Nara Day Trip Itinerary from Osaka or Kyoto for Vegan Foodies
Escape the vibrant energy of Osaka or Kyoto for a day and journey to Nara, Japan's first permanent capital and a city brimming with history and charm. Famous for its magnificent shrines and free-roaming deers in Nara Park, Nara is a beautiful city that's full of life and history.
This itinerary is designed to guide you through Nara's must-see highlights, including the colossal Great Buddha statue housed within Todai-ji Temple and the thousands of enchanting lanterns at Kasuga Taisha Shrine, all while enjoying close encounters with the famous deer. Importantly for vegan travellers, from sampling a colourful vegan plate from Onwa, to enjoying delightful vegan ice cream inside Nara Park, this Nara day trip is packed with delicious vegan food throughout.
Getting to Nara is simple and convenient. If you're starting in Osaka, take the Kintetsu-Nara line train from Namba station for about 40 minutes to reach Kintetsu Nara Station. From Kyoto Station, you can take the Kintetsu Line: Choose the slightly faster (but pricier) Limited Express (about 35 mins, you'll need to buy an extra 'limited express' ticket) or the standard Kintetsu-Kyoto Line (about 45-50 mins), both arriving at Kintetsu Nara Station, which is our starting point of the Nara day trip.
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Mochi at Nakatanidou
Kick off your Nara adventure near the entrance of Nara Park with a visit to Nakatanidou (中谷堂). A short walk along the Higashimuki Shopping Street and you'll find Nakatanidou. This famous traditional dessert shop specialises in yomogi mochi, a vibrant green rice cake filled generously with sweet red bean paste, and dusted with nutty kinako (roasted soybean powder). Its green colour comes from mugwort. The vegan-friendly mochi is deliciously soft and chewy, which makes it the perfect snack to start your day.
Nakatanidou is renowned for its high-speed mochi pounding performance (mochitsuki), where skilled artisans dramatically hammer and pound the glutinous rice dough. If you time your visit right, you might catch this impressive show. But be prepared for a queue as its fame draws quite a crowd.
Nara National Museum
Next, take a short stroll to the Nara National Museum, conveniently located near the beginning of Nara Park. This is one of Japan's most important art museums, primarily focusing on Japanese Buddhist art and archaeological artifacts. It houses an impressive collection of historical sculptures, paintings, calligraphy, and decorative arts. The pieces are largely connected to the temples and shrines in the Nara area. Visiting the museum provides deeper context and appreciation for the rich history and cultural significance of Nara, especially valuable before visiting the temples like Todai-ji later in our itinerary. Note that there is usually an entrance fee for the main exhibition halls.
Vegan Friendly Ramen by Playpen Friends
Time for lunch! Conveniently located just across the road from the Nara National Museum, Vegan Friendly Ramen by Playpen Friends offers a good variety of vegan ramen bowls. While run by the same folks behind the popular fully vegan ramen shop in Osaka, note that this Nara branch serves both vegan and non-vegan options. This could be a good lunch choice especially if you're traveling with friends or family with mixed dietary preferences.
You can find tasty vegan version of miso, shoyu, and tonkotsu ramen here. The bowl is topped with soy mince, tofu, seaweed and other veggies. The place has a clean and modern atmosphere, perfect for a comfortable break before exploring more of Nara Park.
Feeding Deer at Nara Park
No trip to Nara is complete without interacting with its most famous residents: the wild deer that roam freely throughout Nara Park! Considered sacred messengers in Shinto belief, these generally peaceful animals are remarkably accustomed to people, though they can get quite enthusiastic (and sometimes very forward!) when they sense food is available.
You can buy special deer crackers, called 'shika senbei', from numerous vendors located around the park (have some coins ready, usually around ¥200 per pack). The crackers are made with just rice bran and wheat flour, making them a vegan-friendly treat to buy and feed the deer.
Once the deer notice you have shika senbei, be prepared for some immediate attention! They're known for their charming 'bows' asking for crackers, and they can be quite persistent. Don't worry about feeding the deer at the beginning of your trip. Both deer and cracker stalls are abundant throughout Nara Park, and you'll likely have a better experience if you wait until you get to spots with fewer people inside the park.
Todai-Ji
Prepare to be awestruck by Todai-ji Temple, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's one of Japan's most famous and historically significant temples and a true landmark of Nara. Its main hall, the Daibutsuden (Big Buddha Hall), held the title of the world's largest wooden building for centuries and houses an immense bronze statue of Buddha (Daibutsu), standing around 15 meters tall. The sheer scale is breathtaking. Just be prepared for a huge crowd as it's one of the most visited spots in Nara.
Vegan Ice Cream in Nara Park
As you continue exploring Nara Park, keep an eye out for shops that sell ice cream as they are likely to have a vegan-friendly one. Specifically, look for shops like Mikasa-kankokaikan (the one linked here) or Tsuru no Chaya (鶴の茶屋), which offers a black sesame ice cream made with soy milk. Check the label carefully for the magic words: 豆乳 (tōnyū - soy milk) and 牛乳·卵を使わず (gyūnyū・tamago o tsukawazu - doesn't use dairy milk or egg).
Priced at 400 yen, it might not be the most gourmet ice cream ever, but the experience of eating a vegan ice cream while watching the deer walking nearby is a uniquely Nara experience (or in my case, have a deer watch me eat my ice cream).
Kasuga Taisha Shrine
Wander deeper into Nara Park to discover Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Nara's most celebrated Shinto shrine, established in 768 CE. It's particularly famous for its thousands of lanterns – intricate bronze ones hanging from the eaves of buildings and moss-covered stone lanterns lining the winding paths – all donated by worshippers over the years. These lanterns are only lit fully twice a year during special festivals (Mantoro Festivals in February and August), which creates a spectacular view, but they are impressive year-round.
While exploring the main approach and outer grounds is free, there's a small fee to get access to the inner areas for a closer look at the main prayer halls and the unique architecture.
Onwa
For the perfect end to your Nara day trip, head to Onwa for a delicious all vegan meal. Onwa is an all-vegan restaurant tucked away just a 10-minute walk from JR Nara Station (note: different from the Kintetsu Nara station you likely arrived at).
I love their 'Vegan Delight' plate. Using mostly local produce, this plate combines all the small dishes they make, allowing you to sample a wide variety of different flavours and textures. The plate really showcases the care they put into cooking the food. The two highlights for me include the radish cakes and crispy vegan karaage. Other than the 'Vegan Delight' plate, you'll also find a variety of other rice bowls and plates, as well as the cabinet full of desserts near the entrance, including options like vegan cheesecakes and tarts.
Pair your meal with unique drinks like fragrant kamairicha (a type of pan-fried green tea which I love), matcha lattes, or even house-made plum wine. Be mindful that it's a small cafe, so there might be a wait during busy times as everything is freshly prepared. Check their closing hours before you head there as it could be 5pm or 8pm depending on the day. Remember the last order is typically 30-60 minutes before closing, so plan accordingly.
Afterwards, walk 10 minutes back to JR Nara Station. Take the Yamatoji Line to head back to Osaka/Umeda station (about 1 hour), or the Nara Line back to Kyoto station (about 50 minutes).