Job Discussion Forums

[mushroomyakuza]

Hi all

I want to try and arrange a day trip or a two day trip to Nikko during Golden Week. I know it will be very busy, but basically I just want some advice on several subjects;

i) getting there, travel
ii) where to go/ what to do
iii) where to stay

Any advice would be great. I've been trying to do some research online for the past hour or so but there's a lot of information, though obviously a lot of it is in just Japanese. I'd appreciate anyone's personal feedback and experiences rather than a website's advertising etc.

Finally, is there anywhere else you would reccomend, other than Nikko, for a similar 1/2 day trip?

Cheers

[Apsara]

I'm afraid you may find that it is much too late to be booking accommodation for somewhere as popular as Nikko for Golden Week. You might be lucky though, and also for future reference here is the place I stayed in last time I went: http://www.nikkoparklodge.com/

There is also the Turtle Inn although reviews seem to be mixed.

Because Nikko is at about 1,000m above sea level it can be quite cool- I went in July once with only a thin sweater because it was already sweletering in Tokyo, and found it was only 13 degrees C in Nikko, so just about froze- take warm clothes.

The Gunma area is also interesting- hot springs and nice hiking/nature walks in places like the Oze wetlands. Hakone and Izu are also good overnight trips from the Tokyo area, however Golden Week being one of the three busiest holiday periods here accommodation could be difficult to come by in all of them.

[Lyrajean]

You can do Nikko as a day trip from Tokyo. You take the train from Tokyo to Utsunomiya and switch there for another line. There are 2 that service Nikko JR and one other? (Pardon I live in Okinawa and use the Japanese trains once or twice a year.) From the station you can take a cab or bus or simply huff it up to where the mausoleums and temples are. You won't be able to see everything but you can see enough of the best sights to get a good feel for the place.

[Lyrajean]

Okay links to trains are here:

http://japan-guide.com/e/e3805.html

We did the JR option as my brother had a JR pass. Tobo rail is definitely more popular. You can hike to the Shinkyo bridge and Tokukawa mausoleums on foot, see them and all the temples in between in one day.

[my_way]

you can take the local train from asakusa. just buy a ticket from the machines, there will be people there to help you if you can't figure it out. you can also take the faster and more expendive (by 20 min) reserved seating train. both run pretty frequently.
when you arrive you will see the tourist office and the busses all run from there.....easy day trip and really nice....enjoy!