Table of contents:
Summary
Nikko (日光市), located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, is a renowned destination easily accessible from Tokyo, taking approximately two hours by train or car. Famous for the UNESCO-listed Nikkō Tōshō-gū Temple, notable for its iconic three wise monkeys, Nikko offers much more, including a wealth of historical buildings and stunning natural scenery often absent in Tokyo. The site provides insights into transportation options, such as the direct Tobu Skytree Line train from Asakusa to Nikko and local bus services, including special tickets that cover multiple attractions like Chuzenji Lake and Yumoto Onsen. Visitors can explore numerous attractions, with the picturesque Shinkyo Bridge being a highlight, perfectly positioned at the entrance to the Tōshō-gū Temple, making it an ideal first stop in this captivating area.Nikko / Nikkō or in Japanese (jap. 日光市) is a famous city in Japan. It's located in Tochigi-Ken Prefecture and can be reached by train from Tokyo in about 2 hours.
For most tourists, the Nikkō Tōshō-gū Temple (recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site) is the first stop, featuring the Three Wise Monkeys who see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. But Nikko has much more to offer. Especially many historic buildings, lots of nature, and fresh air—the kind of thing you often can't experience in Tokyo.
I visited Nikko both in 2022 and 2023, and in this post I’ll show you everything I experienced on both trips.
From Tokyo to Nikko
By car
If you want to drive to Nikko, keep in mind that the journey takes about 2 hours, but could be longer depending on traffic. There are toll stations on the way, so you should check ahead to plan for the costs.
By train
For the "Limited Express" you need, in addition to your IC card (e.g. Passmo or Suica), a Limited Express Ticket! But you only need to scan the IC card.
In my opinion, the easiest way to get from Tokyo to Nikko is by train. You only need one train connection and don’t have to transfer, which is really convenient. This regional train runs from Asakusa (Tokyo) to Nikko (Tobu Skytree Line), taking about 2 hours.
Transportation in Nikko
In Nikko, besides using a car, you can also take the bus. On our trip in 2022 we bought a ticket for 2,200 Yen, which took us all the way to Lake Chuzenji and back. This ticket is valid for all stops between Nikko Station and the lake.
On our last trip in 2023, we bought an extended ticket for 3,500 Yen, which even let us travel all the way to Yumoto Onsen. This special ticket offers good value since a one-way trip would already cost 1,950 Yen. It’s also very handy, as you don’t need a separate IC card. The ticket is valid for 2 days, so think about when you buy it. Note that it is valid from the purchase date, so it’s best to buy it on your first day. We bought it on our first morning in Nikko, after spending the night there.
Sights in Nikko
There are lots of great sights in and around Nikko that I can really recommend! On both our 2022 and 2023 trips, we visited several of them.
Shinkyo Bridge
In general, you can say that the area around Nikko is easily accessible by public transportation. So you can reach all the main sights by bus.
One of Nikko’s most famous landmarks is the Shinkyo Bridge — a red arched bridge that offers a beautiful view and is located at the entrance to Nikkō Tōshō-gū Temple. This makes it the perfect first sightseeing spot. If you wish, you can pay a small fee to walk across it and take a photo (or have one taken).
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/ZFtXYWTJJGwvDnVj8
Nikko Toshogu Shrine
Nikko is famous for its impressive shrines and temples. When we visited, we explored the Toshogu Shrine, which is renowned for its elaborate architecture and the famous three monkeys who see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. By the way: You definitely know these monkeys from your smartphone keyboard—that’s the classic three monkeys emojis, which are used everywhere!
When we visited in 2022, we went on January 2nd, so it was extremely crowded because it’s Japanese tradition to visit shrines at New Year. Back then, Covid-19 was still a thing, so we didn’t want to stay amongst the crowds and, unfortunately, we didn’t see the monkeys that time. We caught up on that during our 2023 trip!
If you want to visit the various shrines and temples affordably, you can buy two tickets: a combo ticket for 900 yen per person and another ticket for 1,300 yen. These tickets grant you entry to various attractions, including the famous Toshogu Shrine.
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/2rp42L7obG7VkX84A
Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park
One of the largest wooden buildings stands here in the "Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park". Unfortunately, it was already closed by the time we arrived. It is located between "Nikkō Tōshō-gū Temple" and the Abyss.
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/fCEhqVSFT5BzwoBZ7
Kanmangafuchi Abyss
If you want to wind down your day after the impressive temple with a walk, I recommend the Jizo statues at Kanmangafuchi Abyss. The statues wear distinctive red hats and bibs. Legend says you can never count them all—each time you try, you get a different number.
