A few km west of Nara Park, the grounds of Heijō Palace and paths around lagoons just northeast of there make for a nice run. Start at the Kokuei Heijokyuato Historical Park, where you’ll run through Suzaku Gate, and around the grounds of Heijō Palace, which is a reconstruction of the 8th-century imperial palace that once stood on this site. Continue north to Daigokuden (Former Imperial Audience Hall) at the 2 km mark, crossing the main road (#104), for a quick jaunt up to the waterside Saki Shrine. Head east from there for 1 km, and then enjoy the small roads around three adjacent small lagoons. Return through the grounds of Heijō Palace.
Wikimedia Commons: 663highland
Features:
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Essentials
- 8 km (5 miles) loop
- 42m (140 feet)
- Suzaku Gate, Kokuei Heijokyuato Historical Park
- Two train stations nearby, Kintetsu-Nara Line
Current Weather & Forecast
Nara, JP
8:40 pm,
Jun 13, 2026
overcast clouds
25°C
L: 25°
H: 26°
Daily ForecastHourly Forecast
Tomorrow
6:00 am
25° / 26°°C
0.73 mm
73%
5 mph
96 %
1027 mb
0 mm/h
Monday
6:00 am
4° / 15°°C
0.2 mm
20%
7 mph
97 %
1036 mb
0 mm/h
Tuesday
6:00 am
4° / 13°°C
0 mm
0%
3 mph
96 %
1036 mb
0 mm/h
Wednesday
6:00 am
7° / 16°°C
0 mm
0%
10 mph
92 %
1032 mb
0 mm/h
Thursday
6:00 am
6° / 12°°C
0 mm
0%
3 mph
96 %
1029 mb
0 mm/h
Today
9:00 pm
10° / 13°°C
0.23 mm
23%
5 mph
89 %
1026 mb
0 mm/h
Tomorrow
12:00 am
9° / 12°°C
0.73 mm
73%
5 mph
92 %
1026 mb
0 mm/h
Tomorrow
3:00 am
7° / 9°°C
0.51 mm
51%
4 mph
96 %
1026 mb
0 mm/h
Tomorrow
6:00 am
6° / 6°°C
0 mm
0%
5 mph
92 %
1027 mb
0 mm/h
Tomorrow
9:00 am
11° / 11°°C
0 mm
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4 mph
81 %
1029 mb
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Tomorrow
12:00 pm
15° / 15°°C
0 mm
0%
2 mph
71 %
1027 mb
0 mm/h
Tomorrow
3:00 pm
14° / 14°°C
0.2 mm
20%
3 mph
78 %
1028 mb
0 mm/h
Other Routes in Nara, Japan
A scenic running tour of Nara's principle sites, including Nara Park, iconic gardens, and numerous shrines and temples. Use our mapped route as an outline to create your own route on the paths and grounds around these sites.
A large preserve with paths leading up Mt. Wakakusa, around Mt. Kasuga, and the Kasugayama Primeval Forest. It's scenic, and quite shaded... but very hilly. We've designed two loop options.
Naraden Field is the anchor of the Nara Sports complex. Decent running around numerous paths, fields, a small pond, and two running tracks. A good spot to practice intervals! Located ~1.5 km north of central Nara.
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