Nara & Uji tour: Temples, deer, matcha making

You make the matcha yourself, not just watch someone else prepare it.

This full-day tour from Kyoto covers Nara's major temples (Todaiji with the Great Buddha, Kasuga Taisha Shrine with 3,000 stone lanterns, and Byodo-in Temple in Uji) plus time to feed and photograph the 1,400 deer roaming Nara Park. After lunch along the Uji River, you prepare your own bowl of matcha at a historic tea shop and learn the traditional way to drink it. A professional English-speaking guide leads the group. Multilingual audio guidance is available on the coach. The tour runs 8.5 hours and includes all temple admissions, the matcha experience, and lunch (or departs without lunch, depending on your option).

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Kasuga Taisha Shrine30m
2. Nara Park30m
3. Todai-ji Temple40m · entry included
4. Byodo-in Temple40m · entry included

Explore Nara and Uji Matcha Experience

• Drive past Fushimi Castle and Heijokyo Palace
• Visit Todaiji Temple and see Great Buddha
• Walk through Nara Park and feed deer
• Visit Kasuga Taisha Shrine
• Lunch by Uji River
• Visit Byodo-in Temple and see Phoenix Hall
• Make matcha tea at historic tea shop
• Walk around and taste matcha sweets

The experience

The day starts with Nara's temples. Todaiji Temple houses the Great Buddha inside one of the world's largest wooden buildings. You'll walk through the South Gate (Nandaimon) to reach it. Kasuga Taisha Shrine comes next, where 3,000 stone lanterns line the grounds. Between the temples sits Nara Park, where about 1,400 deer live freely. You can feed them rice crackers (bring cash, they're sold on-site). The deer are accustomed to visitors and will approach you, making this one of the few places on earth where you stand among that many wild animals in a public space.

After lunch at a restaurant overlooking the Uji River, the tour moves to the matcha-making experience. You'll work at a tea shop that has operated for over 500 years, preparing your own bowl of matcha by hand and learning the proper traditional way to drink it. Byodo-in Temple, famous for appearing on the back of Japan's 10-yen coin, is nearby. You'll see the Phoenix Hall before or after the tea class, depending on the day's flow. A walk around the Uji area includes matcha sweets to taste.

The coach is air-conditioned and equipped with WiFi. Your guide speaks English fluently, and the bus also carries multilingual audio guidance in Spanish, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, and Ukrainian. The itinerary can shift based on traffic, weather, or if any site closes unexpectedly. The operator will substitute an alternative attraction or provide compensation. Walking is substantial throughout the day, including stairs and hills at each location.

What’s included

• Professional English-speaking guide and multilingual audio guidance on the coach.
• admission to Todaiji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and Byodo-in Temple.
• matcha-making experience at a 500-year-old tea shop in Uji.
• traditional Japanese lunch at a restaurant along the Uji River (if you select that option).
• air-conditioned coach with WiFi on board.

Options for this experience

2 options

Departure from Kyoto, lunch not includedGuide in English · 07:50★: Lunch is at your own expense

Departing from Kyoto, lunch providedGuide in English · 07:50★: Tour includes lunch; vegetarian lunch can be arranged if requested at least two days before the tour date

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day except SaturdayDeparts at 07:50

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 38

Live guideEnglish

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Ukrainian

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Japan Panoramic Tours

Is this one for you?Choose the option with lunch if you want a full day without stopping to find a restaurant. Without lunch if you prefer to eat on your own schedule or have dietary needs the tour cannot accommodate. The walking is substantial (stairs and hills at each temple), so this suits travelers with moderate fitness who are comfortable on their feet for most of the day.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4): free.

How many deer will I actually see at Nara Park?

About 1,400 deer live in Nara Park year-round and roam freely. They're used to visitors and will approach you if you have deer crackers to feed them, though the crackers must be purchased on-site with cash.

What exactly happens during the matcha-making experience in Uji?

You prepare your own bowl of matcha by hand at a tea shop with over 500 years of tradition, then learn the proper traditional way to drink it. The experience takes place at a historic location in the Uji area, famous for matcha production.

Is lunch included, and what are my options?

You choose at checkout: the tour departs from Kyoto with lunch (a traditional Japanese set meal at a restaurant along the Uji River) or without lunch. Vegetarian meals can be arranged if you request them at least 2 days before the tour date. Note that the soup contains fish broth.

What's on the 10-yen coin that we'll see in Uji?

Byodo-in Temple's Phoenix Hall is depicted on the back of Japan's 10-yen coin. You'll see the actual temple and its famous hall during the Uji portion of the tour.

How long is this tour, and what's included in the price?

The tour runs 8.5 hours and includes admission to Todaiji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and Byodo-in Temple; the matcha-making experience; lunch (if you select that option); an English-speaking guide; multilingual audio guidance on the coach; and air-conditioned transport throughout the day.

Do I need to arrange my own way to the meeting point?

Yes. The tour departs from Kyoto, and you'll need to get yourself to the meeting point. Public transportation options are available nearby. The operator does not provide hotel pickup or drop-off service.