Before reading this post, I recommend scrolling through a fantastic guest post written by Minnemijin Smit on Nara with Kids here.
Extra Nara tip: If you love a slower pace when you travel – most people day trip to Nara .. but how about spending the night? It’s just a lovely sleepy little quaint town in the evening. You’ll love it.
I also wanted to share some tiny tidbits of my own.
See here if you are looking for bike rental options for families in Nara.
TIP #1: While everyone else is looking at the deer? Go down the alleyways.
Please watch small children when they are feeding the deer. These deer are very much used to people and can be bold and a bit rough. They are not dangerous but can push over small children to get to food or accidentally scratch them with antlers.
TIP #2 Check out my favourite brand of 100 yen shop at Nara Station.
These can be found in various locations around Japan but still… while you’re here…. It’s open from 10AM-9PM.
TIP #3: It’s a mini hike, but wander up the hill to Le Case for a Japanese take on French Quiche.
TIP #4: I see so many tourists forget to enjoy the park. Stop and take a breath. Enjoy those leaves and that lovely open space.
TIP #5: Try Nara’s Gluten Free and Vegan Cafe Onwa ( 7 mins walk from JR Nara Station.)
Takeaway is also available. They serve meals and desserts. Open Wed – Sun Midday -8pm (Open until 9pm on Fridays & Saturdays.)
TIP #6 Check out Shoka Saru Kitsuke Building
The building houses craft stores, restaurants and coffee houses. It is incredibly beautiful. 5 mins walk from Kintetsu Nara Station.
Tip #7 For a reasonably priced sushi train restaurant visit Nara branch of Kura Sushi.
It is 8 minutes by cab (approx 2000 yen) from Nara Station. The restaurant is fully automated and smoke-free. They accept most major credit cards. It’s kind of “in the suburbs” so you’ll properly get to dine like a local with the locals. They don’t accept reservations but they do have 156 seats within the restaurant so I think you’ll be fine.
I would expect lunch or dinner to come to around 1500 yen per adult ( depending on how many places you get through, of course.)
Kurasushi have a list of all of their food with common allergens here. (Kurasushi is great when dining with kids and there are lots of cooked non-raw sushi options but if you really love sushi you may be a little disappointed with the raw-fish quality / some have found that the fish meat is a bit frozen in the middle. See here for my tips on what to do in Japan if your kids like to eat westernized versions of sushi or california rolls etc.)
KURA SUSHI NARA FURUICHI BRANCH
奈良市古市町1352-1
1352 FURUICHICHO, NARA-SHI
OPEN EVERYDAY 11AM-11PM
Tip #8 Watch Mochi Pounding
Next to Kintetsu Nara Station is a Japanese traditional confectionary store where you can watch mochi pounding throughout the day.
The store is called Nakatanidou. Open from 10am-7pm. If you watch the mochi pounding it is polite to purchase at least one mochi per person. 130 yen each. Cash only. The mochi pounding thing is a short activity that only takes a few minutes.
Tip #9 Try Gyukatsu
If you are looking to try Gyukatsu – Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu Nara Park is just 7 mins walk from Kintetsu Nara Station.
This is a great spot for a lush tasting dinner or lunch with a reasonable price tag at a restaurant that also allows children, I recommend Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu for Kobe Beef and Wagyu. It’s a Beef Cutlet restaurant. It is high quality beef, crumbed and fried so that the outside is crunchy and served with a range of sauces (dipping sauces) and rice. The restaurant is entirely non-smoking. They have an English menu. Please note that this restaurant is cash only.
This restaurant welcomes children and babies.
Each meal is 1000-2000 yen. You can see the full Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu menu here. This restaurant accepts reservations and walk ins.
GYUKATSU KYOTO KATSUGYU NARA PARK
奈良市登大路町30 登大路バスターミナル 2Ｆ
2ND NOBORIOJICHO BUS TERMINAL, NOBORIOJICHO, NARA
OPEN 11:30AM-7PM (LAST ORDERS AT 7:30PM)
Tip #10 Steak Gusto for all you can eat bread & salads
10 mins in cab (approx 1,300 yen) from the Nara Station is Steak Gusto – Gusto is a family restaurant in Japan but when they are a “Steak Gusto” it means that they, obviously, also offer steak but also have all-you-can-eat-bread and salads.
This restaurant accepts most major credit cards. They accept reservations and walk-ins.
STEAK GUSTO NARA KASHIWAGICHO
奈良市柏木町459
459 KASHIWAGICHO, NARA
OPEN 11AM-MIDNIGHT (OPEN FROM 10AM ON WEEKENDS)
＊Just a few doors down from this restaurant are branches of the most incredible Japanese second hand shops “Book Off” and “Hard Off” – please please go inside and take a look ! So many treasures inside !
Next to Steak Gusto Nara Kashiwagicho…
…is all-you-can-eat Shabu Shabu and Sukiyaki Restaurant Syabu-Yo.
This entire restaurant is non-smoking.
Diners choose the amount of time they would like to have unlimited meat brought to their table (usually 60 or 90 mins) and that price also includes access to a salad and vegetable buffet and ice-cream. The instructions on how to make your meal at the table are here on the Syabu-Yo website but the staff will also help you. My kids prefer sukiyaki to shabu-shabu as it is so sweet and more-ish.
This style of restaurant is tricky if everyone has different dietary requirements (for example if one family member is vegetarian etc) as all the food is cooked in one pot. I guess you could get around this by getting two tables with two separate pots. Sometimes they have pots like the one pictured below that has two sections. This is mostly so you can cook two different flavours but it could also work for a meat side and a veg side too, I guess.
To eat here I would budget for around 2000 yen per adult. The entire restaurant is non-smoking. Syabu-Yo accept most major credit cards.
If you like this restaurant – I’m pretty sure you will! Then you are in luck as you can always google your closest Syabu-Yo branch as they are all over Japan.
Just 10 mins walk from Syabu-Yo and Steak Gusto is Kashiwagi Park which has quite a nice playground !
This park has lovely new and clean public toilets too – with change tables too.
Photo courtesy of the City of Nara press release.
Photo courtesy of the City of Nara press release.
See here if would like to try Kaiseki dining with children with Nara.
Tip #11 Gluten free meal in Nara with kids
If you are looking for Gluten Free Meals in Nara, I recommend walking 8 mins away from Kintetsu Nara Station to Big Mountain Cafe & Farm. The cuisine is Hawaiian / Japanese. There are vegan options available. I recommend the homemade lemonade. This restaurant accepts most major credit cards. To eat here, I recommend budgeting approximately 3000 yen per person. Big Mountain Cafe & Farm also has a kids menu and there is space to store a stroller while you dine.
BIG MOUNTAIN CAFE & FARM
奈良市西新在家町20
20 NISHI-SHINZAIKECHO, NARA
OPEN 11:30AM-8:30PM (LAST ORDER AT 7:30PM)
CLOSED TUESDAYS & EVERY 3RD WEDNESDAY
Tip #12 Floresta Nara have the cutest donuts.
Floresta Nara is 2 mins walk from Kintetsu Nara Station. This is just a donut store so there are no tables to “dine in.”
FLORESTA NARA
奈良県奈良市小西町8-1 ラフィーヌ東洋ビル1階
GROUND FLOOR, LAFINU TOYOU BUILDING,KONISHICHO, NARA
OPEN 10AM-7PM
CLOSED TUESDAYS
Tip #12 Floresta Nara
