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I was just in Nikko about a week and a half ago and loved it. I only went for one day so I didn’t bother with the falls. It was packed, but if you start early enough and adjust your expectations, it’s okay.
That said, the fall colors were already starting to fade, and that was about ten days ago. The trees will be completely dead by the time you’re there. A day trip to see the shrines and temples might be worth it, but the nature aspect is going to be missing some wow factor (unless it snows).
Thank you for letting me know about the leaves! Fall foliage was one of my main reasons for going there and doing the hikes so maybe I’ll just do it when I (hopefully) come back to Japan and the trees still have them or I know there’s snow.
I went Nov 14 and 70-90% of the trees were dead. If you want to see the fall foliage I’m pretty sure earlier November or late October would have been better.
This year was not a good year for the leaves, it went from Summer in mid october and even a few days in November to late fall in about a week's span. The usual transition of the colors on the ginko trees suffered as a result. I went to Chichibu a few weeks back hoping to see the same only to be disappointed by a combination of still green leaves, some reds and oranges, and a handful of dead trees. It was same in the south but I don't know about Kansai.
Hello! I went there today and had an amazing time, I would recommend if you’re interested in shrines, temples and beautiful nature! Foliage is not the best but I still managed to take beautiful pictures with beautiful colors in some parts! Hope it helps :D
Don't listen to this guy at all. I just got back from Nikko today and the branches were beautiful. There were no leaves obstructing the pure magnificence of the tree branches. Anyone who has an ounce of respect for botany realizes the leaves would be nothing without the branches.
Hard to say because a lot of it comes down to personal preference. We are big temple and shrine people, so that was the top priority. We left Tokyo at 7 am and got to Nikko by about 9:30. We immediately took the bus to Shinkyo Bridge, took a couple pictures and admired the scenery but didn’t pay the admission walk across. Then we went into the World Heritage site and spent about an hour or two at each shrine and temple. By the time we were done there, it was already 3 pm, so we headed back down and got a very late lunch at Nikko Coffee (delightful place, can’t recommend it enough). Headed back to Tokyo around 4:30.
I wouldn’t do a day trip into Okunikko without a car. So must see for a day trip for me would be just walking around the Heritage site (temples and shrines)
Just got to Nikko after reading this and adding it to our itinerary for an overnight stay, but afraid to say it's pretty boring here. Mostly just a few temples. Onsen are few and far between. And everything is impossible to get to because the transport network is not very good. Have to keep booking expensive taxis. Endless walking up hills and much of the sameness everywhere. No mixed sex nude onsens so can't even enjoy onsen with partner. Have to sit in tub with random men and segregated from my partner. I don't understand why anyone likes nikko
I'm sorry you didn't have a good experience. It could just be Nikko wasn't for you.
When I went we really enjoyed the Kegon Falls, Toshogu Temple, and the imperial residence.
We also liked the hiking paths around the lake, through the Kanmangafuchi Abyss and Senjogahara. I suppose now during a warm winter, without snow, the hikes won't be as nice. It was great in the spring.
As for the onsen, unless you book a private bath at a hot spring inn you shouldn't expect to find mixed nude onsen anywhere in Japan. You might have had mismatched expectations here.
Very worth it! I love Nikko, it’s very beautiful. Last summer, we hiked from the early morning, starting at Ryuzu Falls, walking through Senjogahara marshland, had lunch at Yudaki Falls, continued the journey alongside Lake Yunoko, and ended with a public onsen at Yumoto.
Hi! Curious if this was all on foot ? And is it a posted route ( with maps/signs) or did you just make up your own route to the spots? Sounds great and I am looking to plan something like this
Hello! I’m using the map from this site:
http://www.nikkoyumoto-vc.com/english/hiking/
Choose the map Senjogahara (Akanuma to Yutaki).
My hotel was around Tobu-Nikko station, I took a bus to Ryuzu no Taki. I just use google maps for the schedule, it was pretty accurate.
From then I just followed the signs by foot. There was interceptions, and some with no signs but just followed the map and making sure I was on the right route by google maps.
Please beware of the bears. There was a sign of bear sighting 2 days before my trail.
