Nikko National Park Day Trip from Tokyo

Tokyo, Japan

Explore the scenic shrines and countryside of the Nikko National Park on a day trip from Tokyo. Nikko has been a center of Shinto and Buddhist mountain worship for centuries and is famous for its natural attractions, wild monkeys and shrines.

You'll also visit Nikko, a small city at the entrance to the national park. The highlight here is the world-famous Toshogu Shrine, the mausoleum of the first Tokugawa Shogun. It's a gorgeous complex of colorful structures featuring the superb craftsmanship of Japan's 17th century artisans. Look out for the famous carving of the hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil monkeys.

Spend some time at the Tamozawa Imperial Villa featuring architecture from the Edo, Meiji and Taisho periods. The villa was originally built as a resting place for Emperor Taisho and has since housed other illustrious guests, most notably the Showra Emperor during World War 2.

Take a break for lunch and afterward, travel to the Kirifuri Waterfall, considered one of the three most beautiful waterfalls in Nikko. The waterfall takes its name from the mist created by the water hitting the rocks below and producing an enchanting fog-like (Kirafuri) quality.

Finish your tour at Shinjuku, one of Tokyo's most popular shopping and entertainment districts. Browse the shopping areas or relax with dinner and a drink at one of the many restaurants (at own expense), before making your own way back to your hotel.

USD $156.93

Traveler Reviews

Review by: Michael C	April 2012
Great day out, if a little long by coach. Fantastic lunch included and stunning views

Review by: Neccy D	March 2012
It's ok but I'd rather chose another place to go :)

Review by: Patricia S	March 2012
It was a wonderful trip, the temples with the woods and snow was magical. Lunch was tasty and beautifully presented. Our guide was very helpful, love to go again during warmer climate.

Review by: jessicafreeburn	January 2012
Excellent tour, sites, and guides, very happy. The sites selected for the tour are great.

Review by: Bryan C	January 2012
There wasn't enough time at each location. The bus ride time needs to be specified and the amount of time at each location needs to be specified. Overall I had a great time.

Review by: Ralf L	January 2012
Well done, informative, well organized, personal, and all around a great cultural exploration. Kudos to the tour guide, assistants, driver, and organizer: only the Japanese can be so thoroughly prepared, on-time, and absolutely friendly.

Review by: Teresa	December 2011
We enjoyed this tour very much !! Our guide was very good ! Our bus driver was very good !

Review by: Warren M	November 2011
I would recommend this tour for everyone. We had plenty of time at each of the stops for taking photos, also the boat ride is about 25minutes. We just missed the fall foilage by about three weeks. This trip also came with a meal. Our tour guide was excellent and very helpfull for giving directions after the tour was over. loved this trip.

Review by: Ana I	November 2011
The tour was great and the guide, Katie, was absolutely fantastic; knowledgeable and spoke perfect English, she'd go the extra mile so we could have a great trip. I definitely recommend it.

Review by: Emily M	November 2011
The tour was fantastic! Our guide was entertaining and extremely informative. We were provided with headsets so we could roam while still hearing all of the information. I was lucky enough to go when the foliage was in full force, and the drive through the mountains was simply spectacular. Definitely recommend it. Only downfall was the drop off location. It was not clear where I had to go to catch the JR line, but the tour guide was extremely helpful.

Review by: Ryan S	November 2011
Overall, my wife and I enjoyed the trip, particularly our tour guide. She was very informative, enthusiastic, and hospitable. The one big disappointment, however, was the fact that we were not able to go up the mountain to see the lake and waterfall due to heavy seasonal traffic. Based on information gathered by our tour guide, it would have taken an additional 2 1/2 hours to make the trip (one way!). While we agree with the decision not to go up the mountain, it was still frustrating because that was one of the main factors in choosing this trip. Admittedly (we went back and checked), the promotional material does disclose this possibility, but someone unfamiliar with Nikko would not know that there is a higher probability of it happening in the fall. As a result, those thinking of taking this trip should be aware that Nikko is very popular in the fall and that the stated itinerary is likely to be altered. For the sake of future tours, we wonder if it would be possible in such heavy traffic periods to adjust the schedule so that the lake and waterfall can still be included (by visiting these first and the temple later).

