Two railways reach Nikko. Tobu Railway runs reserved-seat limited expresses (Spacia X, Spacia and Revaty) from Tobu Asakusa Station direct to Tobu-Nikko, and sells the Nikko Pass — a World Heritage Area version and a wider All Area version that includes the buses to Lake Chuzenji. JR travellers take the Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo or Ueno to Utsunomiya and change to the JR Nikko Line; this is covered by Japan Rail and JR East passes. A few JR–Tobu through trains also run from Shinjuku. Fares are approximate.
Routes at a glance
| From | Best route | Time | Approx. cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asakusa | Tobu limited express to Tobu-Nikko, direct, reserved seats | About 1 h 50 min | Around ¥3,000–3,500 |
| Tokyo Station / Ueno | Tohoku Shinkansen to Utsunomiya, then JR Nikko Line | About 1 h 50 min–2 h | Around ¥5,500–6,000 |
| Shinjuku | JR–Tobu through limited express to Tobu-Nikko (limited departures) | About 2 h | Around ¥4,000 |
| Asakusa | Tobu local and rapid trains with changes (no surcharge) | About 2 h 30 min–3 h | Around ¥1,400 |
| Narita / Haneda Airport | Train to Asakusa, Ueno or Tokyo Station, then as above | About 3–3 h 30 min | Around ¥4,500–8,500 |
| Tokyo (by tour) | Coach day tour with hotel-area pickup | About 2 h 30 min each way | Tour price |
Getting around Nikko
Buses: Tobu buses leave from both stations. The World Heritage loop bus reaches the shrines in about 10 minutes; buses for Chuzenji Onsen and Yumoto Onsen climb the Irohazaka road to the lake in about 45–50 minutes. One- and two-day bus passes are sold at Tobu-Nikko Station and are included in the Nikko Pass.
On foot: the walk from the stations up the main street to Shinkyo Bridge takes about 25 minutes, with the shrines 10 minutes beyond. Within the precinct everything is walkable.
