Located less than an hour away from Kyoto, Nara is the destination for a fulfilling day trip. Driven by exhaustion from the non-stop walking itinerary we had undertaken in Kyoto, we decided to bike our way around Nara City instead of exploring it on foot. It was by far the best decision we made.
We took the express train from Kyoto and alighted at the Kintetsu Nara Station. We walked along the main street towards Nara Park and found a bike rental store pretty close to the exit of the station.
While the streets were packed with people, we experienced no problems in navigating around on our bicycles. I was a bit jittery at first knowing my spatial awareness is extremely poor and I am generally quite a clumsy individual. I frequently step into drains, trips on pavements and step into mud. However, I did not find it intimidating to ride a bike around Nara at all. My heart only raced as I crossed the traffic lights while trying to avoid knocking pedestrians down. Hence, if it did not daunt me to cycle around Nara, you should not feel so either.
One of our more memorable routes was biking along the main road south of Ukimido Pavilion where we found ourselves coming face to face with a large field (飛火野) filled with trees sprouted with autumn leaves exuding an oasis of tranquillity. Biking everywhere allowed us to discover hidden gems as we wandered our way around the Todaiji Temple and Kofukiju Temple. To top the experience off, it was easy to find designated parking lots for our bikes and was extremely safe to leave them there.
On a side note, if you are yearning for Gyoza just before taking the train back to Nara, you can satisfy your cravings at "551 Horai JR Kyototen" for its value for money Gyoza and dumplings!
