is it worth going to Nara?

[anniecat]

before our cruise will be in Kyoto for three days. Instead of Osaka we thought we'd go to Nara...sounds fairly complicated by rail. has anyone been there? Are there sights better in Osaka? And where oh where is the Osaka Cruise Terminal? We're on HAL Statendam April 3 cruise.:D :D :D :D :D

[Jim Gallup]

Nara is really quite beautiful and very interesting. April is a good time of year to visit there.

Train connections are very easy. Nara is only 37 kilometers away from the Osaka port.

 

The Cruise terminal is next to the Osaka Aquarium. You can catch a taxi to OCAT (Osaka City Air Terminal). OCAT shares a JR Station on the line that goes directly to Nara. Just purchase a ticket to Nara and you are there in less than one hour.

[digby]

I thought Nara was a wonderful place to visit. I took a bus tour from Kyoto.

[Jane110]

We loved Nara! Highly recommend it.

 

From Kyoto, we took a quick local train to Nara. Stayed at the Nara hotel for 2 nights. Awesome hotel - first "western" hotel built in Japan and was built in the 1920's so a gorgeous combination of art deco and japanese design.

 

Enjoy Nara Park. Rent a bicycle so you can see a lot of the park. We would just leave our bikes for an hour or more and enjoy a part of the park. No bicycle thieves in Japan - didn't even use the locks.

 

Jane