Nikko sits two hours north of Tokyo, allowing you to go from one of the liveliest cities in the world to ancient cedar groves and thundering waterfalls via high-speed train. In and near the park, you can explore Kegon Falls, relax on Lake Chuzenji’s serene shores, and wander through the peaceful Shrines and Temples of Nikko. It’s a complex of 103 restored buildings highlighted by Toshogu Shrine’s ornate carvings and Futarasan-jinja’s sacred grounds.
2026 is also loaded with cultural events and festivals that have disappeared in past years. That includes Outdoor Days in Nikko (Feb. 28–Mar. 1, 2026), with guided snowshoe hikes, forest foraging, and onsen dips, plus Nikko Toshogu Shrine’s Autumn Festival (October 16–17, 2026), during which 30 mikoshi (portable shrines) are carried by more than 1,000 traditionally dressed paraders. Domestically, several Japanese travel outlets have highlighted Nikko as a top destination, leading to recent expansions of multilingual signage and trail maps.
No matter when you visit, be sure to check out the five-mile trail to Mount Hangetsuyama, and photograph Toshogu’s “see no evil” monkeys and dragon carvings. And if you’re on a budget trip, you’re still in luck. You can buy combined tickets valid for four days that include transportation to and from Tokyo, buses around town, and access to popular shrines and museums for 8,000 yen (about $50).
From Tokyo, the simplest way is by train (including the Spacia X) to Tobu-Nikko from Tokyo’s Asakusa Station. JR Pass users can instead take a Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo or Ueno stations to Utsunomiya, then transfer to the JR Nikko Line. From Tobu-Nikko or JR Nikko Station, buses run roughly three times an hour into Nikko National Park, including to Lake Chuzenji and Yumoto Onsen. The ride to Chuzenji Onsen takes about 50 minutes. 
