Search availability
Search availability

Nikko sightseeing model courses

SIGHT SEEING

Nikko First-Timer's Walking Course

Course

First Time in Nikko

On Foot

By Occasion

Walk from the hotel on your first visit to Nikko.
A day through Shinkyo Bridge and the World Heritage sites

For first-time visitors to Nikko. Starting from the hotel by the station, walk through the temple town to Shinkyo Bridge, Rinnoji Temple, Toshogu Shrine and Futarasan Shrine.

This course lets you enjoy not only the historic buildings but also the different atmospheres of the temples and shrines. Everything from the station area to the shrines and temples is within walking distance, but there are slopes and stairs, so please wear comfortable shoes.

Many restaurants and souvenir shops in the sightseeing area close by early evening. We recommend doing your shopping early, and if you plan to have dinner out, checking the opening days and last order times beforehand.

Course featured this time

  1. 9:00 Arrival in Nikko
  2. 9:30 Shinkyo Bridge
  3. 10:00 Nikkozan Rinnoji Temple
    Sanbutsudo Hall
  4. 12:00 Lunch
  5. 13:00 Nikko Toshogu Shrine
  6. 15:00 Nikko Futarasan Shrine
9:00

Arrival in Nikko

Leave your luggage at the hotel and head out light

For sightseeing in hilly Nikko, we recommend leaving your luggage and walking around light. Nikko Station Hotel Classic is a one-minute walk from JR Nikko Station and Tobu-Nikko Station. You can leave your luggage at the hotel before check-in or after check-out and set out to sightsee.

Arrival in Nikko

Details

Nikko Station Hotel Classic

Address
3-1 Aioi-cho, Nikko, Tochigi (1-minute walk from JR Nikko Station / Tobu-Nikko Station)
Hours
Check-in / 15:00 (final 23:30) · Check-out / 10:00
9:30

Shinkyo Bridge

Follow the vermilion bridge into a walk through Nikko's history

When the vermilion bridge comes into view against the flowing river, you feel you have really arrived in Nikko. It is a scene you will want to photograph, but take a moment to stop and listen to the sound of the river to feel Nikko's nature even more.

Shinkyo Bridge

Details

Address
Kamihachiishi-machi, Nikko
Walking on the bridge: hours
Apr–Oct 8:30–16:30 / Nov–Mar 9:30–15:30
Other
A fee is charged to walk across the bridge
10:00

Nikkozan Rinnoji Temple Sanbutsudo Hall

Before the three principal images, encounter Nikko's mountain worship

Standing before the three principal images in the hall, you cannot help but be captivated by their size and presence. The three Buddhas are linked to Mt. Nantai, Mt. Nyoho and Mt. Taro respectively, and are said to be a family. The Thousand-Armed Kannon of Mt. Nantai is the father, Amida Nyorai of Mt. Nyoho the mother, and Bato Kannon of Mt. Taro the child.

Nikkozan Rinnoji Temple Sanbutsudo Hall

Details

Address
2300 Yamauchi, Nikko
Visiting hours
Apr–Oct 8:00–17:00 / Nov–Mar 8:00–16:00 (last entry 30 minutes before closing)
12:00

Lunch

Head to a restaurant recommended by our staff!

From Nikko's famous yuba dishes to casual cafes.
For help choosing a lunch spot, see our article on restaurants recommended by hotel staff. Choose according to your tastes and sightseeing route.

Read the article
Lunch
13:00

Nikko Toshogu Shrine

A World Heritage site enshrining Tokugawa Ieyasu, worth visiting at least once

The splendid buildings are striking, but up close you will find yourself drawn to every small carving. Besides hunting for the famous Three Wise Monkeys and the Sleeping Cat, we also recommend taking your time over whichever decorations catch your eye.
The "crying dragon" in Honjido Hall (Yakushido) is a recommended spot, where the echo sounds as if a dragon is crying.

Nikko Toshogu Shrine

Details

Address
2301 Yamauchi, Nikko
Visiting hours
Apr–Oct 9:00–17:00 / Nov–Mar 9:00–16:00 (last entry 30 minutes before closing)
15:00

Nikko Futarasan Shrine

A shrine where mountain worship lives on, to end your visit

"Shinbutsu-shugo," the worship of kami and Buddhas together, is essential knowledge for exploring Nikko. Connect the Buddhas you prayed to at Rinnoji's Sanbutsudo with the kami enshrined at Futarasan Shrine, and places that seemed separate come to feel like one continuous place of prayer.

Nikko Futarasan Shrine

Details

Address
2307 Yamauchi, Nikko, Tochigi
Hours
Apr–Oct 8:00–17:00 / Nov–Mar 9:00–16:00 (last entry 30 minutes before closing)
Admission
Admission (Honsha Shin-en garden) Adults (including students) ¥500; elementary, junior high and high school students ¥200
Nikko Station Hotel Classic

Nikko Station Hotel Classic

Make us your Nikko sightseeing base
Nikko Station Hotel Classic

Nikko Station Hotel Classic is a modern classic hotel just a one-minute walk from JR Nikko Station and Tobu-Nikko Station. You can leave your luggage at the hotel upon arrival and set out to sightsee light, making it a convenient base for your trip to Nikko.
The hotel has a natural hot spring and restaurants, so you can relax after sightseeing.

Visit the website

Details

Nikko Station Hotel Classic

Address
3-1 Aioi-cho, Nikko, Tochigi (1-minute walk from JR Nikko Station / Tobu-Nikko Station)
Hours
Check-in / 15:00 (final 23:30) · Check-out / 10:00

WRITER PROFILE

About the author

Taiki Usui

Taiki Usui

Representative Director of Nikko Hotels Co., Ltd., which operates five hotels in Nikko, including Nikko Station Hotel Classic. Aiming to create hotels that grow together with the region, he shares information to enjoy your trip, such as sightseeing, dining and souvenirs, with input from staff who know Nikko well.