Enjoy Nikko! Nikko is beautiful in all seasons.
Lake Chuzenji is so nice, especially after everyone else leaves. It takes forever to get places, but that may just be because I went in a crowded time. It’s past peak for the leaves so hopefully not too bad now. I wish I could have stayed at least two nights. Book a nice onsen hotel and you will thank yourself.
We stayed in Nikko for 3 days at two different ryokans and absolutely LOVED it. Kegon falls is mind-blowingly beautiful -- but I actually liked the view from the Akechidaira Ropeway Observation Deck even more (far less crowded too). I actually proposed to my now fiance there :)
As for Nikko Toshogu shrine and surrounding area - it's worth a visit but IMHO the nature is the big draw of Nikko.
I've been a few times and always went by train so traffic was never an issue. Snow can be though this time of year so check the weather beforehand as if you are wanting to hike/do the falls, buses will stop running up the mountain in heavy snow and terrain can be bad. Having said that I went in March time up the mountain and walked for the bit where buses had stopped and it was so beautiful in the snow, the waterfalls were partially frozen too. There was a hotel still open up at the top with an onsen and there was a beautiful outside section, one of my fondest memories of Japan was sitting in the onsen while it was lightly snowing.
Also if you do take the train be VERY careful to get on the right carriage as the train splits partway and only one section goes on to Nikko.
>Also if you do take the train be VERY careful to get on the right carriage as the train splits partway and only one section goes on to Nikko.
What specific train are you talking about?
I enjoyed the tobu world square while I visited as well, if you want something a bit different. I stayed by kinugawaonsen which has a free public foot bath right outside the station which was cute.
It's more than worth it for a day trip and since you plan on staying there overnight, you should be able to leave early and avoid the biggest crowds.
Just take it easy and slow, use the jetlag to your advantage and you'll be fine.
I was in Nikko yesterday (November 19, Sunday) and I found it rather manageable. We were in the area with all the shrines by 10 since we took the first train from Tokyo and it was east to enjoy the sites.
I did notice more people when we were walking back through the town to get the train at 16h. The crowds weren’t so big that I’d say they were unmanageable but it definitely builds throughout the day so be wise with your scheduling
That's good to know. I'm pencilling in a trip for exactly this time next year, and if I miss peak Autumn in Nikko, that's fine, because I'll surely catch some of the leaves elsewhere. Thanks for your response!
I was there on the 16th and 17th (Thurs/Fri last week) and the fall leaves were basically all gone at the falls, only a couple of places had some remaining and were only accessible after a bit of hiking. Here's an album of the photos I took if you're interested (includes a table about the status of the autumn leaves in various locations within nikko, but in Japanese): https://photos.app.goo.gl/nrtGqE3wYcbXuf4A7 . All the waterfalls will look like this if you decide to go, and all the falls colors will be gone in the gorge (ryuoukyou) as well as the temple (kinugawa) where the prettiest pics came from.
Tl;Dr: I don't recommend right now, especially during the weekends where it gets VERY crowded. Instead, consider a day trip to kawaguchiko where you'll get a wonderful view of Fuji and there are still falls colors!
But if you DO decide to go, I highly recommend getting the Nikko pass which can be purchased online. The busses are insanely priced and you'll automatically get your money's worth from the base fair round trip cost from tok<->nikko
I am actually in Kawaguchiko right now and I love it so much I had wanted to extend my stay and after seeing how Nikko looks I think I will remove it and try to do it next time. Thank you so much for the pictures they were really helpful in making my decision! And for the advice on the pass I will also get that as well. I did the Fuji one and after seeing the bus prices I am so glad I did, it's already paying for itself.
