01
Nara Hotel
Nara
A historic hotel on a hill above Nara Park, with a timber building blending Japanese and Western styles.
Old town & heritage · No. 8 in Japan
Boutique hotels in Nara
Nara's deer park, giant bronze Buddha and old merchant quarter make for a gentle stay, with a sake-brewery inn and forest ryokan.
Handpicked boutique hotels
Where to stay in Nara
02
Nipponia Hotel Nara Naramachi
Nara
A restored former sake brewery in old Naramachi, with heritage rooms and ryokan touches.
03
Noborioji Hotel Nara
Nara
A small, design-led hotel between Kintetsu Nara Station and Nara Park, with balconies facing the park.
04
Tsukihitei
Nara
A tiny traditional ryokan inside the Kasugayama Primeval Forest, with kaiseki meals and cypress baths.
Nara was Japan's first permanent capital in the 8th century, and its great temples and shrines sit in a huge park roamed by tame deer. Todai-ji houses one of the largest bronze Buddhas in the world, while Kasuga Taisha is lined with thousands of stone and bronze lanterns.
Where to stay
Most visitors come on a day trip from Kyoto or Osaka, which leaves the park beautifully quiet in the early morning and evening for those who stay. Naramachi, the old merchant quarter, has restored townhouses, while the edges of the park have ryokan with forest views.
Good to know
Nara is about 45 minutes from Kyoto by train. Buy only the official deer crackers to feed the deer, and bow – many bow back.
Good to know
Questions about Nara
How many boutique hotels are there in Nara?
We list 4 boutique hotels in Nara, including Nara Hotel, Nipponia Hotel Nara Naramachi and Noborioji Hotel Nara.
