There are so many beautiful places in Japan outside of the major places like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.
One of which is the Nikko. Nikko is the perfect place to go if you want to explore a little more of Japan without having to travel far from Tokyo. If you have an extra day after traveling around Tokyo, you can try to squeeze in a day trip to Nikko.
You might not be sure where Nikko is, how to travel there, or what to do in Nikko, I’ve got you covered. With so much information on the web, including this article, it will only take a few minutes to get the answers to those things.
In this article, I am going to introduce a little bit of Nikko to you, how to travel to Nikko from Tokyo, popular attractions in Nikko, day tour options to Nikko, and more recommendations. So, sit tight and read on!
Nikko is a city located in the northwestern part of Tochigi Prefecture, which is part of the Greater Tokyo Area. It is Japan’s symbolic international tourist destination. But, not only it is popular for international tourists, but also for Japanese as well.
Nikko is the third largest city by area in Japan, located approximately 140 km (87 miles) north of Tokyo. Nikko is a place with beautiful nature all year round, possessing a World Heritage site. What makes it so popular is its incredible nature, such as the Nikko Mountains and lakes, also the historically famous temples and shrines with the area being designated as a World Heritage Site.
How to travel to Nikko from Tokyo?
Here are ways to travel to Nikko from some major places in Tokyo:
Tokyo station to Nikko (1 h 55 m- ¥5380)
There are several ways you can reach Nikko, but this one is the most efficient one.
-At Tokyo station, you can either take the Yamagata Shinkansen or the Tohoku Shinkansen to Utsunomiya Station.
-At Utsunomiya Station, get off the Shinkansen and switch to Nikko Line (orange) and get off at Imaichi Station.
Shinjuku station to Nikko (2h 15m- ¥3070)
-Take the JR Yamanote Line (light green) to Nishi-Nippori Station.
-At Nishi-Nippori, switch to Chiyoda Line (dark green) and get off at Kitasenju Station.
-At Kitasenju Station, switch to Nikko Kinugawa and get off at Shimo-Imaichi Station.
Narita Airport Terminal 2 to Nikko (around 3h - ¥3560)
-From Narita Airport Terminal 2·3, get on the Narita Skyaccess, and get off at Oshiage Station ‘skytree’.
-From there, switch to Nikko Kinugawa and get off at Shimo-Imaichi Station.
Haneda Airport Terminal 2 to Nikko (2 h 40m- ¥4500)
-From Haneda Airport Domestic Terminal, take the Keikyu-kuyo Line (red) to Shinagawa Station.
-At Shinagawa Station, switch to Tokaido Line (orange) and get off at Omiya Station.
-At Omiya Station, switch to Nikko-Kinugawa and get off at Shimo-Imaichi Station.
Akihabara Station to Nikko (around 2h- ¥2900)
-Take the Hibiya Line (grey) to Kitasenju Station.
-At Kitasenju Station, switch to Nikko-Kinugawa and get off at Shimo-Imaichi Station.
Shibuya station to Nikko (2h 30m- ¥2940)
-Take the Ginza Line (orange) to Asakusa Station.
-At Asakusa Station, switch to Nikko-Kinugawa and get off at Shimo-Imaichi Station.
What to do in Nikko?
Nikko is an area rich with nature. The stunning view of the mountains and lakes, the incredible waterfalls and parks are some of the attractions of Nikko that continue to attract tourists to visit this place. The historically famous temples and shrines with the area being designated as a World Heritage site are what continue to attract the interest of international and Japanese tourists to visit Nikko.
You can enjoy the view of the mountains and lakes, take a stroll in the many different parks, take photos and cross of the popular historical bridges, take baths in the onsens, visit and learn the history of the temples and shrines, enjoy coffee and Japanese food while enjoying the view of the waterfalls, enjoy the theme parks, and many more.
Bottom line?
You can truly experience nature and also many other things in Nikko. Whether you are a nature fan or not, Nikko is a great place to go.
Popular attractions in Nikko
Here are some of the popular attractions in Nikko you should visit:
- Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura
Here, you can get a taste of the real Edo Era. Enjoy the illusory experience that will make you wonder if you have gotten lost in a movie world. You can have a samurai experience, adult ninja experience, go into the mazes, and many more attractions.
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Address |
Edo Wonderland, 470-2 Karakura Nikko-shi Tochigi (map) |
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Phone |
0288-77-1777 |
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Business hours |
March 20-November 30 (9:00 am-5:00 pm) December 1- March 19 (9:30 am-4:00 pm) *closed on December 8-21 *closed every Wednesdays except on March 25-April 7 April 29-May 5 July 21-August 31 December 29-January 5 |
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Price |
Adults: 4,700 JPY Child: 2,400 JPY Seniors: 3,290 JPY |
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Website |
- Nikko Tosho-gu Shrine
This is one of the shrines that form the World Heritage site, with 42 structures of the shrine nominated, 5 of them designated as National Treasures of Japan, and 3 of them as the Important Cultural Properties. Here, you can see the extravagantly decorated Yomemon gate and other highlights like the Three Wise Monkeys and Sleeping Cat.
