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While Arashiyama was probably my favorite day trip (in total) while in Japan, Nikko gave it a run for its money. I don’t know how this post got pushed back on my editorial calendar (as it was our first day trip from Tokyo), but here it is! The day we went to Nikko it was incredibly cold, so maybe that’s why I didn’t remember it as the most fun… Other than that we had a fantastic day here! There were so many beautiful temples and shrines to see, incredible autumn leaves all over the place, some pretty great food in town.

The train trip from Tokyo to Nikko is about two hours, but with our Ninja wifi, the ride went by quickly. Upon arriving in Nikko, we walked out of the train station and right onto the local World Heritage Sites bus. This bus drives in a loop to all of the major sites in Nikko, so you can hop on or hop off wherever you want! It was really easy and a quick way to get around to all of them. We actually purchased the bus pas when we were buying our train tickets in Tokyo at the information desk – the attendants at the train stations are so helpful! Just be sure to inquire about that before you go, so you can get right into it when you arrive in Nikko.

If you love being outside and getting photos of nature, along with historical sites, a day trip to Nikko should definitely be on your list! Click here to check out more travel content from Japan.