Things to do
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Kanmangafuchi
About seventy stone Jizō in red caps line a riverside path at this small gorge, where old lava squeezes the Daiya into white water. Locals call them the ghost Jizō, because the count is said never to come out the same twice. It lies about twenty minutes on foot west of the Shinkyō bridge, and the mossy path turns slippery after rain.
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Kegon Falls
Lake Chūzenji drains over a 97 metre cliff here, a short walk from the Chūzenjiko Onsen bus stop. A ticketed lift drops about 100 metres through the rock to a lower deck facing the plunge pool, which shows far more of the fall than the free platform at the top. The gorge turns red in mid to late October, and fog can hide everything within minutes.
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Lake Chūzenji
Mount Nantai's lava dammed this lake at 1,269 metres, and its shore stays cool when Tokyo swelters. Sightseeing boats leave the pier by the bus terminal from spring to late autumn, and two old embassy villas on the south shore are open to visit. The inns cluster at the eastern end around the terminal, and the quieter south shore is a walk away along the water.
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Mount Nantai
Rising straight from the north shore of Lake Chūzenji to 2,486 metres, this volcano is climbed from the gate of Futarasan's lakeside shrine. The trail is steep and rocky, about 1,200 metres of ascent, and the round trip takes most walkers six to seven hours. The mountain belongs to the shrine, which opens it from late April to mid November and charges a climbing fee at the gate.
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Nikkō Tōshō-gū
Gold leaf, lacquer and carved animals cover the shrine built for Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the Yōmeimon gate is the most richly carved of all. Five of its buildings are National Treasures. The gates open at nine and tour groups fill the steps by mid morning, so the first hour and the last are the calm ones. Shoes come off for the halls, and it closes at five, or four in winter.
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Shinkyō
Vermilion lacquer over black stone piers makes this the most photographed sight in Nikkō. It spans the Daiya river at the foot of the shrine district, where the road from the stations meets the climb to the shrines. Crossing it takes a ticket and leads only to the far bank and back, and the clearest view of the whole arch is from the road bridge beside it.
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Taiyū-in Mausoleum
Tokugawa Iemitsu's mausoleum sits in cedar forest a few minutes beyond Futarasan, and it draws a fraction of Tōshō-gū's crowd. A climb through a series of carved gates leads past ranks of stone and bronze lanterns to a gilded hall at the top. It belongs to Rinnō-ji, so one combined ticket covers both, and the courtyard is at its quietest in the late afternoon.
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British Embassy Villa Memorial Park
This two-storey wooden summer house on the south shore of Lake Chūzenji once belonged to the British embassy and is now open to visitors. Its upstairs rooms hold a small exhibition on the lake's old resort days, and a ground-floor tearoom looks over the water. It stands next door to the Italian villa, and one ticket covers both.
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Cedar Avenue
Around thirteen thousand cryptomeria cedars line three old roads into Nikkō for about 35 kilometres. It is the only property in Japan listed both as a Special Historic Site and a Special Natural Monument. The longest stretch follows the old Nikkō Kaidō from the edge of town toward Imaichi, one stop down the JR Nikkō Line, so a walk under the trees fits the journey in or out.
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Chūzen-ji Temple
On the eastern shore of Lake Chūzenji, this small temple is known for a Kannon statue carved straight from the trunk of a standing tree. Its hall sits at the top of a short flight of steps with the lake below. The walk from the Chūzenjiko Onsen bus stop follows the shore road for about twenty minutes, and it pairs well with the embassy villas further along.
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Futarasan shrine
Quieter than its famous neighbour, this shrine to the gods of Mount Nantai sits a few minutes west of Tōshō-gū along a cedar-lined path. Its grounds are free to wander, with a small ticketed section behind the main hall. Two more parts of the same shrine stand up the mountain road, one on the shore of Lake Chūzenji and one on Nantai's summit.
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Italian Embassy Villa Memorial Park
A summer house faced inside and out with cedar bark, now open to visitors, it stands on the south shore of Lake Chūzenji. Its terrace and jetty look across the water to Mount Nantai. The walk from Chūzenjiko Onsen takes about 35 minutes, and from July to November a bus bound for Hangetsuyama stops at the villas. A combined ticket also covers the British villa next door.
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Lake Yunoko
A path of about three kilometres loops this small lake in roughly an hour, mostly level and shaded by forest. Hot spring water runs in from the village on its north shore, and a smell of sulphur hangs over the water near the springs. Trout anglers work it from boats and the bank in season, and the south end feeds straight into Yudaki Falls.
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Nikkō Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park
This imperial summer villa runs to more than a hundred rooms of tatami, carpet and chandeliers, with a garden at its best in autumn colour. Shoes come off at the door and the corridors are toured in socks, so a warm pair helps. It is far calmer than the shrines, about twenty minutes on foot west of the Shinkyō bridge, and it closes on Tuesdays.
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Nikkō Yumoto Onsen
Milky, sulphurous water feeds the inns of this small hot spring village at the end of the bus line above Senjōgahara. Most of its ryokan serve dinner and breakfast, which matters, because little else opens after dark. A free foot bath stands in the village. In winter the village lies under deep snow, the best season for the outdoor baths.
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Rinnō-ji
Nikkō's main Buddhist temple stands a short walk up from the Shinkyō bridge, which makes it the natural first stop on the climb to the shrines. Its great hall, the Sanbutsudō, holds three gilded Buddhas several metres tall in a dim, high interior. A combined ticket also covers the Taiyū-in mausoleum further up the hill, and the hall is busiest from late morning.
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Ryūzu Falls
Split by a rock into two streams just before it reaches Lake Chūzenji, this long cascade takes its name from a dragon's head. A short stepped path climbs beside the water, and a teahouse at the bottom looks straight up the falls. Its maples turn in early October and the small car park fills on autumn weekends, so the Yumoto bus is the easier way in.
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Senjōgahara
This high marsh of reed and grass sits at about 1,400 metres, crossed by a boardwalk with Mount Nantai filling the view. The usual walk runs from Ryūzu Falls to Yudaki Falls in two to two and a half hours, mostly flat, with Yumoto bus stops at both ends. The grass turns gold in late September and early October, ahead of the lake below.
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Yudaki Falls
Lake Yunoko spills out over a steep lava slab here, a cascade about 70 metres high that slides down the face more than it drops. A viewing deck at the base stands close enough to feel the spray, and a path climbs beside the falls to the lake. It marks the top end of the Senjōgahara walk, and its car park sits a short walk away.
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Akechidaira Ropeway
Closed for a full rebuild until 31 August 2027, this cable car is due to reopen that September. When it runs, it climbs from a rest stop on the uphill Irohazaka road to a platform that frames Kegon Falls, Lake Chūzenji and Mount Nantai together. Both Irohazaka roads run one way, so the stop can only be reached on the way up.
