Planning Tochigi: temples, gyoza and the lake

Finish sightseeing in time for the bus and your return train

Use Tobu limited express trains for a return trip from Asakusa, or ordinary JR trains and the Nikko Line when leaving from Tokyo or Utsunomiya. JR Nikko Station and Tobu-Nikko Station are separate stations. The three-night B and four-night A itineraries leave from Tokyo Station and return to Asakusa.

On the day you come down from the lake, take a station-bound bus from Chuzenji Onsen terminal. At the time checked, boarding point 26B was separate from 26A for Yumoto-bound buses. Allow for your sightseeing finish time, mountain-road traffic and a buffer after reaching Tobu-Nikko when choosing your return limited express train. Check official services and seat availability for your travel date.

Bus timetables, boarding points and fares2026-10-08Bus stop 26B change notice2026-10-08Current JR station timetables: select the month and operating date2026-10-08Current Tobu limited express timetable for Nikko2026-10-09

Bus pass dates vary by itinerary

One-night A uses a separate World Heritage day pass on each of the first two days. One-night B uses the Oya sightseeing day pass on day one only. Two-night A uses the World Heritage pass on day one and the Chuzenji Onsen two-day pass on days two and three; do not add another Sannai bus pass for those days. Two-night B uses the Oya pass on day one and the World Heritage pass on day two.

Three-night A uses separate World Heritage passes on the first two days and the Chuzenji pass on days three and four. Three-night B uses the Oya pass on day one and the Chuzenji pass on days three and four. Four-night A uses the Oya pass on day two, the World Heritage pass on day three and the Chuzenji pass on days four and five. Four-night B uses separate World Heritage passes on the first two days and ordinary one-way lake bus fares on days three and five. Staying two nights at the lake puts the return trip outside the validity of a single two-day pass.

The World Heritage pass costs JPY 600 for an adult and is valid for one day; the Chuzenji Onsen pass costs JPY 2,300 and is valid for two days. The JPY 2,200 Oya pass includes museum admission, so do not add JPY 1,000 again. Check sales conditions and covered routes for your new travel dates.

Bus pass sales2026-10-09Bus timetables, boarding points and fares2026-10-08Oya pass coverage and sales hours2026-10-08

Compare rail passes separately from the bus passes used here

NIKKO PASS is for overseas visitors; accompanying Japanese nationals may also buy it. The world heritage area pass is valid for two days and ALL AREA for four days. Both exclude limited express supplements and shrine and temple admission. The world heritage area pass does not cover the Lake Chuzenji bus routes. A single four-day pass cannot cover both departure from Asakusa and the final return on a five-day trip.

JR journeys from Utsunomiya and Kanto Bus services to Oya are separate from the Tobu pass's return journey from Asakusa. These budgets are examples based on ordinary rail tickets and the bus passes used in each itinerary. They are not estimates of pass savings or booking quotes.

The JR TOKYO Wide Pass is valid for three consecutive days from your selected start date. It costs JPY 16,000 for an adult and requires an original passport issued by a country other than Japan. Temporary Visitor status is not required. Compare its valid dates and coverage with the JR Tokyo–Utsunomiya–Nikko journeys, but it does not include the Tobu-only limited express between Tobu-Nikko and Asakusa or the Oya and lake buses in these itineraries. Check route eligibility and potential savings separately.

Tobu NIKKO PASS ALL AREA coverage, four-day validity and exclusions2026-10-09Tobu NIKKO PASS world heritage area coverage, two-day validity and exclusions2026-10-09JR EAST TOKYO Wide Pass: three-day validity, covered routes and exclusion of Tobu-only limited express services2026-10-09JR EAST pass eligibility and original passport requirement2026-10-09