Feel the atmosphere of Tokugawa Shogunate at the world heritage site!
Rinnoji was established by Saint Shodo in the 8th century, and the beautiful Taiyuin mausoleum is located in the precincts of Rinnoji.
Toshogu was built in the 17th century to worship Tokugawa Ieyasu. You can see the beautiful carvings of Yomeimon Gate, three wise monkeys, etc.
Futarasan Shrine is famous for the benefit of good marriage and inviting good luck. The beautiful Shinkyo Bridge is a property of Futarasan Shrine.
Your hotel
Pick up at your hotel. Go to Nikko from Asakusa Station by Tobu Express.
Visit Rinnoji Temple, Toshogu Shrine, Futarasan Shrine. We will have lunch nerby.
Feel the atmosphere of Buddhism!
Rinnoji was established by Saint Shodo in the middle of the 8th century. There are no buildings named Rinnnoji. All the buildings related to Buddhsm in Nikko are collectively called Rinnoji.
At Rinnoji, based on the belief to mountains, they have worshipped three Buddhas. Thousand-armed Kannon (Kannon with thousand arms) representing Mt. Nantai, Amida Buddha representing Mt. Nyohou, and Kannon with a horse’s head representing Mt. Taro.
Taiyuin is a mausoleum which is located inside the precincts of Rinnnoji Temple, and famous for its beautiful gates. It enshrines the Tokugawa third Shogun Iemitsu.
Enjoy watching the beautiful carvings of Yomeimon Gate, three wise monkeys, sleeping cat, etc.
This shrine was built in 1617 to worship Tokugawa Ieyasu who was the ruler of Japan at the beginning of the 17th century. After the death of Tokugawa Ieyasu he was buried in Mt. Kuno in Shizuoka Prefecture, but his body was moved to Nikko in the next year according to his will to become a god to rule Kanto area.
You can see the big entrance gate called Yomeimon which has more than 500 beautiful carvings. You can also see the famous carvings of three wise monkeys, sleeping cat, etc.
Feel the soul of Shintoism, Japanese indigenous religion.
Futarasan Shrine was established in the middle of the 8th century by Saint Shodo. It worships Mt. Futara, another name is Mt Nantai, and has been gathering people's faith. This shrine is famous for the benefit of good marriage and inviting good luck.
The beautiful Shinkyo Bridge, which is the entrance of Mt. Nikko, is a property of Futarasan Shrine.
Go back to Tokyo by Tobu Express.
End of the tour.
Your hotel
1. Guide fee
2. Hotel pick-up
* Hotel pick-up is included if your hotel is located near a station on JR Yamanote Line or inside the circle of JR Yamanote Line. If extra transportation fees are necessary for hotel pick-up, I will let you know.
1. Transportation fee (you and your guide)：About 8,000 yen/adult including the express fee of Tobu line
2. Admission fee (you and your guide): About 2,500 yen/adult
3. Lunch (you and your guide)
4. Beverages (beer, juice, etc.)
Nothing speceial.
It takes about 2 hours from Asakusa Station to Nikko Station by Tobu express train.
*** FAQ ***
(Q1) Can I use the Shinkansen bullet train to get to Nikko instead of Tobu express?
(A1) Yes, you can. But you need about 6000 yen more for transportation.
(Q2) Can I visit Kegon waterfall in addition to the above shrines and temple?
(A2)Yes, you can. But you need extra 1.5 to 2 hours.
My son and I made a last minute decision to travel to Japan and opted for a guide in Tokyo. We found Hiroshi and were not disappointed at all. He responded quickly to all of my messages and went above and beyond with further explanations if I was ever confused. I am so happy we went with Hiroshi as he made inquiries about our interests and made itineraries based upon our likes/wants. We were able to enjoy Tokyo without worrying about the hassle of figuring out the subway system. We had great food and we were able to fit a lot of sites into a small amount of time. We also went to Nikko, which I highly recommend. Hiroshi made this such an easy day with taking the train and the bus to the UNESCO site. He also went above and beyond and showed my son and myself where we would catch the bullet train at Tokyo Station. He showed us the best entrance location and made it so easy to figure out. Thank you for a great time. We would definitely go with Hiroshi again as a tour guide if we would to return to Japan.
Thank you for your review. I'm glad to hear you enjoyed our tour of Tokyo and Nikko. I know it was a hot and humid summer in Japan, but we were able to feel the atmosphere of the Shoguns and Emperors at the Imperial Palace and experience Buddhism and Shinto at Asakusa, Meiji Shrine, and Hie Shrine. In Nikko, we were able to enjoy the gorgeous Toshogu Shrine and beautiful nature. I also enjoyed the tour with you very much. If you have the opportunity to come to Japan again, I would appreciate it if you could contact me. I look forward to meeting you again in the near future in Japan! Hiroshi
Dear Hiroshi San, We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for the wonderful tour you provided us in Tokyo. Your knowledge, enthusiasm, and attention to detail made our experience truly memorable. Thank you for sharing the rich history and vibrant culture of Tokyo with us. Your guidance and insights were invaluable, and we deeply appreciate the time and effort you put into making our visit special. Warm regards, Adam & Beata
Thank you for your review. The weather was fine on the day of the tour and we were able to enjoy a panoramic view of Tokyo from the Tokyo Skytree. It was also a hot day, but the Sumida River cruise was pleasant with the breeze on the river. I think Tokyo from the boat had a different flavor. Although this tour was a bit busy, there are still many wonderful places to visit in Tokyo. Nikko and Hakone are also recommended sightseeing spots. If you have a chance to visit Japan in the future, let's enjoy Japan together again! Hiroshi
Hiroshi-san has been really helpful from the get go. He is really knowledgable about the area, and have a lot of suggestions on how to make the day of the trip flow better. He helps in planning the trip, and made sure that the day of the trip progressing smoothly! Would recommend Hiroshi-san to anyone who comes to Hakone!
Thank you for your review to the tour in Hakone. I am very happy to hear our tour was enjoyable. We ate black eggs at Owakudani. I am sure we got a life expectancy of seven more years:-) In addition to Hakone, I can guide you in Nikko, Yokohama, Kamakura, central Tokyo, and so on. I would be very happy to meet you again somewhere other than Hakone!
We had a full day tour of Nikko with Hiroshi. He met us at our Tokyo hotel and helped us travel on the subway to our express train from Tokyo to Nikko. Nikko was an amazing place to visit and made more special by Hiroshi’s knowledge explaining all of the details of the places we were visiting. We plan to book another tour with Hiroshi on our next trip to Japan.
Thank you for your review of the tour to Nikko. I also had a great time with you. Nikko is a small town but the sacred place of Buddhism and Shinto. We could feel the atmosphere of both Buddhism and Shinto. Nikko is also famous for its beautiful nature, especially beautiful red and yellow leaves in autumn. I look forward to seeing you again in the beautiful season in Japan!