Friends (thanks Paul & Matthias) recommended me to make a day trip to Nikko from Tokyo. After looking at some pictures online, I was immediately convinced and set off from Tokyo.
I left my hostel at 06:30 in the morning and took the train to Nikko. Once in Nikko, you have several options. A bus leaves every few minutes from the station and covers the whole area (46 stops).
I first went to the tourist information office for advice on what options I had for my day trip. The employee there was very friendly and made me a suggestion, with which I was satisfied. When I then asked how much walking time I would have to calculate in about, he said 5 hours. When I then looked at him startled because I would have estimated it shorter, he said if I walk fast, maybe only 4 or possibly only 3 hours. So off I went with a good plan of where I wanted to go but with little plan of how long it would actually take.
You can theoretically start directly from the train station "Tobu Nikko". You then start through the town and after about 20 minutes walk you reach a beautiful red bridge called Shinkyo (would be bus station 7), which is very famous and you also see on many photos of Nikko.
Since the different sights were scattered far apart and I didn't feel like walking directly along the street, I took a bus directly from the train station and got off at station 26. This is the right station if you want to see the Kegon Waterfalls. They are located on the Ōshiri River, which is the outlet of Lake Chūzenji. The height of the fall of Kegon Falls is 97 meters. At the waterfall, you also have the option of taking an elevator down a bit further for the equivalent of about 3€ (as of October 2023) to get even closer to them. I was skeptical at first but must admit that it was worth it to use the elevator. The waterfall looks even more gigantic and awe-inspiring - and it's a great photo spot! 😊
Starting from Kegon Waterfalls, I started my hike along the signposted route. It went along the just mentioned Chūzenji Lake. At the edge of the lake, there were beautiful views of the area and especially of the trees, the leaves of which were slowly turning into different colors.
After quite a while along the lake, the path branched off in another direction and led to other waterfalls, namely the "Ryuzu Falls". I don't know why, but exactly there the autumn colors were most intense, it was therefore an incredibly beautiful picture of the waterfalls embedded in this autumnal environment.
Then came the most beautiful part of the trail for me. Small trails, which were lined by bamboo, led through a wonderfully autumnal colored deciduous forest. I could not take enough pictures of it - it was incredibly beautiful to stroll along here.
In between we saw small picturesque wooden bridges in the middle of this enchanting forest - really great.
Gradually the forest thinned out and the landscape changed to a drier area. One had a wide view and could admire such a great panorama of the mountains all around.
Some more kilometers in the forest finally led to the "Yutaki Falls". This very wide waterfall was impressive for me. The hiking trail really led right past it and you could watch the water masses up close as they made their way down.
Afterwards, the hiking trail led to the end point, namely the "Lake Yunoko". This lake is a fitting end to the hike. It is surrounded by mountains on 3 sides and you can walk along a small path right by the water.
From the parking lot next to the lake, the bus then went back to the train station. It was an extremely long (I left my hostel at 06:30 in the morning and came back at 22:00), but gorgeous beautiful day. The hike itself lasted for me about 4.5 hours (however, I went a bit further than suggested by the employee at the tourist information). So I was within the time span estimated by him! 😊
I would recommend anyone traveling to Japan to visit Nikko. Depending on your time and interest, you have a variety of options to make your day. There are also a variety of temples and shrines to visit - unfortunately I don't know this side of Nikko.
Tip: If you have enough time, I would advise you to spend 1-2 nights in Nikko. It is a beautiful area, you can explore a lot and it is a bit less time consuming than a day trip from Tokyo.
What autumnal hike have you enjoyed the most lately? 😊
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