Nara Deer Park: What to Expect & Things to Know
“Eating greens is a special treat. It makes long ears and great big feet.”
After seeing countless videos of Nara Deer Park on TikTok, I knew I had to visit. I absolutely love animals, and the idea of being surrounded by hundreds of freely roaming deer sounded like my very own Disney princess moment. But as we all know, TikTok and reality aren't always quite the same thing, so I was curious to see whether Nara really lived up to the Snow White fantasy.
Well, the moment I stepped out of the train station, I spotted two deer standing right by the escalator. Apparently, the deer really are everywhere.
We visited Nara on a day trip from Osaka, and I absolutely loved the experience. The deer were surprisingly friendly, although I did make one beginner's mistake that resulted in a male deer biting me on the behind. And yes, I had a bruise in the shape of a bite mark for a couple of days afterward. While I've seen plenty of people online describing Nara's deer as aggressive, my experience was quite different. Most of the behavior I witnessed could have been avoided by understanding how to interact with them.
So, is Nara Deer Park worth visiting? Absolutely. But there are a few things I wish I'd known beforehand, especially when it comes to feeding the deer and knowing what to expect.
Let's get into it!
In this Guide
Planning your trip to Japan? Check out my Osaka travel guide and Kyoto travel guide for more tips on where to stay, what to see, and where to eat.
Ready to feel like a Disney princess? Here's what I wish I'd known before visiting Nara Deer Park, and what you should know before you go:
Let's go!
What is Nara Deer Park?
If you've seen videos of Nara Deer Park on TikTok, you've probably noticed two things: there are deer absolutely everywhere, and some of them actually bow to people. But why are there so many deer wandering around Nara in the first place? And how on earth did they learn to bow?
According to Japanese legend, back in 768, the deity Takemikazuchi arrived in Nara riding a white deer. Since then, the deer have been regarded as sacred messengers of the gods, particularly in connection with Kasuga Taisha Shrine. And people took that very seriously. For centuries, killing one of Nara's deer could even result in a death sentence…
Today, around 1,300 Japanese sika deer roam freely around Nara Park and the surrounding area. And when I say freely, I really mean it. There aren't any fences keeping them inside the park, so you'll find them wandering around the streets, hanging out near temples, and apparently even waiting for you at the train station.
Now, about that bowing. The deer haven't actually been trained to bow by people. Instead, they've learned that lowering their heads often gets them a treat. Visitors typically bow to the deer while holding special crackers called shika senbei, and over time, the deer have picked up on the behavior. Some will even bow several times if they think it might convince you to hand over another cracker.
And trust me, it works. I definitely gave them more crackers than I intended because I felt guilty when they kept bowing at me. Apparently, I'm very easy to manipulate…
While the deer are obviously the main attraction for most tourists (myself included), there's actually quite a bit more to see in Nara Park. You'll find some of the city's most important historic sites here, including Todai-ji Temple, home to an enormous bronze Buddha, and Kasuga Taisha Shrine, known for its hundreds of stone lanterns. There are also gardens, wooded paths, and plenty of open spaces where the deer like to hang out.
Unfortunately, we were on a pretty tight schedule, and it was raining during our visit, so we didn't get to explore much of Nara itself. We mainly spent our time with the deer and walked up to one of the temples, where, unsurprisingly, there were even more deer.
How to Get to Nara Deer Park
If you're visiting Japan and staying in either Osaka or Kyoto, Nara Deer Park is a pretty easy day trip. Both cities have direct trains to Nara, and the journey generally takes around 35–50 minutes, depending on which train you take.
We actually planned to visit Nara from Kyoto originally, right after our trip to the Nintendo Museum. Since the museum is south of Kyoto and we'd already taken the Nara Line to get there, I figured we could just continue in the same direction. Made sense to me!
Except that when I checked Google Maps, getting from the museum to Nara was still going to take around an hour. By then, it was getting late, and I didn't particularly feel like spending another hour on public transport just to arrive when we barely had any time left. So we changed our plans and visited Nara from Osaka instead. And I'm glad we did, because it was much easier.