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/nyXQ5mcbT7f8vE4R8
Lake Chūzenji
Lake Chuzenji is very famous in the Nikko region, but be warned: in winter it’s extremely cold and windy there since it's on a mountain (about 1,200 meters above sea level). It often snows there, or the snow stays longer, so it’s much colder than at the station (about 500 meters above sea level).
After admiring the lake and envying the guests at The Ritz-Carlton (about €1,000 per night), we went to a café with a view of the lake. That was important, since the wind was pretty tough, even with four layers, gloves, and a scarf! At this time of year you can't take the paddle boats out, so I'm curious how it is in summer.
We went back on our 2023 trip, and this time we were even lucky enough to see wild monkeys! Although they live in Japan, they're quite rare to spot in the wild. It was truly a unique experience I’ll never forget.
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/evWiAVvwqkDd1mLDA
The Kengon Waterfalls
Nikko and the surrounding area are famous for their three waterfalls. We managed to see two of them. Especially in winter, it's spectacular as the water on and beneath the waterfall freezes. At 97 meters, it's the tallest and most impressive.
Along with the Nachi and Fukuroda falls in other prefectures, the Kengon falls are considered among the most beautiful in Japan.
If you want to see the waterfall from a good vantage point, you can take an elevator—there are no stairs. This costs about 600 Yen but pays for the staff and the observation platform.
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/vDZMF7xcDBKd7aY28
If you like fish, you should definitely try grilled fish on a stick while you’re there. Most often it’s trout, and you eat it whole, bones and all. It’s salty and really hearty. Especially in cold weather, a quick snack can warm your stomach. Since they're grilled over coal, they also get super crispy. Just writing this makes me crave one again, haha!
The Ryūzu Waterfalls
A little bit further away are the much smaller Ryūzu Falls. You can get a great close-up view here. If you get hungry, there’s also a restaurant—of course serving the local specialty, Yuba.
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/pnsSFsc8kP4AX5t87
Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura
Edo Wonderland is an open-air museum where you can immerse yourself in the world of the Edo period. You’ll find historic buildings, authentic interiors, and all sorts of interesting objects from that era. Admission is 5,800 Yen (about 37 euros) per person—pretty pricey, but you can easily spend 2–3 hours here. If you have kids, probably even more!
My tip: If you buy your ticket at Nikko Tobu Station, it costs "only" 5,500 Yen, so you save a bit. There’s also a free shuttle bus that takes you from Nikko JR Station to Edo Wonderland (Attention: this is not the Tobu Nikko Station, where the Limited Express arrives!).
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Y2wb12kipxUrKcb36
Official website (English): https://edowonderland.net/en/
After exploring the open-air museum, we got hungry and decided to eat at the on-site restaurant. There we had Edo Miso Dipping Soba—for 1,000 Yen per dish, but in my opinion a bit pricey for just soba with wasabi and scallions.
Yumoto Onsen Spring
Another sight we visited was the Yumoto Onsen spring. Here, the natural hot springs bubble up amid a beautiful landscape of woods and mountains. The snow lying around made it extra special. The sulfur smell (it really smells like rotten eggs) is very strong! Entry here is free.
Since Yumoto Onsen spring is very rural, you might get lucky and spot wild animals such as monkeys or deer. On our visit we spotted a deer in the bushes!
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/t8F1qUZCv8NkYff89
The Footbath あんよの湯 (anyo no yu)
Near the Yumoto Onsen spring there is also a footbath (あんよの湯 anyo no yu) that you can visit. Entry to the footbath is usually free, but it was already closed at 16:00 when we got there, so we couldn’t give it a try.
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Yv9ELj45z2Ey4qvm8
Hotels in Nikko
Nikko Park Lodge Tobu Station (Trip 2022)
On our 2022 trip, we opted for an affordable hotel so we could spend more of our budget on food. The hotel is called "Nikko Park Lodge Tobu Station" .* If you want to spend 200-300€ for a hotel, you’ll have a lot more and better choices of course. That also depends on the season.
