I’m sharing my itinerary of how we spent one day in Nikko, Japan! Nikko is a small town located 2 hours north of Tokyo, a great day trip option to consider. It’s nice to experience a peaceful visit in Nikko in comparison to the huge city of Tokyo. This post includes how we spent 1 day in Nikko visiting their shrines and temples. This post is part 3 of my multi-part series sharing How to Plan a 3 Week Trip to Japan.
Check out my other itineraries for Japan:
Planning your visit to Nikko
Nikko is a small town located 2 hours north of Tokyo and we planned to spend a day walking around and spend 1 night here before continuing to visit other cities in Japan. Nikko would be a great day trip option from Tokyo or extend your visit to a day or two days for a more leisurely visit. Check out my post on How to Plan a 3 Week Trip to Japan for tips on portable wi-fi options, how to find accommodations, how to get around Japan, and more.
How to get to Nikko
We purchased the Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) for our Japan trip and used it to cover the cost of the train ride on shinkansen, or bullet train, from Tokyo to Nikko. We used Japan Travel by Navitime to find the train routes to take.
At the time of our trip, the directions we took had us take the shinkansen from Ueno to Utsonomiya, a 50 minute ride. At the Utsonomiya station, we transferred to the JR Nikko line for another 50 minute ride. Check online for the timetable departure times for the JR Nikko line, it leaves about once or twice an hour from Utsonomiya.
The Nikko Station brings you right into the town. We arrived at lunchtime and walked to our hostel from the station.
What area to stay in Nikko
We stayed one night in Nikko and went for a budget option to save money. We used HostelWorld to search for accommodations and found Nikko Guesthouse Sumica to stay. This hostel offers Japanese style rooms with tanami mats. We opted for a private room with shared shower and toilet facilities.
We enjoyed our stay and found the hostel clean with helpful English speaking staff and an opportunity to meet other travelers. This guesthouse was a short couple minute walk from the train station.
How to get around Nikko
Nikko is a small enough town to be able to walk around to see the main sights. Buses are also an option to visit different tourist sites and the train station. You can also catch a taxi if needed.
Bring cash to Nikko
In my research, I read a tip to bring cash because the small town may not have ATMs that accept foreign cards. Places may not even accept a card payment. I didn’t want to test if this was true so I brought yen from Tokyo to cover our stay.
One Day Itinerary in Nikko
We left Tokyo on the shinkansen and arrived in Nikko at lunchtime. We checked into our hostel and left our bags to explore the town. Nikko has several highlights, most notably their various shrines and temples. To our surprise, most of the town closed down at 6pm, leaving us with a half day to see the sights. We were lucky to find a ramen restaurant open for dinner! I’d recommend arriving in the morning to get the most of your day.
One day in Nikko highlights
- Shinkyo Bridge
This beautiful red bridge was built in the 1600s and has the option to walk across it for a small fee. We enjoyed the bridge from the side to avoid the fee. - Rinno-ji Temple
One of the most important temples in Nikko, the buildings are ornate with beautiful colors and carvings. Inside, you’ll find 3 tall Buddha statues that are over 20 feet tall. This temple has an entrance fee. - Tosho-gu Shrine
Close to the Rinno-ji Temple, the Tosho-gu Shrine has plenty to see. Pay a fee at the entrance to view a five story tall pagoda and several buildings with carving decorations. The most famous carving is the origin of the “hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil” monkey imagery built into the shrine. This was my favorite visit. - Kanmangafuchi Abyss
Free to view and always open, I highly recommend walking to view the rows of jizo statues that line the river. The statues and ambiance of the river is beautiful. They say the statues have a life of their own and if you were to count them as you walked, the number would change if you recounted.
Additional Nikko highlights
Nikko has more to see beyond the central town area. If we had more time, we would have explored these highlights.
- Nikko National Park
If we had a car, exploring the National Park sounds like a great option to hike the trails and try to see some wildlife.
- Nikko Botanical Garden
The walk to the Rinno-ji Temple and Tosho-gu Shrine was beautiful in the fall, I imagine visiting the Nikko Botanical Garden would a great walk to see the various plants of Japan. - Nikko Hot Springs
There are several onsens, or hot springs, around Nikko depending on how much time you have. Read about onsen etiquette before you go.
Visiting Nikko for 1 Day
Nikko is well worth the visit during your trip to Japan. Experience the slower pace and historical sites of Nikko if you have the time during your vacation or visit as a day trip option from Tokyo. The highlights we saw in were well worth the visit to experience a different, quieter side to Japan and next time I go, I’d love to experience their hot springs.
What places in Nikko did I miss? Let me know in the comments!
