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Visiting Nara’s temples and shrines: admission, photography and deer

September 14, 2026

A day visiting Todai-ji and Kasuga Taisha involves more walking than the map suggests. To enjoy the spacious grounds, keep your itinerary manageable and plan around admission hours. Knowing the visiting and photography rules—and how to behave around deer—helps avoid awkward moments on arrival.

A deer standing before moss-covered stone lanterns in Nara Park

Follow each site’s visiting and photography guidance

At a Buddhist temple: quietly put your hands together without clapping.
At a Shinto shrine: two bows, two claps and one bow are common, but follow any site-specific custom.

Local signs and staff instructions take priority for indoor photography, removing shoes and permitted areas. Special openings, ceremonies and repairs can change admission arrangements.

The deer are wild, even when they come close

Do not feed them anything except deer crackers, and keep paper and plastic bags away from their mouths. Do not tease them by withholding food, chase them or touch fawns. Give females extra space after spring births, and males in autumn.

If deer gather around you, stop feeding and move away while watching both people and animals. If a child is frightened, do not push for a close-up photo: stay beside them and watch from farther away. These are wild animals and may move suddenly even if they appear used to people.

Allow plenty of walking time

The grounds include gravel and steps, and stone paths become slippery in rain. Wear familiar, comfortable shoes and leave large bags near the station or at your accommodation.

Trying to see Todai-ji, Kasuga Taisha and Kofuku-ji together adds up to considerable walking within their grounds. Choose a main stop for the morning and another for the afternoon, visiting places with earlier admission deadlines first.

Using a wheelchair or walking aid

Gravel, slopes, stone steps and shoe-removal areas differ between sites. Check each temple or shrine’s official guidance for entrances, accessible visiting routes and toilets if using a wheelchair or walking aid.

Follow each site’s visiting and photography guidance

The deer are wild, even when they come close

Allow plenty of walking time

Using a wheelchair or walking aid

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