Three days in Tochigi: spend day two at the lake or the shrine?
To see Nikko’s temples and waterfall, stay two nights in Nikko and visit Lake Chuzenji on day two. For the underground quarry and gyoza, stay in Utsunomiya and take the JR Nikko Line to Toshogu on day two. The Nikko itinerary starts and ends at Asakusa; the Utsunomiya itinerary starts and ends at Tokyo Station. Both use the same hotel for two nights.
Choose a 3 days, 2 nights itinerary
A waterfall and lakeside day between temple visits
Stay two nights near Nikko's stations for temples, waterfall and lake. Start and end at Asakusa: Toshogu on day one, Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji on day two, and Rinnoji on the last day. The lake is a day trip, so you need not move hotels.
A waterfall and lakeside day between temple visits →3 days, 2 nights BStay in Utsunomiya for a Nikko day trip
Stay two nights in Utsunomiya for Oya's underground quarry, gyoza and Toshogu's carvings. Start and end at Tokyo Station: Oya Museum on day one, a Nikko day trip on day two, and Gyoza Street/Kirasse on the last day. Waterfall and lake visits are excluded.
Stay in Utsunomiya for a Nikko day trip →A waterfall and lakeside day between temple visits
Stay two nights near Nikko's stations for temples, waterfall and lake. Start and end at Asakusa: Toshogu on day one, Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji on day two, and Rinnoji on the last day. The lake is a day trip, so you need not move hotels.
Day 1
Focus on Toshogu on day one and stay near Nikko's stations.
- Asakusa Station → Tobu-Nikko Station
Take a reserved-seat Liberty Kegon from Asakusa to Tobu-Nikko and get off there. Buy the ¥600 same-day World Heritage pass at the station tourist centre.
Bus pass salesBus timetables, bays and faresCurrent Tobu Nikko-bound limited-express timetable
- Tobu-Nikko Station → Toshogu entrance via Nishisando Iriguchi stop
Take a YK service to Yumoto Onsen via Kotoku Onsen from Tobu-Nikko bay 2A and get off at Nishisando Iriguchi (9). Follow Nishisando and Omotesando signs for the ten-minute walk to Toshogu's entrance, allowing reception waits.
Toshogu ticketsRinnoji visiting routeBus timetables, bays and faresTobu Bus routes and stops
- Nikko Toshogu Shrine → Toshogu visit and lunch
Visit with the ¥1,600 shrine-only ticket, then eat and rest. Return to stop 9's station-bound side at Nishisando Iriguchi.
- Nishisando Iriguchi → Tobu-Nikko Station
Take a YK JR Nikko Station-bound bus from stop 9's station-bound side and get off at Tobu-Nikko.
Distinguish day one's World Heritage one-day pass from the Chuzenji-onsen two-day pass starting tomorrow.
Day 2
Visit Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji, then return to Nikko's station area.
- Tobu-Nikko Station tourist centre → Tobu-Nikko Station bus bays
After breakfast, buy the ¥2,300 Chuzenji-onsen two-day pass at the tourist centre and start using it today. The checked centre opening is 08:20. Choose a travel-date bus with time for purchase queues and reaching the bay. For mobile purchases, check specified-use-date conditions.
- Tobu-Nikko Station → Chuzenji-onsen terminal
Take a YK service to Yumoto Onsen via Kotoku Onsen from Tobu-Nikko and get off at Chuzenji-onsen · 中禅寺温泉 (26). The checked bay was 2A. Allow autumn foliage traffic delays.
- Chuzenji-onsen terminal → Kegon Falls viewing platform
Follow eastbound Kegon Falls signs from the terminal to the elevator reception entrance, about five minutes on foot. Descend by elevator to the paid viewing platform. Adult return elevator admission is ¥600, boarding in arrival order without reservations; allow waits.
