Kindō (left), Gōjūtō (right) and a typical queue to get in at Horyu-ji
Horyuji is one of the oldest and grandest Buddhist temples in Japan, and it's only a short trip from Nara - three stops from JR Nara station on the Yamatoji line. Much better known to Japanese tourists than to Westerners, the vast grounds of the Western Temple (西院 Sai-in) and the Eastern Temple (東院 Tō-in) can easily fill a full morning, with nary a reminder of modern hustle and bustle along the way (save for lines on busy days). When you're done, leave through the main gate and stop for lunch at one of the restaurants near the approach to the temple.
If your next destination is Osaka, take the Yamatoji line a mere 23 minutes to Tennōji. However, if you're making your next connection through Kyoto, head back to JR Nara station to change lines, and you can devote an afternoon to Uji on the way back to Kyoto. Raise your �10 coins in tribute to Byōdō-in (平等院), enjoy a walk by the Uji River and don't miss the most renowned tea in Japan.
By now, after three days of temples and the atmosphere of the ancient capital, you should be ready for the concrete, neon and wires of modern Japan.
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Three days in Nara Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
