One of the things I love most about Japan is how simultaneously big and small it is. Geographically, it doesn’t cover a huge area, but all you need to do is hop on the Tokyo Metro or Shinkansen or even a local train, in some cases, such as when you take a Nikko day trip from Tokyo.

Even if you only travel a few stations, you get off and you’re on an entirely different planet. Or, as is the case with my Tokyo to Nikko day trip, in an entirely different time.

A UNESCO World Heritage site that dates back over a millennium, Nikko is famous in more recent Japanese history as the home of 17th-century Shogun Tokugawa, whose dying wish was to be enshrined as a God there. This wish, as you will see immediately upon crossing the Shinkyo bridge into old Nikko, was carried out.

Quite beautifully, I might add.

Where to Stay if You Extend Your Nikko Day Trip

I recommend taking a Nikko Japan day trip, but it’s a lovely place to spend a night (or longer!) if you have time in your Japan itinerary. Whether you stay at the boutique Nikko Senhime Monogatari or the budget Nikko Guesthouse Imaichiyado, you’re sure to feel right at home in Nikko. Yet another option would be to spend the day in Nikko, then head further north into the mountains of Gunma prefecture and spend the night at Takaragawa Onsen, which some (yours truly included) argue is the best onsen in Japan.

Things to Do on a Nikko Day Trip

Explore Tosho-gu Shrine

The highlight of any Nikko day trip is Tosho-gu, a Shinto shrine founded in the early 17th century. Located on a hilltop and massive in its expanse, this is where the majority of day trippers from Tokyo spend the entirety of their day in Nikko—and with good reason. Within Tosho-gu, the most picturesque places include the Five-Story Pagoda, the Three Wise Monkeys carving and the Kagura-den Dance Hall.

Visit a Botanical Garden or Quirky Theme Park

Apart from Tosho-gu, other things to do on your Nikko day trip include the Shin-Kyo Bridge (which you’ll walk over to reach Tosho-gu) and Nikko Botanical Garden. There’s also the somewhat quirky Tobu World Square theme park, which is home to miniaturized versions of famous buildings from around the world.

Hike Through Nikko National Park

Other Nikko attractions have less to do with Nikko World Heritage and more to do with the city’s stunning nature. If you spend longer than a Nikko day trip (for example, two days in Nikko instead of just a Nikko day trip), you might decide to visit Nikko National Park, including its highlights Kegon Falls and Chujenzi Lake, which are particularly beautiful during Japan’s autumn season.

How to Get to Nikko from Tokyo

A Nikko day trip is easy thanks to Japan’s amazing train network. If you have a Japan Rail Pass, take a Shinkansen from Tokyo Station to Utsunomiya, then transfer to the Nikko Line and ride it to the final stop. Total journey time is around 90 minutes, depending on how you work your connection. Click here to search schedules.

If you don’t have a JR Pass (or if you do and don’t care about paying extra to ride a non-JR train) take the Tobu Nikko Line, which runs directly from Asakusa Station in northeast Tokyo. Click here to learn more about Tobu Nikko line prices and schedules. Yet another option would be to take a guided Nikko cultural day tour from Tokyo.

Should You Visit Nikko or Kamakura?

When you’re traveling in Tokyo, Nikko day trip seems like an obvious “yes.” However, I speak with a lot of travelers who have a limited amount of time in the Tokyo area (often three days in Tokyo or less), and feel stressed at having to choose a Nikko day trip or selecting Kamakura as a day trip destination. The unfortunate truth is that this is an apples and oranges issues, which is to say I love to eat both.

(TIP: If do you end up deciding to visit Kamakura, an illuminating way to contrast it with Nikko is with this awesome Kamakura walking tour.)

However, if I were to break it down in a way that might make it easier to choose, a day trip to Nikko exposes you to a more uniform array of heritage architecture (which is to say it all looks like it belongs together, more or less) in spectacular, mountainous nature that belies its distance from Tokyo. Kamakura has some amazing nature, too (in the form of Hokoku-ji Bamboo Forest), but offers a more eclectic range of activities, from Japan’s most famous Big Buddha, to Yuigahama Beach, to a trail of temples just outside the city center that range from a couple hundred to more than a thousand years in age.

The Bottom Line

Considering a day trip to Nikko from Tokyo? Nikko is one of the easiest and most fulfilling day trips from Tokyo—Nikko is absolutely worth a visit! Whether you simply explore the Nikko Tosho-gu Shrine or venture into outlying areas like Nikko National Park, a day trip from Tokyo to Nikko is one of the most illuminating ways to break up the days you spend in Tokyo.

About The Author Robert Schrader is the author of 1119 posts on Leave Your Daily Hell. Robert founded Leave Your Daily Hell in 2010 so that other travelers would have an entertaining, reliable source of information, advice and inspiration at their fingertips. Want to travel more often? Subscribe to email updates today!