Japan
›
Nikko
›
Tours
›
Highlights
›
One-Day Spiritual Highlights of Nikko (Toshogu Shrine, Rinnoji Temple, Taiyuin, Futarasan Shrine)

Toshogu Shrine : Yomeimon Gate

Toshogu Shrine : Carving of Sleeping Cat

Rinnoji Temple : Sanbutsudo Hall

Rinnoji Temple : Taiyuin Mausoleum

Shinkyo Bridge in snow

Futarasan Shrine

Kegon Falls

One-Day Spiritual Highlights of Nikko (Toshogu Shrine, Rinnoji Temple, Taiyuin, Futarasan Shrine)

Highlights

Joined 2018

Hiroshi S.

4.92 / 5

(59 reviews)

Identity Verified

Interview-Based Quality Checks

Nikko

Japanese (Native), English

9 hrs 30 mins

Private tour (only you and Hiroshi S.)

Up to 5 people

Feel the atmosphere of Tokugawa Shogunate at the world heritage site!

Rinnoji was established by Saint Shodo in the 8th century, and the beautiful Taiyuin mausoleum is located in the precincts of Rinnoji.

Toshogu was built in the 17th century to worship Tokugawa Ieyasu. You can see the beautiful carvings of Yomeimon Gate, three wise monkeys, etc.

Futarasan Shrine is famous for the benefit of good marriage and inviting good luck. The beautiful Shinkyo Bridge is a property of Futarasan Shrine.

Itinerary

This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!

08:00 AM

Meeting Point

Your hotel

- I will meet you near the reception in the lobby of your hotel.

08:00 AM

Your Hotel

Pick up at your hotel. Go to Nikko from Asakusa Station by Tobu Express.

10:30 AM

Tobu Nikko Station

Visit Rinnoji Temple, Toshogu Shrine, Futarasan Shrine. We will have lunch nerby.

Rinnoji Temple

Feel the atmosphere of Buddhism!

Rinnoji was established by Saint Shodo in the middle of the 8th century. There are no buildings named Rinnnoji. All the buildings related to Buddhsm in Nikko are collectively called Rinnoji.

At Rinnoji, based on the belief to mountains, they have worshipped three Buddhas. Thousand-armed Kannon (Kannon with thousand arms) representing Mt. Nantai, Amida Buddha representing Mt. Nyohou, and Kannon with a horse’s head representing Mt. Taro.

Taiyuin is a mausoleum which is located inside the precincts of Rinnnoji Temple, and famous for its beautiful gates. It enshrines the Tokugawa third Shogun Iemitsu.

Toshogu Shrine

Enjoy watching the beautiful carvings of Yomeimon Gate, three wise monkeys, sleeping cat, etc.

This shrine was built in 1617 to worship Tokugawa Ieyasu who was the ruler of Japan at the beginning of the 17th century. After the death of Tokugawa Ieyasu he was buried in Mt. Kuno in Shizuoka Prefecture, but his body was moved to Nikko in the next year according to his will to become a god to rule Kanto area.

You can see the big entrance gate called Yomeimon which has more than 500 beautiful carvings. You can also see the famous carvings of three wise monkeys, sleeping cat, etc.

Futarasan Shrine

Feel the soul of Shintoism, Japanese indigenous religion.

Futarasan Shrine was established in the middle of the 8th century by Saint Shodo. It worships Mt. Futara, another name is Mt Nantai, and has been gathering people's faith. This shrine is famous for the benefit of good marriage and inviting good luck.

The beautiful Shinkyo Bridge, which is the entrance of Mt. Nikko, is a property of Futarasan Shrine.

03:00 PM

Tobu Nikko Station

Go back to Tokyo by Tobu Express.

05:30 PM

Your Hotel

End of the tour.

Ending Point

Your hotel

Want to personalize this tour?

This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.

Inclusions & Exclusions

What‘s included

1. Guide fee

2. Hotel pick-up

* Hotel pick-up is included if your hotel is located near a station on JR Yamanote Line or inside the circle of JR Yamanote Line.　If extra transportation fees are necessary for hotel pick-up, I will let you know.

What‘s not included

1. Transportation fee (you and your guide)：About 8,000 yen/adult including the express fee of Tobu line

2. Admission fee (you and your guide): About 2,500 yen/adult

3. Lunch (you and your guide)

4. Beverages (beer, juice, etc.)

Tour Important Information

(1) It takes about 2 hours from Asakusa Station to Nikko Station by Tobu express train.

(2) This tour is also available for groups of 6 or more. Please inquire about guide fees for groups of 6 or more.

*** FAQ ***

(Q1) Can I use the Shinkansen bullet train to get to Nikko instead of Tobu express?

(A1) Yes, you can. But you need about 6000 yen more for transportation.

(Q2) Can I visit Kegon waterfall in addition to the above shrines and temple?

(A2)Yes, you can. But you need extra 1.5 to 2 hours.

Important message from the supplier

Nothing speceial.

Cancellation Policy

Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time

Joined 2018

Hiroshi S.

4.92 / 5

(59 reviews)

Identity Verified

Interview-Based Quality Checks

About Tour Guide Hiroshi S.

Hello, I'm Hiroshi.

I am a National Government Licensed Tour Guide Interpreter in English. I received a master's degree in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the U.S.

