Getting there
The Kintetsu Nara Line runs directly from Namba to Nara in well under an hour, landing you close to Nara Park itself. A JR route from Osaka or Tennoji station is also available, arriving at JR Nara Station, a slightly longer walk from the park.
Nara Park and its deer
Nara Park's sika deer roam freely and are considered messengers of the gods in local Shinto tradition, and they've grown famous for bowing to visitors in exchange for shika senbei (deer crackers) sold by vendors around the park. They're wild animals, not pets, and can nip or headbutt if provoked — feed them calmly and keep food out of sight once you're done.
Todai-ji and the Great Buddha
Todai-ji temple, within walking distance of the park, houses the Great Buddha Hall — one of the largest wooden buildings in the world — and a bronze Buddha statue among the largest of its kind, cast in the 8th century. It's the clear centrepiece of a Nara day trip.