Sightseeing Tours in Nikko

OVERVIEW

INCLUDES

EXCLUDES

MEETING AND PICKUP

Pickup points

The supplier will pick up customers from select hotels

Options and Start time

Minivan (Up to 4 Pax):

07:00 AM, 07:30 AM, 08:00 AM, 08:30 AM, 09:00 AM

Van (Up to 7 Pax):

07:00 AM, 07:30 AM, 08:00 AM, 08:30 AM, 09:00 AM

WHAT TO EXPECT

1: Nikko Tosho-gu

Understand why Dont say magnificent until youve seen Nikko visiting the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate and nearby shrines and temple.
The most renowned shrine of the Shrines and Temples of Nikko-a Japans leading world heritage, is where Ieyasu Tokugawa, the great Shogun who started the flourishing Edo Period, is enshrined. Most of the shrine complex you see today was rebuilt in 17th century. The shrine contains 55 buildings including 8 national treasures and 34 listed buildings. The highlights are sumptuous carvings lacquered and richly coloured brilliantly, which you will gaze at craftsmanship assembled from all over the country. Do not miss the symbol of peace Sleeping Cat, and the Three Monkeys with the see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil poses!

30 minutes -Admission Ticket Not Included

2: Kegon Falls

Kegon Waterfall is the most famous of Nikkos 48 waterfalls. Water from Lake Chuzenji falls 97 metres straight down to the rocks below creating a dynamic and artistic work of nature. A special lift takes visitors to the basin where the force and roar of the water can be witnessed close up! Impressive in any season, the waterfall looks particularly spectacular when surrounded by the fresh green leaves in May, house martins in June, or the 12 falls - small streams of the frozen waterfall clad in blue ice - during January and February.

3 minutes -Admission Ticket Not Included

3: Lake Chuzenji

Lake Chuzenji is the largest lake in Tochigi, framed by 25 kilometres of incredible nature. The area used to be a popular summer resort for foreigners in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. The villas of French and Belgian embassies can still be found here. You can enjoy seasonal charms by the lake. Walking trails surround the waters edge and there is an excursion boat available on the lake. The views from the lake are spectacular, particularly when the cherry blossoms or azaleas are blooming or when the autumn leaves are turning. The Koyo-meguri tour, enjoying autumn leaves reflecting on the lake, is highly recommended.

9 minutes -Admission Ticket Free

4: Irohazaka Route

A pair of winding roads that connect the lower elevations near Nikko and the higher elevations of the mountainous region is the Iroha Slope which has also been featured in the popular anime, Initial D. Made up of 48 hairpin turns throughout the different upslope and downslope roads, it is known as the best place to view the autumn leaves. Iroha is the first three of the 48 syllables in the previous Japanese alphabet. Hence, with the corresponding number of turns, each turn is named after one of the Japanese alphabet syllables, giving the name Iroha Slope.

3 minutes -Admission Ticket Free

5: Senjogahara Field

Senjogara translates to battlefield and here it refers to a mythical battlefield where legends say that the gods of Mount Nantai and Mount Akagi fought once to claim the neighboring lakes as their own. Taking on the incarnation of a serpent and centipede respectively, they fought and intertwined repeatedly, creating this marshland. The battlefield has now changed to a battle of charms as various plants and fauna reside in the vast field, competing to charm the many visitors.

3 minutes -Admission Ticket Free

6: Rinnji Taiy-in (Mausoleum of Iemitsu)

Taiyuin (, Taiyin) is the mausoleum of the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, the grandson of Ieyasu. Iemitsu's lavish mausoleum complex resembles nearby Toshogu Shrine in its layout and architecture, but it was intentionally built somewhat more modest than the Toshogu, due to Iemitsu's deep respect for his grandfather. Taiyuin is the posthumous name of Iemitsu.

30 minutes -Admission Ticket Not Included

7: Rinno-ji Temple

Rinnoji (, Rinnji) is Nikko's most important temple. It was founded by Shodo Shonin, the Buddhist monk who introduced Buddhism to Nikko in the 8th century.

The temple's main building, the Sanbutsudo, houses large, gold lacquered, wooden statues of Amida, Senju-Kannon ("Kannon with a thousand arms") and Bato-Kannon ("Kannon with a horse head"). The three deities are regarded as Buddhist manifestations of Nikko's three mountain deities which are enshrined at Futarasan Shrine. A decade-long renovation of the Sanbutsudo was completed in spring 2019.

30 minutes -Admission Ticket Not Included

8: Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park

Tamozawa Imperial Villa (, Tamozawa Goytei) blends traditional Edo and early modern Meiji Period architecture throughout its 106 rooms. The villa was erected in Nikko in 1899, using parts of a residence that originally stood in Tokyo.

Before being moved to Nikko, the building served initially as the Tokyo residence of a branch of the Tokugawa family and was later temporarily used as the Imperial Palace. In Nikko, it was enlarged into a summer residence and retreat for the Imperial Family, but suffered neglect after World War II. In the year 2000, the villa was opened to the public after extensive renovation works.

