Nikko National Park + Central

Hi,

Am planning for a 1 day trip to Nikko and below are the places I'm interested in.

1) Lake Chuzenji
2) Akechidaira Ropeway
3) Tosho-gu Shrine
4) Kegon Waterfall
5) Tobu World Square
6) Yashio-no-yu Onsen

Would like to know what's the best route of visiting these places and how can I go about from one point to the another(E.G Lake Chuzenji to Yashio-no-yu Onsen)

Also, any kind souls can share on how to get to Yashio-no-yu Onsen?

I'm departing from Asakusa Station.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Unless you travel at a very fast pace, I am afraid it is too much for a single day. If you drop the remote Tobu World Square, it would become more feasible.

Actually Tobu World Square is off another station on Tobu line, so I would recommend an overnight stay if you want to visit there as well.

Please have a look at the simple "Oritentation" map here (the bottom one):
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3805.html

From the station on the right, you have Toshogu Shrine, then to the left there is the "Irohazaka" winding (zigzag-looking) road up to the Kegon waterfall and the lake. Akechidaira ropeway is located on the way up the winding road. Yashio-no-yu is located between the winding road and the central NIkko temple/shrine area, just off where the darker gray road branches off the road marked in pale gray.

I would suggest going in the following order - take the bus up toward the lake, but get off at Akechidaira on the way up because you cannot access the ropeway on the way down. At the top is the lake and the entrance to the waterfall. You can come down after visiting the waterfall and the lake (there is a pleasure boat ride), then visit the shrines. There are many shrines that you can visit; we could easily spend half day only around the temples/shrines.

1) Akechidaira Ropeway
2) Kegon Waterfall
3) Lake Chuzenji
4) Tosho-gu Shrine

THEN, after this if you have the time, you could go to:
5) Yashio-no-yu

You would have to back-track a bit, though. This Yashio-no-yu is located 12-minute walk from Kiyotaki bus station (according to the city website). And this bus stop is located between the winding road and the central Nikko area.

The reason why I suggest going up to the lake first is (though it depends on the day) the traffic up/down the winding road can be quite busy. So I personally prefer to cover that segment first, then spend time in central Nikko later, where I am closer to the train station for the way back.

Hi..thanks for the advice... Think i might drop Tobu World Square then. I thought the 2 stations are quite near by and summer have longer day time.

Hi Sorry again,

Was just wondering if I were to go Akechidaira Ropeway first and spend roughly 1 hour for the ride up and down the ropeway, after which will i be able to get a bus to go straight to Lake Chuzenji or do I have to go back to the station again and wait for the bus to go up?

In another words, are the Tobu Buses, say those towards Yumoto or Chuzenji operate like a circle in which i can hop on to the next stop?

Thanks again

if I were to go Akechidaira Ropeway first and spend roughly 1 hour for the ride up and down the ropeway, after which will i be able to get a bus to go straight to Lake Chuzenji

As far as I know, yes. The Akechidaira bus stop is located only on the way UP to the lake :) Note that the road (zigzag portion) splits into two on the map? Each road is one-way, and the bus stop is on the UP road only (the lower one on the orientation map, No. 2 Irohazaka).

We're also planning a driving trip to Nikko for autumn foliage and would appreciate help with tel. nos at the following sites for our GPS : Onsenji buddist temple, Yudaki falls, Yumoto Onsen tourist info office, Yashinono-yu, Ryuzu Falls and Kegon Waterfall. In case there isn't a tel at the site, then the tel no. of say a 7-11 or the tourist info office close by the actual site would be ok.
Can one drive to the top of Akechidaira Plateau, ie: top of the ropeway ? If so, is there a tel. at the top or if not then at the ropeway stn at the bottom ?
Could someone recommend a seafood restaurant with nice view of lake Chuzenji where we can savour the freshness of the sockeye salmon and other fishes from the rivers nearby ? (again need tel no. of restaurant please)

The reason why I suggest going up to the lake first is (though it depends on the day) the traffic up/down the winding road can be quite busy. So I personally prefer to cover that segment first, then spend time in central Nikko later, where I am closer to the train station for the way back.

