Dating back to the year 1663, the Jikoji Zen Temple is a charming little gem, locally well known but slightly offbeat for the visiting tourists, hidden on a small hillock in Nara. A part of the Rizai sect of Zen Buddhism, this is the temple to head to if you wish to get a taste of the traditional tea ceremony in the serene lap of nature. The moment you step in the temple complex, you become aware of a sense of tranquillity in every moment of your stay. A beautiful house flanked by a well-manicured garden, small shrines and shapely mountains stretching in the distance, the drawing room is the place where you can experience the tea ceremony for a fee of 1000 Yen.

If tea ceremony is something that sounds a bit weighty for your budget―no worries! How about going for a stroll in its extensive garden? The geometric precision in the intricate designs and patterns of the bushes and foliage is sure to steal your heart. It’s a tourist attraction by itself! For all the peace it holds, the sublime temple, in parts or entirety, is a pure heaven―an idyllic setting that blends outer silences with inner tranquillity―a place that should be high up there in your Nara itinerary.