Getting to Nara Deer Park From Osaka
If you're staying in Osaka, the easiest option is to take the Kintetsu train from Osaka-Namba Station to Kintetsu-Nara Station. The express train takes around 35–40 minutes, and you don't need to change trains.
You can also take the JR train from Osaka Station to JR Nara Station, which takes around 50 minutes. But here's something worth paying attention to when planning your journey: the two stations aren't equally close to the park. Kintetsu-Nara Station is only about a five-minute walk from Nara Park, while JR Nara Station is around a 20-minute walk.
Getting to Nara Deer Park From Kyoto
If you're visiting from Kyoto, you can take the JR Miyakoji Rapid Service from Kyoto Station to JR Nara Station in around 45 minutes. Alternatively, Kintetsu also operates trains between Kyoto Station and Kintetsu-Nara Station. The Limited Express takes around 35 minutes, although you'll need to pay an additional fee for the express ticket.
So yes, visiting Nara from Kyoto is absolutely doable. I just wouldn't automatically assume that combining it with something else south of Kyoto will save you time. We learned that the hard way…
What to Expect When Visiting
We visited Nara during the first week of October, and I actually think the timing worked out perfectly. It was raining a little, but nothing too bad, and I much preferred that to walking around in the heat. I also think the weather helped with the crowds because, although there were plenty of people, it wasn't nearly as busy as I'd expected.
When you walk up from the station, you'll come across a big grassy area with tons of deer just hanging out. This is where you'll probably see the biggest groups of deer, along with lots of people trying to feed them. But you don't have to stay there. There are plenty of paths you can follow toward the temples, and the further you walk, the fewer deer you'll encounter.
One thing I really wasn't expecting was to see an entire herd of deer suddenly decide to cross the road. I still have no idea what happened, but out of nowhere, they all started running in the same direction. And the funniest part was that they actually used the pedestrian crossing. I'm talking about a whole group of deer running across the white stripes while all the cars patiently waited for them to finish. Only in Japan.
You'll also notice pretty quickly that the deer have very different personalities. Some of the younger ones are incredibly sweet, while the older ones seem perfectly happy to spend their day lying down. I actually went over to a few of them to offer them crackers because they clearly weren't planning on getting up anytime soon.
The male deer, however, are a different story. They're generally a little bigger and darker, and you'll recognize them by their antlers or the spots where their antlers used to be. You'll even see signs around the park warning you about them. And I can understand why, because they were definitely the most demanding when it came to food. Especially when there was more than one around.
We spent around three to four hours at Nara Deer Park, and for me, that was the perfect amount of time. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved it, but it can get a little overwhelming. You're paying attention to where the deer are, who's approaching you, and whether they’re about to sneak up behind you. So after a few hours, I was definitely ready for a break.
How to Feed and Interact with the Deer
Remember that bite I mentioned earlier? Well, that happened within seconds of buying my very first pack of deer crackers. So before you rush off to buy yours, let me explain what went wrong and how you can avoid making the same mistake.
You'll find vendors selling special deer crackers, called shika senbei, all around the park. They cost ¥200 per pack, and there are plenty of places to buy them, so don't feel like you have to stop at the first vendor you see. Which is exactly what I should've done….
Instead, I got a little too excited and bought my crackers straight away. The problem was that I was wearing a skirt without pockets, and my partner was standing a couple of meters away with our backpack. So there I was, walking toward him with an entire pack of crackers in my hand, when suddenly I had several deer surrounding me. And that’s when I got bitten…
But the thing is, I really don't blame the deer. I was walking around with food they could clearly see, taking forever to actually give it to them. Even my cat at home bites me (gently) occasionally when I'm taking too long to get his treats out of the bag. So I can't exactly be surprised that a deer got impatient.
Now for the real Disney princess moment:
How to Feed the Deer
So, what should you actually do? I’m no expert, but this seemed to work for me…
First, make sure you're ready to feed the deer before buying your crackers. Have your hands free and find a spot where you won't immediately have ten deer competing for your attention.