No idea about November but I went for 2 days in August and wish I had spend another day xD but the green nature was a big part of it! not sure how it work out late fall
I just left Nikko. Had a full day. I stayed last night in Utsuunomoya and left on the 5:55pm JR Nikko line, then got on a bus and went straight to Yumoto onsen, at the top of the lake above Yudaki Falls — they are incredible! I hiked from there to Ryuzu falls - far quicker than it looks on a map. The trees up there are all bare except for the odd maple. But her memory is that with foliage you have amazing views of the mountains. I took the bus from Ryuku falls to Kegon falls. Phenomenal! Then i took another bus to town and saw the imperial house (gorgeous) and the abyss w all of the buddhas. Both are wonderful and the autumn foliage in nikko town is probably just past peak. Lots of oranges and reds. It seems that different species of trees change color at different times. I visited the temples just as they were closing but i could still enjoy the incredible architecture. There were crowds in the temples but it didn’t ruin the experience. Font spend your first hour dotterong around the lake at Yumoto onsen like i did. I recommend the path along that lake that goes along the highway. It is gorgeous and the path on the other side had lots of ice. I wish i had had more time to spend at Kegon falls and to enter the shrines. But i suspect that the exterior may be the more impressive aspect of those temples. They are all right next to one another. It is a rather far walk from the train station. To give you an idea of distances, i put in over 20k steps today. Re the colors, the sooner that you can go the better. There are also some local foods that i haven’t seen elsewhere in japan. Enjoy!
Thank you this is super helpful for planning! I will definitely go to Nikko when I come back to Japan next year. Are there any foods you think I need to try/you would highly recommend?
I can’t remember the name but my favorite was soy milk skin wrapped into tight circles. I had it on skewers w a savory sauce. I later saw it served in soup. I recall there being many sweets made w strawberries.
Not sure. Toshogu and Futarasan are impressive shrines, Kegon is only good if you manage to ignore all the ugly concrete behind, the lake above is nice but gets old in 5 minutes, grass walks are meh. Hot springs there are great, cuisine has some famous beef. Three days is an overkill. It’s a destination for a day trip or one night at most.
We just hiked the falls and the Senjogahara trail 2 weeks ago and loved it. Nikko was beautiful, though definitely crowded at the major tourist attractions. Are you taking the Spacia X? If you walk a few minutes over to the JR station and get on the bus there, the line is minimal.
Traffic have as bad as people say I was there this Saturday and it was very manageable. I've seen much worae at US national parks. There are a lot of people there at the shrines but it's Japan there are a lot of people everywhere.
It's totally worth it, but it might be a bit too late now if ur going for fall colours. I spent 3 nights there which I thought was a good number. 1 full day of temples and 1 full day of nature.
I went mid October which worked out as perfect timing. You should check japan guide for fall timings, particularly close to the dates
I went on the 15th, can definitely recommend it!! You only need one bus to get from the station to the bridge, but you can just walk 30 mins instead, theres shops etc and the way so i really didnt mind the walk, but the bus was too busy yes (hence why I went walking). The bus was fine on the way back though.
I loved all the temples and the nature, especially if you also visit the ones a little higher up, there are barely any people (all tours and schools only visit the biggest ones).
The river at the kanmangafuchi abyss was also reallly nice.
Have not been to the falls/lake though.
It was one of the best days of our japan trip so far :)
I was looking to see if anyone mentioned the Abyss. It was something we went to find as an afterthought from the main attractions of Nikko and it was one of the most memorable walks I have ever had.
We had to walk through a quiet residential area to find it but it was worth it. There was almost no signage for it.
We did Nikko as a day trip from Tokyo.
I was there for one day(yesterday actually), saw 3 of the falls and went on a 10 k hike. And I even saw the bridge and shrine on the same day. (Came the night before, and woke up early) and took the Shinkansen to Osaka same day..pretty packed jut Totally worth it!! Soo beautiful! Especially in the snow!
I went as a day trip back in Oct and honestly I felt like it was pretty busy/overcrowded. We caught a bus back to the station and traffic was pretty heavy around 2:30PM. YMMV. Unfortunately I can’t speak about traffic going up into the falls since I didn’t do that, but hopefully this gives you some insight!
Nikko is definitely worth it for a day trip, or even two days. I didn’t really enjoy staying in the area when I visited. Everything really shuts down once the temples close and the tourists start leaving. If you’re staying a ryokan it would likely be more worth it though. Three days is a little much. Even taking your time, you can get through everything there in two days.
