Two days in Tochigi: temples or Oya and gyoza?
Stay one night in Nikko to visit Toshogu and Rinnoji on separate days at a relaxed pace. If the quarry and food appeal more, visit Oya History Museum from Utsunomiya and walk Gyoza Street the following day. The Nikko itinerary starts and ends in Asakusa; the Utsunomiya itinerary starts and ends at Tokyo Station.
Choose an itinerary for 2 days / 1 night
Give Nikko’s Toshogu and Rinnoji separate days
Stay one night in Nikko for relaxed visits to Toshogu’s carvings and Rinnoji’s wooden hall and mausoleum architecture. Start and end in Asakusa, visiting Toshogu on day one and Sanbutsudo and Taiyuin on day two. Leave the waterfall and lake for another trip and allow time to rest between visits.
Give Nikko’s Toshogu and Rinnoji separate days →2 days / 1 night BExplore Oya History Museum and try Utsunomiya gyoza
Stay one night in Utsunomiya for Oya’s underground stone quarry and gyoza the next day. Start and end at Tokyo Station, visit the museum on day one, then walk Gyoza Street and eat at Kirasse Main Store on day two. This itinerary does not visit Nikko.
Explore Oya History Museum and try Utsunomiya gyoza →Give Nikko’s Toshogu and Rinnoji separate days
Stay one night in Nikko for relaxed visits to Toshogu’s carvings and Rinnoji’s wooden hall and mausoleum architecture. Start and end in Asakusa, visiting Toshogu on day one and Sanbutsudo and Taiyuin on day two. Leave the waterfall and lake for another trip and allow time to rest between visits.
Day 1
Explore Toshogu carvings and architecture, then stay near Nikko Station.
- Asakusa Station → Tobu-Nikko Station
Take a reserved-seat Liberty Kegon limited express from Asakusa to Tobu-Nikko and alight there.
- Tobu-Nikko Station → Toshogu entrance · alight at Nishisando Iriguchi
Buy that day’s World Heritage bus pass at the station tourist centre, open 08:20–16:20. From Tobu-Nikko, take YK for Yumoto Onsen via Kotoku Onsen and get off at Nishisando Iriguchi · 西参道入口 (9). At the time checked, buses used boarding point 2A; check the operator’s information for your date and signs on site. Follow signs for the western and main approaches to Toshogu’s entrance. The official walk is about ten minutes; allow additional time for admission.
Bus pass salesBus timetables, boarding points and faresToshogu admission ticketsRinnoji visiting routeTobu Bus routes and stops
- Toshogu entrance → Toshogu carvings and architecture
Use the JPY 1,600 Toshogu-only ticket for Yomeimon, Three Wise Monkeys and Sleeping Cat carvings. April–October hours are 09:00–17:00, reception until 16:30. Winter hours are shorter; check your actual date. Museum combined tickets are excluded from costs.
Toshogu admission ticketsToshogu's Yomeimon Gate, Three Wise Monkeys and Sleeping Cat
- Toshogu → Lunch in Sannai and walk to the bus stop
Have lunch and a rest around Sannai. Retrace the main and western approaches from the attraction entrance to the station-bound side of stop 9.
Rinnoji visiting routeBus timetables, boarding points and fares
- Nishisando Iriguchi → Tobu-Nikko Station
Board C or YK towards JR Nikko at Nishisando Iriguchi (9)’s station-bound side and alight at Tobu-Nikko. Do not continue to the JR Nikko terminus.
Toshogu admission cut-offs vary seasonally. If arriving late, adjust the plan to visit the next day.
Day 2
Visit Sanbutsudo and Taiyuin, then return to Asakusa. Allow time to walk between the two entrances.
- Tobu-Nikko Station → Sanbutsudo entrance · alight at Nishisando Iriguchi
Buy a new day pass for day two at the station tourist centre; yesterday’s pass is no longer valid. Take C for Chuzenji Onsen from Tobu-Nikko to Nishisando Iriguchi (9). At the time checked, buses used boarding point 2C; check the operator’s information for your date and signs on site. Follow the western and main approaches towards Sanbutsudo, allowing time to reach the entrance and queue for admission.
