Start
Start at JR or Tobu Nikko Station
Take a bus or walk 20-30 minutes
5 minutes
Shinkyo Bridge
The Shinkyo Bridge stands at the entrance to Nikko's shrines and temples, and technically belongs to Futarasan Shrine. The bridge is ranked as one of Japan's three finest bridges together with Iwakuni's Kintaikyo and Saruhashi in Yamanashi Prefecture.
Walk
10 minutes
Shoyoen Garden
Shoyoen is a small garden located across from Rinnoji's main hall. It is a popular autumn color spot around the first half of November, with its many maple trees standing photogenically around its central pond. Admission includes entry to the adjacent treasure house.
Walk
1 minute
Walk
5 minutes
Toshogu Shrine
This lavish shrine is the final resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. The shrine is set in a beautiful forest, with countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf used to decorate the buildings in a way seldom seen in Japan.
Walk
10 minutes
Futarasan Shrine
Founded in 782, Futarasan Shrine is dedicated to the deities of Nikko's three most sacred mountains. Similarly surrounded by forest, this shrine is more understated than its neighbor, Toshogu Shrine.
Walk
15 minutes
Tamozawa Imperial Villa
The Tamozawa Imperial Villa blends traditional Edo and early modern Meiji Period architecture throughout its 106 rooms. The villa was erected in Nikko in 1899, using parts of an imperial residence that originally stood in Tokyo.
Finish