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Address |
Nikkō Tōshō-gū, 2301 Sannai Nikko-shi Tochigi (map) |
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Phone |
0288-54-0560 |
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Business hours |
April- October (8:00 am- 5:00 pm) November-March (8:00 am- 4:00 pm) |
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Price |
Adults: 1,300 JPY Child: 450 JPY |
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Website |
- Kegon Falls
Located in the Nikko National Park, this is one of the most prominent waterfalls in Japan. The main fall is approximately 97 meters tall and has about 12 smaller waterfalls. This is also a popular place to see the incredible autumn colors.
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Address |
Kegon Falls, 2479-2 Chugushi Nikko-shi Tochigi (map) |
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Phone |
0288-55-0030 |
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Business hours |
December- February (9:00 am- 4:30 pm) March, April, and November (8:00 am- 5:00 pm) May- September (7:30 am- 6:00 pm) October (7:30 am-5:00 pm) |
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Price |
Adults: 550 JPY Child: 330 JPY |
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Website |
- Taiyuinbyo
This is a registered national treasure said to represent heaven and earth. You can see the beautiful shrine and enjoy the massive complex. This is also a hit place to see the changing autumn colors.
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Address |
2300 Sannai Nikko-shi Tochigi (map) |
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Phone |
0288-54-0531 |
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Business hours |
April- October (8:00 am- 5:00 pm) November- March (8:00 am-4:00 pm) |
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Price |
Adults: 900 JPY Elementary and middle school students: 400 JPY *differs for each attraction, please refer to homepage *open all year round |
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Website |
- Tobu World Square
A place where some of the world’s famous buildings are recreated in 1/25 scale. This square has 6 zones, with 102 buildings from 21 countries, including 45 World Heritage sites. The night illumination is also a popular attraction. A must visit place in Nikko.
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Address |
Tobu World Square, 209-1 Ohara Kinugawaonsen Nikko-shi, Tochigi (map) |
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Phone |
0288-77-1055 |
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Business hours |
Everyday (9:00 am- 5:00 pm) Last admission is one hour before closing time *December 1 - March 19 (9:30 am-4:00 pm) *open all year round |
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Price |
Adults: 2,800 JPY Child: 1,400 JPY |
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Website |
There are still many more popular attractions in Nikko you should visit, such as Nikko National Park, Yutaki Waterfall, Rinnoji Temple, and many more.
Make your Nikko day trip more interesting- how?
There are ways to make your day trip to and travel in Nikko more interesting and convenient. Go on a private tour! With private day tours, you will be guided by a private tour guide. With this, you can have an enhanced and better experience while traveling in Nikko.
It’s way more convenient as you don’t have to plan your itinerary yourself and guided by a qualified tour guide. You can visit the popular places and enjoy the many different attractions Nikko offers without hassle.
A good guide can make your trip more interesting by giving you insights of the places your visit and make your trip even more enjoyable.
Look, the thing is…
There are many places on the web that offer day tours to GoWithGuide, but you never know whether they are a trustworthy and good website or not. That’s why I’m recommending you GoWithGuide. The website is trustworthy, offering many different day trip options to Nikko. You can also customize the tour itinerary according to your preferences. You also don't have to figure out the transport from Tokyo to Nikko because your guide will help you with that.
Not only the website offers day tours to Nikko, it also offers many different qualified tour guides you can hire to make your trip more interesting and meaningful.
Recommended day tours to Nikko from Tokyo
If you are interested, I’ll list some of my recommendations for a great day trip tour to Nikko.
One of my recommendations is the Kahoko's Excursion from Tokyo to Nikko tour, from which you can experience many popular spots in Nikko and it's customizable to meet your preferences.
Other recommendations you can check out include Nikko 1-Day Tour and also Nikko Tour.
There are many more day trip tour options to Nikko from Tokyo you can choose from, to check them out, click here.
Get this:
With these day tours, not only you can have a better experience in Nikko by visiting beautiful and popular spots, you can also understand deeper about Nikko with the insights given by your guides. You can have a more convenient travel to Nikko as your guide will guide you. This allows you to have an enhanced yet hassle-free experience!
From the tours mentioned above, the tour guides provide set itinerary suggestions which you can follow or customize according to your preferences.
Another thing!
If you are not looking for private tours but for private guides in Nikko, you can click here. For tours or private guide options for other areas in Japan, you can click here.
I hope this article helps provide useful information for your trip to Nikko, including how to go to Nikko from some major places in Tokyo, what to do in Nikko, the popular attractions in Nikko, tour options for a day trip to Nikko and more recommendations. I hope you have a great time in Nikko!