Bus pass salesRinnoji tickets, prices and seasonal admission deadlinesRinnoji visiting routeBus timetables, boarding points and fares
- Sanbutsudo entrance → Buy a combined ticket and visit Sanbutsudo
Buy the JPY 900 Sanbutsudo and Taiyuin combined ticket in the morning and visit Sanbutsudo. April–October combined-ticket sales close at 14:30, earlier than ordinary admission. On restricted Sanbutsudo dates, adjust the plan to available visiting hours. See the attraction guide and temple event notices for dated restrictions.
- Sanbutsudo → Walk from Sanbutsudo to Taiyuin and visit
Follow the official temple map from Sanbutsudo via the main and west approaches to Taiyuin and visit. Treasure Hall and Shoyoen are excluded from this combined ticket.
Rinnoji tickets, prices and seasonal admission deadlinesRinnoji visiting route
- Taiyuin → Lunch and walk to a station-bound bus stop
After lunch, descend the west approach to station-bound stop 9. Allow time for eating, walking and waiting for the bus.
Rinnoji visiting routeBus timetables, boarding points and fares
- Nishisando Iriguchi → Tobu-Nikko Station
Board C or YK towards JR Nikko at Nishisando Iriguchi (9)’s station-bound side and alight at Tobu-Nikko. Do not continue to the JR Nikko terminus.
- Tobu-Nikko Station → Asakusa Station
Board your reserved-seat Liberty Kegon towards Asakusa at Tobu-Nikko. Check the departure board for that day’s platform.
Rinnoji combined-ticket sales close at 14:30 in April–October and 13:30 in November–March. After visiting, connect the station-bound bus and Asakusa limited express.
Costs included in the calculation: Return Tobu limited express JPY 6,100 + two JPY 600 World Heritage day passes + Toshogu JPY 1,600 + Rinnoji Sanbutsudo and Taiyuin combined ticket JPY 900 = JPY 9,800.
Extra costs: Accommodation, meals, travel to Asakusa Station, flights, Treasure Hall, prayers, special visits and luggage-storage charges are extra.
These costs were calculated from prices checked on 8 October 2026. Tobu’s JPY 3,050 one-way amount combines a JPY 1,400 ordinary paper fare and JPY 1,650 regular-season reserved-seat Liberty supplement. The World Heritage bus pass covers C and YK buses in Sannai, excluding temple admission. Check seasonal fares, booking conditions, admission and discounts for your travel dates.
Limited express supplementSeasonal faresBus timetables, boarding points and faresBus pass salesToshogu admission ticketsRinnoji tickets, prices and seasonal admission deadlines
Explore Oya History Museum and try Utsunomiya gyoza
Stay one night in Utsunomiya for Oya’s underground stone quarry and gyoza the next day. Start and end at Tokyo Station, visit the museum on day one, then walk Gyoza Street and eat at Kirasse Main Store on day two. This itinerary does not visit Nikko.
Day 1
Arrive in Utsunomiya, visit Oya’s underground stone quarry, then return to the city.
- Tokyo Station → JR Utsunomiya Station, west side
Take an ordinary Utsunomiya Line train from Tokyo towards Utsunomiya and alight there. Use an ordinary car, without Green Car travel.
Current JR station timetables: select the month and operating date
- JR Utsunomiya Station → Shiryokan-iriguchi stop · Oya History Museum
Buy the JPY 2,200 Oya sightseeing day pass at the tourist information office beside the ordinary-train gates. Sales are 09:00–14:50, with New Year and other closures separate. Take route 45 towards Tateiwa via Oya (大谷経由立岩) from west-side stop 6 to Shiryokan-iriguchi (資料館入口). Distinguish route 47 towards Shin-Kanuma. Official guidance gives about 30 minutes on the bus; allow extra for congestion, then approximately five minutes’ walking to the museum.
Oya pass coverage and sales hoursPrices, access and visitor restrictionsOutbound bus stop 6 and weekday timetableKanto Bus current route and timetable selection
- Shiryokan-iriguchi stop → Underground quarry visit
Visit Oya History Museum. April–November hours are 09:00–17:00, last admission 16:30. Check actual-date opening, including winter Tuesday closures. Admission is included in the Oya day pass. Ordinary entry via stairs cannot accommodate wheelchairs or prams. Paid golf-cart assistance requires advance booking for an available weekday; same-day requests are not accepted.
