The long start to our trip commenced at 5am and eventually ended in Nikko at 8pm as we settled in to our first guest house. The fifteen hours of travel consisted of a 45-minute taxi journey to the airport, a five-hour flight to Tokyo Narita Airport, Airport Express into the city centre, a slow two-hour train journey to Nikko, and lastly a 30-minute taxi ride to our guest house for the night.
Travel Tip: Buy a travel pass for Nikko at Asakusa Station. We bought All Nikko Passes for ¥4,400 per person that can be used on all trains and buses (including the winding bus journey up the mountain) for four days.
Suggested schedules drafted by a friend who knows Japan really well (times are approximate):
- 15:00 - From airport to Ueno by Keisei line (51 mins)
- Transfer Subway Ginza Line in Ueno to Asakusa
- 16:30 - Arrive at Asakusa
- Buy a 2-day pass and take Tobu Nikko Line from Asakusa to Nikko (2 hours)
- 19:00 - Arrive at Tobu Nikko station and then take a taxi to the hotel