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Nikko's got it all - nature, culture, history, cuisine
I've made trips to Nikko with friends, family, and solo. I've never been disappointed. The solo trips were epic hikes - along the northern shore of Lake Chuzenji, to the peak of Mount Nantai, and through the Senjogahara Marsh. On more leisurely trips, take bus and car trips to visit the world heritage site and the cuisine. Many people aim for peak cherry blossom or autumn leaves periods, but it's worth going any time of year. It's a great escape from summer heat. You can sample yuba and soba, and wonder at historical treasures such as Futarasan Shrine, Toshogu, and Rinnoji. My most recent trip was slow and focused on culture and cuisine - Tamozawa Villa, the complex of temples and shrines around Toshogu mausoleum, soba lunch, and a coffee break in an old shop house. Another treat is the freshness of the water. I always keep some PET plastic bottles to bring some mountain water home.
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on Aug 28
Fab spot for a Tokyo weekend getaway
Everyone and their dog knows about Nikko as a day trip or weekend getaway destination from Tokyo, and it's one of those places that did leave a memorable impact on me. There's lots of cultural stuff to do, most notably the famous Nikko Toshogu Shrine, tons of nature-based activities, and other fun random things to check out like Tobu World Square, a fun theme park attraction full of miniature replicas of famous buildings. One thing I did notice was that the town turned quite sleepy after 6/7pm, so don't expect much in the way of evening things to do. Definitely a place worth visiting!
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on May 24
Ticks all the tourist boxes!
As the previous reviewer wrote, there are several things to to in Nikko. It really ticks a lot of the tourist boxes - history, scenery, nature, cuisine, activities and even a theme park - an Edo period theme park complete with ninja and samurai! If you are limited for time while in Japan, I highly recommend putting Nikko on your itinerary to get a real taste of Japan. However, please note that it is extremely busy in both Autumn and spring. Also, in order to see as much as possible a car or taking a bus tour is probably better than trying to do it by bus and train. There is a World Heritage Sightseeing bus that is useful too.
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on Sep 22
Fall Leaves, temples, shrines, gardens, onsen, and a waterfall
Nikko is one of the best places to go for fall leaves in Japan, but also really nice even without the colorful leaves. From Kinugawa Onsen to a Kegon Falls, there is a lot of outdoor nature year round. There are also World Heritage site temples and shrines, so it's a popular destination for school trips. My friends and I walked around the amazing shrines and temples first, enjoying the sunlight and bright red leaves. We got some 'tofu skin,' a specialty food called yuba, which is popular in Nikko and other places with historical buildings, like Kyoto and Nara. Then we went to a restaurant for lunch and I had some 'mountain vegetable' fern or sansai soba. So nice after walking around a lot. Nikko is a great place to take pictures, so don't forget a camera! During the fall season, Nikko is really crowded, because it's one place Japanese people and tourists all love to go to see the colorful leaves. It's also only a couple hours from Tokyo but really beautiful nature. Unfortunately, the traffic was so bad on the way up the mountain to see the waterfall, that we couldn't get there before it started to get dark out. It was still possible to see the 97 meter tall Kegon Falls in the dark, but just a little. There were some souvenir shops and foods like grilled fish and corn being sold near the parking lot. That sounded really nice because it was getting really cold already in the mountains. We got some snacks, ate some hot food, and headed home. It's possible to go from Tokyo in a little over two hours by rapid train. Take Tobu Skytree Line (from Asakusa Station to Tobu Dobutsuen Koen, continue on the same train or change to Nikko Line all the way to Tobu Nikko Station, for 1358 yen one way) or the JR Nikko Line to Nikko Station. There are local buses that will take you to the lake, onsen, and Kegon Falls. I was lucky enough to go with a friend with a car. The price really depends on which shrines and temples you visit and how much you eat. There was a combination ticket available for 1000 yen that allowed entrance to all four of the historic temples and shrines about a 30 minute walk from the station. I read this is no longer available though.
In the Area
Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park 日光田母沢御用邸記念公園
Austere imperial villa with gorgeous garden
on Apr 26
Nikko Futarasan Jinja Chugushi Shrine 日光二荒山神社 中宮祠
Middle shrine, treasure house, and hiking route
on Nov 2
TonetoEdo
on Apr 27