Hi AK: if traveling from Tokyo on a JR Pass for the day ONLY (NOT overnight) is it worth the trip to Lake Chuzenji and the waterfall: it seems a lot of travel, that's all, and Nikko itself probably has loads to see? We have seen waterfalls in other countries.......

fmj,
We've been on a day trip to Nikko from Tokyo, starting from Shinjuku/Ikebukuro a bit past 7 in the morning, arriving in Nikko around 9,
took the bus up to one end of the Chuzenji Lake (the end closest to central Nikko) and done a short walk by the Lake Chunzenji (OK, no boat ride), and had a good look at Kegon Falls, then taking the bus down to visit Toshogu Shrine and a few other shrines around it, as well as the Shinkyo bridge, at a no-rush, good comfortable pace. For the main attractions in central Nikko and the Kegon Falls, a day is well doable and well worth it :)

I have followed this post and so thanks I will do as suggested
1) Akechidaira Ropeway
2) Kegon Waterfall
3) Lake Chuzenji
4) Tosho-gu Shrine
I too am unclear - (and there will be 9 of us so I have to be organised! so thanks for any feedback)
I will catch the bus one way up and get off at the ropeway - how long does the up and down on the ropeway take approx? and then can I wait where I got off the bus for the next one to come to continue onto the waterfall? and is the waterfall bus stop the same as the lake one?
thank you! -

Hello again, We will be travelling to Nikko using our JR rail pass so the Tobu pass appears to only have train included.
Is there a pass that covers only the Nikko area? ie. entries to the World Heritage sites and buses up to the lake and return or is it necessary to just pay as we go once arriving at Nikko? thank you again

Unfortunately, there aren't any Tobu passes that don't include transportation from Tokyo. See this page:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_002.html

and the official Tobu site here:

http://www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/

Gazle,

When you get to Nikko, you buy the Tobu bus pass, one of which would give you unlimited ride between (hop on, hop off) Nikko station and the Kego waterfalls + the lake. I think it cost 2,000 yen, and as one-way bus ride up to the lake costs 1,000 yen, it simply makes sense to buy the pass.

I don't think there is any "one single ticket" that includes admission to all heritage sites.

I meant to write "Kegon waterfalls" in the above post, sorry for the typo :)

There is a combination ticket for 1000yen that includes admission to Toshogu, Rinnoji, Taiyuinbyo and Futarasan shrine. Is that what you mean? The details are on the Japan-Guide pages for each of these sites.

AK refers to the 中禅寺温泉フリーパス (Chuzenji Onsen Free Pass), a bus pass that gives you unlimited use of Tobu buses to Lake Chuzenji on two consecutive days for 2000 yen:
http://www.tobu-bus.com/pc/ticket/nikko.html

It can be bought at the Tourist Center in Tobu-Nikko Station or at the ticket counter of JR Nikko Station.

The tobu pass it is - thank you all!- a great help!

Another question please,to save me hours trying to nail it.... I visited Nikko 20 years ago and remember a viewing point looking out across to the Keagon falls but were being driven by a friend.

If I want to take our group to the viewing point with maybe the cable up to the top and also see the lake - are all these 3 things from the same bus stop? (Im thinking or hoping they are).

If so what bus stop do I want to see/do this?

- And then can we hop back on to a bus to continue down the other side of the zig zag to Nikko again? thanks!

I visited Nikko 20 years ago and remember a viewing point looking out across to the Keagon falls but were being driven by a friend.

There are three main observation decks. The best is accessible by paid elevator and is located close to the base of the waterfall. A second deck is located behind the elevator facilities and is freely accessible, but the views are not quite s good. The third one is accessed by a ropeway from a parking space, but it is considerably farther away from the waterfall than the other two.

If I want to take our group to the viewing point with maybe the cable up to the top and also see the lake - are all these 3 things from the same bus stop?

Not sure which viewing point and cable you are referring to, but the elevator and the lake can both be reached on foot from Chuzenjiko Onsen bus stop.

And then can we hop back on to a bus to continue down the other side of the zig zag to Nikko again?

From Chuzenjiko Onsen bus stop, yes.

Sorry to be unclear. When I went years ago - by car - thee was a look out spot that was directly in front of the falls - up high not down below. Wondering if we drove and parked near the spot where the cable car goes up to...mmm
So I guess what Id like to know is - If we get off at the cablecar and go up and down can we then walk to the lake or have to wait for the next bus - is it close?
then again - can we after having looked around catch the bus down the zig zag opposite side back to nikko from the lake area - hop on hop off I guess?
thank you so much for your help - much appreciated!

The cause of confusion might be the fact that one cable car in Nikko, the "Chuzenjiko Onsen Ropeway" stopped service in 2003. That ropeway used to have its lower station very close to the Waterfall, however, it does not exist anymore, these days.