48 Hours in Nikko

Beautiful in all seasons, Nikko offers those who visit a unique atmosphere with its mixture of spiritual, traditional, and natural sites. 

In the winter, Chuzenji Lake is spectacularly covered over with ice, and seeing Kegon Falls frozen in action is also a sight to behold. In summer, however, you can comfortably take a boat out on the lake or see Kegon Falls roaring with its almost 100-meter drop. 

Nikko’s peak season, though, is in autumn when tourists flock to see the vivid autumn foliage known in Japanese as koyo. The region also has places for springtime sakura (cherry blossom) viewing, such as the stunning Nikko-Kaido Cherry Blossom trail.

One of Nikko's major attractions is the region's famous sacred sites, including Nikko Toshogu and Chuzen-ji Temple. For history buffs, the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu's mausoleum, is in Rinnoji Temple, and Toshogu Shrine is a memorial for Tokugawa Ieyasu. 

On top of all of the nature and history you can experience when traveling to Nikko, visitors often stay at a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn), where they can enjoy a soak in the onsen after a long day exploring. 
For those coming to Nikko by train, the two-day Nikko World Heritage Pass might be worth purchasing (if you're coming for four days, you could also grab the four-day All Area Pass), but to avoid waiting on buses, coming by car is also an excellent option with either option taking about a two-hour trip one-way. 

Morning: Start the day early and catch the train from Asakusa station or Tokyo Skytree station up to Nikko. For those who want to purchase the Nikko multi-day passes, you can find more information here. With Nikko’s growing popularity, we recommend booking a seat on the train a few days before your planned departure date. Express trains run one-two times by the hour during the earlier part of the day.

After a two-hour trip, you probably won't want to lug your suitcase around, so stop at your accommodation first or leave large suitcases in a locker if you plan to head to Kinugawa Onsen. The Hotel Famitic Nikko Station is a simple, affordable place to stay if staying closer to the train station is the preference.

To cover as much ground as possible, take the bus toward Kegon Falls as the first destination. A five-minute walk from the bus stop, the waterfall can be viewed from a free viewing platform about 100 meters high, but for those who want to get closer to the waterfall, you can grab a ticket to the elevator down to be closer to the falls for 550 JPY. Kegon Falls is said to be one of the three most famous waterfalls in Japan along with Nachi Falls in Wakayama and Fukuroda Falls in Ibaraki.

After the falls, a seven-minute walk will land you next to Chuzenji Lake. The lake formed after the eruption of Mt. Nantai 20,000 years ago. Some options at the lake are taking the boat sightseeing cruise (included in the Nikko All-Area pass) or simply taking a leisurely walk around the lake; if you're feeling ambitious, a full loop around the lake is 25 kilometers.

Additional Spot: Ryuzu Falls, which is a 15-minute bus ride from Chuzenji Lake, is another popular waterfall in the area that visitors often stop by. A top lunch pick is Ryuzu no Chaya, a cafe/ restaurant with yuba soba as the specialty dish. Yuba is dried tofu skin that can be enjoyed both chilled and warm.

After a morning of more natural sights, head back east, where you'll spend the afternoon exploring the more historical spots of Nikko. Before visiting Rinnoji Temple, head over to the Nishisando Iriguchi bus stop for lunch. Nikko Maruhide Shokudo is a great place for a bowl of noodles, and the ramen will fuel you up for an afternoon full of exploration.

There are three main holy sites in the Nikko area, with two shrines and one temple. These include Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Nikko Futarasan Shrine, and Rinno-ji Temple, respectively. Rinno-ji Temple is a good starter as, architecturally, it's a lot more simple than the other shrines. Sanbutsudo Hall is one of the main points of interest at the temple, housing several Buddhist statues including the three mountain deities Amida, Senju-Kannon, and Bato-Kannon. Rinno-ji Temple is also where the third shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu's mausoleum, is located (the mausoleum is called Taiyuin in Japanese).

Nikko Toshogu is the next shrine destination and was constructed in dedication to Tokugawa Ieyasu. Many of the buildings constructed in the Toshogu Shrine are decorated with intricate carvings and gold leaf making it one of the more visually striking temples in Japan. A favorite photo spot is the carving of the three monkeys located at the top of a storehouse representing “hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil”.

Finally, there is Futarasan Shrine which is known as the main shrine of the area as it sits in Okunikko (part of Nikko National Park) at the base of Mt. Nantai. With its location in close proximity to the mountain, the shrine is seen as the protector of the area. After finishing the temple/shrine circuit, continue to move back toward the direction of Nikko station.

Toward Nikko Station, you should be able to see the vermillion-colored Shinkyo Bridge if you haven’t already caught sight of it from the bus. The bridge, constructed in 1636, was designated a World Heritage site in 1999. Legend is that Shodo, the first head priest of Nikko, called the mountain deities to help him cross the river in the area and two snakes appeared which turned into the bridge. With a full day of walking complete, head back toward Nikko Station.

Alternate Spot to Check Out: For those who prefer to stick to nature spots, the Kanmangafuchi Abyss which is a gorge that was formed from the eruption of Mt. Nantai. The area has several casual walking paths and famously has a line of jizo statues that hold a certain degree of mystery.

After a packed day of walking and exploring, it’s time to turn in for the evening. Staying closer to Nikko Station gives visitors access to slightly cheaper accommodations, but if the goal of the trip is to immerse yourself in Japanese tradition and culture, it's worth taking a trip up to Kinugawa Onsen town. Kinugawa Onsen Hotel Sunshine Kinugawa is an excellent option.

Kinugawa River cuts through the popular onsen town and provides pleasant scenery and a tranquil soundtrack to your stay. Staying at the ryokan means a nice hot onsen bath after the end of the day and ordering dinner and breakfast from the ryokan will save time finding food options. 

Alternate Dinner Option: If Maruhide Shokudo was not the lunch plan from earlier, try the original shop near Nikko Station located here.

After a hearty breakfast at the ryokan, it’s time to start the day with more nature exploration. Kinugawa River is the main attraction of the onsen town. As a result, the activities here are centered around the river. The Kinugawa River Cruise is one of the more popular water activities as tourists are guided down long wooden boats that are man-powered rather than motor-powered. Reservations for the cruise can be made here.

The cruise lasts for 30-40 minutes and is a peaceful way to spend the morning as one is slowly guided through the valley. If you want something more active, river rafting, canyoning, and kayaking are other ways to enjoy the river. More information on rafting or other water activities can be found here.

After a morning of activities though, make sure to grab a bite around Kinugawa-Onsen Station before heading on to your next adventure.

Alternate Spot to Check Out: If water activities aren't a focus of the trip, take a trip down to Tobu World Square, an amusement park and outdoor museum where you can marvel at 102 world-famous buildings recreated on a 1/25 scale.

Edo Wonderland is a family-friendly and fun opportunity to "take a step back in time" and experience an amusement park and take a trip back to Japan’s Edo-period (1603–1867). 

Here you can rent kimonos and other traditional Japanese clothing items in order to really step into the experience. The park also hosts a number of daily performances such as showing the oiran procession or the ninja theater. 

Children can experience "a day of work" from the Edo-period such as becoming a samurai or an okappiki policeman (Edo-period police). Tourists can also enjoy traditional Japanese foods such as kakiage soba (vegetable and seafood tempura with cold soba) and yama-kujira (wild boar meat). After wrapping up the amusement park fun, it's time to head back to Nikko station to begin your journey back to Tokyo after a two-day excursion. 

While Nikko has plenty of other attractions, to maximize your experience, it's worth choosing activities based on the season. Nikko will always have something to offer no matter what time of the year and should be on everyone's Japan bucket list.