Two nights in Tochigi: a lake or shrine visit on Day 2?
Stay two nights in Nikko and visit Lake Chuzenji on Day 2 for temples and the waterfall. For the underground quarry and gyoza, stay in Utsunomiya and take the JR Nikko Line to visit Toshogu on Day 2. Nikko uses an Asakusa round trip; Utsunomiya uses Tokyo Station. Both keep the same hotel.
Choose an itinerary for 3 days, 2 nights
Add a waterfall and lakeside day between temple visits
Stay two nights near Nikko Station to combine temples with a waterfall and lake. This Asakusa round trip visits Toshogu on day one, Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji on day two, and Rinnoji on the final day. The lake is a day trip, so you do not need to change hotels.
Add a waterfall and lakeside day between temple visits →3 days, 2 nights BStay in Utsunomiya and take a day trip to Nikko
Stay two nights in Utsunomiya to explore Oya’s underground quarry, eat gyoza, and see Toshogu’s carvings. This Tokyo Station round trip visits Oya History Museum on day one, Nikko on day two, and Gyoza Street and Kirasse for a meal on the final day. The waterfall and lake are excluded.
Stay in Utsunomiya and take a day trip to Nikko →Add a waterfall and lakeside day between temple visits
Stay two nights near Nikko Station to combine temples with a waterfall and lake. This Asakusa round trip visits Toshogu on day one, Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji on day two, and Rinnoji on the final day. The lake is a day trip, so you do not need to change hotels.
Day 1
Focus on Toshogu on day one, then stay near Nikko Station.
- Asakusa Station → Tobu-Nikko Station
Board the reserved-seat Limited Express Revaty Kegon from Asakusa to Tobu-Nikko and get off there. Buy that day’s ¥600 World Heritage bus ticket at the station tourist center.
Bus ticket salesBus timetable, stops, and faresCurrent Tobu limited express timetable toward Nikko
- Tobu-Nikko Station → Toshogu entrance via Nishisando Iriguchi stop
From Tobu-Nikko stop 2A, take a YK bus to Yumoto Onsen via Kotoku Onsen and get off at Nishisando Iriguchi (9). Follow Nishisando and Omotesando directions along the roughly 10-minute walk to Toshogu’s entrance, allowing admission queue time.
Toshogu admission ticketsRinnoji visitor routeBus timetable, stops, and faresTobu Bus routes and stops
- Toshogu → Visit Toshogu and have lunch
Visit with the ¥1,600 Toshogu-only ticket, then have lunch and rest. Return to the station-bound side of Nishisando Iriguchi (9).
- Nishisando Iriguchi → Tobu-Nikko Station
From the station-bound side of Nishisando Iriguchi (9), take a YK bus toward JR Nikko Station and get off at Tobu-Nikko.
Distinguish day one’s World Heritage one-day ticket from the Chuzenji Onsen two-day ticket starting the next day.
Day 2
Visit Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji, then return to the Nikko station area.
- Tobu-Nikko Station tourist center → Tobu-Nikko Station bus stop
After breakfast, buy the ¥2,300 Chuzenji Onsen two-day ticket at the station tourist center and start using it today. At the checked date, the center opened at 8:20 a.m. Choose a bus from your date’s timetable that leaves time for the ticket queue and walk to the stop. For mobile purchases, check conditions for specifying the use date.
- Tobu-Nikko Station → Chuzenji Onsen Terminal
From Tobu-Nikko, take a YK service to Yumoto Onsen via Kotoku Onsen and get off at Chuzenji-onsen · 中禅寺温泉 (26). The boarding stop was 2A at the checked date. Allow for fall foliage-season traffic.
- Chuzenji Onsen Terminal → Visit the Kegon Falls viewing platform
From the terminal, follow signs east toward Kegon Falls for a roughly five-minute walk to the elevator ticket entrance. Take the elevator down to see the falls from the paid viewing platform. The adult round-trip price is ¥600. Admission is first come, first served without reservations, so allow waiting time.
Bus timetable, stops, and faresKegon facility accessKegon ticket types and operations
- Kegon Falls → Eat and prepare for the next leg
After the waterfall visit, have lunch near the lake. Check the shop’s opening hours and queues that day.
