Car, or Train & Bus

The town of Nikko is a good base for entering the national park, there is an efficient bus system that runs from the town, and a direct train from Tokyo that takes two hours. The bus from Nikko to the main park area takes about 45 mins to 1 hour depending on traffic. From there you will find another bus that will take you to the shrine where the trailhead begins, this takes about 10 mins. There is limited parking at the shrine.

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For public transport I recommend getting the Nikko all area pass (4,520 yen), available from the TOBU Info Center in Asakusa, it includes a 20 percent discount on limited express train tickets, and unlimited bus rides inside the park. If taking the cheaper local trains or driving, you can just buy a bus pass from the tourist info centre at Nikko station (2,650 yen) which gives you unlimited rides into the national park.

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Tokyo: Nikko station is 2 hours from Asakusa in Tokyo and the train costs ¥2,860. Or you can catch the local trains with 1 or 2 connections and save about ¥1000 for an extra half hour of travel time. You can also catch local trains from Shinjuku for about ¥2000.

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Trail head: Google Maps

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Note: During autumn (Sep/Oct) and long weekends, traffic can become very congested, sometimes doubling the travel time by both car and bus.