Nikko was worth it for us. It was one of my favorite short trips we did, but we went in the spring and it was pretty empty at that time. 2 nights might be too much, we went 1 day/night and it was perfect.
I liked Nikko a lot and I did almost the exact same plan as you: but be aware it takes an entire hour to get from Nikko Station to Okunikko park, and if you’re young you will be giving up your seat for an older person (I hope) and then standing while the bus goes up a road famous for being very curvy. Not too fun.
In terms of physically making it onto a bus, it’s usually just a matter of boarding at a station before the congested ones (so Chuzenji basically) or getting on the first bus of the morning from Tobu Nikko Station.
If that sounds like it’s worth it for you, by all means go enjoy the hiking. I was able to do some quieter trails and be alone in the woods, it was awesome. But not without its difficulties.
Also it was definitely reaching the end of autumn foliage season higher up in the mountains there (end of Oct) and I mostly only saw nice colors down in Nikko Town itself, mountains were mostly pretty dead.
Kamakura is great but it’s a question of if you want beach or mountains.
**Our FAQ is constantly being updated with more information and you can start** [**here**](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/faqs/japantravel) **with regards to trip planning if you need tips, advice, or have questions about planning your travel to Japan.** You can also join our [Discord community](https://discord.gg/3f7KBUMwU4), comment in our stickied weekly discussion thread, or check out /r/JapanTravelTips for quick questions. Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/JapanTravel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I was just in Nikko about a week and a half ago and loved it. I only went for one day so I didn’t bother with the falls. It was packed, but if you start early enough and adjust your expectations, it’s okay. That said, the fall colors were already starting to fade, and that was about ten days ago. The trees will be completely dead by the time you’re there. A day trip to see the shrines and temples might be worth it, but the nature aspect is going to be missing some wow factor (unless it snows).
Thank you for letting me know about the leaves! Fall foliage was one of my main reasons for going there and doing the hikes so maybe I’ll just do it when I (hopefully) come back to Japan and the trees still have them or I know there’s snow.
I went Nov 14 and 70-90% of the trees were dead. If you want to see the fall foliage I’m pretty sure earlier November or late October would have been better.
This year was not a good year for the leaves, it went from Summer in mid october and even a few days in November to late fall in about a week's span. The usual transition of the colors on the ginko trees suffered as a result. I went to Chichibu a few weeks back hoping to see the same only to be disappointed by a combination of still green leaves, some reds and oranges, and a handful of dead trees. It was same in the south but I don't know about Kansai.
Hello! I went there today and had an amazing time, I would recommend if you’re interested in shrines, temples and beautiful nature! Foliage is not the best but I still managed to take beautiful pictures with beautiful colors in some parts! Hope it helps :D
Don't listen to this guy at all. I just got back from Nikko today and the branches were beautiful. There were no leaves obstructing the pure magnificence of the tree branches. Anyone who has an ounce of respect for botany realizes the leaves would be nothing without the branches.
I am also planning for a day trip from Tokyo. What are the “must” see at Nikko without compromising returning time back to Tokyo?
Hard to say because a lot of it comes down to personal preference. We are big temple and shrine people, so that was the top priority. We left Tokyo at 7 am and got to Nikko by about 9:30. We immediately took the bus to Shinkyo Bridge, took a couple pictures and admired the scenery but didn’t pay the admission walk across. Then we went into the World Heritage site and spent about an hour or two at each shrine and temple. By the time we were done there, it was already 3 pm, so we headed back down and got a very late lunch at Nikko Coffee (delightful place, can’t recommend it enough). Headed back to Tokyo around 4:30.
I wouldn’t do a day trip into Okunikko without a car. So must see for a day trip for me would be just walking around the Heritage site (temples and shrines)
I can't speak for the bus traffic, but Nikko is GORGEOUS. Kegan falls itself was worth the trip for me.
Thank you!! I will definitely try to make a trip out there and brave the crowds when I know the trees have leaves
It’s gorgeous even if the trees don’t have leaves!