Bus timetables, bays and faresKegon facility accessKegon tickets and operations
- Kegon Falls → Meal and next journey preparations
After the waterfall, eat lunch by the lake. Check that day's shop opening and queues.
- Large lakeside torii → Walk the public Lake Chuzenji shore path
Follow the official map's public lakeside path from the large torii past Sunrise Pier (サンライズピア) to Sunset Pier (サンセットピア), then return by the same route. This excludes boats, paid Chuzenji Temple visits and Mount Nantai climbing. It does not circle the whole lake.
- Public Lake Chuzenji shore → Chuzenji-onsen terminal station-bound bay
Allow time to walk back to the stop and wait. The checked JR/Tobu-Nikko Station-bound bay was 26B; recheck official information and on-site signs for your date. Distinguish it from Yumoto-bound bay 26A.
- Chuzenji-onsen terminal → Tobu-Nikko Station
Take a YK JR Nikko Station-bound bus from Chuzenji-onsen and get off at Tobu-Nikko. Stay another night near Nikko's stations, without an immediate limited-express connection.
Use the Chuzenji-onsen two-day pass today and tomorrow. Choose the return bus around weather suspensions at the falls and elevator queues.
Day 3
Visit Rinnoji's Sanbutsudo and Taiyuin, then return to Asakusa.
- Tobu-Nikko Station → Sanbutsudo entrance via Nishisando Iriguchi stop
Use the two-day pass started yesterday for Sannai today too; do not buy another ¥600 pass. Take a C Chuzenji-onsen-bound bus from Tobu-Nikko to Nishisando Iriguchi (9). The checked bay was 2C; recheck operator information and on-site signs for your date. Follow Nishisando and Omotesando towards Sanbutsudo, allowing entrance walking and reception waits.
Bus pass salesRinnoji tickets, prices and seasonal receptionRinnoji visiting routeBus timetables, bays and fares
- Sanbutsudo entrance → Sanbutsudo and Taiyuin visits
Buy the ¥900 Sanbutsudo/Taiyuin combination ticket in the morning, visit Sanbutsudo, then follow the official map on foot to Taiyuin. April–October combined-ticket reception ends at 14:30; recheck other seasons' deadlines for your date. On restricted Sanbutsudo days, adjust to available hours. Date-specific restrictions appear in the attraction guide and temple event notices.
Rinnoji tickets, prices and seasonal receptionRinnoji visiting route
- Nishisando Iriguchi → Tobu-Nikko Station
From stop 9's station-bound side, take a C or YK bus to JR Nikko Station and get off at Tobu-Nikko. Do not continue to the JR terminus.
- Tobu-Nikko Station → Asakusa Station
Take your booked Asakusa-bound reserved-seat Liberty Kegon from Tobu-Nikko. Check the platform on that day's display.
Bus timetables, bays and faresCurrent Tobu Nikko-bound limited-express timetable
Use the two-day pass started yesterday for Sannai. Check temple reception deadlines alongside your return limited express.
Included costs: Tobu limited express return ¥6,100 + day-one World Heritage pass ¥600 + day-two/three Chuzenji-onsen pass ¥2,300 + Toshogu ¥1,600 + Rinnoji Sanbutsudo/Taiyuin combination ¥900 + Kegon Falls elevator ¥600 = ¥12,100.
Extra costs: Accommodation, meals, airport travel and travel to Asakusa Station, sightseeing boats, museums, treasure hall, extra shrine visits and luggage storage are separate.
Calculated from prices checked October 8, 2026, with regular-season Tobu limited express ¥3,050 each way. The Chuzenji-onsen pass covers Sannai on day three, so another ¥600 pass is not added. At the lake, follow the indicated public path. Check actual-date season, booking conditions, fares, admission and discounts.
