- Overview
- Trip Outline
- How to get there
- Recommended destinations
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Introduction to Nikko
Nikko, a picturesque town located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, is renowned for its serene onsen (hot springs) and remarkable culinary offerings. Nestled amid lush greenery and historic sites, Nikko offers visitors a unique blend of relaxation and taste, making it a perfect getaway.
Unwinding in Nikko's Onsens
One of the main attractions of Nikko is its enchanting onsens. These natural hot springs are known for their healing properties and provide a tranquil atmosphere for visitors. Soaking in an outdoor onsen while surrounded by nature is a must-do experience. The serene setting enhances the relaxation effect, allowing you to unwind completely and rejuvenate both body and mind.
A Taste of Nikko's Cuisine
Nikko is equally celebrated for its delicious local cuisine. Visitors can indulge in a variety of traditional dishes, including yuba (tofu skin), which is a local specialty. The fresh ingredients sourced from the surrounding region contribute to the remarkable flavors found in Nikko's food. Don't miss the chance to explore the local markets and eateries, where you can sample these culinary delights while immersing yourself in the vibrant culture.
Recommended Destinations
Engage a Local Tour Guide
The 1 day itinerary suggested is as below
Itineraries
Nikko
Time : 10:00 am
Time : 12:00 pm
Time : 1:00 pm
by train (1 h 27 min) | Nikko-Kinugawa Limited Express 1 h 27 min (4 stops) · Platform 特急 · | ¥2,750 |
by train (8 min) | Tobu-Nikko Line (LocalTobu-Nikko) 8 min (2 stops) · Platform 1 · Stop ID: TN23 | ¥200 |
by bus (5 min)| Board at Tōbu-nikkō Station | ||
 | World Heritage Tour Bus 世界遺産めぐり Ishiyamachi direction 石屋町行 5 min (6 stops) | ¥260 |
| Alight at Hotel Seikoenmae Bus Stop | ||
walk (9min / 13 min)Nikko Senhime Monogatari Hotel Onsen – 花衣の館 日光千姫物語 / Nikko Hoshi no Yado Hotel Onsen – 日光 星の宿
by bus (6 min) - return trip| Board at Total Kaikanzen Bus Stop | ||
| World Heritage Tour Bus 大猷院折返日光駅行 Taiyuin to Nikko Station Direction 6 min (6 stops) | ¥240 |
| Alight at Hotel Seikoenmae Bus Stop | ||
by train (1 h 35 min) - return trip | Nikko-Kinugawa Toll Limited Express Asakusa 1 h 35 min (5 stops) · Platform 4 · Stop ID: TN25 | ¥2,750 |
Experiencing Activities
Nikko Hoshi no Yado Hotel Onsen – 日光 星の宿 Enjoy the serene experience of open-air hot spring bath surrounded by the beautiful nature of Nikko and if you are lucky enough you may have a glimpse the wild deer wandering in the woods. Besides the open-air onsen, Hoshi no Yado hotel in well-known for its Yuba cuisine, and they do offer the lunch + onsen package for the day trippers (~3740 yen). But if you decide to just experience the open-air onsen, the entry charge per person is 1000 yen
Nikko Senhime Monogatari Hotel Onsen -日光千姫物語 Similar to Nikko Station Hotel Classic, Nikko Senhime Monogatari is a hotel that opens their onsen facilities to the day trippers. Nikko Senhime Monogatari offers a good variety of hot spring bathing facilities including open air bath, indoor bath, whirlpool and sauna rooms. It offers a wide range of services for women especially, including spa courses such as body treatment, facial treatment and enzyme bath. They also provide a good choice of colored yukata for women. Besides hot spring bath, day trippers have the choice to include the Japanese cuisine as part of the bathing package.
Nikko Station Hotel Classic Onsen In Nikko area, a lot of hotels open their Onsen (hot spring bath) facilities to the day trippers, Nikko Station Hotel Classic is one of them. The natural spring water is believed to have therapeutic effect on body, and local Japanese really love soaking in the onsen especially during the cold winter months. Nikko Station Hotel Classic offers both indoor and outdoor onsen facilities for the day tripper. They have separate pools for men and women for both indoor and outdoor. (Do note that they are shared pools and you can’t put on any clothes at all to go into the pool) Per entry charge for using the bathing facilities in 700 yen, and it is opened from 11:00am ~ 23: 00pm. And you also have the choice of renting the hotel room on the hourly basis (2,160 yen per hour) while enjoying the onsen
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Culture & Heritage Activities
 | Nikko Toshogu Shrine used to be the temple that holds important religious ceremonies for the Tokugawa Shogunate during the Edo Period. It was founded in 1250. It was recognised as the UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. Since then, the number visitors have increased tremendously , currently, Nikko accommodates about 2.5 millions visitors every year.
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Dessert and Drink
 | Meiji Yakata Cake Shop 明治の館ケーキショップ Meiji Yakata Cake Shop is famous for its Nirvana Rare cheesecake that has a super soft texture. Only Danish cream cheese, eggs and sugar are used to make the cheesecake. Despite its simplicity, the cheesecake has excellent richness and refreshing acidity. Besides the original cheese flavour; chocolate, orange, strawberry & blueberry flavours are available.
Cafe Fleur is cafe in front of Tobu Nikko station. It is proud to maintain the same taste for its cheesecake for more than 30 years since its opening. The cheesecake is baked slowly at low temperature so as to keep it moist. Upon completion, it is topped is a layer of sour cream.
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Food
 | Well-known for its Yuba sushi roll (日光湯波巻) that is essentially a Wagyu beef maki sushi roll wrapped with the Yuba skin. The seasoning is meticulously prepared with the right balance mixture of seafood, wasabi and special home made sauce (soy-based Dashi).
Tochigi Prefecture where Nikko is located is one of Japan’s leading buckwheat producing regions. Above all, Imaichi area (of Nikko) boasted as one of the largest planting areas of the prefecture. As a result, there are many high quality soba shops around here that take advantage of this fresh local produce, and clean water from the Nikko mountains. Genso-soba Kappa 玄蕎麦河童 would meticulous select the best quality buckwheat from various production areas and “cold” storage them for about 2 years to deepen the sweetness of the wheat. The delicate taste of soba they offer is the result of this thorough storage management and careful selection process.
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