Tochigi in One Day: Board the bus & Toshogu Shrine — Guide Yumi
September, 2024
This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 9:40 Meet up @ Tobu Nikko Station
- 9:55 Board the bus
- 10:45 Kegon Falls
- 11:28 Board the bus
- 11:45 Above Ryuzu Falls ~ Walk along the falls
- 12:21 Board the bus
- 13:20 Lunch @ Yuba Yuzen
- 14:20 Shinkyo Bridge
- 14:40 Rinnoji Temple Sanbutsudo
- 15:10 Toshogu Shrine
- 16:20 Board the bus @ Shinkyo Bridge
- 16:30 Disband @ Tobu Nikko Station
Title: What's a Private Day Trip from Tokyo to Nikko Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visitors from North America. They wanted to see plenty of nature, so we decided to take the bus to Ryuzu Falls and Kegon Falls. They come from a very dry region and are not used to hot, humid weather, but they were delighted that Nikko was cooler than Tokyo, and they found the beautiful greenery very refreshing. On top of that, the weather was clear after a typhoon, and they were very satisfied.
They had been watching the drama "SHOGUN," which is popular around the world right now, so they were interested in the history of the Edo period and the shogun, and they understood my explanations at Toshogu Shrine very well. Before going to Toshogu, they had bought a souvenir sweet decorated with the three monkeys at Ryuzu Falls, so they were very happy when they saw the real carving at Toshogu.
They were staying in Shinjuku, but on their way to Nikko they had gotten quite lost trying to reach Kita-Senju Station. So when buying the return tickets, I helped them get a direct train from Tobu-Nikko to Shinjuku, which they also appreciated.
Click here for more details: Nikko Customized Private Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Bus | Tobu Nikko Station～Chuzenji Onsen | 1,250JPY |
| Section 2 | Bus | Chuzenji Onsen～Takinoue | 580JPY |
| Section 3 | Bus | Ryuzu Falls～Yasukawacho | 1,500JPY |
| Section 4 | Bus | Shinkyo Bridge～Tobu Nikko | 220JPY |
| Total | 3,550JPY | ||
Hello! My name is Yumi. The Nikko area, Nasu area, in Tochigi Prefecture, and Aizu and Shirakawa area in Fukushima prefecture, where I will be guiding you, are not only surrounded by beautiful nature in all four seasons but are also full of historical attractions. Nikko, in particular, is a great place to learn about the culture and history that has shaped Japan to this day. In order for you to truly enjoy your day, I am flexible to your wishes and will prepare your day to be a great day. Because I am a local guide, you will surely see some sights that are not in the guidebooks. Is local food one of your favorite parts of your trip? I am also a sushi-making instructor for foreigners, so food is one of my specialties. I am also a certified sake navigator. Why don’t you come and enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with me?
Jul 1, 2026
laine164
Tripadvisor review: Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
A wonderful day!
We had a wonderful time exploring Nikko.
Our friendly…
Jul 1, 2026
laine164
Tripadvisor review: Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
A wonderful day!
We had a wonderful time exploring Nikko.
Our friendly guide, Yumi, Was an expert. She made every attempt to ensure our personalised tour was successful. We got to see everything we wanted and more.
We also had great food at a lovely little restaurant with a beautiful view.
Apr 7, 2026
V2097LInickd
Tripadvisor review: Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great Guide Yumi Highlights Nikko on walking tour
Our 16,000 step tour…
Apr 7, 2026
V2097LInickd
Tripadvisor review: Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Great Guide Yumi Highlights Nikko on walking tour
Our 16,000 step tour of Nikko with our guide Yumi was informative, interesting and delightful. Yumi met us at the hotel on time despite a last minute change of venue. She adjusted the itinerary to accommodate the change and we visited the Emperor’s former summer residence (Tamozawa Imperial Villa) and gardens and then walked the Abyss, both good. A quick lunch at the nearby bakery turned into a history lesson about the origins of tourism in Nikko and the oldest hotel in the area. Interesting and unexpected.
We then walked to the world heritage Shrine and temple complex of Toshogu, Futarasan-Jinja and Rinno-Ji. Yumi’s pre-planning and pre-purchase of tickets saved us a 30min wait in line. And her folder of laminated fact sheets provided more details on things we were seeing. So we’ll organised.
We finished the tour with a walk down to the river to view a bridge and then a long uphill walk back to the hotel, via a Lawson Station to stock up on snacks after a busy tour.
Recommended.
Apr 4, 2026
O4367MVkarenv
Tripadvisor review: Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Fantastic day in Nikko
We had a fantastic day with Yumi. She…
Apr 4, 2026
O4367MVkarenv
Tripadvisor review: Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Fantastic day in Nikko
We had a fantastic day with Yumi. She offered us deep insight into local history, cuisine, hidden spots, culture, religion, and daily life. Extremely knowledgeable, passionate and flexible. Yumi communicates well in English and made our day extremely memorable. We highly recommend Yumi!
Nov 10, 2025
Salutory
A fascinating tour with a friendly and knowledgeable guide
Tripadvisor review: Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide, Yumi…
Nov 10, 2025
Salutory
A fascinating tour with a friendly and knowledgeable guide
Tripadvisor review: Nikko Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide, Yumi Aoyama, was warm, welcoming and highly knowledgeable. She answered every question even thought I’m a bit of a history buff. Her preparation for the tour with a folder of pictures and diagrams to illustrate a point was excellent and helped us understand things like what the five levels of pagodas represent. Overall, we felt like we were in good hands and she delivered good value for money. We highly recommend her and her tour.