Todai-ji and the Great Buddha (Nara): Before You Go

Short answer: from November to March the Great Buddha Hall is open 8:00 to 17:00, entry is ¥800 in cash only, and you don't book ahead. The only coin lockers the temple lists are behind the Todai-ji Museum ticket office.

Hours and fees (official)

Getting there (official)

• Walking: about 20 minutes east from Kintetsu-Nara Station along Noborioji-cho.
• City loop bus: from JR Nara or Kintetsu-Nara, get off at Todaiji Daibutsuden / Kasuga Taisha-mae, then a 5-minute walk.
• Gurutto Bus (Omiya-dori and Nara Park routes): from Kintetsu-Nara to Daibutsuden-mae parking, which is right at the temple. The temple quotes ¥100 for this bus where it describes parking.
• Train to Nara (Kintetsu): Osaka-Namba to Kintetsu-Nara about 40 minutes; Kyoto about 50 minutes; Kobe-Sannomiya via the Hanshin Namba line about 80 minutes.
• By car: there is no car park at Todai-ji; use a nearby paid lot. On spring and autumn weekends and holidays Nara Prefecture opens free tourist car parks, with the Gurutto Bus from there.
• Taxi: drop-off point in front of Sashizu-do, west of the Great Buddha Hall.

Good to know before you queue

• Bring yen for the ticket. Cards are refused at the entry ticket windows. See cards, cash and ATMs if you have none.
• Luggage: coin lockers behind the Todai-ji Museum ticket office. Details are not published, so don't count on a space for a big suitcase; see coin lockers and luggage storage.
• Photos: commemorative photos are fine; group photos, tripods and flashlights are not. No drones anywhere on the grounds.
• No smoking anywhere in the precincts. Pets: allowed in the Great Buddha Hall only, in a cage or carried; not in the other halls.
• Deer: the temple sits next to Nara Park. Read the deer rules before you walk in; there are no bins in Nara Park.
• Help: wheelchairs can be borrowed free of reservation at the hall's ticket office or the guard post, but numbers are limited. Wheelchair toilets: 4 places on the grounds.
• The temple's site links an English NHK World Japan programme, "The Perfect 2 Hours Guide of Todai-ji Temple, Nara"; we have not watched it and don't vouch for its content.

Left out (not confirmed on an official page today): how crowded it is at any hour, the best time to visit, how long a visit takes, autumn colour dates, queue lengths, locker sizes and prices, bus fares and ride times, Nigatsu-do, Kasuga Taisha and the Shoso-in (none covered here), and whether the museum shop or café take cards. The official news page showed no closure notice when checked, but that is not a guarantee.

Quick answers

What time does the Great Buddha Hall open and close?

From November to March it is open 8:00 to 17:00. From April to October it is 7:30 to 17:30. Todai-ji says it is open every day unless there is a special event or an emergency. Hokke-do (Sangatsu-do) and the hall at the Kaidan-in are 8:30 to 16:00 all year; the Japanese page names that hall as Kaidan-do and the English page as Senju-do.

How much is the ticket for the Great Buddha Hall?

¥800 for adults and for ages 13 to 18, and ¥400 for ages 6 to 12. Each hall (Great Buddha Hall, Hokke-do, Kaidan-do and the Todai-ji Museum) charges its own fee. A joint ticket for the Great Buddha Hall plus the museum is ¥1,200 for adults and ¥600 for ages 6 to 12, sold at either place.

Do I need to book in advance?

No. The temple's FAQ says no reservation is needed, even for school and tour groups; you tell the ticket office your numbers on the day. The audio guide needs no reservation for individuals either.

Can I pay by card?

Not for admission. The FAQ says credit cards and travel-agency coupons cannot be used for entry tickets and that only cash is accepted. Bring yen. The temple's Japanese fee page repeats this; its English fee page does not mention it, so do not rely on the English page alone.

Is there a coin locker?

Yes, one place: behind the ticket office of the Todai-ji Museum, per the temple's FAQ. The temple does not list locker sizes, price or how many there are. Todai-ji has no car park of its own. See our coin locker guide for station options.

Is there an English audio guide?

Yes. The rental is ¥500 per person: a touch pen, earphones and a map, about 30 minutes of recorded explanation. It is offered in English, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, French, German, Spanish, Italian and Vietnamese. The desk is 15 metres past the Great Buddha Hall ticket gate, in front of the Chumon gate. From November to March it is handed out 10:00 to 16:30, and in bad weather the rental may be cancelled.

Can I take photos inside the Great Buddha Hall?

Commemorative photos are allowed in the corridor, on the approach and inside the hall. The temple bans group photos, tripods, sketching and using a flashlight inside. It also bans reproducing or selling images related to Todai-ji for advertising or commercial use, which matters if you post for income.

Can I bring a bike, drone or cigarette?

No to all three in the way you might expect. Smoking is banned across the whole grounds and there is no smoking area. Drones are banned everywhere on the grounds. Bicycles and motorbikes must be left at the parking spot southwest of the Nandai-mon (Great South Gate), and you may not ride or push them on the approach between the gate and the hall.

Can a taxi drop me close to the hall?

Yes. The FAQ gives a taxi drop-off point in front of Sashizu-do, on the west side of the Great Buddha Hall.

More Japan trip guides: Nara Park deer rules · Kyoto autumn light-ups · Kansai Airport to Kyoto and Osaka · Coin lockers