• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

You’ve probably heard that Nara is well-known for its Sacred Deer, but do you know the stories and origin behind it? Or how much influence it has on the locals daily life? On this private city tour, you are in for a cultural treat!

Destination

Nara, Japan

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

2.5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, 日本語, Português

Included

• Private Guide
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to Attractions

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 2 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at At the Nemu Shrine - Nara to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Culture of the City

   On this private tour, you’ll experience and discover Nara through its culture. Whether it’s focused on a tradition, a special part of town with a story to tell, cultural beliefs, or around a cultural activity that shaped the city into what it is - this tour will be a cultural awakening you can’t miss!

4. Deer & Divinity in Nara

   Your tour will focus on Deer & Divinity, a very important cultural subject in Nara. Thanks to your local host, you’ll learn and see how the sacred deer made an impact in Nara, making you experience the city from a different perspective.

5. Cultural Highlights

   As you deep dive into the subject of your tour, you’ll make stops to visit unique spots that will give you a full picture of the city. Visit the Sacred Deer, Kasuga Taisha Shrine , Kofuku-ji Temple, and more and see how these cultural highlights are part of the local life but have so much history behind them!

6. Storytelling Journey

   As you discover the cultural side of Nara, you’ll be able to embrace it thanks to the amazing stories and storytelling skills of your local host. Feel free to ask any questions and feel as if you are relieving history in the present time.

7. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Ethan🇺🇸 United States

(About local Hiroyuki)

23 February 2025

Hiro was a wonderful host. He filled the full 3 hours and I was thoroughly impressed. Friendly, knowledgeable. There’s really not much more I could ask for. He treated us to a sake tasting at the end to see how it compared to the sake we had a day before. The spot was SUPER local and I would have never found it by myself. At the end he recommended a great local spot for our dinner and it did not disappoint.A wonderful day in Nara

becci🇭🇰 Hong Kong

(About local Hiroyuki)

3 January 2025

My husband and I took a walking tour around Nara with Hiro and really enjoyed it. His family are from Nara and he shared their history and traditions, bringing the place to life for us in a way that could only be done with a local. It was not just enjoyable finding out about beautiful Nara, but also learning a bit more about Hiro as well. We had a great time with him and would thoroughly recommend the experience. Insightful and rich

Kara🇯🇵 Japan

(About local Hiroyuki)

28 December 2024

Hiro was a fantastic guide! We happened to visit Nara during the biggest festival of the year. Hiro took us on a walking tour through the major sites, explained the history, and we also caught the parade. Nara has a charming, small town feel to it. Hiro was fantastic with my three kids and very accommodating, helping us store our luggage as we dropped in for a day trip. Certainly one of the top highlights of our trip; we full-heartedly recommend Hiro's tour.Amazing tour!

Veronica

(About local Hiroyuki)

8 November 2024

Awesome experience! After a handful of days of feeling like a salmon swimming up river through the throngs of people in Kyoto, this was such a welcome respite! We lucked out with full cherry blossoms along the river path in Nara. Hiro was super attentive to not only guiding us, but stopping for opportune photo ops. Nara deer park and his guidance there was also special—those deer are something. He also had a perfect lunch spot recommendation for us as well near the train station. Riding through town and catching glimpses of a very local experience over the usual heavily touristy stuff is always a treat—would recommend!Veronica

Kristie

(About local Hiroyuki)

7 November 2024

We absolutely loved our bike tour of Nara with Hiro! It rained on and off, but even that didn't damper our amazing experience. Since it was the beginning of cherry blossom season, we started our tour biking along a river lined with sakura trees - an no other tourists! Then we went up to Nara park and got to spend some time at the Buddhist temple before going to feed the deer. We then went up to the Shinto shrine, then back down and into the city. It was just a great time! Hiro is super friendly and knowledgeable, and kept us safe biking on the roads as well. He also came equipped with rain jackets for the ride, and even gave us an umbrella to take with us at the end because it was still raining. Touring Nara by bike is such a great way to see the city and the park. I will say - some parts got a little hilly, so if you're not used to cycling on hills, just be prepared for that. That being said, it was nothing we couldn't handle as fairly casual cyclists. I would say that this tour is a MUST if you're visiting Nara.Kristie

Justin

(About local Hiroyuki)

7 November 2024

If you want an epic and unique experience in Nara, don't hesitate to book the bike tour with Hiro! Hiro is such an amazing, funny, and personable guide! He will take you through less touristy spots around Nara before guiding you to the Nara Deer Park. There, he will also take you away from the tourists and find hungry deer for you to feed and bow with. Hiro goes the extra mile to provide constant documentation - via photos and videos - throughout the bike tour, so you don't have to stress too much about getting footage. Thanks for the unforgettable experience Hiro!Justin