- Large lakeside torii → Walk Lake Chuzenji’s public shore path
Follow the official map’s lakeside public path from the large torii toward Sunrise Pier (サンライズピア), then the front of Sunset Pier (サンセットピア), and retrace your route. This excludes boat rides, paid Chuzenji Temple visits, and Mount Nantai climbing. It is not a circuit of the entire lake.
- Lake Chuzenji public shore → Chuzenji Onsen Terminal station-bound stop
Allow time to walk back to the stop and wait. At the checked date, buses toward JR Nikko and Tobu-Nikko used stop 26B. Check your date’s official information and on-site signs, distinguishing it from Yumoto-bound 26A.
- Chuzenji Onsen Terminal → Tobu-Nikko Station
Take a YK bus from Chuzenji Onsen toward JR Nikko Station and get off at Tobu-Nikko. You stay another night near Nikko Station today, so do not immediately connect to a return limited express.
Use the Chuzenji Onsen two-day ticket today and tomorrow. Choose your return bus with weather-related waterfall closures and elevator queues in mind.
Day 3
Visit Rinnoji’s Sanbutsudo Hall and Taiyuin before returning to Asakusa.
- Tobu-Nikko Station → Sanbutsudo entrance via Nishisando Iriguchi stop
The Chuzenji two-day ticket started yesterday also covers today’s Sannai section, so do not buy an extra ¥600 ticket. From Tobu-Nikko, take a C service to Chuzenji Onsen and get off at Nishisando Iriguchi (9). The boarding stop was 2C at the checked date; recheck the operator’s information and on-site signs for your date. Follow the route from Nishisando and Omotesando to Sanbutsudo, allowing time for the entrance walk and admission queue.
Bus ticket salesRinnoji tickets, prices, and seasonal admission cutoffsRinnoji visitor routeBus timetable, stops, and fares
- Sanbutsudo entrance → Visit Sanbutsudo and Taiyuin
In the morning, buy the ¥900 Sanbutsudo–Taiyuin combined ticket, visit Sanbutsudo, then follow the official map to walk to Taiyuin and visit. April–October combined-ticket sales end at 2:30 p.m.; recheck other seasons’ cutoffs for your date. On Sanbutsudo restriction days, adjust to the available visiting hours. Find date-specific restrictions in attraction information and temple event notices.
Rinnoji tickets, prices, and seasonal admission cutoffsRinnoji visitor route
- Nishisando Iriguchi → Tobu-Nikko Station
At the station-bound side of Nishisando Iriguchi (9), take a C or YK service toward JR Nikko Station and get off at Tobu-Nikko. Do not continue to the JR Nikko terminus.
- Tobu-Nikko Station → Asakusa Station
Board your reserved-seat Limited Express Revaty Kegon from Tobu-Nikko to Asakusa. Check the departure board for that day’s platform.
Bus timetable, stops, and faresCurrent Tobu limited express timetable toward Nikko
The two-day ticket started yesterday also covers Sannai. Check the temple admission cutoff alongside your return limited express.
Costs included in the calculation: Tobu limited express round trip ¥6,100 + day-one World Heritage bus ticket ¥600 + days-two-and-three Chuzenji Onsen two-day ticket ¥2,300 + Toshogu ¥1,600 + Rinnoji Sanbutsudo–Taiyuin combined ticket ¥900 + Kegon Falls elevator ¥600 = ¥12,100.
Extra costs: Lodging, meals, travel to the airport and Asakusa Station, sightseeing boats, museums, treasure house admission, additional shrine visits, and bag storage are separate.
Calculated with prices checked October 8, 2026. Tobu limited express uses a regular-season one-way price of ¥3,050. The Chuzenji Onsen ticket also covers day three’s Sannai bus, so another ¥600 ticket is not added. Lakeside walking uses the specified public path. Check your actual date’s season, booking terms, fares, admission, and discount conditions.
