Published date: August 15, 2024
Hotel with Hot Springs Just a Short Walk from JR Nara Station
Room Type Stayed
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Experience of the stay
I used this hotel when I went to the Nara Lantern Festival.
It is located in front of JR Nara Station, and there is a place called Mahoroba Kitchen right across the street where you can find convenience stores, restaurants, and Nara-produced ingredients.
I think even with a room only plan, you won't have trouble finding places to eat.
By the way, I had breakfast at a place called Koto Ka in the Nara Delicious Plaza on the 1st floor of JR Nara Station, and it was very reasonable at 484 yen for a rice bowl with egg from contracted farmers, a salad with Nara vegetables, pickles, and miso soup, so I personally recommend it.
The large public bath is a hot spring, and after the bath, it's nice that you can enjoy free ice candy and shoe ice cream!
The hair dryers in the large public bath are also nice, with Dyson and Refa brands.
I recommend it for travel and business trips.
Experiences during the trip
This time, I came to see the Nara Lantern Festival, so on the first day, I wandered around Nara Park.
Summer in Nara is hot, but it was nice at night.
The venue changes depending on the day, but the Todai-ji Temple, Kasuga-taisha Shrine, Kofuku-ji Temple, and Ukimido illuminated by candlelight at night are wonderful.
The five-story pagoda of Kofuku-ji is currently undergoing repairs, expected to be completed in the 13th year of the Reiwa era.
When going to Nara, be aware that restaurants close early.
If you think about having lunch a bit late, you'll often find that the last orders are over after 1 PM, and all the shops you visit after that will have closed.
I strongly recommend checking the operating hours of any restaurants you want to visit in advance.
Even if you think about having a light meal at a café at night, most shops are closed by 6 PM, and you'll only find chain stores or izakayas open, so please be careful about that too.
On the second day, I took a train for about 20 minutes to Ikoma.
After that, I took a cable car to the Ikoma Sanjo Amusement Park.
This cable car is so cute, so I definitely want you to ride it.
The charm of this amusement park is that the entrance fee is free!
And being an amusement park on a mountain, the view is superb!
There are no rides for adults like roller coasters, and everything is enjoyable for both parents and children.
If you have a small dog, you can enjoy it together with your pet (of course, dogs are not allowed on the rides).
You can also bring your own lunch, so it feels like a picnic.
(The last two photos are from when I visited in spring.)
By the way, night operations are only available in summer, so please check the hours on the website before going.