To check off all the sites without having to think too hard, consider a bus tour of Tokyo. There's plenty to choose from: half-day, full-day and evening tours, with many even offering free hotel pick-up. Good companies include Hato Bus (https://www.hatobus.com) and Japan Gray Line (http://www.jgl.co.jp/inbound/index.htm). Sightseeing, shopping, snapping – done.
Tokyo tours and excursions
Tokyo tours
Bus tours
Walking tours
The Tokyo Tourist Information Centres in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office Building and Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal have a selection of guided walking tours conducted by volunteers. Check out the website for more information: https://www.gotokyo.org/en/guide-services/index.html.
Excursions from Tokyo
Kamakura
A small coastal town surrounded by wooded hills, Kamakura was the seat of Japan's first military government, the Kamakura Shogunate of 1192-1333. Most famous for the imposing 12m-high (39ft) Great Buddha, you'll also find Zen temples, the impressive Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu shrine and the nearby National Treasure Hall. Visitors can hike through the hills or sunbathe and windsurf by the beach in summer. Trains run every 10-15 minutes to Kamakura from Tokyo Station, Shinbashi Station and Shinagawa Station, on the Yokosuka line (1 hour).
Nikko
The wow factor at Nikko is the dazzlingly ornate mausoleum of the first shōgun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the model for the fictional warlord of James Clavell's novel Shōgun. This UNESCO site sits in an ancient cedar forest, along with the Rinnoji Temple, Futarasan Shrine and the smaller mausoleum of the third shōgun, Tokugawa Iemitsu. Nearby lie Lake Chuzenji and the spectacular Kegon Waterfall, a great place for boating, swimming and fishing. If you're feeling more energetic, climb the 2,486m-high (8,156ft) Mt Nantai. It takes two hours to reach Nikko from Tokyo's Asakusa and Shinjuku stations.
Website:
www.city.nikko.lg.jp
Do you have any Feedback about this page?
© 2024 Columbus Travel Media Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission, click here for information on Columbus Content Solutions.
You know where