I have lived in a city of Fujisawa, which is a city next to Kamakura, for more than 20 years, and also used to live in Kamakura for more than 10 years. So far, I have visited almost all the temples and shrines in Kamakura. I am sure I can offer you a pleasant trip to the historical city!

In addition to Kamakura, I can also guide you around Tokyo, Yokohama, Hakone, Nikko, etc. because I have visited many places in Kanto area. For example, in Tokyo I can show you around many sightseeing spots, such as Asakusa, Tsukiji, Imperial Palace, Meiji Shrine, Tokyo Skytree, etc.

I like baseball and used to play baseball, but now enjoy watching professional baseball games. And I like watching Rakugo, Japanese traditional story-telling performance.

Of course, I also like travelling very much, and am interested in Japanese culture and history. So I would like to show you Japanese tradition and culture.

Let’s enjoy a trip in Japan together.

I am looking forward to seeing you soon.

Reviews

Cheryl D.

5 / 5

May 14, 2026

One-Day Spiritual Highlights of Nikko (Toshogu Shrine, Rinnoji Temple, Taiyuin, Futarasan Shrine)

May 14, 2026

Nikko

12 hours 30 mins

“Marvelous tour!”

We(6) had an extraordinary, all day tour, with Hiroshi yesterday to Nikko, Japan. He met us at our hotel in Tokyo and escorted us to subway, then train, then bus to Nikko. He was with us all day and escorted us back to our hotel. He answered all of our questions, and there were many! He was very attentive, knowledgeable, patient and kind. Nikko was so beautiful. We saw shrines, temples and The Botanical Garden. We walked in the stunning forest along the stream! Gorgeous! We were so very pleased with every aspect of our tour. We highly recommend Hiroshi!

Hiroshi S.

Thank you for taking your time to write a review. I also had a great time with all of you yesterday! It was sunny in Tokyo in the morning, but it started raining shortly after we arrived in Nikko. The weather wasn't great, but I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the tour. At Rinnoji Temple, we were able to watch the Goma ritual. I think you got a sense of the temple's solemn atmosphere. At Toshogu Shrine, we saw the Yomeimon Gate, said to be the most magnificent in Japan, as well as the famous Three Wise Monkeys and the Sleeping Cat. We also enjoyed the riverside promenade and the botanical garden, which offered a different atmosphere from the temples and shrines. I will continue to deepen my knowledge about Japanese history, culture, customs, etc., so please feel free to ask me anything if you have the opportunity to come to Japan again. Let's enjoy Japan together!

Steve B.

5 / 5

May 2, 2026

One-Day Historic Tokyo and Sky Adventure (Tsukiji, Asakusa, Tokyo Skytree, Boat Cruise)

May 2, 2026

Tokyo

9 hours

“This was a fantastic tour and our tour guide, Hiroshi was amazing. ”

Let’s just say the day started out terrible, we got off a cruise ship to a downpour, but Heroshi was there to meet us and help us plan the day. He bought tickets ahead of time for later in the day, when the weather had cleared, for the Skytree and had everything planned out perfectly. He shared just enough information without overloading and taking too much time. It was a fun day but be prepared for a fair amount of walking. Heroshi, made a great tour into a fantastic tour.

Hiroshi S.

Thank you for taking your time to write a review. The tour got off to a terrible start. Even though we had a tent, we had to wait for a taxi for almost an hour in a pouring rain. However, I enjoyed talking with you while we waited. The rain stopped by the time we took the Sumida River cruise in the afternoon. We were able to enjoy views of Tsukiji, the Ryogoku Kokugikan (sumo stadium), and the Tokyo Skytree from the boat. From the Skytree, at a height of 450 meters, we could see Shinjuku, Tokyo Bay, etc. If you ever plan to come to Japan, please contact me again. Besides Tokyo, there are many other wonderful places like Nikko, Kamakura, Hakone, etc. Let’s enjoy Japan together again!

Bernd W.

4 / 5

Apr 30, 2026

One-Day Historic Tokyo and Sky Adventure (Tsukiji, Asakusa, Tokyo Skytree, Boat Cruise)

Apr 30, 2026

Tokyo

8 hours

“A lovely day ”

It was a lovely tour. We saw a lot. Hiroshi is a good guide. Unfortunately, there was also a very unpleasant incident. Hiroshi had bought the wrong tickets for the Skytree for us in advance. As it took nearly an hour to sort it out, we were unable to go up the Skytree. That is extremely frustrating. As a result, we had no other way of visiting the tower. It would have been the highlight of our trip. Very sad.

Hiroshi S.

Thank you for the review. I am very sorry that you were not able to go up the Skytree. But I did not buy the wrong tickets. I purchased the tickets for handicapped persons at your request, but I learned for the first time that day from a Skytree staff member that tickets for handicapped persons would no longer be sold to foreigners starting in April. Furthermore, there were no descriptions about tickets for foreigners. I purchased the tickets in March, so I explained this to the Skytree staff, had the tickets issued, and gave them to you. I left after confirming that you had entered, but I later heard that you were told you couldn't enter. It's a shame I wasn't there to negotiate. While this was Skytree's fault, I also bear some responsibility. I apologize. I will take the utmost care to ensure this does not happen again. I hope you won't be discouraged by this and will come to Japan again.