Experience the most personalized guided tour in Nikko, where I will meet you at JR Utsunomiya station or Tobu Nikko station.
We'll take the bus to Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park. I will show you around both inside and in the garden. After the lunch break, we will go to Kanmangafuchi Gorge. Then we will walk to Toshogu Shrine and spend one and a half hours there. We will visit Rinnoji's Sanbutsudo Hall. On returning to Nikko station, we will stop at the Shinkyo Bridge.
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
JR Utsunomiya station
- If we meet at JR Utsunomiya station, I will wait for you at the ticketing gate of the JR Utsunomiya Shinkansen exit.
Tamozawa Imperial villa memorial park
A wooden house of 106 rooms under one roof museum.
lunch at local restaurant
We don't have much time for lunch, so we will have lunch at a noodle restaurant or something similar.
Kanmangafuchi Gorge
Nearly 75 Buddhist statues line the Daiya River. We walk through a stone park and see the monument to the Taisho Emperor's poem. You can see a little waterfall and gorge there. Finally, you can see a monk's cemetery.
Toshogu Shrine
It is the most beautiful Shinto Shrine in the world, and here, you can learn the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism.
Rinnoji Temple Sanbutsudo Hall & Daigomado
The main hall, Hondo, has three Buddhas. If you're lucky, you can see the monk performing the Goma fire ritual.
Shinkyo Bridge
The vermillion-coloured bridge is the symbol of the entrance of Nikko.
JR or Tobu Nikko station
We will arrive at the station area before 5 pm.
Ending Point
JR Utsunomiya station
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
8 hours guide fee
Transportation fee for the guide
JR train tickets Utsunomiya/Nikko round trip 1,540 yen
public transportation in Nikko 570 yen
Admission fees (Toshogu-shrine 1,600 yen, Rinnnoji Sanbutsudo hall 400 yen, Tamozawa Imperial Memorial Park 600 yen)
Lunch
If you want to enjoy Nikko, please think about staying Nikko or Utsunomiya, I will take you around the night tour if you stay in Utsunomiya.
Hi there!! I am an English speaking tour guide based in Utsunomiya city near Nikko. Since I came back from Auckland, New Zealand I started my own business as an English Speaking Guide. I have been a guide for 6 years. My favorite things to do these days are 1. visit historical places in Tochigi prefecture, 2. find nice restaurants and bars in Utsunomiya 3. wear hats while I am working outside.
Mason H.
“A Great Tour!”
Me and 4 other adult Americans had a great time with Jack this past weekend! Jack was very knowledgeable and had very good English! He showed us waaay more than we would have been able to see on our own. He had great recommendations for food! He was great at adjusting dynamically to the situation as we sometimes took longer than expected (our group was easily distracted) and helped us avoid crowds and traffic! Nikko and the mountains were a literal and metaphorical breath of fresh air after the summer heat of Tokyo. There were beautiful waterfalls and scenic mountain vistas throughout the trip. We all wished we could have stayed longer at each stop! The Toshogu shrine was incredible and Jack did a great job touring is through! The entire day was filled with interesting facts about the area and him answering our questions. Caution for taller or broader guests: We originally had 3 adults planned, which would have been the most comfortable way to do this tour due to 3 of us being tall and broad shouldered American men. We added two women to our group last minute and Jack's car was able to accommodate! One sat in the third row, and one squeezed in the middle of the back seat. Overall, it was snug, but totally tolerable! And Jack warned us ahead of time that it would be tight so no complaints from us. I highly recommend this tour with Jack to anyone looking to see the most in a short amount of time! It was well worth our time and money!
Jack M.
Hi Mason, It was a coincidence that I met a guy at my favourite wine bar last week who makes rockets in Utsunomiya. Then I found my guests were engineers of a space satellite. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with you last Sunday. My car is a 7-seater, but it's very narrow. Usually, I take up to 4 people. We're lucky none of you're as fat as sumo wrestlers. By the way, I'd like to send you photos, but I don't think I can do so through this system. If you know how, please let me know. Thank you. Jack
Janae T.
“Jack is awesome”
We had a great tour with Jack! He was very knowledgeable and fun. It was a fantastic day in Nikko because of him. Jack was so helpful with my tickets to Toshogu Shrine. We would 100% recommend him to everyone.
Jack M.
Thank you for your copliment. I really enjoyed being with you and your family in Nikko. Jack
Derick H.
“Great time. ”
I had a great experience with Jack. His English ability is exceptional. His knowledge is also exceptional. I was by myself and the tour was worth every penny. His tour was good way to get an understanding of Nikko so when o go back I can create my own adventure.
Jack M.
Thank you for your lovely comment, Derick. I had a good time with you, too. Thank you so much for finding me. Jack
$242/ per group