Nara is a city located ~1 hour away from Kyoto/Osaka with some breathtaking temples, scenery, and neighbourhood, which makes it a perfect day trip for day five in Kyoto! Plus, they have deers everywhere, and you can feed them!

Take it easy with this day trip and start the day at ~9:30am. You will spend ~6-8 hours in the Central Nara (downtown, Nara Park, and Naramachi).

Getting to Nara

Take the JR Nara line Miyakoji Kaisoku Express and arrive at JR Nara station in about 45 minutes. It costs ¥690 each way. The train service starts every 30 minutes from ~9:30am and last train at ~11:00pm. 
*If you are taking the normal futsu train, it takes ~70 minutes. Train services are available early till late night. 

From Nara station, pick up a map and start your journey on foot. This is the best way to appreciate the beauty of Nara along your way. Then, follow the map and walk through Nara Park (Nara Koen). You will start to see many deers along your way, but don’t be afraid of them! They mostly enjoy the weather themselves and will not bother you (unless you have crackers in your pocket and they know it).
*If you are interested in the history of Buddhism, check out the Nara National Museum in the park. 

Todai-ji 東大寺

We took our lunch in a random restaurant near the park. Next, walk towards Todai-ji. The Nandai-mon Gate had two huge guardian figures and they looked magnificent! Continue to walk towards Daibutsu-den to see the world’s largest bronze statue of Great Buddha.

Remember to also visit the Pindola statue sitting next to the entrance of Daibutsu-den. It is believed that visitors rub the parts of the statue and then rub their own corresponding parts to heal the illnesses.

Next, exit Daibutsu-den and go up the path to reach Nigatsu-do Hall. Then, walk towards the base of Wakakusa-yama and then a path through the forest to reach Kasuga-Taisha. After exploring Kasuga-Taisha, continue walking to reach Kofuku-ji . 

Naramachi 奈良町

These end your temple-viewing journey and marks the beginning of your shopping spree through the shops and galleries along Nara streets Naramachi. Central Nara is not a big area so don’t worry about getting lost. As long as you have a map in your hand, you can do the itinerary any way you like it! Getting back to JR Nara station is also easy, as it is walk-able from most locations.

It will probably still be an early evening by the time you return to Kyoto, have your dinner and rest well for Day Six, or you can have a casual stroll down the streets in Kyoto.

Details of the temples for today:
Todai-ji Temple 華厳宗 大本山 東大寺

Hours:
7:30am-5:30pm (Apr-Oct)
8:00am-4:30pm (Nov-Mar)
Fees:
¥650 / adult

Kofuku-ji Temple 法相宗 大本山 興福寺

Hours:
9:00am-5:00pm
Fees:
Grounds: Free
Treasure Hall: ¥600 / adult