Nikko Sightseeing & Attractions
Our top picks of things to see and do

Before you set off and visit all the sites in Nikko it is highly recommended that you purchase a combination ticket for 1000 yen which will give you access to Toshogu, Rinnoji, and Futarasan. Otherwise you will have to pay 1000 yen for each one!

Tobu World Square

Twenty one countries with over 100 historical relics and landmarks meticulously reproduced at 25 scale... a stroll through Nikko's Tobu World Square is probably the funnest thing you will ever do in Japan (unless you've already been to a similar theme park before). The park abounds with opportunities to take photos, make sure your battery is charged and memory card has enough space for a couple hundred shots.

The park is open 9-5 and wil cost you 2,500 yen (around $30 USD).

209-1 Kinugawaonsen Ohara, Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan
+81 288-77-1000
Website
Google Map

Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura

If the World Square wasn't enough fun for you then it is sure that you'll get your fill at the Edo Wonderland, somethinge every foreigner is bound to enjoy.

Edo wonderland is a reproduction of 'Edo' (the former name of Tokyo), several hundred years ago, when samurai, geisha and shogun were in their prime. Park staff are in full dress and in full 'character', giving the park a very authentic feel, like that of a renaissance festival in the west.

You can dress up, play roles in live action performances/dramas, brush up on your kendo and much more.

An all day pass will cost you 4,500, and a half-day pass will cost you 3,900.

470-2 Karakura, Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture 321-2524, Japan
+81 288-77-1777
Website
Google Map

Rinnoji Temple

Rinnoji Temple is in fact a complex of 15 different temples which go back as far as the year 766, making them some of the oldest in Japan. The complex has much to see, including a garden, pagoda, granite torii, and more. Just north of the Rinnoji is the Toshogu Shrine.

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Shinkyo Bridge

Surprisingly there is a 350 yen fee for those who want to step foot on the bridge. The Shinkyo bridge is the link to the Rinnoji Temple and the Toshogu Shrine which lies just ahead of the temple.

The Shinkyo Bridge is the most photographed and is unsurprisingly the quintessential image of Nikko, its bright red color contrasting behind the green of the trees behind it.

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Toshogu Shrine

After you’ve inspected the Rinnoji Temple you’ll proceed north and run directly into the Toshogu Shrine and its complex. (In fact its hard to tell where they begin and end, as they are all essentially in the same complex).

Like the Rinnoji Temple, the Toshogu has over a dozen buildings and points to see. In fact the Toshogu complex took a year and a half to build back in 1636, with the help of 4 and a half million workers.

Among the luxurious gates, towers and halls the site is also home to the famous monkey statue of ‘see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil’.

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Yumoto Onsen

After exploring all the temples and sites you can kick back and relax at the Yumoto Onsen, which is connected by bus from the Tobu train station. Not only is it an excellent onsen but the environs feature three gorgeous waterfalls: Yudaki Waterfall, Ryuzu Waterfall and the Kegon Waterfall.