Nikko in One Day from Tokyo
The gilded gates of Toshogu, the garden at Rinno-ji, a row of stone jizo by the river, and the hairpin road up to Kegon Falls, all in a day trip from Asakusa.
Last updated 2026-09-03 · 1-day self-guided plan
Nikko Day Trip
Shrines in the cedars, then the falls above them
For travellers with one day for the mountains north of Tokyo who want the famous shrines and the high lake scenery without staying overnight.
- 1
Shinkyo Bridge
Take the Tobu limited express from Asakusa, about two hours, and be at Tobu-Nikko by 9:00. A local bus runs the ten minutes up the main street to Shinkyo, the red lacquered bridge arching over the Daiya River at the entrance to the shrine forest. Photograph it from the road bridge next door; paying to walk across adds little. The shrine path starts just behind it.
30 MinutesCost: Free - 2
Toshogu Shrine
Climb the cedar-lined avenue for ten minutes to Toshogu, the mausoleum of the first Tokugawa shogun and the most lavishly carved building complex in Japan. Look for the three wise monkeys on the stable, the sleeping cat over the inner gate, and the Yomeimon gate covered in hundreds of gilded figures. Then climb the stone stairs to the plain tomb in the forest above, which most visitors skip.
1.5–2 HoursCost: ¥1,500–2,500 
3Rinno-ji and Shoyo-en garden
Back down the avenue is Rinno-ji, the temple that ran the whole mountain for centuries; its Sanbutsudo hall holds three gilded Buddhas eight metres tall. Next door, Shoyo-en is a small stroll garden with a stream and pond built to echo Lake Biwa, at its best in late October and early November when the maples turn. Lunch afterwards is yuba, Nikko's tofu-skin speciality, in the shops along the main street.
1 HourCost: ¥400–1,000- 4
Kanmangafuchi Abyss
Walk 20 minutes west from Shinkyo along the river, around 13:00, to Kanmangafuchi, a gorge of black lava rock where the Daiya churns through. A path follows the bank past about seventy stone jizo statues in red knitted caps and bibs, mossy and slightly different in number every time you count them, or so the local story goes. It is quiet even when the shrines are packed.
1 HourCost: Free 
5Irohazaka and Kegon Falls
From the Nishisando bus stop near the shrines, buses climb the Irohazaka road to Chuzenji in about 45 minutes, one hairpin for each character of the old Japanese syllabary; sit on the left going up for the valley views, spectacular in autumn colour. At the top, an elevator drops into the gorge to face Kegon Falls, a hundred-metre plunge from the lake. Catch a bus down by 16:30 for the evening express home.
2 HoursCost: ¥500–1,000
Day 1 Estimated Cost
- Food¥2,000–4,000
- Transport¥6,000–9,000
- Admissions¥2,400–4,500
Tips
Reserve the Tobu limited express seats both ways, and buy the Nikko bus pass that covers the Chuzenji route; the shrine-area buses alone do not.
Toshogu is stone stairs and the riverside path is uneven; it is also several degrees colder than Tokyo, and Chuzenji colder still, so bring a layer even in May.
Eat yuba near the shrines before 13:00, because the Chuzenji lakeside restaurants are thin and pricey; a bakery on the main street can pack a snack for the bus.
Autumn foliage peaks at Chuzenji in mid-October and around the shrines about three weeks later; the Yomeimon gate is best in the flat light of late morning.