Although the Temple had 110 buildings enshrining Buddhism gods when it was established in 765, most of them were destroyed by fire or other incidents. Some buildings, including the Hon-do (main building), Shio-do and Shuho-kan, have been reconstructed, showing simple but elegant appearances. In spring and autumn the Temple holds a famous tea ceremony event called Ochamori-shiki.

Visitors can closely view the creation of Nara's traditional handicrafts, such as carving and pottery at factories in the Nagaya (row house). There are also shops selling handicraft products and a museum featuring Nara ink and its history. World Heritage sites of Yakushiji and Toshodaiji Temples are located near the Nagaya.

Todaiji Temple was established in the Nara Period. Passing through the Nandaimon (the main or Great South Gate, a National Treasure) protected by Kongorikishizo (guardian statues, a National Treasure) on either side of the gate, you can see the big roofs of Daibutsuden (The Great Buddha Hall, a National Treasure) rising over the middle gate. The 57-meter wide and 47.5-meter high Daibutsuden is the largest wooden building in the world. It also represents the Tenpyo culture in terms of its scale and large number of treasures. It contains hundreds of thousands of various National Treasures and Important Cultural Heritages. The 15-meter tall Daibutsu in the temple is a gigantic statue more popularly known as "Nara no Daibutsu-sama (meaning simply, The Great Buddha of Nara)." At the north of the temple is Shosoin (Imperial Repository), the end of the Silk-Road. In the west, there is Kaidan-in Hall, which holds statues of Shitenno (the Four Deva Kings, a National Treasure), masterpieces of Tenpyo Era sculpture.

Originally Yamashina-dera Temple, built by Kagamino-okimi, the wife of Fujiwarano Kamatari. One of the most memorable scenes here is the reflection of the Five-story Pagoda (a National Treasure) in Sarusawa Pond. A masterpiece of Hakuho Era sculpture, the former Toukondo Hall's Buddha Head (a National Treasure) and Ashura-zo (a National Treasure) with a melancholy expression in Kokuho-kan (the Kofukuji National Treasure House) are must-sees.

This vast nature park extends 4 km from east to west and 2 km from north to south, including the east side of Nara city's mountains: Mt. Wakakusa, Mt. Mikasa and Mt. Kasuga. In the hilly meadows and pine woods, one can find Kofukuji Temple, Todaiji Temple, Kasuga Taisha shrine, Asajigahara, where the Manyo people walked the short grasses, and Tobihino where you can pet and feed deer. The shrine building casts its historical shadow against the natural surroundings, and both history and nature blend into a rich, beautiful harmony. The park is home to more than one thousand free-roaming deer. For each of the four seasons, the scenery is uniquely elegant.

The area centered around former Gankou-ji Temple (World Heritage) is called "Nara-Machi." Machiya (homes) with thick, wooden latticework and temples show you the lives of ordinary people and cultures from the end of the Edo Period to the Meiji Period. Be sure to stop by the archive, museum, and other interesting facilities, and enjoy a leisurely walk around Nara-Machi.

The large Isuien Garden consists of two gardens: Zen'en (front garden) and Kouen (back garden). Each was established in a different period. The front garden, in a field remaining from a temple associated with Kofukuji Temple, was made by a prosperous merchant in the early Edo Period. He is believed to have created the reed structure and set up the garden plot known as "Sanshu-tei." While the rear garden takes advantage of the distant scenery of Mt. Wakakusa and Mt. Kasuga, the middle scene makes use of the fountain pond migration technique, known as "scenery borrowing." Here, it borrows the views of the Daibutsuden roofs of Todaiji Temple. The garden dates from the Meiji Period. Interesting buildings made of reeds and the Hiwadabuki tree are found here and there. Neiraku-Museum, which is in the garden, contains about two thousand antiques, such as bronze works and paintings.