The answer is easier than you might think
Where to stay in Nara with kids? Usually when we talk about where to stay, we’ve got to talk about various parts of town.
Nara’s a lot easier.
Recommendations: Where to stay in Nara with kids
Stays our family enjoyed
Bakery Hotel Chateau D’or
Japan, 15 Higashimuki Kitamachi, Nara, 630-8214
Quiet pedestrian street lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants. Rooftop terrace with a view of the hills. Included breakfast, all-day cafe, and even local bottled craft beer. Comfy Western-style hotel rooms plus a ground-floor dorm section. All this, and you’re just a short walk away from a 7-Eleven, Kintetsu-Nara Station, bus stops to attractions, Nara Park, and Higashimuki Shopping Street. We loved this stay, especially the comfy beds and house-baked bread.
Daibutsukan Ryokan Nara
Japan, 〒630-8301 Nara, Takabatakecho, 250 旅館 大佛館
Right across the street? Nara Park. A short walk down the road takes you to more attractions, including Sarusawa Pond and the Kōfuku-ji Temple Complex. In front of the ryokan, turn right and continue along Sanjo Dori Street to visit Kasugataisha Shrine and other gardens, museums, and more. Convenient location. Optional Japanese breakfast. On-site onsen. We loved the spacious tatami mat floors, along with the balcony that looked out on Nara Park.
Other Nara accommodation recommendations
If these stays aren’t available or aren’t the right fit, here are consistently well-rated options in the same area.
Check availability for places to stay in Nara
Focus your Nara accommodation search in this area
Here’s where to stay in Nara, then we’ll get into some nitty-gritty. Look for Nara accommodation in the area between:
- Kintetsu-Nara Station to the north
- Nara Park area and National Route 169 to the east
- Naramachi Odori Street to the south
- Yamatoji Line and Sakura Line (aka Man-yo Mahoroba Line) to the west
Here’s why:
- Whether hotels, ryokans (traditional Japanese inns) or vacation rentals, most of Nara’s accommodation clusters in this area
- Most of Nara’s attractions are also in this area, so you stay close to the sightseeing and activities you want in your day
- Bargain and luxury accommodation alike abound in this overall area, so odds are you can find the Nara stay that suits your budget
- You can find Nara accommodation near the deer park (Nara Park), and that puts you close to major attractions too
To be clear, there’s plenty of Nara accommodation outside of this area too. It’s just that most places to stay in Nara are in this area. Plus, if you stay farther afield, odds are you’re increasing your day-to-day transit time going to and from your stay.
Get the most out of your time in Nara by staying close to attractions
As you may know from our other accommodation advice based on our full-time travels since 2022, we love seeking bargains, neighborhoods, and family-friendly places to stay.
We have zero compunctions staying a little farther from main tourist areas. Some of our favorite stays have required, say, a 20-minute transit time to major attractions. We’ve found that our willingness to stay in neighborhoods has helped us strike a good balance of cost, convenience, amenities, and being closer to day-to-day life instead of tourist hustle.
Nara, though, is different.
Nara is a compact destination. It offers a similar elegant, grandiose history and culture to Kyoto. Yet Nara is three times smaller than Kyoto and has a population about a quarter of the size. Getting around Nara is inherently easier than getting around Tokyo or even Kyoto.
Staying close to attractions is like putting more time back into your day. There’s less back and forth. It’s easier to go back to your room if you need to. And if you want to do more activities or visit more attractions, you can. Nara’s compactness makes that not only possible, but much easier than in other destinations, since you don’t need to devote huge chunks of your day going from here to there.
Why stay overnight in Nara instead of just taking a day trip?
When your schedule truly allows for only a day in Nara, a day trip is totally okay. Our first visit to Nara was a day trip. We also have a guide that lays out your 2 priorities on a Nara day trip, plus what to skip.
If you have the room in your Japan itinerary, we highly recommend that you stay at least one night in Nara. We also have a suggested 3-day itinerary for Nara.
A day trip allows for a couple of attractions. Fortunately, Nara’s compactness makes that far more doable. You don’t have to spend as much time going from place to place. Staying overnight means you get to take full advantage of that compactness.
In our experience visiting Nara as a family of four, an overnight stay meant we could take in more of the culture, history, and scenery that Nara offers. Plus, even during popular times of year, such as the mid-August Obon season, Nara is still less crowded than Kyoto.
An overnight stay means you could block in a slightly farther afield attraction, such as the lovely toy museum, or perhaps take a class. Lingering in a museum, visiting multiple temples and parks, and enjoying more dining also becomes far more workable when you are staying close by.
The best part of staying overnight, though, is you can use the expanded time to your advantage. We often suggest sightseeing in the morning, then having some downtime in the afternoon. Head back out in the evening, once the daytripper crowd has gone back to Osaka and Kyoto. Nara becomes all the more beautiful when it’s like you’ve got the city to yourself.