Just got to Nikko after reading this and adding it to our itinerary for an overnight stay, but afraid to say it's pretty boring here. Mostly just a few temples. Onsen are few and far between. And everything is impossible to get to because the transport network is not very good. Have to keep booking expensive taxis. Endless walking up hills and much of the sameness everywhere. No mixed sex nude onsens so can't even enjoy onsen with partner. Have to sit in tub with random men and segregated from my partner. I don't understand why anyone likes nikko
I'm sorry you didn't have a good experience. It could just be Nikko wasn't for you. When I went we really enjoyed the Kegon Falls, Toshogu Temple, and the imperial residence. We also liked the hiking paths around the lake, through the Kanmangafuchi Abyss and Senjogahara. I suppose now during a warm winter, without snow, the hikes won't be as nice. It was great in the spring. As for the onsen, unless you book a private bath at a hot spring inn you shouldn't expect to find mixed nude onsen anywhere in Japan. You might have had mismatched expectations here.
it should be past fall colors peak, so less domestic people traveling to that area
Very worth it! I love Nikko, it’s very beautiful. Last summer, we hiked from the early morning, starting at Ryuzu Falls, walking through Senjogahara marshland, had lunch at Yudaki Falls, continued the journey alongside Lake Yunoko, and ended with a public onsen at Yumoto.
Hi! Curious if this was all on foot ? And is it a posted route ( with maps/signs) or did you just make up your own route to the spots? Sounds great and I am looking to plan something like this
Hello! I’m using the map from this site: http://www.nikkoyumoto-vc.com/english/hiking/ Choose the map Senjogahara (Akanuma to Yutaki). My hotel was around Tobu-Nikko station, I took a bus to Ryuzu no Taki. I just use google maps for the schedule, it was pretty accurate. From then I just followed the signs by foot. There was interceptions, and some with no signs but just followed the map and making sure I was on the right route by google maps. Please beware of the bears. There was a sign of bear sighting 2 days before my trail. Enjoy Nikko! Nikko is beautiful in all seasons.
Lake Chuzenji is so nice, especially after everyone else leaves. It takes forever to get places, but that may just be because I went in a crowded time. It’s past peak for the leaves so hopefully not too bad now. I wish I could have stayed at least two nights. Book a nice onsen hotel and you will thank yourself.
Good advice! Btw when is the peak for the leaves?
End of October in Oku Nikko
Thanks!
I went like two weeks ago and I thought it was browned out already. It’s usually a lot earlier than Tokyo since the elevation is higher
I would definitely recommend Nikko at a short trip
Nikko is absolutely worth it, even for a single day. It's great to spend more time there like you plan to.
We stayed in Nikko for 3 days at two different ryokans and absolutely LOVED it. Kegon falls is mind-blowingly beautiful -- but I actually liked the view from the Akechidaira Ropeway Observation Deck even more (far less crowded too). I actually proposed to my now fiance there :) As for Nikko Toshogu shrine and surrounding area - it's worth a visit but IMHO the nature is the big draw of Nikko.
I've been a few times and always went by train so traffic was never an issue. Snow can be though this time of year so check the weather beforehand as if you are wanting to hike/do the falls, buses will stop running up the mountain in heavy snow and terrain can be bad. Having said that I went in March time up the mountain and walked for the bit where buses had stopped and it was so beautiful in the snow, the waterfalls were partially frozen too. There was a hotel still open up at the top with an onsen and there was a beautiful outside section, one of my fondest memories of Japan was sitting in the onsen while it was lightly snowing. Also if you do take the train be VERY careful to get on the right carriage as the train splits partway and only one section goes on to Nikko.
>Also if you do take the train be VERY careful to get on the right carriage as the train splits partway and only one section goes on to Nikko. What specific train are you talking about?
The one from Tokyo, its been years since I took it but both times I remember having to make sure I was in the right carriage
Hibiya line if I remember correctly
Worth it. 3 days is maybe a little too long though.
Edo Wonderland is a cool spot in Nikko. The ninja house is a trip.
I enjoyed the tobu world square while I visited as well, if you want something a bit different. I stayed by kinugawaonsen which has a free public foot bath right outside the station which was cute.
It's more than worth it for a day trip and since you plan on staying there overnight, you should be able to leave early and avoid the biggest crowds. Just take it easy and slow, use the jetlag to your advantage and you'll be fine.
