For most of the eighth century, Nara was the capital of Japan. The city, then called Heijō-kyō, was laid out on a grid modelled on the Chinese capital Chang'an, and at its northern end stood the imperial palace, Heijō-kyū, a vast compound of halls, offices and gardens. When the court moved away at the end of the century, the palace was abandoned and the land eventually returned to rice fields. Today the Nara Palace Site is a huge open space on the western side of the modern city, part of the UNESCO-listed Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara.
What you see now is a mixture of open ground, excavated foundations and full-size reconstructions. The great Suzakumon gate at the southern entrance and the Former Imperial Audience Hall, the Daigokuden, have been rebuilt using traditional techniques, their vermilion pillars and sweeping tiled roofs giving a sense of the scale of the original. Excavated areas and museums on the site display the wooden tablets, roof tiles and everyday objects found in the ground. The sheer emptiness of the space is part of its effect: it is easy to stand in the middle and imagine the vanished city around you.
Nara as a whole is compact, and the famous sights cluster in the park to the east: Tōdai-ji with its giant bronze Buddha, Kōfuku-ji and its pagoda, Kasuga Taisha with its thousands of lanterns, and the deer that wander everywhere and bow for crackers. Riding in the city is slow and busy, with narrow streets and heavy tourist traffic, so the bike is best parked while you explore on foot. Japan drives on the left; motorcycle parking in cities is regulated, so look for designated bike spaces rather than leaving it on the pavement.
For riding out of Nara, the Nara Okuyama Driveway climbs into the hills behind the city, and further afield, the roads south into the mountains of Yoshino and the Kii peninsula are excellent. Fuel, food and everything else is plentiful in Nara. Try kakinoha-zushi, sushi wrapped in persimmon leaves, a local speciality. Spring cherry blossom and autumn colour bring the biggest crowds and the best light.