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.
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Your hotel
Pick up at your hotel. Go to Nikko from Asakusa Station by Tobu Express.
Visit Rinnoji Temple, Toshogu Shrine, Futarasan Shrine. We will have lunch nerby.
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.
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.
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.
Go back to Tokyo by Tobu Express.
End of the tour.
Your hotel
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
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.
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.)
It takes about 2 hours from Asakusa Station to Nikko Station by Tobu express train.
*** 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 4000 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.
Nothing speceial.
Hello, I'm Hiroshi.
I am a National Government Licensed Tour Guide Interpreter in English. I have got a master's degree in Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in the U.S.
I have been living in a city of Fujisawa, which is the city next to Kamakura, for more than 20 years, and also lived in Kamakura for more than 10 years. So far, I have visited almost all the temples and shrines in Kamakura. So I am sure I can offer you a pleasant trip to the historical city, Kamakura.
In addition to Kamakura, I can also guide Tokyo, Yokohama, Hakone, Nikko, etc. because I have visited many places in Kanto area. For example, in Tokyo I can show you around the 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.
Penny L.
Tokyo Full Day Customized Tour (September 25)
Customized
“An enjoyable day”
It was a pleasure to meet Hiroshi. He was very informative about where we were going, how to get there and historical background. He designed the day to fit our interests. His English is excellent and my friend and I were very happy with our tour.
Hiroshi S.
(33 reviews)Thank you for writing a review of our tour. I'm very happy to hear you enjoyed the tour in Tokyo. We visited the Imperial Palace and Ueno Park. At the Imperial Palace Museum, we were able to see wonderful paintings and sculptures owned by the Imperial Family. In Ueno Park, we visited shrines and temples to experience the Shinto and Buddhist atmosphere. You are very knowledgeable about art, and I enjoyed the tour with you and increased my knowledge about art. Please enjoy the rest of your stay in Japan, and I look forward to meeting you again in the near future! Hiroshi
“Tokyo and Nikko Tours”
My son and I made a last minute decision to travel to Japan and opted for a guide in Tokyo. We found Hiroshi and were not disappointed at all. He responded quickly to all of my messages and went above and beyond with further explanations if I was ever confused. I am so happy we went with Hiroshi as he made inquiries about our interests and made itineraries based upon our likes/wants. We were able to enjoy Tokyo without worrying about the hassle of figuring out the subway system. We had great food and we were able to fit a lot of sites into a small amount of time. We also went to Nikko, which I highly recommend. Hiroshi made this such an easy day with taking the train and the bus to the UNESCO site. He also went above and beyond and showed my son and myself where we would catch the bullet train at Tokyo Station. He showed us the best entrance location and made it so easy to figure out. Thank you for a great time. We would definitely go with Hiroshi again as a tour guide if we would to return to Japan.
Hiroshi S.
(33 reviews)Thank you for your review. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed our tour of Tokyo and Nikko. I know it was a hot and humid summer in Japan, but we were able to feel the atmosphere of the Shoguns and Emperors at the Imperial Palace and experience Buddhism and Shinto at Asakusa, Meiji Shrine, and Hie Shrine. In Nikko, we were able to enjoy the gorgeous Toshogu Shrine and beautiful nature. I also enjoyed the tour with you very much. If you have the opportunity to come to Japan again, I would appreciate it if you could contact me. I look forward to meeting you again in the near future in Japan! Hiroshi
Adam K.
One-Day Historic Tokyo and Sky Adventure (August 5) : Additional Cost
Customized
“One-Day Historic Tokyo and Sky Adventure (August 5)”
Dear Hiroshi San, We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the wonderful tour you provided us in Tokyo. Your knowledge, enthusiasm, and attention to detail made our experience truly memorable. Thank you for sharing the rich history and vibrant culture of Tokyo with us. Your guidance and insights were invaluable, and we deeply appreciate the time and effort you put into making our visit special. Warm regards, Adam & Beata
Hiroshi S.
(33 reviews)Thank you for your review. The weather was fine on the day of the tour and we were able to enjoy a panoramic view of Tokyo from the Tokyo Skytree. It was also a hot day, but the Sumida River cruise was pleasant with the breeze on the river. I think Tokyo from the boat had a different flavor. Although this tour was a bit busy, there are still many wonderful places to visit in Tokyo. Nikko and Hakone are also recommended sightseeing spots. If you have a chance to visit Japan in the future, let's enjoy Japan together again! Hiroshi