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Budget ¥720 (about $5) per person and
about 45 minutes. It is both the cheapest option and the fastest.
The Japan Rail Pass covers this whole trip.
The two stations are 42 km (26 miles) apart by rail.
The only priced option
JR train
JR Nara Line
Kyoto → Nara, rapid service
¥720
about $5 · per person
about 45 minutesjourney time
Japan Rail Pass: yesCovered by the Japan Rail Pass.
Who runs it
JR
The public rail network, six regional companies. The Japan Rail Pass is valid on their lines and on nothing else.
Source
Covered by the Japan Rail Pass, which keeps it consistent with the rest of a JR itinerary. The Kintetsu alternative, a private line the pass does not cover, is often more direct: a regular express at ¥760 (about $5) in 45 minutes, or a limited express at ¥1,280 (about $8) ¥760 (about $5) plus a ¥520 (about $3) reservation supplement, in 35 minutes.
Fare source
Last checked August 11, 2026. The dollar figure is worked out at the exchange rate of the site's last update and
is never stored beside the yen.
A regional pass covers this trip
Less known than the national Japan Rail Pass and often far cheaper, they are only valid inside their
own area. These cover this trip end to end.
We earn a commission on the Klook links below, and it costs you nothing extra. It does not
change which pass we say covers your trip.
JR Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass
¥17,000 (about $108) for 5 consecutive days
See this pass on Klook
This trip inside your whole itinerary
One trip on its own never tells you whether the Japan Rail Pass is worth it. That depends on every
other leg of the journey, and on the regional passes, which are far cheaper and cover only their
own area.