Oya pass coverage and sales hoursPrices, access and visitor restrictions
- Oya History Museum, above ground → Lunch and walk to a station-bound bus stop
Check that day’s hours and menu for your chosen restaurant first. Have lunch and a rest above ground, then return to Shiryokan-iriguchi’s Utsunomiya Station-bound stop.
Oya pass coverage and sales hoursPrices, access and visitor restrictionsKanto Bus current route and timetable selection
- Shiryokan-iriguchi stop → JR Utsunomiya Station, west side
Take route 01 towards Utsunomiya Station from the station-bound side of Shiryokan-iriguchi.
Return weekday timetableKanto Bus current route and timetable selection
At the time checked, the Oya pass was sold from 09:00 to 14:50. Check winter museum closures, stair access restrictions, the outbound route 45 timetable and return route 01 timetable.
Day 2
Walk Gyoza Street and eat at Kirasse’s main store, then return to Tokyo Station.
- JR Utsunomiya Station, west side → Gyoza Street walk
Walk along the main road from JR Utsunomiya Station’s west side, crossing Miyanohashi towards Gyoza Street. Official prefectural tourism guidance gives approximately 15 minutes from the station. Explore signs and lanes and check individual shops’ hours. Walk on this day; yesterday’s Oya pass is no longer valid.
Getting to Gyoza StreetCity tourism organisation's food walking route
- Gyoza Street → Eat gyoza at Kirasse’s main store
Head to Kirasse Main Store · 来らっせ本店 on central Babadori: 2-3-12 馬場通り, basement level of MEGA Don Quijote La Park Utsunomiya. From 11:00, compare gyoza in the daily rotating-shop area (日替わり店舗). This differs from frozen-gyoza sales at the Paseo shop. Finish eating with time to return to the station.
- Kirasse main store → JR Utsunomiya Station West Exit
After eating, return above ground and walk back to JR Utsunomiya Station West Exit.
City tourism organisation's food walking routeKirasse Main Store opening hours
- JR Utsunomiya Station → Tokyo Station
Choose an ordinary train via Tokyo Station from Utsunomiya and alight at Tokyo. Check that it stops there and distinguish services via Shinjuku.
Current JR station timetables: select the month and operating date
Kirasse’s daily rotating area and five permanent shops have different conditions. If meal queues are long, shorten street sightseeing to catch your return train.
Costs included in the calculation: Tokyo–Utsunomiya return ordinary JR JPY 4,180 + Oya sightseeing day pass JPY 2,200 = JPY 6,380.
Extra costs: Accommodation, gyoza and other meals, travel to Tokyo Station, Green Car travel, taxis, flights, additional visits and luggage-storage charges are extra.
These costs were calculated from prices checked on 8 October 2026. The JR reference is a one-way paper fare of JPY 2,090 in an ordinary car. Use the Oya pass for day-one buses and museum admission; this itinerary does not use its included Oya-ji admission. Do not add museum admission again. Day two is on foot. Check seasonal fares, booking conditions, admission and discounts for your travel dates.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Rinnoji combined ticket include Toshogu?
The JPY 900 combined ticket covers Rinnoji's Sanbutsudo Hall and Taiyuin. Buy a separate ticket for Toshogu.
Rinnoji tickets, prices and seasonal admission deadlinesToshogu admission tickets
Official sources and check dates
- Limited express supplement ·
- Seasonal fares ·
- Bus timetables, boarding points and fares ·
- Bus pass sales ·
- Rinnoji visiting route ·
- Revised JR fare table ·
- Oya pass coverage and sales hours ·
- Outbound bus stop 6 and weekday timetable ·
- Return weekday timetable ·
- Getting to Gyoza Street ·
- City tourism organisation's food walking route ·
- Kirasse Main Store opening hours ·
- Rinnoji tickets, prices and seasonal admission deadlines ·
- Toshogu admission tickets ·
- Tobu Bus routes and stops ·
- Prices, access and visitor restrictions ·
- Current JR station timetables: select the month and operating date ·
- Kanto Bus current route and timetable selection ·
- Current Tobu limited express timetable for Nikko ·
- Toshogu's Yomeimon Gate, Three Wise Monkeys and Sleeping Cat ·