Nikko · Gorge
An onsen town on the gorge of the Kinugawa River, 40 minutes from Nikko by train. From ¥22,000 per person including two meals, among the cheapest in Kanto. It rounds off a day in Nikko with a full night instead of going back to Tokyo in the evening.
Kinugawa · Private bath
A ryokan more than a hundred years old in Kinugawa Onsen, about 40 minutes from Nikko. The open-air bath on the roof is the highest in the town, and there are four private baths you can reserve, which is a solution for those who do not bathe with strangers. From ¥21,000 per person per night including dinner and breakfast, and the meals are a buffet of about a hundred dishes and not a served kaiseki.
Central Nikko · Shrine
The gilded mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu: 500 painted carvings, the Yomeimon gate, the three monkeys and the sleeping cat. ¥1,600, and from 31 March 2026 the machines take cash only. Two hours.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: DXR / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Nikko · Temple
The main Buddhist temple of Nikko, with three gilded Buddha statues 8 meters tall in the Sanbutsudo hall. ¥400, and the Shoyo-en garden for an extra ¥300. Less crowded than Toshogu, and in the same compound.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: Zairon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Nikko · Free
Nikko's Shinto shrine from 782, dedicated to the mountains of the area. The grounds are free, the inner area ¥300. Completely quiet compared with Toshogu, which is 3 minutes away, and the road to Lake Chuzenji starts from here.
Price checked September 2026
Photo: DXR / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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