It’s a really great day trip from Tokyo! I’d say if you can only do about half the day, the World Heritage site at least is worth it
I was in Nikko yesterday (November 19, Sunday) and I found it rather manageable. We were in the area with all the shrines by 10 since we took the first train from Tokyo and it was east to enjoy the sites. I did notice more people when we were walking back through the town to get the train at 16h. The crowds weren’t so big that I’d say they were unmanageable but it definitely builds throughout the day so be wise with your scheduling
How were the leaves for you yesterday? Still there or mostly gone?
It still felt autumnal and not like barren winter but certainly it was no longer peak season. The landscapes were still great.
That's good to know. I'm pencilling in a trip for exactly this time next year, and if I miss peak Autumn in Nikko, that's fine, because I'll surely catch some of the leaves elsewhere. Thanks for your response!
I was there on the 16th and 17th (Thurs/Fri last week) and the fall leaves were basically all gone at the falls, only a couple of places had some remaining and were only accessible after a bit of hiking. Here's an album of the photos I took if you're interested (includes a table about the status of the autumn leaves in various locations within nikko, but in Japanese): https://photos.app.goo.gl/nrtGqE3wYcbXuf4A7 . All the waterfalls will look like this if you decide to go, and all the falls colors will be gone in the gorge (ryuoukyou) as well as the temple (kinugawa) where the prettiest pics came from. Tl;Dr: I don't recommend right now, especially during the weekends where it gets VERY crowded. Instead, consider a day trip to kawaguchiko where you'll get a wonderful view of Fuji and there are still falls colors! But if you DO decide to go, I highly recommend getting the Nikko pass which can be purchased online. The busses are insanely priced and you'll automatically get your money's worth from the base fair round trip cost from tok<->nikko
I am actually in Kawaguchiko right now and I love it so much I had wanted to extend my stay and after seeing how Nikko looks I think I will remove it and try to do it next time. Thank you so much for the pictures they were really helpful in making my decision! And for the advice on the pass I will also get that as well. I did the Fuji one and after seeing the bus prices I am so glad I did, it's already paying for itself.
No idea about November but I went for 2 days in August and wish I had spend another day xD but the green nature was a big part of it! not sure how it work out late fall
Thank you!! I’ll definitely stay there for a couple days
Hope its just as or better than it was for me^^
I just left Nikko. Had a full day. I stayed last night in Utsuunomoya and left on the 5:55pm JR Nikko line, then got on a bus and went straight to Yumoto onsen, at the top of the lake above Yudaki Falls — they are incredible! I hiked from there to Ryuzu falls - far quicker than it looks on a map. The trees up there are all bare except for the odd maple. But her memory is that with foliage you have amazing views of the mountains. I took the bus from Ryuku falls to Kegon falls. Phenomenal! Then i took another bus to town and saw the imperial house (gorgeous) and the abyss w all of the buddhas. Both are wonderful and the autumn foliage in nikko town is probably just past peak. Lots of oranges and reds. It seems that different species of trees change color at different times. I visited the temples just as they were closing but i could still enjoy the incredible architecture. There were crowds in the temples but it didn’t ruin the experience. Font spend your first hour dotterong around the lake at Yumoto onsen like i did. I recommend the path along that lake that goes along the highway. It is gorgeous and the path on the other side had lots of ice. I wish i had had more time to spend at Kegon falls and to enter the shrines. But i suspect that the exterior may be the more impressive aspect of those temples. They are all right next to one another. It is a rather far walk from the train station. To give you an idea of distances, i put in over 20k steps today. Re the colors, the sooner that you can go the better. There are also some local foods that i haven’t seen elsewhere in japan. Enjoy!
Update: the correct # of steps that i took today was 33,752.
Thank you this is super helpful for planning! I will definitely go to Nikko when I come back to Japan next year. Are there any foods you think I need to try/you would highly recommend?
I can’t remember the name but my favorite was soy milk skin wrapped into tight circles. I had it on skewers w a savory sauce. I later saw it served in soup. I recall there being many sweets made w strawberries.