Limited-express chargesSeasonal faresBus timetables, bays and faresBus pass salesToshogu ticketsRinnoji tickets, prices and seasonal receptionKegon tickets and operations
Stay in Utsunomiya for a Nikko day trip
Stay two nights in Utsunomiya for Oya's underground quarry, gyoza and Toshogu's carvings. Start and end at Tokyo Station: Oya Museum on day one, a Nikko day trip on day two, and Gyoza Street/Kirasse on the last day. Waterfall and lake visits are excluded.
Day 1
Visit Oya History Museum and stay in Utsunomiya.
- Tokyo Station → JR Utsunomiya Station west side
Take a Utsunomiya-bound local train from Tokyo on the Utsunomiya Line. Use an ordinary car, excluding the Green Car. Buy the ¥2,200 Oya sightseeing one-day pass at the tourist office beside ordinary-train gates.
Oya pass coverage and sales hoursFees, access and use restrictionsCurrent JR station timetables: select month and service date
- JR Utsunomiya Station → Shiryokan Iriguchi stop and Oya History Museum
Take route 45 to Tateiwa via Oya from Utsunomiya Station's west bay 6 and get off at Shiryokan Iriguchi. Walk about five minutes to enter the museum.
Oya pass coverage and sales hoursFees, access and use restrictionsOutward bay 6 weekday timetableKanto Bus current routes and timetable selection
- Oya History Museum → Underground quarry and lunch
Visit Oya Museum, then eat lunch above ground. Admission is included in the Oya pass, so do not pay another ¥1,000. The Oya-ji benefit is unused.
Oya pass coverage and sales hoursFees, access and use restrictions
- Shiryokan Iriguchi stop → JR Utsunomiya Station west side
Take route 01 to Utsunomiya Station from the station-bound side of Shiryokan Iriguchi.
Oya pass coverage and sales hoursFees, access and use restrictionsWeekday return timetableKanto Bus current routes and timetable selection
Museum admission is included in the Oya pass, with no extra admission added.
Day 2
A JR Nikko Line day trip to Toshogu, returning to Utsunomiya in the evening.
- JR Utsunomiya Station → JR Nikko Station
Take a Nikko-bound JR Nikko Line train from Utsunomiya and get off at JR Nikko. Choose a service reaching Nikko, rather than terminating at Kanuma.
Current JR station timetables: select month and service date
- JR Nikko Station → Tobu-Nikko Station and tourist centre
Walk from JR Nikko to Tobu-Nikko along National Route 119 on the official map. Buy a ¥600 same-day World Heritage pass at the tourist centre. Eat lunch nearby, then go to bay 2A.
- Tobu-Nikko Station → Toshogu entrance via Nishisando Iriguchi stop
Take a YK service to Yumoto Onsen via Kotoku Onsen from Tobu-Nikko bay 2A to Nishisando Iriguchi (9). Follow Omotesando signs for about ten minutes to the entrance, allowing reception waits.
- Nikko Toshogu Shrine → Toshogu visit and walk to the station-bound stop
Use the ¥1,600 shrine-only ticket for Yomeimon, Three Wise Monkeys and Sleeping Cat carvings. Descend Nishisando afterwards to stop 9's station-bound side. Other temple admission is excluded.
Toshogu ticketsRinnoji visiting routeBus timetables, bays and faresToshogu's Yomeimon, Three Wise Monkeys and Sleeping Cat
- Nishisando Iriguchi → JR Utsunomiya Station via a Tobu-Nikko–JR Nikko transfer
Take a C or YK JR Nikko Station-bound bus from stop 9's station-bound side and get off at Tobu-Nikko. Walk along Route 119 to JR Nikko and board the Utsunomiya-bound JR Nikko Line. Allow inter-station walking and platform access.
Bus timetables, bays and faresCurrent JR station timetables: select month and service date
JR Nikko and Tobu-Nikko are different stations. Choose your return JR train allowing the bus down from the temple and the inter-station walk.
Day 3
Walk Gyoza Street and eat at Kirasse Main Store, then return to Tokyo Station.