Limited express chargeSeasonal faresBus timetable, stops, and faresBus ticket salesToshogu admission ticketsRinnoji tickets, prices, and seasonal admission cutoffsKegon ticket types and operations
Stay in Utsunomiya and take a day trip to Nikko
Stay two nights in Utsunomiya to explore Oya’s underground quarry, eat gyoza, and see Toshogu’s carvings. This Tokyo Station round trip visits Oya History Museum on day one, Nikko on day two, and Gyoza Street and Kirasse for a meal on the final day. The waterfall and lake are excluded.
Day 1
Visit Oya History Museum, then stay in Utsunomiya.
- Tokyo Station → West side of JR Utsunomiya Station
Take a regular Utsunomiya Line train from Tokyo Station toward Utsunomiya and get off there. Use an ordinary car, not a Green Car. Buy the ¥2,200 Oya sightseeing one-day ticket at the tourist information office beside the regular-train ticket gates.
Oya ticket inclusions and sales hoursFees, access, and entry restrictionsCurrent JR station timetables: select month and operating date
- JR Utsunomiya Station → Shiryokan Iriguchi bus stop and Oya History Museum
From Utsunomiya Station’s west-side stop 6, take route 45 for Tateiwa via Oya and get off at Shiryokan Iriguchi. Walk about five minutes from the stop into the museum.
Oya ticket inclusions and sales hoursFees, access, and entry restrictionsOutbound route 6 weekday timetableKanto Transportation current route and timetable selection
- Oya History Museum → Visit the underground quarry and have lunch
Visit Oya History Museum, then have lunch above ground. Admission is included in the Oya ticket, so do not pay another ¥1,000. The Oyaji Temple benefit is not used.
Oya ticket inclusions and sales hoursFees, access, and entry restrictions
- Shiryokan Iriguchi bus stop → West side of JR Utsunomiya Station
Take route 01 for Utsunomiya Station from the station-bound side of Shiryokan Iriguchi stop.
Oya ticket inclusions and sales hoursFees, access, and entry restrictionsWeekday return timetableKanto Transportation current route and timetable selection
The Oya ticket includes museum admission, so do not add a separate admission fee.
Day 2
Take the JR Nikko Line to visit Toshogu today, returning to Utsunomiya in the evening.
- JR Utsunomiya Station → JR Nikko Station
Take a JR Nikko Line train from Utsunomiya toward Nikko and get off at JR Nikko Station. Choose a train continuing to Nikko, distinguishing it from services terminating at Kanuma.
Current JR station timetables: select month and operating date
- JR Nikko Station → Tobu-Nikko Station and tourist center
Follow National Route 119 to Tobu-Nikko Station using the official map in front of JR Nikko Station. Buy the ¥600 World Heritage ticket for the day at the station tourist center. Have lunch nearby, then continue to bus stop 2A.
- Tobu-Nikko Station → Toshogu entrance via Nishisando Iriguchi stop
From Tobu-Nikko stop 2A, take a YK bus to Yumoto Onsen via Kotoku Onsen and get off at Nishisando Iriguchi (9). Follow Omotesando directions for the roughly 10-minute walk to the entrance, allowing admission queue time.
- Toshogu → Visit Toshogu and walk to the station-bound stop
Use the ¥1,600 Toshogu-only ticket to see Yomeimon and the Three Wise Monkeys and Sleeping Cat carvings. Then descend Nishisando to the station-bound side of Nishisando Iriguchi (9). Admission to other temples is excluded.
Toshogu admission ticketsRinnoji visitor routeBus timetable, stops, and faresToshogu Yomeimon, Three Wise Monkeys, and Sleeping Cat
- Nishisando Iriguchi → JR Utsunomiya Station via transfer from Tobu-Nikko to JR Nikko
From the station-bound side of Nishisando Iriguchi (9), take a C or YK bus toward JR Nikko Station and get off at Tobu-Nikko. Walk along National Route 119 in front of the station to JR Nikko Station, then board the JR Nikko Line toward Utsunomiya. Allow time to walk between the stations and reach the platform.
Bus timetable, stops, and faresCurrent JR station timetables: select month and operating date
JR Nikko and Tobu-Nikko are different stations. Choose your return JR train allowing for the bus down from the temple and the walk between stations.
Day 3
Walk Gyoza Street and eat at Kirasse Main Store before returning to Tokyo Station.
