Nikko Day Trip from Tokyo – All you need to know! – TREKwithBECK
Looking to plan a day trip from Tokyo to Nikko? Then this blog is for you!
As much as I loved Tokyo, after a few days in this busy city, I was craving a bit of nature. My friend who lives in Tokyo was the one who suggested that I visit Nikko for a day trip, a mountainous area in the Tochigi Prefecture. I will say, I am glad I did.
Nikko was such a beautiful experience and a wonderful day trip! It is a little far from Tokyo and will require a full day for exploring and travel. But trust me, it will be worth it. This blog will have all the information you need to plan your day trip to Nikko from Tokyo – and a day trip itinerary!
How to get to Nikko from Tokyo?
Nikko is located around 150km North of Tokyo, it takes around 2-3 hours to get here from Tokyo. There are two ways you can get from Tokyo to Nikko; JR Pass Route or Tobu Nikko Line.
If you are using a JR Pass during your time in Japan, then this is the route you would choose. From Tokyo or Ueno Station, you can take the JR Tohoku Shinkansen to Utsunomiya, then catch the JR Nikko Line to Nikko Station.
There is a shared line, which JR and Tobu share from Tobu Asakusa Station. Unfortunately, the JR pass is invalid on this line, and for this part of the journey – so you will need to pay an additional fee.
This is the route you will choose if you don’t have a JR Pass. This route takes you from the Tobu Asakusa Station to Nikko on the Tobu Nikko Line. It takes around 2 hours if you use the limited express trains, which can be booked in advance online or at the station. I would recommend this service if you were planning on visiting for a day trip.
If you buy the Nikko Pass (explained below), this includes a return ticket from Tokyo to Nikko not on the limited express trains, but by using the local trains. This takes a little bit longer, around 3-3.5 hours of travel. The Nikko pass also covers the basic fare if you choose to purchase a limited express train ticket.
Is it worth getting the Nikko Pass?
I got the Nikko Pass for my day trip, and I think it is worth it. It can easily be purchased online and has simple instructions on how and where to pick up the physical pass. It also makes the day trip much cheaper, then if you were to do it yourself. The Nikko Pass includes all transport on the Tobu Bus lines and Tobu Railway lines between Shimo-Imaichi, Tobu Nikko and Shin-Fujiwara stations. It also includes some discounts on admission fees to some attractions in Nikko. Depending on what pass you choose, it also includes sightseeing activities such as a cruise.
For more information visit here.
There are two passes you can choose from, World Heritage or All Areas. I chose the “All Areas” because I wanted to visit some areas that were in the mountains, outside the limits of the World Heritage pass. However, if you want to just see the main temples and pagodas, you will only need the World Heritage pass. The World Heritage pass is 2,120 yen (roughly $21 AUD), and the All Areas is 4,780 yen (roughly $47 AUD).
The World Heritage pass can only be used for 1 or 2 days, whereas All Access pass is valid for 4 consecutive days. You also get free sightseeing cruise on Lake Chuzenji with the All-Access pass – just make sure the cruise is in operation! Before choosing which one you want to buy, I would look at what places you want to visit in Nikko first.
Nikko One Day Itinerary
To optimise your time in Nikko, I would recommend jumping on either the first or second limited express train. If you are picking up your Nikko pass the day of your day trip, you will need to catch one after 8am, as this is when the tourist office where you pick up your pass opens. Another option, if you want more time, is to pick up your pass the day before your day trip – you can the catch the earliest train.
If you’ve purchased the ‘All Access’ Pass, follow this itinerary from the beginning. If you have purchased the ‘World Heritage Pass, skip to number 3.
Once you have landed in Nikko, catch the first bus heading to Lake Chuzenji (towards Chu Zenji Onsen). Take the short 15 min walk to the cruise port and hop on the one-hour cruise around the lake. Marvell at the sights and the amazing beauty of this area. Once the cruise is done, it will drop you off at the same area you started.
Make sure you check when the cruise is in operation! This is something I was looking forward to doing but I didn’t check the cruise starting times. So, when I got there, I found out the cruise wasn’t operating till 3 days after my visit! It is still a beautiful lake and is really lovely to walk around.
This beautiful waterfall is about a 25-minute walk from the cruise port. There is a free observation deck that gives you a beautiful view of Nikko’s most famous waterfall. Kegon Waterfall is the only exit for the waters of Lake Chuzenji. It is spectacular all year round, but in autumn is when it is at its best as it is surrounded by vibrant colourful trees. If you want a closer look you can pay to access the lower observation deck (570 yen). This is a nice 15 minute stop, and if you are hungry there are a few shops you can purchase food.
A short bus ride down the mountain, you will get off a stop outside the Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park. From here you will walk around 25-30 minutes, following signs for Kanmangafuchi abyss. This is such a quiet and scenic spot, compared to other parts of Nikko – so I do recommend you stop here.
The narrow valley was formed after Mount Nantai erupted many many years ago, it is now a lovely walking trail near the river. Lined with stone statues of Jizo Bosatsu (the guardian of travellers and children), wearing crocheted hats. You can walk along this trail for as long as you’d like, I followed for around 20 minutes before heading back and having lunch in the small seating area at the beginning of the trail.
You will now head into the World Heritage Area of Nikko, you can either opt to walk here from Kanmangafuchi Abyss or catch the bus. You can easily spend several hours exploring this area, depending on whether or not you’d like to enter the temples and pagodas. I didn’t enter anything, as I was trying to save money – but I did spend an hour and a half walking around the area and seeing everything from the outside. There are so many temples to see, so I would recommend doing your own research to see which ones you’d like to visit the most.
Looking for something extra? Check out this tour here to really make you’re experience in Nikko unique! This one of a kind experience incudes an horseback archery experience at Nikko Toshogu Shrine. This experience is led by instructors from the Ogasawara school of samurai arts, dating back to the Kamakura period (1185-1333). This tour also includes a guided tour of the shrine – I wish I knew about this experience when I visited!
You will pass this bridge on your way to the first stop on this itinerary. This is one of Nikko’s most famous sights, it is only a 5 min bus ride from the train station or a short walk from the World Heritage Area. This bright red bridge dates back to 1636, almost 400 years old! The legend goes that when the first head priest of Nikko asked the mountains for a way to cross the river, two snakes appeared and turned into there bridge we see today.
You can simply admire the bridge from afar or you can pay a small fee to access the bridge and walk across it.
On your way back to the train station, spend some time exploring the town. There are so many cute cafes and restaurants along this main strip, so it’s the perfect time to stop in for some late lunch or snacks. It is about a 20-30 minute walk from the Shinkyo Bridge to the train station.
Finish off this itinerary by catching a late afternoon train back to Tokyo. Even though you haven’t explored all areas of Nikko, you have see some beautiful nature spots, a bit of history and culture! If you have more time to spare, I would head towards the Tobu World Square.
If you finish all your activities early or later then expected – you can easily change the time of your limited express train online, using your confirmation email.
Is it worth visiting Nikko for a day?
Personally, I think it is, especially if you are short on time in Japan but still craving to see a little bit of the Japanese countryside. On a day trip you are not going to see all that Nikko has to offer, so if you want to explore more of the area, I recommend spending more than a day here. Next time I go to Japan, I would love to spend a night or two exploring here.
But in the end yes, I think it is worth a day trip from Tokyo. It takes a while to get there, but like all travel in Japan, it is a comfortable trip.
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