Nikko makes a popular day trip from Tokyo. The famous shrines and temples are accessible in a day, but trying to fit them in alongside everything beyond the centre can make for a fairly packed itinerary.
Adding a night in the mountains changes the pace. This two-day course starts in Asakusa and follows the Tobu line north to Yunishigawa Onsen, a hot spring village tucked into a forested valley in northern Nikko. After a night at Kamenoi Hotel Nikko Yunishigawa All-inclusive Hotel, Day 2 winds its way back through Kinugawa and on to Nikko, taking in Edo Wonderland, a yuba lunch and the grand finale at Nikko Toshogu.
It's a little more travel than the standard Nikko day trip, but it gives you time to experience a quieter side of the area before arriving at its grandest sights.
Day 1
Start in Asakusa
Start at Tobu Asakusa Station and board the Tobu Limited Express for the journey north. The train runs directly to Yunishigawa Onsen Station, so there's no need to change along the way. The journey takes around two and a half hours, with Tokyo gradually giving way to rice fields, forested hills and increasingly mountainous scenery.
A window seat is worth having.
Arrive at Yunishigawa Onsen
From Yunishigawa Onsen Station, continue into the mountains on the hotel's free shuttle bus (note you’ll need to catch the 11am departure to make the 13:40 shuttle bus — see Access). The journey takes around 25 minutes, bringing you deeper into the valley and to Kamenoi Hotel Nikko Yunishigawa All-inclusive Hotel.
Heike no Sato
After checking in and leaving your bags at the hotel, head to Heike no Sato, just a few minutes from the hotel.
According to local legend, survivors of the defeated Heike clan fled into these mountains after the Genpei War around 800 years ago. Heike no Sato recreates a traditional mountain settlement, with thatched-roof buildings and exhibits explaining the area's history.
If you've arrived early enough, make the most of the remaining daylight. The thatched roofs and surrounding forest are particularly atmospheric in the late afternoon, when the light starts to soften.
The hotel also has electric bicycles available for guests, making this a good opportunity to skip the short walk and get there a little faster. They're available free of charge, with reservations possible via the front desk during your stay.
Home for the night — Kamenoi Hotel Nikko Yunishigawa All-inclusive Hotel
Back at the hotel, there's no need to rush off anywhere.
Kamenoi Hotel Nikko Yunishigawa All-inclusive Hotel comes with meals, drinks and a selection of activities included. One of the more unusual activities is making onsen tamago—eggs cooked in the hotel's small outdoor hot spring. You can also try your hand at archery or indoor curling.
Like e-bike rentals, activities are subject to availability and can be arranged at the front desk.
Dinner, onsen and late-night noodles
Dinner is a buffet featuring local Tochigi ingredients, allowing you to enjoy locally sourced chicken grilled over charcoal, as well as grilled sweetfish (ayu) warmed over the irori hearth at your table.
There are also charcoal-grilled dishes and venison hot pot, making dinner feel like more than the usual hotel buffet.
Then it's time for the outdoor onsen. By evening, the surrounding valley is dark and quiet, making the rotenburo outdoor bath a very different experience from the usual hotel hot spring in a Japanese city.
And if dinner somehow hasn't filled you up, Kamenoi's late-night Jigoku Meguri Yonaki Dandanmen is served from 21:00 at the Guest Lounge.
Yes, you just had dinner. It doesn't matter—it is very much worth the experience (limited to one serving per person).
The Guest Lounge itself provides a comfortable space where you can relax over a drink or two — choose from an all-inclusive lineup of Japanese beer, wine, sake and local snacks.
Day 2: Edo, yuba and Nikko's grand finale
Breakfast and the journey back towards Nikko
Have breakfast at the hotel, where the buffet includes a wide line-up of Tochigi eggs (that you can fry at your table) alongside the usual Japanese and Western breakfast options. Check out and take the 10:30 shuttle back to Yunishigawa Onsen Station.
From there, continue by train towards Kinugawa-Onsen.
The journey is part of the appeal. The valley gradually opens up as you leave Yunishigawa, and you're soon heading towards one of Tochigi's best-known sightseeing areas.
Edo Wonderland
From Kinugawa-Onsen, continue (by public bus or taxi) to Edo Wonderland, a theme park recreating a town from Japan's Edo period (1603–1868).
Rather than a collection of rides, it's built around the atmosphere of an Edo-era town, with samurai residences, merchant streets and performances featuring ninja and oiran.
Allow around two hours if you want to see some of the performances and explore at a comfortable pace. If dressing up in kimono appeals, allow some extra time—you may as well commit to the Edo experience.
Lunch — Nikko's yuba
From Edo Wonderland, continue towards central Nikko for lunch.
Yuba—the thin skin that forms on the surface of simmering soy milk—is closely related to tofu, forming during the same process of heating soy milk before it is turned into tofu. It's one of Nikko's best-known local foods, with roots in the vegetarian cuisine traditionally served at the town's temples, and you'll find it on menus across the city.
We tried Nikko Yubayūzen, around the corner from Toshogu, which serves yuba in several forms and makes an easy introduction to the local speciality. It's a substantial lunch, so the timing works out well: there's a long walk and plenty of steps waiting just around the corner.
Nikko Toshogu
After lunch, continue to Nikko Toshogu and the surrounding shrines and temples.
If you're coming from central Nikko, you'll likely pass the vermilion Shinkyo Bridge on the way. One of Nikko's most recognisable sights, its bright colour and setting against the forested mountains make it an iconic view—and a good introduction to what's ahead.
From there, follow the road and paths uphill towards Toshogu and the surrounding World Heritage shrines and temples. There are plenty of steps along the way, and you'll do a fair amount of walking, but this is one of those places where the journey through the forest is part of the experience.
Nikko Toshogu is the centrepiece and a must-visit. Founded in 1617, the shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the samurai leader who united Japan in the early 1600s and became the first ruler of the Tokugawa shogunate, which governed Japan for more than 250 years until 1868.
The complex is surrounded by enormous cedar trees and filled with elaborate gates, stone lanterns and intricate carvings, with gold leaf used with considerably less restraint. Look out for the famous three wise monkeys and the sleeping cat, but give yourself time to simply wander through the complex. The scale and decoration are easy to underestimate from photographs.
Rinnoji Temple and Futarasan Shrine are nearby, so allow around two and a half hours if you want to explore the main area without rushing.
Back to Tokyo
From the Toshogu area, continue to Tobu-Nikko Station and board a Tobu Limited Express back towards Asakusa.
After two days of mountain air, hot springs, Edo streets and elaborate shrines, it's time to make your way back to Tokyo.
