Is Nara worth visiting?

Short answer:
Nara is truly a victim of overtourism. And it does spoil the experience. If you’re only spending 2–3 weeks in Japan, I wouldn’t recommend it. There are many other temples across the country that are just as stunning — and where you’ll actually enjoy the vibe more.

Long answer:
Despite being quite shocked by the level of overtourism, I still enjoyed my day in Nara.

I was especially impressed by Tōdai-ji Temple — home to one of the largest wooden structures in the world. It’s genuinely impressive in scale, the kind of place that makes you stop for a second.

There were also cherry trees everywhere, which made the whole setting feel softer, almost magical at times.

It also seems like you can go on really nice hikes just above the main temple grounds. I didn’t have time to do it, but it looked like the perfect way to escape the crowds and get a bit of fresh air and movement.

Because yes — the crowds are very much there.
And seeing groups of tourists feeding deer non-stop… it just didn’t do it for me.

How to get there
From Tokyo, the easiest way is to take the bullet train to Kyoto (around 2h15 — you can book it on Omio and reserve your seat).
From Kyoto, it’s a quick 30-minute ride to Nara on a limited express train — easy to buy directly at the station.

Overall
The temples and parks are undeniably beautiful.
But the experience feels a bit lost in the crowd.

So yes, Nara is worth visiting — just maybe not on your first trip to Japan