Review by: Martin V	October 2011
Great trip, everything went to plan, could not fault it.

Review by: Brendan S	October 2011
I really enjoyed this trip the shrine was amazing and we saw the horse!, the lake and waterfall were beautiful especially with the Autumn colours starting. We had a very nice lunch and chat together. I did think it was strange that at the top of the mountain a red roofed building was pointed out as an excellant place to take photos and than we drove straight past. I think eveyone on board was expecting to stop and take photos! It was also disconcerting to many that we didn't end the tour where we started it though our guide made sure everyone had maps and knew the way back to their hotel in theory at least. Our guide Ako Miyazaki was lovely. She looked after us all very well and was especially kind to me by lending me her mobile at her own cost so I could let my son know when I would be getting back. She also took me on to the train I needed so I didn't get lost getting back to Kameido. A real star!! Thank you Ako

Review by: John B	March 2011
This was an excellent tour, but we were disappointed that they did not return us to the hotel but left us to find our way back from the bus station by subway!

Review by: Bernadette C	February 2011
This day trip was the perfect balance between temples and nature. Whilst it took 2 hours to drive to Nikko, the surrounding snow made it all worthwhile! The temple looked amazing, lunch was fantastic - the best lunch I had on any tour in Japan. And Kegon waterfall was breathtaking - it was the first time I had ever seen a partly frozen waterfall. Whilst I was unsure about booking this tour, this turned out to be the best thing I did in Japan!

Review by: Alexander H	February 2011
Great tour guide, great scenery, awesome country :)

Review by: Robert M	January 2011
Our tour guide was very knowledge and spoke English very well. he gave us the history of several sites and pointed out interesting things throughout the tour, without ever being intrusive. The bus was clean and comfortable and the bus driver wa excellent. Robert Mitchell

Review by: Nazri R	January 2011
Very good an informative tour. WEnt during the winter month and was very cold at times, esp around lake ashi etc. Had a blast.

Review by: Jose O	December 2010
Beautiful tour and definitely recommended.

Review by: Philip B	December 2010
The trip was done with a very good tour guide, bus driver, and excellent timing for all visits made. I would use Viator again. Thank you

Review by: Terri M	November 2010
Beautiful tour. Nice to see outside of Tokyo. Our tour guide was wonderful! She made a long trip interesting. Nikko is amazing to see.

Review by: RENE P	November 2010
-Overall tour rating : average - pick up : very good - NO DROP OFF: this is a very negative point and it is not mentioned in your description . It is not acceptable to leave people on the street in the evening! -Tour guide : very helpfull (English is average) - visits in Nikko : excellent - Lunch : restaurant of average quality (not as good as in Tokyo panomaric tour) - Bus quality : average (this is not a good point for such a long tour)

Review by: IVAN M	November 2010
Excellent tour throughout. Our guide was incredibly thoughtful and caring and the lunch was rather nice!

Review by: Karina A	November 2010
Tour guide's pronunciation was a little difficult to understand but he was nevertheless very knowledgeable. Long drive and got stuck in traffic which was disappointing and apparently unusual. The temples are worth the visit and the Nikki mountains are a gorgeous day visit our of Tokyo.

Review by: Albert C	November 2010
The whole day rained so it wasn't so enjoyable to us. The guide was excellent though and she really worked hard to ensure us with as much fun as possible, despite the weather condition. The Japanese lunch they provided was not good, but then we usually dine in 5 star establishments.

Review by: Kenneth H	November 2010
as always everything ran to time and we had a great day. Katsu was a great guide and very entertaining.

Review by: Maryann S	October 2010
Tour could have been good but could not understand the tour guide at all. He tried but couldn't understand a word. Others on the tour also felt that way.

Review by: SUSAN PECK R	October 2010
I'm so glad I booked this tour through Viator. I had considered trying to get to Nikko on my own but, even if I had successfully done so, I never could have had such a rich and well planned experience as Viator provided. Our guide was delightful and knowledgable. The planning and execution of every aspect of the day was perfect. And, of course, Nikko is not to be missed.