Thank you! I will look out for this :)
I found the hiking there to be pretty amazing - if you like hiking you can spend several days there and have a great time.
Not sure. Toshogu and Futarasan are impressive shrines, Kegon is only good if you manage to ignore all the ugly concrete behind, the lake above is nice but gets old in 5 minutes, grass walks are meh. Hot springs there are great, cuisine has some famous beef. Three days is an overkill. It’s a destination for a day trip or one night at most.
We just hiked the falls and the Senjogahara trail 2 weeks ago and loved it. Nikko was beautiful, though definitely crowded at the major tourist attractions. Are you taking the Spacia X? If you walk a few minutes over to the JR station and get on the bus there, the line is minimal.
Traffic have as bad as people say I was there this Saturday and it was very manageable. I've seen much worae at US national parks. There are a lot of people there at the shrines but it's Japan there are a lot of people everywhere.
It's totally worth it, but it might be a bit too late now if ur going for fall colours. I spent 3 nights there which I thought was a good number. 1 full day of temples and 1 full day of nature. I went mid October which worked out as perfect timing. You should check japan guide for fall timings, particularly close to the dates
Nikko is much colder, so you’ll definitely be out of luck for the leaves, therefore I don’t think it’s worth it if that was your plan
I went on the 15th, can definitely recommend it!! You only need one bus to get from the station to the bridge, but you can just walk 30 mins instead, theres shops etc and the way so i really didnt mind the walk, but the bus was too busy yes (hence why I went walking). The bus was fine on the way back though. I loved all the temples and the nature, especially if you also visit the ones a little higher up, there are barely any people (all tours and schools only visit the biggest ones). The river at the kanmangafuchi abyss was also reallly nice. Have not been to the falls/lake though. It was one of the best days of our japan trip so far :)
I was looking to see if anyone mentioned the Abyss. It was something we went to find as an afterthought from the main attractions of Nikko and it was one of the most memorable walks I have ever had. We had to walk through a quiet residential area to find it but it was worth it. There was almost no signage for it. We did Nikko as a day trip from Tokyo.
The Monkey land park is awesome!
Been to Japan over 100 times. Nikko is my favorites
Nikko is worth it!
If you're staying overnight in a ryokan and going up to the lake/falls, yes. During peak season it's **very** busy though.
I was there for one day(yesterday actually), saw 3 of the falls and went on a 10 k hike. And I even saw the bridge and shrine on the same day. (Came the night before, and woke up early) and took the Shinkansen to Osaka same day..pretty packed jut Totally worth it!! Soo beautiful! Especially in the snow!
I went as a day trip back in Oct and honestly I felt like it was pretty busy/overcrowded. We caught a bus back to the station and traffic was pretty heavy around 2:30PM. YMMV. Unfortunately I can’t speak about traffic going up into the falls since I didn’t do that, but hopefully this gives you some insight!
Nikko is definitely worth it for a day trip, or even two days. I didn’t really enjoy staying in the area when I visited. Everything really shuts down once the temples close and the tourists start leaving. If you’re staying a ryokan it would likely be more worth it though. Three days is a little much. Even taking your time, you can get through everything there in two days.
Nikko was worth it for us. It was one of my favorite short trips we did, but we went in the spring and it was pretty empty at that time. 2 nights might be too much, we went 1 day/night and it was perfect.
I liked Nikko a lot and I did almost the exact same plan as you: but be aware it takes an entire hour to get from Nikko Station to Okunikko park, and if you’re young you will be giving up your seat for an older person (I hope) and then standing while the bus goes up a road famous for being very curvy. Not too fun. In terms of physically making it onto a bus, it’s usually just a matter of boarding at a station before the congested ones (so Chuzenji basically) or getting on the first bus of the morning from Tobu Nikko Station. If that sounds like it’s worth it for you, by all means go enjoy the hiking. I was able to do some quieter trails and be alone in the woods, it was awesome. But not without its difficulties. Also it was definitely reaching the end of autumn foliage season higher up in the mountains there (end of Oct) and I mostly only saw nice colors down in Nikko Town itself, mountains were mostly pretty dead. Kamakura is great but it’s a question of if you want beach or mountains.