Nikko by tobu · By Tobu in Nikko
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By Tobu in Nikko
By Tobu in Nikko
The fastest and most convenient way to access Nikko is on the private Tōbu Nikkō Line (東武日光線) from Tokyo's Tobu-Asakusa station.
Tōbu Railway runs all-reserved limited express services, known as tokkyū (特急) trains, to the area. These trains, which use Tobu's "SPACIA" railroad equipment, have comfortable, reclining seats, with vending machines and KIOSK available on most trains. One service, called Kegon (けごん) runs directly from Asakusa to Nikko in the morning, and back to Asakusa in the afternoon. There is one daily departure from Asakusa at 7:30 am, and depending on the season, there may be an additional departure at 9:30 am. The other service, Kinu (きぬ), departs from Asakusa more frequently, but branches off to Kinugawa so you will need to transfer at Shimo-Imaichi station (下今市) to a local shuttle train for the final 10-minute run to Nikko. This train is timed to meet the Kinu arrival. Both the Kegon run, and the Kinu run with transfer, take about 1 hour and 50 minutes.
Regular direct trains, which depart from Asakusa about each hour, cost �1320 each way. Rapid, or Kaisoku (快速) trains, take two hours; the slower Section Rapid, or Kukan-Kaisoku (区間快速) takes 2 1/2 hours. You must board one of the last two cars, since the train divides en route.
In addition, Tōbu Railway offers three convenient passes for Nikko and Kinugawa hot spring area, which can be used only by visitors to Japan.
All Nikko Pass allows unlimited buses and train access in the Nikko and Kinugawa area and includes some discounts for nearby attractions, but does not include entry to the shrines. Valid for 4 days, cost �4400. Recommended for visitors coming to see Nikko's lakes and falls.
World Heritage Pass covers a round-trip to Nikko and Kinugawa and includes admission to the shrines. Valid for 2 days, cost �3600. Some discounts for Kinugawa Theme Park are also included.
Kinugawa Themepark Pass covers round-trip fare, bus pass and admission to Tobu World Square. Basic two-day pass �4000, up to �7200 if you add in Edo Wonderland and Nikko Edo Village as well.
All three passes allows unlimited train rides (regular trains only) from Shimo-Imaichi to Tobu-Nikko and Kinugawa Hot Spring Stations. These passes are only valid for trains departing from Asakusa - they cannot be used for trains leaving Shinjuku or Ikebukuro. For those, see the joint JR/Tobu route below.
These passes can be booked online. For �1000 extra, you can get reserved seats and travel on the limited express services.
You can get these passes at Tobu Sightseeing Service Center, right next to the north exit of Tobu Railway's Asakusa Station. Staff who can speak English are available.
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Nikko Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.