaiji's Nandaimon (South Great Gate) and Nara-machi (Old Merchants' Quarters of the town):.

Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?

Junichi is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.

Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?

Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Nara itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.

Nara in One Day: Nakatani-do — Guide Junichi

June, 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 Hotel Kintetsu Nara (Start of Tour)
walk 1 minute
10:05 Nakatani-do
walk 5 minutes
10:10 Kofukuji Temple
walk 15 minutes while communicating with deer
12:00-30 Kasuga-taisha Shrine
(light lunch or snack at Mizuya Chaya)
walk 10 minutes
12:50 at the foot of Wakakusayama Hill
walk 10 minutes
13:00 Todaiji Temple (UNESCO World Heritage):
13:00-30 Todaiji's Nigatsudo Hall
(light lunch or snack at Emado Chaya?)
walk 5 minutes
13:40 Todaiji's Shoro Bell Tower
walk 5 minutes
13:50-14:20 Todaiji's Great Buddha Hall
walk 5 minutes
14:30 Todaiji's Nandaimon (South Great Gate)
walk 15 minutes
15:00 Nara-machi (Old Merchants' Quarters of the town):
traditional merchant house, private katana gallery etc.
walk 10 minutes
16:00 back at Hotel Kintetsu Nara (End of Tour)

Tour Itinerary in Detail

Over the course of the day the route took in Hotel Kintetsu Nara (Start of Tour) at 10:00, Nakatani-do at 10:05, Kofukuji Temple at 10:10, 30 Kasuga-taisha Shrine at 12:00, at the foot of Wakakusayama Hill at 12:50, Todaiji Temple (UNESCO World Heritage): at 13:00, 30 Todaiji's Nigatsudo Hall at 13:00, Todaiji's Shoro Bell Tower at 13:40, Todaiji's Great Buddha Hall at 13:50, Todaiji's Nandaimon (South Great Gate) at 14:30 and Nara-machi (Old Merchants' Quarters of the town): at 15:00.

Title: What's a Private Nara Deer Park Tour Like for Guests Visiting Japan? A Licensed Guide's Report

The guests were visitors from North America. During the tour, one of the guests enjoyed spending as much time as possible with the deer and was thoroughly delighted. Another member of the group listened with great interest to my explanations about history, Shinto, and Buddhism. For the first time, I experienced live-streaming the deer and part of my commentary to another member of the group who could not join this time. Some time after the tour ended and we said goodbye, I received this wonderful message through a messaging app: We had the very best time. You have been our most favorite guide and we feel like we learned so much.

Click here for more details: Nara Customized Private Tour in 1 Day 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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May 16, 2026
I3520JTcristinat
Tripadvisor review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Nara with family
Excellent tour with Junichi!!! Perfect English speaking guide and…

May 3, 2026
Maria_J
Viator review: Nara 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Enjoyable day in Nara
We spent 6 hours in Nara with Junichi…

Apr 11, 2026
64sandig
Tripadvisor review: Nara 8hr Private Tour – Osaka DEP. with Licensed Guide
????? Absolutely Outstanding ? Junichi Made Our Nara Day…

Apr 11, 2026
64sandig
Tripadvisor review: Nara 8hr Private Tour – Osaka DEP. with Licensed Guide
????? Absolutely Outstanding ? Junichi Made Our Nara Day Unforgettable!
We had the pleasure of touring Nara with Junichi today, and he was simply phenomenal from the very first moment! Warm, welcoming, and a true professional, Junichi made us feel instantly at ease. His genuine enthusiasm and excellent English made every part of the day enjoyable and easy to follow.
Junichi’s knowledge is encyclopedic, yet he explains everything in such a clear, engaging, and understandable way. At Kofuku-ji Temple, he brought the history and significance of the site to life with fascinating details. We then enjoyed a relaxing lunch together before heading to Nara Park, where we had the delightful experience of feeding the famous bowing deer ? such a fun and memorable moment!
What really stood out was how flexible and attentive Junichi was. When we felt a bit pressed for time, he smoothly adjusted the itinerary and took us to a wonderful sake tasting facility instead of the next temple. We sampled several excellent sakes and couldn’t resist taking some home with us! From there, he led us to an incredible traditional kitchen knife shop run by an artisan whose family has been crafting blades for 750 years (originally making samurai swords). The craftsmanship was breathtaking, and we ended up purchasing a beautiful knife.
Later, Junichi took us to see an original Japanese merchant’s house, which was a real eye-opener ? the minimalistic lifestyle and beautiful architecture were fascinating.
The entire day was perfectly paced, insightful, and filled with wonderful surprises. Junichi’s caring attitude, deep knowledge, and ability to adapt made this one of the best private tour experiences we’ve ever had. We are so grateful we got to spend the day with him.
If you’re visiting Nara, do yourself a favor and book with Junichi ? you won’t regret it! He’s an absolute gem.
Highly, highly recommended ? 5 stars without hesitation!

Mar 30, 2026
dpadillachavez
Tripadvisor review: Nara 8hr Private Tour – Kyoto DEP. with Licensed Guide
Great day at Nara!
Best tour on Nara, Junichi…