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/SK2xoYkAhspGuHgb6
*Booking.com: "Nikko Park Lodge Tobu Station"
More hotels in Nikko
Affiliate link: If you book a hotel through my widget or my link at Booking.com, I get a small commission. There are no extra costs for you and you support my blog. I am very grateful and wish you lots of fun while traveling (^_^)Positive features:
- 2 minutes from the main train station
- Staff (when we arrived their English was excellent)
- Very cheap (~8,000¥ / €60)
- Bookable through Booking.com or Airbnb (Booking.com was cheaper for our booking)
- No mold found
- Microwave & refrigerator in the shared bathroom (supermarket is 2 minutes away—Family Mart Kombini is 5 minutes away)
Negative features:
- The walls are very thin (a child cried for at least half an hour at 7:30)
- Sometimes the smell isn't pleasant, but the room was okay
- Shared toilets & bathroom (two rooms shared them with us)
- Carpet in the room is quite stained, and some furniture was dirty
- Bed sheet had a small hole (2 cm), but otherwise clean for a two-star hotel
- No extras (it is a two-star hotel, after all)
Shinkyo Inn Hotel (Trip 2023)
On our 2023 trip we chose the "Shinkyo Inn Hotel" "* This hotel has an ideal location, just a minute from the famous Shinkyo Bridge. There are lots of restaurants around, and the main attractions like shrines and temples are just 2–3 minutes away on foot.
A special highlight of the hotel is that you have a picturesque view of the nearby river from both the bathroom and the rest of the room. The owner is a foreigner (I believe he was British) and speaks perfect English. So there are no language barriers, making it a great recommendation for international guests.
We could leave our luggage at the hotel until 2:00 pm. Since the owners were out that day, we couldn’t leave our suitcases there any longer. The hotel is actually more of a guesthouse, and there are only two rooms, but both are very spacious.
Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/4X39RfLKhJZswZoY6
*Booking.com: "Shinkyo Inn"
*Affiliate link
Positive features:
- Perfect location, just a few minutes’ walk from famous sights
- The owner spoke perfect English (he was British himself)
- Many restaurants close to the accommodation
- Has only two rooms in total, so both are very spacious
- View of the river, very picturesque
Negative features:
- We could only leave our luggage until 2:00 pm on the day of departure
Travel costs
Budget option 2022: 2 days for one person (hotel could be shared by two)
- Train round trip (~¥7,000 / ~€55)
- Hotel one night (~¥8,000 / ~€60)
- Free bus ticket 2 days (~¥2,200 / ~€17)
- Food & snacks / street food (~¥5,000 / ~€40)
- Admission fees (~¥2,000 / ~€15)
- Total = (~¥25,000 / ~€190–200)
Slightly more expensive option 2023 (not luxury): 2 days for one person (hotel and car could be shared by two)
- Train (~¥7,000 / ~€55)
- Hotel for two nights (~¥63,000 / ~€400)
- Car for two days (~¥20,000 with fuel / ~€150)
- Food & snacks / street food (~¥10,000 / ~€75)
- Admission fees (~¥12,000 / ~€80)
- Total = (~¥112,000 / ~€720)
Food in Nikko – Yuba dishes as a local specialty
Yuba & Soba
Yuba ゆば is a local delicacy in Nikko and the surrounding region. Here in Tokyo I’ve never seen or eaten it. But since almost every restaurant in Nikko serves it as soup, a spaghetti topping, or fried, of course I had to try it.
What is Yuba ゆば?
Yuba is made from soy milk. The milk is heated to 80–90°C, and the skin that forms on top is gently removed with a chopstick.
What does Yuba ゆば taste like?
It’s hard to describe. At first I thought the texture would be like Tamagoyaki, since they look quite similar, but it’s actually much firmer and spongier. It also soaks up a lot of broth. Since it has almost no taste, it’s often served in (noodle) soups or fried. You can also eat it as sashimi.
Conclusion:
I especially recommend visiting Nikko in the winter. In Tokyo during 2021–2022 there was no snow. But if you go to Nikko, you can really see a lot of snow. You should definitely dress very warmly though, as it can get very cold here in winter (-3°C is not unusual, and with lots of wind it gets very uncomfortable).
Hotels are relatively expensive because it’s a very popular tourist area. The food is delicious and you can enjoy lots of nature. If you want to get out of the city and are in Tokyo, I recommend spending one or two days in Nikko. Traveling there is actually not that expensive. One thing I did notice: When I visited again in December 2023, almost everything closed early—even restaurants often only stayed open till 2:30 or 3:00 pm.
For more information about the city and additional activities, we recommend this site
Nikko Private Tour: Explore Nikko on a customizable full-day private tour with a nationally licensed guide, including cultural sites and scenic spots.
Mt. Fuji & Hakone Tour: Enjoy a private sightseeing trip from Tokyo to Mt. Fuji and Hakone with an English-speaking driver, featuring iconic views and nature.
*Affiliate link: If you book an activity through my widget or my link with viator.com, I receive a small commission. It doesn't cost you any extra and you support my blog. Thank you so much and have a great trip (^_^)
Comments