Review by: Stuart C	October 2010
This was our first full day in Japan and chose this trip to see Nikko without having to plan the trip ourselves. We were picked up from the hotel and taken to the bus station to get on the bus to Nikko. On the way there, our guide gave a running talk on the history of Japan and pointed out features of importance. There was plenty of free time at Nikko and at the waterfalls. The organised lunch was very good ( vegetarian option available). On the way back, our guide ensured that we knew how to get back to our hotel. It was a long day but would definitely recommend going by organised tour.

Review by: Shahzad Q	October 2010
It was good trip, tour guide was nice man and keep informing us about the history which was very informative. Lunch was also good, we really enjoyed it. Overall service was very good. Thanks keep it up

Review by: Xuan Linh H	October 2010
great tour. tour guide was very knowledgable. very attentive to customers needs and went out of his way to make sure all customers were happy

Review by: Mikhail K	October 2010
All was really excellent, but as usual in such excursions there were lots of extra places on the road to make good pictures but the tight schedule didn't allowed us to do so.

Review by: John T	October 2010
Very disappointing tour. Too much time travelling on the bus. This tour needs to be improved by reducing the travel time to and from Nikko.

Review by: Iryna Z	September 2010
I would highly recommend to visit Nikko. Unforgettable experience.

Review by: SUE N	August 2010
it wonderful, the tour is fantastic.

Review by: Anonymous	August 2010
Too much spare time.

Review by: Sandra P	August 2010
A long day but well worth the effort.

Review by: Anonymous	July 2010
loved it

Review by: Anonymous	July 2010
This was a great tour. The tour guide was very nice and had a lot information to share about the sites. She also shared a lot of good info on Japan, on our bus ride, which helped make the drive seem faster. I love the use of the headsets at the temples. It was an efficient way to hear the guide and follow her, without having to tag along too close to hear what she was saying. The guide told us we did not have time to see some extra things, yet we came back to Tokyo 2 hours earlier than the outlined itinerary. I felt like the bus was just rushing to beat traffic back to the city. Otherwise, the lunch was good, and the amount of time spent at each place was just enough.

Review by: Françoise G, France	May 2010
One of the most interesting tours around Tokio

Review by: Michael C, United Kingdom	April 2010
It rained all day on our trip, but it was still worthwhile. The rain gave the collection of temples and shrines a special atmosphere. However, the lake and the waterfall were not visible. The Japanese lunch was very good. The guide was great and entertained us all day.

Review by: diny s, Netherlands	April 2010
It was an exellend day. We had a guide who told us a lot about everything. Great!

Review by: Ilse Z, South Africa	April 2010
This trip was amazing! Interesting and informative. The guide was fantastic. The lunch was perfect for the cold snowy day we experienced. The lake was one of the most beutiful I have seen.

Review by: John C, United States of America	April 2010
Our tour guide was very good and informative with useful infomation regarding the shirines, and the evolution of the different religions in Japan. Lunch was great, and we would higly recommend!

Review by: Ganesh S J, Australia	April 2010
This could have been a really good trip, if not for the rain. The tour guide was quite knowledgeable and English was pretty good. The lunch was nice, but there was some hiccups in getting vegetarian meals sorted for some people. Parents with Kids, you have to climb a small hillock - not all locations are Pram Friendly.

Review by: Theja H, Australia	April 2010
It was great. The guide was very good.

Review by: Paul G, United States of America	April 2010
We had a great time with our family of four. Our kids are 10 and 12. We went in April, and it snowed. This only made Nikko and the lake more beautiful. Our guide spoke great English and was very informative. All in all a great time.

Review by: Anonymous, Australia	April 2010
A very convenient way to see a beautiful area of Japan. Interesting and informative guide. Overall well-recommended.

Review by: JENNIFER R, Philippines	April 2010
We had a great time in Nikko! We were able to tour all major tourist spots in Nikko and we enjoyed it so much. The snow was a bonus! Our guide was very helpful and conversant. Indeed, Nikko is Kekko! I highly recommend this trip to everyone, super enjoyable, worth it and stress-free!

Review by: Blanca R M, United Kingdom	April 2010
I was quite happy with the guide, food and tour in general. Fantastic tour