Types of accommodation in Nara
Nara has three main types of accommodation to consider:
- Hotels
- Ryokans (traditional Japanese inns)
- Vacation rentals
You can find plenty of each throughout the main central part of Nara that’s close to Nara Park and other attractions.
Hotels
Japanese hotels tend to be comfy but compact. Especially if you’re just staying in Nara one night, a hotel can work just fine. Some include breakfast, or there’s a breakfast add-on option. If breakfast is on your own, you can snag simple ready-to-eat breakfast foods from a convenience store, or start your day at a nearby restaurant.
One perk of Nara hotels is that they are often the most modern in terms of design, build, accessibility, and amenities. If you have mobility needs or may need something for an infant or toddler, for example, Nara family hotels are more likely to accommodate you.
Our Nara hotel experience
One spring in Japan, the sakura season was done. We decided to beat the Golden Week crowd by coming to Nara for two nights at the end of April. Bakery Hotel had us from the toast-themed throw pillows in the lobby, not to mention the thick toast with choice of topping for breakfast.
The street outside was quiet and car-free, and dotted with shops, cafes, and restaurants that made for easy coffee breaks and souvenirs. Yet within a couple of minutes, we could walk over to Nara Park for deer feeding and Kōfuku-ji Temple, and the Higashimuki covered shopping street for sushi, ramen, tonkatsu, and souvenirs..
Another small perk? Staying north of the station meant that we were on the same side of the street as the buses heading to key attractions, such as Todaiji Temple, Yoshikien Garden, and Kasuga Taisha.
Ryokans (traditional Japanese inns)
Personally, we love staying in ryokans. Since they’re based in traditional Japanese lodging, there’s tatami mat floors, futons for sleeping (which attendants lay out for you in the evening), and the option of a Japanese breakfast. And we suggest that you always opt for Japanese breakfast.
Ryokan rooms tend to have more space than hotel rooms. For example, we stayed in a ryokan across the street from Nara Park. During the day, with the futons folded up and tucked into a closet, we had room to hang out and spread out. Or, the table and chairs on the attached balcony gave us an outdoor space where we could take in the fresh air, chat, and do some people-watching.
Ryokans usually have some sort of public and/or private onsen as well. Having a nice hot soak at the start or end of the day—or both—is all the more relaxing and adds to your experience in Japan.
When staying at a ryokan, you have the option of wearing the provided yukata, or light robe, around the building and in your room. Street shoes stay in the staffed lobby, and you’ll have indoor slippers to use when inside.
Part of the joy of Nara is its prominence in Japanese culture and history. The city was Japan’s first permanent capital, predating Kyoto and Tokyo. At Nara ryokans, you steep yourself in that cultural experience. Plus, the convenient locations of many ryokans mean you are close to attractions, and when out sightseeing, you are close to your room.
Our Nara ryokan experience
During a two-night August stay in Nara during the Obon Festival, we stayed at the Daibutsukan Ryokan. Right across the street from Nara Park, we were a short walk away from the Kofukuji Temple Complex, Sarusawa Pond area, shopping streets, and more.
The convenience alone made the stay worthwhile, since we didn’t have to spend as much time getting from place to place. Plus, we could prioritize walking over taxis or public transportation.
Vacation rentals
Rentals from platforms such as Vrbo and Airbnb are in Nara too. If you need more space, such as for a larger group, or aren’t fussed about the amenities of a ryokan, a rental can be perfect.
Usually, we suggest rentals for longer stays. However, they can work great for a simple overnight too.
Plus, staying in rentals puts you more in neighborhood settings. That’s another way to get a sense of Japan on a more day-to-day level. The details, side streets, and quiet of Japanese neighborhoods are part of what we love about visiting Japan. After a big day of sightseeing, having that quiet space to return to can be just what you need.
Above all, rentals usually mean having a kitchen space. If dining in is a priority, that alone can make a rental a far superior choice to a hotel or a ryokan.
Practical considerations
- Your main areas to consider are around Nara Park, Sanjo Dori Street Nara, and Naramachi hotels in the historic district.
- Nara Station and Kintetsu-Nara Station are Nara’s major train stations. However, Kintetsu-Nara Station is more convenient for accommodation, chief attractions, and Nara Park. The Nara Station area is worth checking for the right accommodation too.
- It’s hilly, and some streets are cobbled.
- Nara is a historic area. Accessibility varies. Attractions such as Todaiji have made accessibility improvements, such as accessible paths and wheelchair rentals.
- Use Nara’s compactness to your advantage: Stay close to attractions and dining, so you spend less time going from place to place.
Compact, historic Nara has great stays near the things you came to see and do
When we go to Nara, we love that its compact nature makes it easy to stay close to the main things we came to see and do. Since you can find places to stay near major attractions, it’s much easier to visit and figure out where to stay in Nara with kids. Plus, Nara’s range of rentals, hotels, and ryokans means you can find the right stay for you and your family:
