Nikko National Park
Nikko National Park
4.5
About
The Nikko National Park is one of the first national parks in Japan that was established on December 4, 1934. The park area covers three prefectures, which are Fukushima, Tochigi and Gunma with a total area of 114,908 ha. Most of the park area is a mountainous area belonging to the Nasu volcanic belt and is spread into the following mountains: Mt. Shirane (Mt. Nikko-Shirane) with an altitude of 2,578 m which is the highest mountain in the North Kanto, Mt. Nantai with an altitude of 2,486 m which is known as a sacred mountain from the ancient times, and Mt. Chausu (Mt. Nasu) with an altitude of 1,917 m which is still an active volcano. Further, plateaus spread at the foot of these mountains, to which crater lakes, impressive waterfalls and gorges with beautiful autumn leaves add colors. Meanwhile, a perfect fusion of several historic buildings including shrines and temples registered as the World Cultural Heritage sites and the surrounding natural landscapes can be appreciated.
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Austin A
Kamakura, Japan10 contributions
Apr 2019
Nikko National Park is located close to Tokyo and can use Shinkansen (bullet train) to get there with very reasonable time. Nikko can be visited over the weekend for it offers so much to do from hiking in really peaceful cedar tree forest to visiting very significant as well as historical facilities built early 1600's by Tokugawa Shogun. This place is as good as visiting Kyoto but closer to Tokyo.
Written 5 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Zimminaroundtheworld
Okinawa Prefecture, Japan1,970 contributions
May 2024 • Family
Combine Nikko National Park with the Shrines over the course of a couple days. Many visitors just come to Nikko for the shrines, but the National Park is a must. You can spend an entire day here. Whether it be for hiking, taking in the sites, or admiring the waterfalls, there is something for everyone.
Written 10 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Katie M
Leeds, UK25 contributions
Jun 2014 • Couples
We spent 2 nights in the Nikko area as a short trip away from Tokyo, and it was a great contrast to the crazy chaos of the city. If you're looking to get away from Tokyo but can't travel too far, this is a good option. Really easy to get to and plenty to see. Couple of things: be aware that the Tobu train from Tokyo splits in two so you need to be in the right carriage; trains between the two main tourist areas in Nikko become infrequent after about 4pm; some hotels won't have any english speakers so be prepared to adopt "international hand gestures" to communicate if you're Japanese is limited; and you don't need to stay in Nikko town to explore the area - if you pay attention to the train timetable to you can easily stay in some of the lovely hotels near Kinugawa and reach Nikko national park by train.
There are a couple of value passes for Nikko which you can buy, covering the round trip from Tokyo (departing Asakusa and Tokyo Sky Tree stations) and bus/train rides between areas once you arrived, and they're worth checking out. We bought a 4 day Nikko pass from the Tobu Travel Agency office downstairs at the Asakusa Tobu Rail Station (note: this is in a different location to the Asakusa Metro station. Ask at the Asakusa tourist building, which is directly opposite the Sensoji Temple, for directions if you get lost). Staff in the Tobu travel office are really helpful so feel free to ask which pass gives the best value for your trip - I nearly bought a 2 day pass but I'm glad I double checked with them, otherwise my ticket wouldn't have been valid for my return journey. Passes are valid for the rapid/section rapid trains, which are a little tired and stop at every little place on the way. You can pay extra to upgrade to the Express train which is faster and allows for more flexible travelling between Nikko town and Kinugawa Onsen, but I'm not sure you really need it. We bought ours right before we travelled, so I don't think you need to book. Platforms are upstairs in the station, and make sure you choose the correct carriage as the train splits at Shimo-Imaichi - front carriages go to Kinugawa, rear 2 to Nikko town (the platform has signs to show you).
Nikko is essentially made up of two areas worth visiting - the main Nikko national park which is accessed from Nikko town by a really convenient bus outside the Nikko train station. This has the famous shrines, bridge, Kegon falls and Lake Chizunji and seriously dramatic scenery. This bus is included if you buy one of the Nikko passes, otherwise it's quite pricey. Then there's the Kinugawa Onsen area, which has rapids, a rope walk, monkey viewing platform and famous hot springs. The two areas aren't directly linked by train, they're more like two prongs of a fork and you have to change at Shimo-Imaichi station if you want to travel between them. This is doable, takes about 40 minutes to go from Kinugawa Onsen to Nikko town via Shimo imaichi, but the connections get infrequent after about 4pm unless you ride the Limited Express (about 300 yen extra per ride if you didn't upgrade your pass). Faced with a 2hr wait for a train from Shimo-Imaichi to our hotel in Kosagoe (one stop before Kinugawa Onsen), we decided to pay the 300 yen extra to ride the express only to find it didn't stop in our tiny village, so ended up getting a taxi (1900 yen!) from Kinugawa. Teach us for not checking the timetable!
We managed the Kegon falls, Lake Chizunji and a hike up part of Mount Nantai in one day. I would have liked to have visited the Kinugawa Onsen area too, especially as we were more conveniently based for this, but we ran out of time.
Basically pay attention to the timetable and map you get with your Nikko pass from the Tobu travel agency and plan your travel times and you will be fine. The bus ride up to the Nikko national park is great in itself as you get a sense of just how high up you're going (once you're there, you easily forget!).
Platforms for the train are upstairs in the station, and *make sure you get on the correct carriage*. Nikko is essentially served by a train line which forks in two directions: one to Nikko town, the other to Kinugawa Onsen. Trains split at the junction between these destinations, but there are signs on the platform floor and in the carriages themselves which tell you the final destination.
There are a couple of value passes for Nikko which you can buy, covering the round trip from Tokyo (departing Asakusa and Tokyo Sky Tree stations) and bus/train rides between areas once you arrived, and they're worth checking out. We bought a 4 day Nikko pass from the Tobu Travel Agency office downstairs at the Asakusa Tobu Rail Station (note: this is in a different location to the Asakusa Metro station. Ask at the Asakusa tourist building, which is directly opposite the Sensoji Temple, for directions if you get lost). Staff in the Tobu travel office are really helpful so feel free to ask which pass gives the best value for your trip - I nearly bought a 2 day pass but I'm glad I double checked with them, otherwise my ticket wouldn't have been valid for my return journey. Passes are valid for the rapid/section rapid trains, which are a little tired and stop at every little place on the way. You can pay extra to upgrade to the Express train which is faster and allows for more flexible travelling between Nikko town and Kinugawa Onsen, but I'm not sure you really need it. We bought ours right before we travelled, so I don't think you need to book. Platforms are upstairs in the station, and make sure you choose the correct carriage as the train splits at Shimo-Imaichi - front carriages go to Kinugawa, rear 2 to Nikko town (the platform has signs to show you).
Nikko is essentially made up of two areas worth visiting - the main Nikko national park which is accessed from Nikko town by a really convenient bus outside the Nikko train station. This has the famous shrines, bridge, Kegon falls and Lake Chizunji and seriously dramatic scenery. This bus is included if you buy one of the Nikko passes, otherwise it's quite pricey. Then there's the Kinugawa Onsen area, which has rapids, a rope walk, monkey viewing platform and famous hot springs. The two areas aren't directly linked by train, they're more like two prongs of a fork and you have to change at Shimo-Imaichi station if you want to travel between them. This is doable, takes about 40 minutes to go from Kinugawa Onsen to Nikko town via Shimo imaichi, but the connections get infrequent after about 4pm unless you ride the Limited Express (about 300 yen extra per ride if you didn't upgrade your pass). Faced with a 2hr wait for a train from Shimo-Imaichi to our hotel in Kosagoe (one stop before Kinugawa Onsen), we decided to pay the 300 yen extra to ride the express only to find it didn't stop in our tiny village, so ended up getting a taxi (1900 yen!) from Kinugawa. Teach us for not checking the timetable!
We managed the Kegon falls, Lake Chizunji and a hike up part of Mount Nantai in one day. I would have liked to have visited the Kinugawa Onsen area too, especially as we were more conveniently based for this, but we ran out of time.
Basically pay attention to the timetable and map you get with your Nikko pass from the Tobu travel agency and plan your travel times and you will be fine. The bus ride up to the Nikko national park is great in itself as you get a sense of just how high up you're going (once you're there, you easily forget!).
Platforms for the train are upstairs in the station, and *make sure you get on the correct carriage*. Nikko is essentially served by a train line which forks in two directions: one to Nikko town, the other to Kinugawa Onsen. Trains split at the junction between these destinations, but there are signs on the platform floor and in the carriages themselves which tell you the final destination.
Written 26 June 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
daphydo
KL, Malaysia130 contributions
Apr 2015 • Family
Sorry for my belated review! I was urged by my friend to share my review even though it was long after the rightful review period since we visited in late March 2014 (it was way past the review period that's why I could not choose the correct period and I visited with my parent but no option for "family only" hence I chose “family (teen)”). After a few days in Tokyo, we took train for a day trip out of Tokyo to Nikko, a small town two hours north of Tokyo in Tochigi Prefecture. It is the entrance to Nikko National Park, most famous for the UNESCO World Heritage Toshogu Shrine, Japan's most lavishly decorated shrine and home to the mausoleum of the Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate.
Due to our tight schedule, we did not join any whole day tour instead we joined a morning tour via Japanican which covered a few places of interest in the Nikko Natural Park.
We did enjoy the tour very much as we managed to cover many places within a short period of time which would be impossible if we were to travel on our own. Also we did not expect to see several centimeters of snow at the Senjogahara Marshlands and Ryuzu Waterfall and were really excited to take a short stroll around the areas. For a short half day trip, this tour was well worth the money and I would recommend it to everyone with a tight schedule and/or budget.
The journey includes:
i) Pick-up from the Tobu Nikko Station (Note: Pick-up at 9:20am, the bus will be waiting at Kankokyokai-mae, bus station in less than a minute on foot from Tobu Nikko Station. On the right hand side of a row of shop when you come out from the Tobu Nikko Station. If you plan to stay overnight in Nikko and join the tour only the following morning, you may board the vehicle at Ryokan near Toshugu).
ii) Iroha-zaka. It is a pair of winding roads leading up to Oku Nikko, with many sharp turns. The road was named after the Japanese syllables, where “Iroha” are the first 3 of 48 syllables of the formerly used Japanese alphabet (which is now known as “aiueo”) and “zaka” means “slope”)(Note: Drive-by without stopover).
iii) Senjogahara Marshlands located at an altitude of 1,400m above sea level, at the upper end of Iroha-zaka road which offers a superb view of Kegon Falls. It covers the plateau between Lake Chuzenji and Yumoto Onsen. It is particularly beautiful during the autumn leaf season in October when the grasses of the marshland turn into reddish yellow and the larch trees turn into shiny gold (Note: The tour will only visit during the winter, where you can stroll through the picturesque marshland, typically covered by several centimeters of snow between December and March, during which the hiking trails may not be passable but visitors can see a different side of the marshland by walking along the hiking trails on snowshoes).
iv) Ryuzu Waterfall means “dragon head waterfall” in Japanese which named after the shape of the falls which resembles the head of a dragon. It is located in the middle of Yukawa River, shortly before it flows into Lake Chuzenji. It is flanked by many trees which turn yellow and red during the autumn leaf season and is usually best visit in early October (Note: Tour may subject to change depending on the traffic. Will not visit for almost a month in early October to early November due to heavy traffic).
v) Lake Chuzenji, is a scenic lake in the mountains above the town of Nikko. It is located at the foot of Mount Nankai, Nikko’s sacred volcano, whose eruption blocked the valley below, thereby creating Lake Chuzenji about 20,000 years ago. During summer, the surface of the lake lies at 1,269m above sea level, which is the highest in Japan. The lakeside area gained recognition after diplomats from Western nations who were attracted by the beautiful landscape built their villas in the Meiji era (Note: Not sure whether it is the same during other season, we visited during late March and the bus stopped at Chuzenji Temple which stands on the eastern bank of Lake Chuzenji for half an hour for visit. You may pay ¥500 to visit the Tachiki Kannon. If not, you may skip by taking photo at the area opposite the temple facing Lake Chuzenji).
vi) Hangetsu-toge Observation Deck is an observation deck with great views onto Lake Chuzenji and Mount Nankai and is a popular autumn leaf viewing spot which offers superb view from mid October to early November each year (Note: Will only visit if the traffic to Ryuzu Fall is congested).
vii) Tachiki Kannon, the Buddhist Goddess of Merch, which the statue is carved out of a tree tree. The Juichimen Senju Kannon Bosatsu statue - Kannon with 11 faces and 1,000 arms, carved out of a tree which is still rooted into the ground today.
viii) Kegon Waterfall, features a dynamic 97m drop and is the most famous of Nikko’s many waterfalls which ranked as one of Japan’s 3 most beautiful falls. (Note: You may visit from a free observation platform which is easily accessible on foot, but for a up-close visit via elevator down an additional fee @¥550 is applicable. This waterfall is popular during autumn and winter).
ix) Hoto Falls & Hannya Falls (Note: Drive by without stopover. These waterfalls can be viewed from the bus windows when descending the Iroha-zaka Road)
x) Tour ends at Ryokan nearby Toshugu or Tobu-Nikko Station.
Important information:
1) We joined the morning tour (2014: ¥2,900; 2015: ¥3,200) so that we could spend more times at Toshugu areas (shrines only open till a specific time, if you join the evening tour, you have to either come a day early or arrive at Nikko early in the morning, cover the Toshugu complex then only join the tour. If you plan for a day trip, you will have to ensure you return to Tobu Nikko Station before 5:30pm to be in time to catch the trains back to Asakusa).
2) No guide or attendant will accompany the tour, just a driver who will make announcement in Japanese will be present on the day as people who join the tour are mostly Japanese. However, a flyer in English with simple introduction of each place of interest will be distributed to foreign visitors and the driver will advise you the time you can spend at each place of interest in English.
3) Several shrines of many buildings are being renovated in stages from 2007 to 2019, including the renowned Yomeimon Gate, which is currently being renovated (from 2013 onwards and may be up to 2019) and covered up by scaffolding. Despite that, the main buildings and its grounds still worthy of visit.
4) Winter jacket is a must and you may consider wearing a hiking boots instead of sport shoes (if you don’t plan to bring your snowshoes for just a 30 minute walk like us) if you are visiting from December to March because the snow was several centimeters high when we visited.
My recommendations:
1) We bought a 2-Day Nikko Pass via Tobu Railway (2014: ¥2,600; 2015: ¥2,670) which includes round trip from Tokyo-Asakusa via rapid/ section rapid train, unlimited travel on buses in central Nikko and on non-express Tobu trains between Nikko, Shimo-Imaichi and Shin-Fujiwara which is valid on 2 consecutive days.
2) You may request the driver to drop you at the Toshugu Shrine towards the end and explore the complex on your own.
3) If you prefer a more in depth introduction of some of the places of interest, you may join the day trip departs from Tokyo at about 4-5 times the cost. Pros: i) Entrance fee to Toshugu areas and lunch may be inclusive; ii) Save you the hassle to collect the train ticket from Tobu Asakusa Station (ticket must be collected at least the day before you travel, especially if you are taking the first train out to Nikko, the office only opened at 7:45am). Cons: i) You will not be able to cover as many places as the morning/ evening tour because day trip begins and ends in Tokyo, you will have less time to spend in Nikko due to the traveling time from Tokyo to Nikko and Nikko to Tokyo; ii) More costly (less costly if you join morning/ evening tour then explore the Toshugu area at your own leisure, ¥3,200 for tour + ¥2,670 for 2-day pass + ¥1,300 entrance to all shrines in Toshugu areas), with the savings, you may either stay overnight or have lavish meal in Nikko or spend elsewhere); iii) You may explore the Toshugu complex at your own leisure with plenty of time to spare as the morning tour usually ends before 1pm, if you travel on your own without joining the morning/ afternoon tour, you will probably take more than a day to cover all of the places in the itinerary because you will need to spend a lot of times waiting for buses from one place to another.
How to reach:
1) We stayed in Shinjuku and there are a few options to travel to Nikko from there. Below are the two options you may consider (excludes Japan rail, you may want to explore this option on your own).
i) Most economical way:
Take train to Asakusa (train time may differ, please check the day before you travel):
• From Shinjuku (JR), take JR Chuo Line Local Service to Kanda (Tokyo) (Depart: 5:13am - 17min) @¥160, change to Tokyo Metro Ginza Line to Asakusa (Tobu/Subway) (Arrive: 5:44am - 10min) @¥160
• From Shinjuku (JR), take JR Yamanote Line (Outer Loop) to Ueno (Depart: 5:02am/ 5:20am - 25min) @¥190, change to Tokyo Metro Ginza Line to Asakusa (Tobu/Subway) (Arrive: 5:44am/6:04am - 5min) @¥160.
From Asakusa, walk over to Tobu Asakusa Station and take train Rapid (includes in 2-Day Nikko Pass)/ Ltd Exp (additional fee apply) to Tobu-Nikko Stn (train time may differ, please check the day before you travel):
• Rapid (2hr10min)/ Section Rapid (2hr20min). Need to change train 5-6 bound for Nikko (Depart: 6:20 & Arrive: 8:25; Depart from Nikko: 17:39 & Arrive at Asakusa: 20:05pm)
• Limited Express: Additional @¥1,120/way (1hr50min) (Depart: 7:30/ 8:30 & Arrive: 9:18/ 10:39; Depart Nikko: 17:36 & Arrive Asakusa:19:35pm).
ii) More expensive but direct way (but you will arrive after the pick-up time, unless the tour operator agreed to wait till your arrival, or not, I will not recommend): Take train directly from Shinjuku (train time may differ, please check the day before you travel).
• Depart: Shinjuku ¥3,900/way @7:30 & Arrive: Tobu-Nikko @9:29am
• Depart: Tobu-Nikko @16:37 & Arrive: Shinjuku@18:36pm.
2) We opt for the most economical way, i.e. take train to Asakusa and from Tobu Asakusa Station, take Rapid/Section Rapid/Ltd Exp to Tobu Asakusa Station because the other way only has one train per day, the train will arrive at the Tobu-Nikko Station a few minutes after the pick-up time and it is costly.
Due to our tight schedule, we did not join any whole day tour instead we joined a morning tour via Japanican which covered a few places of interest in the Nikko Natural Park.
We did enjoy the tour very much as we managed to cover many places within a short period of time which would be impossible if we were to travel on our own. Also we did not expect to see several centimeters of snow at the Senjogahara Marshlands and Ryuzu Waterfall and were really excited to take a short stroll around the areas. For a short half day trip, this tour was well worth the money and I would recommend it to everyone with a tight schedule and/or budget.
The journey includes:
i) Pick-up from the Tobu Nikko Station (Note: Pick-up at 9:20am, the bus will be waiting at Kankokyokai-mae, bus station in less than a minute on foot from Tobu Nikko Station. On the right hand side of a row of shop when you come out from the Tobu Nikko Station. If you plan to stay overnight in Nikko and join the tour only the following morning, you may board the vehicle at Ryokan near Toshugu).
ii) Iroha-zaka. It is a pair of winding roads leading up to Oku Nikko, with many sharp turns. The road was named after the Japanese syllables, where “Iroha” are the first 3 of 48 syllables of the formerly used Japanese alphabet (which is now known as “aiueo”) and “zaka” means “slope”)(Note: Drive-by without stopover).
iii) Senjogahara Marshlands located at an altitude of 1,400m above sea level, at the upper end of Iroha-zaka road which offers a superb view of Kegon Falls. It covers the plateau between Lake Chuzenji and Yumoto Onsen. It is particularly beautiful during the autumn leaf season in October when the grasses of the marshland turn into reddish yellow and the larch trees turn into shiny gold (Note: The tour will only visit during the winter, where you can stroll through the picturesque marshland, typically covered by several centimeters of snow between December and March, during which the hiking trails may not be passable but visitors can see a different side of the marshland by walking along the hiking trails on snowshoes).
iv) Ryuzu Waterfall means “dragon head waterfall” in Japanese which named after the shape of the falls which resembles the head of a dragon. It is located in the middle of Yukawa River, shortly before it flows into Lake Chuzenji. It is flanked by many trees which turn yellow and red during the autumn leaf season and is usually best visit in early October (Note: Tour may subject to change depending on the traffic. Will not visit for almost a month in early October to early November due to heavy traffic).
v) Lake Chuzenji, is a scenic lake in the mountains above the town of Nikko. It is located at the foot of Mount Nankai, Nikko’s sacred volcano, whose eruption blocked the valley below, thereby creating Lake Chuzenji about 20,000 years ago. During summer, the surface of the lake lies at 1,269m above sea level, which is the highest in Japan. The lakeside area gained recognition after diplomats from Western nations who were attracted by the beautiful landscape built their villas in the Meiji era (Note: Not sure whether it is the same during other season, we visited during late March and the bus stopped at Chuzenji Temple which stands on the eastern bank of Lake Chuzenji for half an hour for visit. You may pay ¥500 to visit the Tachiki Kannon. If not, you may skip by taking photo at the area opposite the temple facing Lake Chuzenji).
vi) Hangetsu-toge Observation Deck is an observation deck with great views onto Lake Chuzenji and Mount Nankai and is a popular autumn leaf viewing spot which offers superb view from mid October to early November each year (Note: Will only visit if the traffic to Ryuzu Fall is congested).
vii) Tachiki Kannon, the Buddhist Goddess of Merch, which the statue is carved out of a tree tree. The Juichimen Senju Kannon Bosatsu statue - Kannon with 11 faces and 1,000 arms, carved out of a tree which is still rooted into the ground today.
viii) Kegon Waterfall, features a dynamic 97m drop and is the most famous of Nikko’s many waterfalls which ranked as one of Japan’s 3 most beautiful falls. (Note: You may visit from a free observation platform which is easily accessible on foot, but for a up-close visit via elevator down an additional fee @¥550 is applicable. This waterfall is popular during autumn and winter).
ix) Hoto Falls & Hannya Falls (Note: Drive by without stopover. These waterfalls can be viewed from the bus windows when descending the Iroha-zaka Road)
x) Tour ends at Ryokan nearby Toshugu or Tobu-Nikko Station.
Important information:
1) We joined the morning tour (2014: ¥2,900; 2015: ¥3,200) so that we could spend more times at Toshugu areas (shrines only open till a specific time, if you join the evening tour, you have to either come a day early or arrive at Nikko early in the morning, cover the Toshugu complex then only join the tour. If you plan for a day trip, you will have to ensure you return to Tobu Nikko Station before 5:30pm to be in time to catch the trains back to Asakusa).
2) No guide or attendant will accompany the tour, just a driver who will make announcement in Japanese will be present on the day as people who join the tour are mostly Japanese. However, a flyer in English with simple introduction of each place of interest will be distributed to foreign visitors and the driver will advise you the time you can spend at each place of interest in English.
3) Several shrines of many buildings are being renovated in stages from 2007 to 2019, including the renowned Yomeimon Gate, which is currently being renovated (from 2013 onwards and may be up to 2019) and covered up by scaffolding. Despite that, the main buildings and its grounds still worthy of visit.
4) Winter jacket is a must and you may consider wearing a hiking boots instead of sport shoes (if you don’t plan to bring your snowshoes for just a 30 minute walk like us) if you are visiting from December to March because the snow was several centimeters high when we visited.
My recommendations:
1) We bought a 2-Day Nikko Pass via Tobu Railway (2014: ¥2,600; 2015: ¥2,670) which includes round trip from Tokyo-Asakusa via rapid/ section rapid train, unlimited travel on buses in central Nikko and on non-express Tobu trains between Nikko, Shimo-Imaichi and Shin-Fujiwara which is valid on 2 consecutive days.
2) You may request the driver to drop you at the Toshugu Shrine towards the end and explore the complex on your own.
3) If you prefer a more in depth introduction of some of the places of interest, you may join the day trip departs from Tokyo at about 4-5 times the cost. Pros: i) Entrance fee to Toshugu areas and lunch may be inclusive; ii) Save you the hassle to collect the train ticket from Tobu Asakusa Station (ticket must be collected at least the day before you travel, especially if you are taking the first train out to Nikko, the office only opened at 7:45am). Cons: i) You will not be able to cover as many places as the morning/ evening tour because day trip begins and ends in Tokyo, you will have less time to spend in Nikko due to the traveling time from Tokyo to Nikko and Nikko to Tokyo; ii) More costly (less costly if you join morning/ evening tour then explore the Toshugu area at your own leisure, ¥3,200 for tour + ¥2,670 for 2-day pass + ¥1,300 entrance to all shrines in Toshugu areas), with the savings, you may either stay overnight or have lavish meal in Nikko or spend elsewhere); iii) You may explore the Toshugu complex at your own leisure with plenty of time to spare as the morning tour usually ends before 1pm, if you travel on your own without joining the morning/ afternoon tour, you will probably take more than a day to cover all of the places in the itinerary because you will need to spend a lot of times waiting for buses from one place to another.
How to reach:
1) We stayed in Shinjuku and there are a few options to travel to Nikko from there. Below are the two options you may consider (excludes Japan rail, you may want to explore this option on your own).
i) Most economical way:
Take train to Asakusa (train time may differ, please check the day before you travel):
• From Shinjuku (JR), take JR Chuo Line Local Service to Kanda (Tokyo) (Depart: 5:13am - 17min) @¥160, change to Tokyo Metro Ginza Line to Asakusa (Tobu/Subway) (Arrive: 5:44am - 10min) @¥160
• From Shinjuku (JR), take JR Yamanote Line (Outer Loop) to Ueno (Depart: 5:02am/ 5:20am - 25min) @¥190, change to Tokyo Metro Ginza Line to Asakusa (Tobu/Subway) (Arrive: 5:44am/6:04am - 5min) @¥160.
From Asakusa, walk over to Tobu Asakusa Station and take train Rapid (includes in 2-Day Nikko Pass)/ Ltd Exp (additional fee apply) to Tobu-Nikko Stn (train time may differ, please check the day before you travel):
• Rapid (2hr10min)/ Section Rapid (2hr20min). Need to change train 5-6 bound for Nikko (Depart: 6:20 & Arrive: 8:25; Depart from Nikko: 17:39 & Arrive at Asakusa: 20:05pm)
• Limited Express: Additional @¥1,120/way (1hr50min) (Depart: 7:30/ 8:30 & Arrive: 9:18/ 10:39; Depart Nikko: 17:36 & Arrive Asakusa:19:35pm).
ii) More expensive but direct way (but you will arrive after the pick-up time, unless the tour operator agreed to wait till your arrival, or not, I will not recommend): Take train directly from Shinjuku (train time may differ, please check the day before you travel).
• Depart: Shinjuku ¥3,900/way @7:30 & Arrive: Tobu-Nikko @9:29am
• Depart: Tobu-Nikko @16:37 & Arrive: Shinjuku@18:36pm.
2) We opt for the most economical way, i.e. take train to Asakusa and from Tobu Asakusa Station, take Rapid/Section Rapid/Ltd Exp to Tobu Asakusa Station because the other way only has one train per day, the train will arrive at the Tobu-Nikko Station a few minutes after the pick-up time and it is costly.
Written 5 April 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Devulous
Mae Hong Son, Thailand25 contributions
May 2015 • Solo
If you want traditional backpacking close to Tokyo - about 2 hrs by train - Nikko is a great choice to stay a couple nights. I was there 3d/2n and that was plenty of time to do everything. A good itinerary is
Day 1: Kegon Falls + Lake Chuzenji
Day 2: Senjyogahara Plateau + Yutaki Fall + Yuomoto Onsen
Day 3: Tosho-gu Shrine + Takino Walking path
Unless you're a temple/shrine junkie I'd just go to Tosho-gu and skip Rinnoji, Taiyuin and Futarasan. Even Tosho-gu was kind of lame and it is the premier temple at Nikko. There are decent, cheap hostels in the area - I stayed at Nikko Guesthouse Sumica based on reviews and it was fantastic.
One last thing: if you are coming from Tokyo and going back there get the All Nikko Pass. It includes a round trip to Nikko from Tokyo and an unlimited bus pass for the Chuzenji/World Heritage/Yuomoto routes. (The buses are very expensive, so even if you don't get the ANP get the separate bus pass for 2000 yen!) The ANP is around 4600 Y and is totally worth it.
My favorite parts of the trip were the Takino walking path - very peaceful, woodsy and almost deserted - and Yutaki waterfall - very touristy but you're right up close to the falls unlike Kegon. Make sure you climb to the crest, if you're a fitness junkie like me it'll set your heart pounding (it's steep and about 1400m above the sea) and once you're up there lean against the wooden fence and feel the spray hit your face and a strange but pleasant salty smell in the air. Very relaxing!
Day 1: Kegon Falls + Lake Chuzenji
Day 2: Senjyogahara Plateau + Yutaki Fall + Yuomoto Onsen
Day 3: Tosho-gu Shrine + Takino Walking path
Unless you're a temple/shrine junkie I'd just go to Tosho-gu and skip Rinnoji, Taiyuin and Futarasan. Even Tosho-gu was kind of lame and it is the premier temple at Nikko. There are decent, cheap hostels in the area - I stayed at Nikko Guesthouse Sumica based on reviews and it was fantastic.
One last thing: if you are coming from Tokyo and going back there get the All Nikko Pass. It includes a round trip to Nikko from Tokyo and an unlimited bus pass for the Chuzenji/World Heritage/Yuomoto routes. (The buses are very expensive, so even if you don't get the ANP get the separate bus pass for 2000 yen!) The ANP is around 4600 Y and is totally worth it.
My favorite parts of the trip were the Takino walking path - very peaceful, woodsy and almost deserted - and Yutaki waterfall - very touristy but you're right up close to the falls unlike Kegon. Make sure you climb to the crest, if you're a fitness junkie like me it'll set your heart pounding (it's steep and about 1400m above the sea) and once you're up there lean against the wooden fence and feel the spray hit your face and a strange but pleasant salty smell in the air. Very relaxing!
Written 18 May 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JonnyRotten90
Seattle, Washington17 contributions
I am staying in Tokyo on business, had a day off and headed for Nikko.
I had a guidebook for Japan with some about Nikko but not a lot, I don't speak Japanese.
Anyway it is October 25 and I got a late start from my hotel near Shinjuku, got lost in Asakusa since the arrival train station isn't connected to the Tobu line. Anyway, finally got on way to Nikko and arrived about 2pm. The shrines stop admitting at 4pm and close at 5pm, so I knew I could see a couple of them without rushing, grab dinner and get back to Tokyo at a decent hour.
That was the plan.
The shuttle bus that went to the shrines was out of service due to "traffic jam" and they put me on another bus with vague instructions about where to get off to get close to where I wanted to go (make sure you get a detailed map of Nikko). I ended up heading into the hills towards the lake (I forget name) and once headed that way at least 4 things were put into motion: there was no way i was going to see the shrines, the bus took over 2 hours in a traffic jam heading up the hairpin turns i think a total of 15km!!! and it was pitch black on arrival, my tourpass didn't cover the ride to the lake so i had to shell out another $20 or so, and the train back to Tokyo stopped at every milk station and it took me 4 hours to get from Nikko to Shinjuku. Not fun.
Nikko looked interesting and I would like to go back someday, but combo of my poor planning, time available, not knowing it would be crammed with people, and generally unintelligible signage, etc. made it a day I will never get back in my life. Plan to stay overnight and/or day tour from Tokyo by leaving uber-early like 7am or so from Asakusa
I had a guidebook for Japan with some about Nikko but not a lot, I don't speak Japanese.
Anyway it is October 25 and I got a late start from my hotel near Shinjuku, got lost in Asakusa since the arrival train station isn't connected to the Tobu line. Anyway, finally got on way to Nikko and arrived about 2pm. The shrines stop admitting at 4pm and close at 5pm, so I knew I could see a couple of them without rushing, grab dinner and get back to Tokyo at a decent hour.
That was the plan.
The shuttle bus that went to the shrines was out of service due to "traffic jam" and they put me on another bus with vague instructions about where to get off to get close to where I wanted to go (make sure you get a detailed map of Nikko). I ended up heading into the hills towards the lake (I forget name) and once headed that way at least 4 things were put into motion: there was no way i was going to see the shrines, the bus took over 2 hours in a traffic jam heading up the hairpin turns i think a total of 15km!!! and it was pitch black on arrival, my tourpass didn't cover the ride to the lake so i had to shell out another $20 or so, and the train back to Tokyo stopped at every milk station and it took me 4 hours to get from Nikko to Shinjuku. Not fun.
Nikko looked interesting and I would like to go back someday, but combo of my poor planning, time available, not knowing it would be crammed with people, and generally unintelligible signage, etc. made it a day I will never get back in my life. Plan to stay overnight and/or day tour from Tokyo by leaving uber-early like 7am or so from Asakusa
Written 26 October 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SelinaKyle75
United Kingdom117 contributions
Jan 2016 • Couples
I would highly recommend this as a day out to anyone visiting Japan/Tokyo. I visited this as a day trip from Tokyo, but you would do well to spend longer exploring this beautiful National Park.
The entrance to the park is free, but you must pay to enter the shrines and temples, which is most definitely worthwhile! I visited on a Friday in January, it was very quiet, calm and peaceful. Such a relaxing day. I imagine visiting in Autumn must be astoundingly beautiful, but even in the depths of winter, this really was an incredible place to visit.
To visit from Tokyo, I HIGHLY recommend catching the direct train from Asakusa station. There is a little booth on the ground floor by the entrance, where you can purchase your tickets. The staff speak excellent English, and they will tell you to buy a two day travel ticket, as even when visiting for only one day, this is the cheapest option. The ticket is great value. Just pay attention to what the staff say -- you have to sit in the back two carriages, as the train separates before arriving in Nikko.
This ticket also gives you free bus travel when you arrive, but I would recommend walking to the national park from the station. Its very easy to find, and a lovely 20/30min stroll, pottering in and out of traditional shops. There was a restaurant at the top of the road, right across from Shinkyo Bridge, which served exceptionally delicious udon, and was much more reasonably priced than a lot of the places we passed on our way.
The only reason I have not given this 5 stars, is because during my visit, parts of the shrines were closed for renovation, and some of the staff weren't very polite/helpful. But this was only a minor problem, and definitely didn't overshadow a wonderful day out.
The entrance to the park is free, but you must pay to enter the shrines and temples, which is most definitely worthwhile! I visited on a Friday in January, it was very quiet, calm and peaceful. Such a relaxing day. I imagine visiting in Autumn must be astoundingly beautiful, but even in the depths of winter, this really was an incredible place to visit.
To visit from Tokyo, I HIGHLY recommend catching the direct train from Asakusa station. There is a little booth on the ground floor by the entrance, where you can purchase your tickets. The staff speak excellent English, and they will tell you to buy a two day travel ticket, as even when visiting for only one day, this is the cheapest option. The ticket is great value. Just pay attention to what the staff say -- you have to sit in the back two carriages, as the train separates before arriving in Nikko.
This ticket also gives you free bus travel when you arrive, but I would recommend walking to the national park from the station. Its very easy to find, and a lovely 20/30min stroll, pottering in and out of traditional shops. There was a restaurant at the top of the road, right across from Shinkyo Bridge, which served exceptionally delicious udon, and was much more reasonably priced than a lot of the places we passed on our way.
The only reason I have not given this 5 stars, is because during my visit, parts of the shrines were closed for renovation, and some of the staff weren't very polite/helpful. But this was only a minor problem, and definitely didn't overshadow a wonderful day out.
Written 1 February 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DexterD2013
Wellington, New Zealand141 contributions
Sept 2018 • Couples
If you are looking to get out of town, the walk around the lakes / river is excellent. We got one of the 'free' bus passes for 2 days. If you catch it to stop 45 or 46 (the end of the ride), you can then walk gradually downhill around the lakes, with a couple of waterfalls along the way. We caught the bus from stop 34 on the way down as the walkway from there down is largely beside the road and not as scenic. Get off and on at stop 26 if you want to see Kegon Falls (much more touristy). You can do as much walking as you want to. We ended up doing 28,000 steps.
Positives
- Well maintained walkway - a lot of it on built up wooden walkways
- Mostly downhill
- Beautiful scenery and very nice walking down next to the river
- Very friendly fellow walkers! Many with little bells to keep the bears away!!
- Option to get off / on the bus at key points
- The switch-back road on the bus ride back down is amazing!
Not so great
- once you get to stop 34 it isn't as scenic around the shores of Lake Chuzenji
- Kegon Falls (stop 26) are right in a small village and far more touristy, with people just driving to have a look at them
Positives
- Well maintained walkway - a lot of it on built up wooden walkways
- Mostly downhill
- Beautiful scenery and very nice walking down next to the river
- Very friendly fellow walkers! Many with little bells to keep the bears away!!
- Option to get off / on the bus at key points
- The switch-back road on the bus ride back down is amazing!
Not so great
- once you get to stop 34 it isn't as scenic around the shores of Lake Chuzenji
- Kegon Falls (stop 26) are right in a small village and far more touristy, with people just driving to have a look at them
Written 22 September 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
OscarTammy
Auckland, New Zealand160 contributions
May 2017 • Solo
Get the walking trail map from the Information Centre, and do the Takino'o Path. It is 5km long and I spent 2.5 hrs doing it at a leisurely pace. Beautiful forest in the upper section, and absolutely stunning setting for a cluster of shrines, just above the Shiraito Falls. The other trail on the map, the Kanman Path, I only did the lower section of, but loved the Stone Park of many Buddhas, and the gorgeous Kansan-ga-fuchi Abyss.
Written 31 May 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DerrickJS
Esher, UK789 contributions
May 2016 • Couples
Sweet little town, nestling in the hills above Tokyo. We travelled by Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Utsunomiya (about an hour) and then picked up the little Nikko Line train to the town itself. Main attraction is the World Heritage Site filled with temples and shrines a 20 minute walk uphill or a short bus ride from the railway station to the attractive Shin-kyo Bridge by the entrance to the Site. Unfortunately until 2020 some temples are undergoing restoration so there is a fair bit of screening off of sections. That said there is still a lot to explore and see and the restoration gives an opportunity to look down on the detailed building work and see some amazing structures.
You are also able to catch a bus further up into the mountains to Chuzenji via some 'interesting' hairpin bends to the Kegon Falls which is a 90 Metre high waterfall with an elevator that takes you to its base and makes for a stunning view. There is also the massive Chuzenji Lake within a few hundred metres from the falls which it feeds.
One point to remember when up at the falls/lake is not to mistime your journey back down by bus as the trains back are not that frequent.
You are also able to catch a bus further up into the mountains to Chuzenji via some 'interesting' hairpin bends to the Kegon Falls which is a 90 Metre high waterfall with an elevator that takes you to its base and makes for a stunning view. There is also the massive Chuzenji Lake within a few hundred metres from the falls which it feeds.
One point to remember when up at the falls/lake is not to mistime your journey back down by bus as the trains back are not that frequent.
Written 8 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AlohaSue808
Honolulu, Hawaii
Hi Robin, which ryokan did you stay at? Would you recommend it? Thanks!
Written 11 May 2019
YLS
Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Hi. We are a family will travel end of Dec till early jan 2019 , how is the weather in Nikko park? What can we aspect? Is it worth going, how is the transport schedule? Are winter trips available?
Written 14 December 2018
It is winter now. You would expect snow in Nikko by early Jan 2019 and the temperature ranges from -5C to 5C there. Japan is always nice for travelers and it depends on what you expect. No flowers nor autumn leaves by now but you would enjoy onsen baths instead.
Written 16 December 2018
I‘m not aware that there is a free bus pass. You can buy different passes depending on the area you’d like to visit and the length of your stay in Nikkō.
Written 12 October 2018
Hi, would it be safe if I am travelling to Nikko National Park alone and without a tour? Also, I don’t understand Japanese so is it easy to get lost here? And how are the bus schedules like?
Written 2 September 2018
Don’t worry friend! In Japan the English is a second language and communication isn’t problem! Every city in Japan is very safe and the people is a very friendly! I was in Nikko without tour and no problem! The city is wonderful and have the bus tickets for buy! It’s easy! Have a good trip!
Written 4 September 2018
Hi, I'm intending to do a 3day trip to Nikko and would like to include an easy hike on 1 of the days. Which would you recommend? Would like to know also if it is easy to get around the attractions if we don't drive?
Thanks!
Written 29 August 2018
We took the tourist bus from the top parking area of the Nikko Park over to the lake and the waterfall. There are probably hikes around the lake. We took the bus back, also and walked to our ryokan. We do recommend that you arrive at Nikko National Park around 8 AM because the tour buses show up around 11 AM. By that time, we had explored in peace without lines but the crowds became thick at 11 AM.
Written 29 August 2018
Gilbert J
London, United Kingdom
I am planning to travel by train to Nikko for the day (from Tokyo). Can I pick up a tour of Nikko National Park from Nikko Station.
Written 4 May 2018
Hi
I strongly recommend to be as early as possible in Nikko as it is always extremely crowded, especially the Tosho gu temple.
There are tourist offices, as well as bus stops at both JR and Tobu Rail stations.
Here my personal notes of Nikko
Many wonderful temples!
Tosho Gu
Visit the Tosho-gu either early morning or before closing as extremely crowded.
Taiyuinbyo Iemitsu
Personnaly I prefered this site to the Tosho Gu ! Climbing up the stairs to reach the top gives it a very special atmosphere. Much less crowded that the Tosho Gu
Kanman Path
We also walked the Kanman Path (red path 5 km on the Nikkō tourist map) Very picturesque in a nice neibourhood of ancient temple workers. Do not hesitate to enter the cemetery, it is worth seeing.
Than cross over the bridge and continue along the river with all those little Buddhas covered with red caps. A nice walk! From Iriguchi take the bus back to the temple district.
Written 6 May 2018
How long does it take to get to Nikko National Park from the city with the express train?
Written 10 March 2018
it’s about 2hours by tobu limited express from Asakusa!
Written 14 March 2018
We are travelling with our three year old son. we love hiking but unfortunately he isn't, so we will be using a stroller as he is to heavy to carry. Can you hike in more isolate parts of the park with a stroller?
Written 7 July 2017
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