Amy

(About local Hiroyuki)

13 October 2024

This was such a fun day. It was raining pretty hard during our tour so we did a walking tour instead of biking. Hiro took us to the deer park, Todaji temple, and the Kaisuga Taisha Shrine. He gave a lot of insight into Japanese culture which made the experience really interesting. He also took us to a sake bar in the train station afterwards, and then we went out for a drink with him after that at an incredible bar called Bar Savant. We really enjoyed meeting Hiro and appreciate that he spent the day with us, even well beyond the tour hours. Would recommend this tour to anyone who wants to visit Nara (and you should!)Amy

Emilly

(About local Hiroyuki)

26 September 2024

What a brilliant way to see Nara Park. Hiro is an absolute character. So friendly and kind! He is very passionate about Nara and he really knows every inch of the park. Hiro is also great at capturing our experience. He took plenty of videos and photos for us to look back on. We also visited Todaiji Temple, which was the most exquisite and out of this world temple we came across on our trip. Hiro knew the best spots for feeding the deer. We arrived at the end of spring but Hiro also knew best places for late cherry blossom bloom. We got amazing views and beautiful pictures. One thing - do not lose your bike keys! My partner dropped his key inside the temple - with hundreds of people coming in and out, we thought we'd never find it but thanks to Japanese efficiency, it was found and announced on the speakers. This was probably one of the nicest airbnb tours I've done. So relaxing, informative and easy going. I would do it again and have already recommended it to others.Emilly

Jen

(About local Hiroyuki)

19 September 2024

Riding bikes with Hiro was so much fun!!He’s a delight, so kind and funny and he knows the city like the back of his hand, we zipped around town and through picturesque back streets and all around Nara Park with ease, I never would’ve had the confidence to do it on my own! This was such a unique way to see Nara and get off the beaten path, I especially loved the stop we made at the palace site museum. We got to see the Great Buddha and feed the deer too. It was such a wonderful and unique tour and I highly recommend it! Also, I prefer riding an e-bike and Hiro was easily able to arrange this when I messaged him about it. Thank you Hiro!!Jen

Tanya

(About local Hiroyuki)

12 September 2024

Hiro proved to be an exceptional tour guide. With just my husband and me, it felt almost like a private excursion. We cycled through a charming residential area, strolled alongside the river, captured a few photographs, and Hiro led us to the site of the ancient capital in Nara. He imparted the rich history of Nara, showcasing his profound passion for his hometown. Subsequently, we visited the deer park, where we explored the temple and fed the numerous deer roaming freely throughout the park. It was a splendid day for a personal biking adventure.Tanya

Gina

(About local Hiroyuki)

10 September 2024

Hiro was an very experienced host and made our experience memorable. With his wealth of experience, he curated a perfectly structured itinerary that allowed us to make the most of our time. The bicycles provided were easy to handle, adding an element of adventure to our exploration. Not only did we discover the beauty of Nara's landscapes, but we also had the pleasure of meeting new friends on the same tour. Hiro's intimate knowledge of the area led us to a picturesque riverside route adorned with early cherry blossoms, a breathtaking sight amidst the chilly spring weather. Additionally, Hiro-san guided us to the best spots for deer feeding and capturing stunning photographs, enhanced our overall experience. We're grateful to Hiro for his expertise and hospitality, and we highly recommend his tour to anyone seeking an unforgettable adventure in Nara.Gina

Ulises

(About local Hiroyuki)

23 August 2024

If you're thinking about doing this.. DO IT! Save your feet with a great experience. Hiro takes you to non-touristy and touristy places. We were lucky and got to ride through cherry blossoms in full bloom and it was amazing! He also takes the time to explain where he's taking you and the history of each place. We had a great time and truly enjoyed our bike tour. Definitely book with him if you want to explore Nara without tiring your feet from walking. Hiro is super friendly and went above and beyond to make our experience amazing.Ulises

Minh

(About local Hiroyuki)

21 August 2024

Finally I got time to review the experience I got with Hiro. It's been one month but the memory my family spent with him was still fresh, like yesterday, because the tour was amazing and memorable. First, we arrived at the meeting point one hour late ( due to us not able to catch the right train from Kyoto to Nara) , but Hiro and his colleague patiently waited for us. We felt very bad , luckily there was only us joining the tour. After that, he took us to see sakura along the river - where there are only the local people. It was exceptionally beautiful and my parents loved it. We took multiple stops to take photos and Hiro took amazing pictures of us too. Then we cycled to the deer park to feed the deers in the beautiful sunset, and ended up at a small pub in the train station. Overall the experience was brilliant, it will stay in my mind forever. Thank you Hiro!Minh Thuy