And if you're a little nervous, here's what I'd recommend: walk past the main grassy area and head toward the temples before buying your crackers. There are vendors further along the paths, and I found the deer there much easier to interact with because they weren't all gathered in one place.
My biggest tip is to break the crackers into smaller pieces and feed the deer one piece at a time. You don't need to give each deer an entire cracker. I found it much easier to hand out smaller pieces, especially when several were waiting. It also means you can give a little something to more deer instead of running out after feeding just a few.
I'd also be careful if more than one male deer approaches you. In my experience, that's when they start pushing each other to get to the food. Personally, I'd just keep walking and find another deer rather than trying to manage two demanding males at once. That doesn't mean you can't feed male deer, though. In fact, in one of the pictures below, I'm sitting down right next to one and feeding him crackers. It's more about paying attention to how they're behaving and avoiding situations where several are competing for food.
The younger deer were generally much easier to feed, although occasionally a bigger male would appear and push his way in. So even if you're having a cute moment feeding a smaller deer, it's worth paying attention to what's happening around you.
I also loved feeding some of the older deer that were lying down away from the crowds. I'd approach them slowly and offer a cracker rather than making them get up and compete with the others. Of course, if a deer doesn't seem interested, just leave it alone. And of course don't forget to try bowing! Some of the deer will bow back when you bow to them with a cracker in your hand.
Now, here's one of the most useful things to remember: when you've run out of crackers, hold up both hands with your palms open, almost like you're waving — I do it in the above video as well. This shows the deer that you have nothing left, and in my experience, they'll immediately lose interest and walk away.
What Not to Do Around the Deer
Okay, I genuinely can't believe I have to say this, but please don't kick the deer. And yes, I actually witnessed someone doing this.
There was a woman standing with an entire pack of crackers held above her head, chatting with her family while several deer gathered around her. She wasn't feeding them, just standing there holding the crackers while they waited. Then, when one of the deer got too close, she kicked it.
I also witnessed a child repeatedly teasing the deer with food and running away when they tried to approach him. Eventually, one of the deer started chasing him, and he ended up falling face down on the ground. Obviously, I don't want anyone getting hurt, but both situations were completely avoidable.
And that's something I really want to emphasize because I've seen quite a few people online describing Nara's deer as aggressive. Of course, they're wild animals, and you should always be careful around them. But from what I witnessed, a lot of the problems started with how people were behaving toward the deer in the first place.
Don't tease them with crackers, don't make them chase you, and don't hold food out of reach while expecting them to patiently wait. Also, and I hope this goes without saying — only feed the deer the official crackers. Don't give them your own snacks or other human food.
And finally, if you're not comfortable feeding the deer, you really don't have to. You can still sit nearby, take pictures, and enjoy spending time around them without having to buy any crackers at all.
Tips for Visiting Nara Deer Park
A few more things I'd recommend keeping in mind before your visit:
Try to go in the morning. Nara can get pretty busy, so if you want to avoid the biggest crowds, I'd try to get there earlier in the day.
Bring cash for the crackers. They're ¥200 per pack, and the vendors only accept cash. So make sure you've got some yen on you before you arrive.
Wear shoes you can comfortably walk in. There's quite a bit to explore beyond the main grassy area, especially if you want to visit some of the temples.
Think twice about what you're wearing. You're going to be spending time around animals, so I wouldn't wear anything you'd be upset about getting dirty or ripped. I took my chances with a white linen top, but if you're worried about ruining something, I'd probably leave it at the hotel.
Give yourself around three to four hours. That's how long we spent there, and for me, it was more than enough. If you also want to explore Nara's temples and shrines, though, I'd plan for a little longer.
Walk further up if you're nervous around the deer. You don't have to start feeding them in the main square. Keep walking toward the temples, and you'll find smaller groups.
Don't be shy about bowing! It might feel a little silly at first, but bow to the deer and see if they bow back.
Don't forget that they're wild animals. Even if they're used to people, they're not pets. Be respectful, pay attention to how they're behaving, and don't force an interaction if a deer isn't interested.
I hope this was helpful. If you have any more questions, you can always reach out here or on Instagram, and I’m more than happy to answer any of your questions.
Have fun!
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