Which one to choose in Nara
Hase-dera Temple vs Kasuga Taisha
Two temples in Nara. Hase-dera Temple has 1 ticket or tour to book; Kasuga Taisha has 3 tickets and tours to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
Nara, Japan
There is no online ticket for Hase-dera alone. You pay the entrance fee at the gate at the foot of the long staircase, and there is an additional charge during the special openings in spring and autumn when visitors may enter the inner sanctuary and touch the feet of the great Kannon statue. Cash is still the safest way to pay.
The organised option is a guided day from Nara city that is built around Hase-dera, with its giant Kannon and its main hall on stilts above the valley. Such outings normally include the guide, the train or car journey through the countryside east of Nara and the temple entry, with lunch paid on the spot.
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Nara, Japan
Kasuga Taisha does not need a ticket booked in advance. The approach, the outer precinct and the lantern-lined paths are free and open from early morning. The inner corridors around the main sanctuary, the treasure hall and the Manyo botanical garden next door each charge a modest fee at their own entrances.
What is sold online are guided walks that bring the shrine to life. The simplest is a guided tour of the shrine and the deer park with a local English-speaking guide, lasting a couple of hours on foot. A more unusual option is an evening walk in candlelight, organised on selected dates, which includes a drink and lets you see the lanterns and the forest after the day crowds have gone.
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