Nikko is a town at the entrance to Nikko National Park, most famous for Toshogu, Japan's most lavishly decorated shrine and the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate.
Nikko had been a center of Shinto and Buddhist mountain worship for many centuries before Toshogu was built in the 1600s, and Nikko National Park continues to offer scenic, mountainous landscapes, lakes, waterfalls, hot springs, wild monkeys and hiking trails.
Nikko and the Okunikko area around Lake Chuzenji, in particular, are well known for their beautiful autumn colors (koyo). In the average year the colors start descending from the higher elevations of Yumoto Onsen in early October, are best around Lake Chuzenji and the Irohazaka road in mid to late October and reach the town of Nikko in the first half of November.
Directions
From Tokyo
By Tobu Railways from Asakusa Station
The Tobu terminal station in Tokyo for trains to Nikko is Tobu Asakusa Station, which can be accessed by subway.
There are hourly rapid trains between Asakusa and Nikko, which take about two hours. In the morning and afternoon, there are also a few limited express trains, called "Kegon", which only take 105 minutes, but are twice as expensive as the rapid trains.Tobu is offering various free passes, which include the round trip from Tokyo to Nikko and unlimited use of buses in the Nikko area. The Japan Rail Pass is not valid on Tobu trains.
By limited express from Shinjuku Station
Direct limited express trains, cooperated by Japan Railways (JR) and Tobu Railways, connect JR Shinjuku Station with Tobu Nikko Station. The one way journey takes two hours. All seats are reserved. A discount pass is available, which provides a round trip from Tokyo to Nikko and unlimited use of Tobu trains between Nikko and Kinugawa. Because the trains between Shinjuku and Nikko partially use the tracks of Tobu Railways, the Japan Rail Pass and JR Kanto Area Pass do not fully cover the expenses of the journey. However, thanks to a special agreement, the JR East Pass does cover the entire trip.
By Japan Railways (JR) (for JR pass holders)
Take the JR Tohoku Shinkansen (from Tokyo or Ueno Station) to Utsunomiya Station and transfer to the JR Nikko Line. With a good connection at Utsunomiya, the one way trip takes about 100 minutes. This option is probably only attractive to holders of the Japan Rail Pass, JR East Pass or JR Kanto Area Pass.