Nara – the ancient capital of Japan , is not only famous for its historical temples and friendly deer but also one of the most beautiful places to see cherry blossoms in Japan . If you are looking for ideal places to enjoy the sakura season in Nara, let's explore the list of must-see destinations in this article.
- Yoshino Yama
Mount Yoshino, also known as Yoshinoyama , is located about 30-40 km southeast of central Nara . It has been a site of religious pilgrimage for over a thousand years and was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.
Mount Yoshino is visited by many people every spring (around late March to early April), when more than 30,000 cherry blossom trees here bloom together. It is also considered one of the best cherry blossom viewing spots in the world .
Yoshino Mountain Address: Google Map.
As for how to get there, first go to Yoshino station, address HERE .
Depending on your climbing ability, you can choose a suitable route to enjoy the cherry blossoms. If you're fit and comfortable with hiking, you can take the cable car and then walk to the summit, or start your climb directly from Yoshino Station. If you're not used to hiking, you can take a bus straight to the viewing point at the top.
Trains to Mount Yoshino depart every hour, so it's best to go early to avoid the crowds. This is especially important during cherry blossom season (March-April) and autumn foliage season (November), as these periods draw many visitors.
The most famous viewing spot of this mountain is Kami senbon. The address is HERE .
After several cherry blossom seasons of taking the cable car and hiking up, this year I decided to visit the sightseeing spot by car so I could capture the beauty of Yoshino Mountain at different times, from dusk to dawn.
I left at midnight and arrived at Kami Senbon at 3 a.m. The parking fee is 1500 JPY, and the parking spaces fill up quickly, so my advice is to arrive the night before, secure a spot, set up your tripod in advance, and sleep in your car while waiting for dawn.
I have a separate detailed article about the journey to explore Yoshino Yama – the cherry blossom paradise on the Blog. If you want to read more details about how to get there and see more pictures at Yoshino, you can access my article HERE .
Yoshino is an extremely peaceful mountain, far from the bustling city, where you can leave all your worries and troubles behind, to immerse yourself in nature here. Not only famous for cherry blossoms, the red leaf season here is also equally beautiful, so save this article to return to Yoshino in the fall!
2. Tsubosaka Dera.
Tsubosaka-dera is an 8th-century Buddhist temple located atop Mount Tsubosaka. It is renowned for its stunning view of hundreds of cherry blossom trees blooming around a giant Buddha statue.
You can reach Tsubosaka-dera by car, train, or bus. However, during cherry blossom season, I highly recommend taking the train or bus. The influx of cars causes heavy congestion, and the drive from the foot of the mountain to the temple can take up to 2 hours. In contrast, we walked up in just 30 minutes—a much faster and more enjoyable option! 😄
The closest bus stop to the temple is Tsubosakaderakuchi Bus Stop , I will leave the Google map link here: Google Map.
The closest train station to the temple is Tsubosakayama Station , address: Google Map.
After arriving at the bus station, we walk about 30 minutes to the temple. The temple address is here: Google Map.
Admission is 800 JPY for adults and 200 JPY for children. The temple is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, but during cherry blossom season, special lighting events extend the hours from 7:30 AM to 8:00 PM.
If you're short on time in Nara, you can also visit both Yoshino and Tsubosaka on the same day. The travel time by train and bus between the two locations is about 1 hour.
Tsubosaka is not only beautiful in spring, but it is also extremely popular in summer, when a forest of hydrangeas blooms around the temple.
I also have two detailed articles on how to get there, along with photos of the entire temple landscape. You can check them out at the following link:
Cherry blossoms at Tsubosaka Temple: HERE.
Summer hydrangeas at Tsubosaka Temple: HERE .
3. Fujiwara
Fujiwara is a huge canola and cherry blossom garden located in the west of Nara. It is a great place to picnic with family and friends under the huge cherry blossom trees.
Fujiwara is one of the best places to see cherry blossoms in Nara , but it is still relatively unknown to tourists. Most of the people who come here are local people, and people who regularly update information on social networking sites.
Fujiwara cherry blossom and rapeseed garden address: Google Map.
You can drive directly here, as there are several large parking lots in front of the garden, along with many public restrooms nearby.
You can also take the train to Miminashi Station and then walk about 15–20 minutes to the garden.
I also have a very detailed article about how to get there, as well as panoramic photos in Fujiwara. You can see more HERE .
The cherry blossom season in Nara is the first days of April, depending on the weather that changes every year.
For the exact timing of the cherry blossoms and other travel information about Japan, you can check the latest updates on my Instagram Story or Facebook Fanpage.
Instagram: Miles_gallery09
Facebook Fanpage: Travel with Minh
And above are the three most beautiful cherry blossom viewing spots in Nara , places that only those who have lived here for a long time know. If you find this article useful, please share it with your friends and relatives who are also planning to see cherry blossoms in Japan.
You can also refer to my article Cherry Blossom Viewing Spots in Kyoto to plan your cherry blossom viewing schedule in Japan in the most reasonable way. Thank you for reading to the end of the article.
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram( miles_gallery09 ) for more travel inspiration, and subscribe to get notified whenever I publish a new post. Let’s stay connected!
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