1 Day Tour : Explore Nikko’s World Heritage and National Park

Get out of Tokyo and step back in time to Tochigi prefecture and explore the world famous heritage site and national park of Nikko! If you want to see some of Japan’s most beautiful and culturally significant temples, shrines, traditional architecture and natural landmarks, then this tour is for you. With Nikko being two hours from Tokyo, it is the perfect day trip outside of the capital!

Granted World Heritage status in 1999, Nikko is considered the heritage hub in Japan due to its many temples and shrines rich in history with many an interesting tale to tell! It is also known for its national park nestled among the lush mountainous landscape sure to impress you and leave you feeling refreshed on your return to the bustling metropolis of Tokyo! Marvel at the gold gilded shrines, the intricate wood carvings and the nature that surrounds you as you make your way through Nikko’s World Heritage site with your tour guide!

HIGHLIGHTS

• Experience one of Japan’s most famous World Heritage sites and National Parks!

• See Nikko’s beautiful wood carvings of the famous ’Three Wise Monkeys’ and the ’Sleeping Cat’!

• See the resting place of Japan’s most famous Shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu

• Walk through a gorge filled with ’Jizo’ statues and see a waterfall!
  
• Enjoy exploring a traditional and historic Imperial villa and garden!

DESCRIPTION

The tour will begin at 08:40am outside of Asakusa Ekimise department store and Tobu Asakusa train station where you will meet your tour guide. Once everybody has arrived, you will officially start the tour and your tour guide will escort you to the train.

We will board the 09:00am train from Tobu Asakusa station departing for Tobu Nikko station. The journey will take approximately 2 hours from Tokyo. From there we will hop on the Nikko World Heritage sightseeing bus and make our way to our first destination!

Our first destination will be a small gorge surrounded by lush greenery and trees off the beaten path in Nikko. We will walk alongside the crystal clear river as your tour guide tells you all about the gorge’s famous inhabitants, the Bake Jizo statues! (Ghost Jizo). It is said there are 70 Jizo statues lining the path of the gorge, but legend says that the number changes each time you count them! So make sure to test this for yourself! Keep your eyes peeled as you will also spot some Sanskrit characters carved into the cliff upstream! There is even a small waterfall here to enjoy.

We will now take a short walk of 10 minutes to our next destination, an historic and traditional Japanese villa where you can enjoy the traditional architecture and garden. Enjoy stepping back in time as you walk around the Edo and Meiji period building which has been home to many historically important people. From the Tokugawa Shogunate to the Imperial Family, your guide will tell you all about its former residents. Look out for the beautifully painted and decorated cedar wooden doors around the villa!

Once we have finished at the Villa, we will hop on the sightseeing bus to the picturesque and sacred bridge of Shinkyo! Located at the start of the World Heritage site and National Park in Nikko, this bridge is ranked one of the top three scenic bridges in all of Japan! Constructed in 1636, this bridge has lived to see many people cross its path. Enjoy the scenic views and of course take some wonderful photos!

It is now your lunch break! Your guide will take you to a great cafe located at the base of the Heritage site and National Park. The cafe is built within an old traditional Japanese house, and has a retro and cosy atmosphere. They serve a variety of lunch items, sweets and drinks! The cafe has outdoor and indoor seating with great views of the trees and greenery outside! We highly recommend you try any strawberry items that you come across as Tochigi is famous for their high quality strawberries! We also recommend you try the matcha and wagashi set here at the cafe to feel closer to the traditional atmosphere.

Our next location will be the historic and impressive temple and shrine complex of Nikko. Here, your tour guide will walk you around this vast and beautiful area where you will feel like you’ve stepped back in time to the age of feudal Japan. The complex is home to the main sites of Toshogu Shrine, Futarasan Shrine, Taiyuin Temple and Rennoji Temple. We will only have time to explore some of these areas. We have selected the most popular and impressive parts which are the Toshogu Shrine complex and Taiyuin Temple. Your guide will tell you the tales and histories of them both.

The Heritage Site is home to some of the most elaborate and gorgeous structures in all of Japan adorned in gold leaf, vibrant colours and wood carvings, so make sure to take plenty of pictures! For our first destination we will visit Taiyuin Temple, the temple where the third Tokugawa Shogunate ’Tokugawa Iemitsu’ is enshrined and buried. The temple complex is adorned with elaborate decoration and amazing Buddhist statues. Inside the main hall, you can see the Samurai armour that Tokugawa Iemitsu once wore. However, if you think Taiyuin is elaborate, you will be even more amazed at our next destination.

Our next destination will be the star of the show in our opinion, Toshogu Shrine! Some of the most notable sites here will be the lavish Nikko Toshogu shrine where Japan’s most famous and powerful Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined. You will also see the wood carvings of the famous ’Nemuri-Neko’ (sleeping cat) and the ’Three Wise Monkeys’, and you will visit the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu. We will also be visiting the museum which houses artefacts from the time of Tokugawa Ieyasu, including his armour, swords and personal items.

We will then depart the Heritage site and National Park on the sightseeing bus for 10 minutes back to Tobu Nikko station. Around the station there are some shops and cafes. We have left some time free here for you for toilet breaks, to do some souvenir shopping or buy snacks and drinks for the train journey home. We will then board the 17:24 train back to Asakusa, Tokyo.

MEETUP POINT

Outside Ekimise Department Store @ 08:40am

You will meet your tour guide outside of the EKIMISE Department Store. You will recognise the building entrance as it has Ekimise and Matsuya written across it. You will meet your tour guide by the red post box just directly outside of the department store/ train station entrance. Please look out for the tour guide with a ’Snow Monkey Resorts’ sign. Once everybody has met, we will enter Tobu Asakusa station together to begin the tour.

NOTES

Included 

• Nikko Heritage Area Pass and limited express tickets to cover all your transport for the tour

• Tamozawa Villa admission fee

• Toshogu Shrine and Museum admission fees

• Taiyuin Temple Admission fee

• English speaking guide

Excluded

• Trains and transport before and after the tour

• Additional food and drink

OTHER INFORMATION

• We recommend that you book this tour as far in advance as possible and provide us with no less than 1 weeks (7 days) notice of your tour booking so that the necessary preparations can be made in advance. 
  
• Due to this tour using public transport, timings are subject to change if traffic is bad or the day of travel is particularly busy. 

• This tour involves several hours of walking in the outdoors. We recommend that you wear sensible shoes and clothes which are easy to walk in. Please check the weather forecast before you head to the meetup point and prepare an umbrella or rain coat if necessary.

• There will be free time on the lunch break for guests to enjoy. However, please make sure that you are at the respective meetup points at the time stated by your guide on the day of the tour. If you get lost or need assistance, feel free to call the number which is listed on your tour pass, and our staff will assist you immediately.

• Due to this being a walking tour, it is advised that you do not bring any luggage or large bags with you on the tour. It is advised that you check if your hotel can store your luggage for you until after the tour, or you store your luggage at lockers at a suitable location such as selected train stations with appropriate storage. For example, many stations in Tokyo will have lockers, especially the larger train stations such as Asakusa, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Tokyo.