Nikko or Hakone

Hello,
I will be in Tokyo in mid November for 2 nights and would like to do a day-trip to either Nikko or Hakone. What would be the better destination in terms of scenic landmarks and , giving the limited amount of time I have?

Both are very beautiful. Hakone has the bonus of having the sight of Mount Fuji on days with good visibility (but often not visible).

In terms of access, the nature of Hakone is faster reached from Tokyo than the nature of Nikko. Therefore, I recommend Hakone.

Hi,
Comparing both of distance, Hakone is nearer than Nikko.
However, both place can do a 1 day trip.
It's better to use Express train.

Hakone: Odakyu line from Shinjyuku.
Nikko: Tobu line from Asakusa etc.

Have a nice trip!

If you're after scenic stuff, go to Hakone, Nikko has very nice nature but it's mainly about the sights.

As for access, I would not necessarily agree with Uji because it all depends on where you start. If your hotel is near Asakusa, then it's faster to hop on Tobu's Spacia and you're in Nikko in 2 hours while for Hakone,it will take a little over 2 hours and you will have to change at least twice.

If you're in Shinjuku area, the fastest way to Hakone is Odakyu's Romancecar which gets you from Shinjuku station to Hakone Yumoto station in 1:26. BUT you need to take a bus down to Lake Ashi and that's another 30-45 minutes, together with the transfer, you're looking at about 60 minutes from the moment you arrive to Hakone Yumoto.

For Nikko, fast trains are scarce but they exist - and while the price is not fun (4000 JPY one way), if you will be in Japan longer and will have a JR Pass, you don't have to worry about it (but I think you have to pay for a portion of the trip where JR train uses Tobu rails but it's not too bad). And you're in Nikko in 1:59 while the bus to the sights takes about 15 minutes.

So if you are free to choose your place of stay, I would definitely pick a location that's more convenient for the intended trip (Shinjuku for Hakone or for Nikko with JR pass, Asakusa for Nikko without JR pass).

Yes, definitely Hakone. The Odakyu railway's Hakone Free Pass route is one of the world's premium transport tickets, covering 7 different modes of transport.
Here's my gallery of most of the trip. Click "slideshow", top right.
http://dickh.zenfolio.com/p340096673

Nikko is closer to Tokyo.
Travel duration to Nikko and to Hakone are almost the same, as there are Shinjuku-Nikko traines today in addtion to Asakusa-Nikko.

Nikko has otsnatning shrines and temples, which were constracted in Samurai period.
Pure mineral water aorund Nikko is one of the top quality water recognised by the government.
You can compare with the attraction of Hakone, which is Mt.Fuji.

Nikko can be reached by Tobu at 1,360yen per way if you take a Tobu's rapid(kaisoku) train from Asakusa.

8:10 Asakusa - 10:19 Nikko(Tobu)
9:10 Asakusa - 11:20 Nikko(Tobu)

Tobu has a special tickets for foreign tourists as well.
http://www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/pass/index.html