30 minutes -Admission Ticket Not Included

9: Kanmangafuchi Abyss

Kanmangafuchi Abyss () was formed by an eruption of nearby Mount Nantai. This gorge near central Nikko is only a few hundred meters long and can be enjoyed from a pleasant riverside walking trail.

Kanmangafuchi is also known for its row of about 70 stone statues of Jizo, a Bodhisattva who cares for the deceased. This particular group of Jizo statues is alternately called "Bake Jizo" (Ghost Jizo), "Narabi Jizo" (Jizo in a line) or "Hyaku Jizo" (100 Jizo). The statues look out over the river and across to the Nikko Botanical Garden, but the botanical garden cannot be entered from the abyss.

30 minutes -Admission Ticket Free

10: Nikko Futarasan Shrine

Futarasan Shrine (, Futarasan Jinja) stands next to Toshogu in central Nikko. Much older than its more lavish neighbor, Futarasan Shrine was founded in 782 by Shodo Shonin, the Buddhist monk who introduced Buddhism to Nikko and who also founded nearby Rinnoji Temple. Futarasan Shrine is dedicated to the deities of Nikko's three most sacred mountains: Mount Nantai, Mount Nyoho and Mount Taro. Futarasan is an alternate name of Mount Nantai, the most prominent of the three mountains.

The shrine grounds are mostly free to enter except for a small paid area to the left of the offering hall (haiden). The paid area features a small forested garden with a couple more halls, a spring, old sacred trees and closer views onto the main hall (honden) that stands behind the offering hall. Located one kilometer from the shrine grounds, the Shinkyo Bridge also belongs to Futarasan Shrine.

30 minutes -Admission Ticket Not Included

11: Nikko Botanical Garden

Nikko Botanical Garden (, Nikko Shokubutsuen) is owned and maintained by the prestigious University of Tokyo. As such, it is a branch of the university's main research garden, Koishikawa Botanical Garden in Tokyo.

The garden was opened in 1902 for the purpose of collecting and studying alpine plants. It is spacious and quiet with a substantial network of paths that allows for pleasant walks and the viewing of the various labeled trees, plants and shrubs. The garden also offers a look into the Kanmangafuchi Abyss, although there is no direct connection between the garden and the abyss.

30 minutes -Admission Ticket Not Included

12: Shinkyo Bridge

The Shinkyo Bridge (, Shinky, "sacred bridge") stands at the entrance to Nikko's shrines and temples, and technically belongs to Futarasan Shrine. The bridge is ranked as one of Japan's three finest bridges together with Iwakuni's Kintaikyo and Saruhashi in Yamanashi Prefecture.

The current Shinkyo was constructed in 1636, but a bridge of some kind had marked the same spot for much longer, although its exact origins are unclear. Until 1973, Shinkyo was off limit to the general public. It underwent extensive renovation works in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and visitors can now walk across the bridge and back for an entrance fee.

30 minutes -Admission Ticket Free

13: Kirifuri Waterfall

Kirifuri Waterfall (, Kirifuri no taki) is an impressive, 75 meter high, two-tiered waterfall located below the Kirifuri Highlands, a few kilometers northeast of the temples and shrines of Nikko. The sight of the elegant falls cascading down the mountain provides a nice contrast to the surrounding foliage, which is lush and green in spring and summer and displays fiery shades of red, orange and gold in autumn.

The name Kirifuri means "falling mist" after the fine mist that is created when the water crashes against the rocks at the bottom of the lower falls. The view may occasionally be obscured when mist or fog covers the valley. It used to be possible to hike down to the base of the waterfalls, but the trail down the mountain partially collapsed several years ago and has been closed ever since.

30 minutes -Admission Ticket Not Included

14: Kanaya Hotel History House

The Kanaya Hotel History House (, Kanya Hotel Rekishikan) is a historical building in Nikko that served as the predecessor of the celebrated Kanaya Hotel. The house is open for the public to explore and provides a window into the Nikko of centuries past. It stands next to a bakery which also sells the admission tickets for the house.

After the end of Japan's era of isolation, Nikko became a popular summer resort among the foreign diplomats and business people that arrived in the country. The Kanaya Hotel has been one of the premier hotels in the area for accommodating such guests and today stands as the oldest Western-style hotel in all of Japan. While the hotel is now located one kilometer down the road on a hill above the Shinkyo Bridge, its history began at the Kanaya Hotel History House.

30 minutes -Admission Ticket Not Included

15: Akechidaira Observation Area

Akechidaira Plateau
Located near the top of Irohazaka Slope, Akechidaira Plateau has sweeping views over a winding road and a dramatic mountain backdrop. Take the ropeway up to the observation platform for even more panoramic views, including Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji. Alternatively, you can join a hiking trail that runs from the lake to the observation platform via Akechidaira Plateau.

30 minutes -Admission Ticket Not Included

ADDITIONAL INFO

CANCELLATION POLICY

(For information purpose only - definite start times will show on voucher, once confirmed)