- JR Utsunomiya Station west side → Gyoza Street walk
Walk to Gyoza Street from JR Utsunomiya Station's west side, officially about 15 minutes. Explore street signs and lanes and check individual shops' hours.
Gyoza Street accessCity tourism body's food walking itinerary
- Gyoza Street → Gyoza at Kirasse Main Store
Order and compare gyoza in Kirasse Main Store's rotating-shop area in the basement of MEGA Don Quijote La Park. Checked daily hours are 11:00–21:00, last order 20:30, distinct from the five permanent shops' weekday closures. Finish with time to return to the station.
- Kirasse Main Store → JR Utsunomiya Station west exit
After eating, go up to street level and walk back to JR Utsunomiya Station's west exit.
City tourism body's food walking itineraryKirasse Main Store operations
- JR Utsunomiya Station → Tokyo Station
Choose a local train via Tokyo Station and get off there. Check that it stops at Tokyo, distinguishing it from services via Shinjuku.
Current JR station timetables: select month and service date
Choose a local train stopping at Tokyo Station, distinguishing it from services via Shinjuku.
Included costs: Tokyo–Utsunomiya JR return ¥4,180 + Oya one-day pass ¥2,200 + Utsunomiya–Nikko JR ¥810 × 2 + World Heritage bus pass ¥600 + Toshogu ¥1,600 = ¥10,200.
Extra costs: Accommodation, gyoza and other meals, travel to Tokyo Station, Green Car, extra visits and luggage storage are separate.
Calculated from prices checked October 8, 2026. The Nikko Line uses ordinary-car unreserved seating without a limited-express charge. Use the Oya pass on day one and World Heritage pass on day two; the last day is on foot. Check actual-date season, booking conditions, fares, admission and discounts.
Revised JR faresOya pass coverage and sales hoursNikko tourism body's revised 2026 fares and ¥810 JR Nikko Line fareBus pass salesToshogu tickets
Frequently asked questions
Is a one-day bus pass enough for Nikko's waterfall?
The ¥600 World Heritage one-day pass covers Sannai shrine/temple journeys, excluding Chuzenji-onsen buses. Three-day itinerary A uses the ¥2,300 Chuzenji-onsen two-day pass for day two's waterfall/lake return and day three's temple buses. The ¥600 Kegon elevator ticket is separate.
Bus pass salesBus timetables, bays and faresKegon facility accessKegon tickets and operations
Do I take the bus from JR Nikko Station and return there?
After arriving from Utsunomiya at JR Nikko Station, this route walks along Route 119 to Tobu Nikko Station to catch the bus. On the return, get off at Tobu Nikko and walk to JR Nikko Station. They are different stations, so distinguish your bus stop from the Nikko Line boarding point.
Bus timetables, bays and faresNikko tourism body's revised 2026 fares and ¥810 JR Nikko Line fare
Official sources and check dates
- Limited-express charges ·
- Seasonal fares ·
- Bus timetables, bays and fares ·
- Bus pass sales ·
- Rinnoji visiting route ·
- Revised JR fares ·
- Oya pass coverage and sales hours ·
- Outward bay 6 weekday timetable ·
- Weekday return timetable ·
- Gyoza Street access ·
- City tourism body's food walking itinerary ·
- Kirasse Main Store operations ·
- Kegon facility access ·
- Kegon tickets and operations ·
- Official lake and waterfall walking map ·
- Bay 26B change notice ·
- Rinnoji tickets, prices and seasonal reception ·
- Toshogu tickets ·
- Tobu Bus routes and stops ·
- Fees, access and use restrictions ·
- Nikko tourism body's revised 2026 fares and ¥810 JR Nikko Line fare ·
- Current JR station timetables: select month and service date ·
- Kanto Bus current routes and timetable selection ·
- Current Tobu Nikko-bound limited-express timetable ·
- Toshogu's Yomeimon, Three Wise Monkeys and Sleeping Cat ·