- West side of JR Utsunomiya Station → Walk Gyoza Street
Walk from JR Utsunomiya Station’s west side to Gyoza Street, officially listed as about 15 minutes away. Explore the street’s signs and lanes and check individual shops’ hours.
- Gyoza Street → Eat gyoza at Kirasse Main Store
Order and compare gyoza in Kirasse Main Store’s rotating daily vendor area in the MEGA Don Quijote La Park basement. At the checked date, it operated daily 11 a.m.–9 p.m., with last orders at 8:30 p.m. Distinguish this from weekday closures of the five permanent shops. Finish eating with time to return to the station.
- Kirasse Main Store → JR Utsunomiya Station west exit
After your meal, return to street level and walk back to JR Utsunomiya Station’s west exit.
City tourism walking food itineraryKirasse main store operations
- JR Utsunomiya Station → Tokyo Station
Choose a regular train from Utsunomiya that travels via Tokyo Station and get off there. Confirm that it stops at Tokyo Station, distinguishing it from services via Shinjuku.
Current JR station timetables: select month and operating date
Choose a regular train stopping at Tokyo Station, distinguishing it from services via Shinjuku.
Costs included in the calculation: JR Tokyo Station–Utsunomiya Station round trip ¥4,180 + Oya sightseeing one-day ticket ¥2,200 + JR Utsunomiya Station–Nikko Station ¥810 × 2 + World Heritage bus ticket ¥600 + Toshogu ¥1,600 = ¥10,200.
Extra costs: Lodging, gyoza and other meals, travel to Tokyo Station, Green Car travel, extra admission, and bag storage are separate.
Calculated with prices checked October 8, 2026. The Nikko Line uses ordinary-car unreserved seats with no limited express charge. Use the Oya ticket on day one and World Heritage ticket on day two; the final day uses walking. Check your actual date’s season, booking terms, fares, admission, and discount conditions.
Revised JR fare tableOya ticket inclusions and sales hoursNikko tourism organization 2026 revised fare table and JR Nikko Line ¥810Bus ticket salesToshogu admission tickets
Frequently asked questions
Is a one-day bus ticket enough to visit the waterfall from Nikko?
The ¥600 World Heritage one-day ticket covers the Sannai shrine and temple area, not the bus to Chuzenji Onsen. Two-night option A uses the ¥2,300 Chuzenji Onsen two-day ticket for the waterfall/lake round trip on day two and the temple buses on day three. Kegon Falls elevator admission of ¥600 is separate from the bus ticket.
Bus ticket salesBus timetable, stops, and faresKegon facility accessKegon ticket types and operations
Does this itinerary board and return to JR Nikko Station by bus?
After arriving from Utsunomiya at JR Nikko, walk along Route 119 in front of the station to Tobu-Nikko and board there. On the return, get off at Tobu-Nikko and walk to JR Nikko. These are different stations; distinguish your bus stop from the JR Nikko Line platform.
Bus timetable, stops, and faresNikko tourism organization 2026 revised fare table and JR Nikko Line ¥810
Official sources and checked dates
- Limited express charge ·
- Seasonal fares ·
- Bus timetable, stops, and fares ·
- Bus ticket sales ·
- Rinnoji visitor route ·
- Revised JR fare table ·
- Oya ticket inclusions and sales hours ·
- Outbound route 6 weekday timetable ·
- Weekday return timetable ·
- Gyoza Street access ·
- City tourism walking food itinerary ·
- Kirasse main store operations ·
- Kegon facility access ·
- Kegon ticket types and operations ·
- Official lake and waterfall walking map ·
- Stop 26B change notice ·
- Rinnoji tickets, prices, and seasonal admission cutoffs ·
- Toshogu admission tickets ·
- Tobu Bus routes and stops ·
- Fees, access, and entry restrictions ·
- Nikko tourism organization 2026 revised fare table and JR Nikko Line ¥810 ·
- Current JR station timetables: select month and operating date ·
- Kanto Transportation current route and timetable selection ·
- Current Tobu limited express timetable toward Nikko ·
- Toshogu Yomeimon, Three Wise Monkeys, and Sleeping Cat ·