Nikko Private Tour from Tokyo - Temples, Nature and Hidden Gems

This was one of the best experiences of our Japan trip. Our driver was punctual, friendly, and professional, and the vehicle was spotless and very comfortable. We visited the magnificent Toshogu Shrine, Kegon Falls, Lake Chuzenji, and other beautiful locations without feeling rushed. The itinerarywas well organized, and we learned interesting facts about each destination while enjoyi the flexibility of a private tour. Hotel pickupand drop-off made the day completely stress-free. If you’re looking for a comfortable, personalized,and memorable day trip from Tokyo, I highly recommend this Nikko private tour. We would definitely book again!

This was our 12th day in Japan, and first tour. We managed to see everything everywhere we went without a guide but we wanted the ease of getting to Nikko which is a bit more remote. The trip started with us asking about the vehicle as we paid 200$ CAD more for the « executive » service. We were therefore surprised to see that this was a 15 year old Toyota van with captain seats in the back. The explanation we got was that we would’ve gotten a regular seat in the back without that « executive » part. We were also shocked to not have a Japanese guide. We are here to visit a country and would have loved to have a native of the region to show us around. The day started at 8am with convenient pick up at our Airbnb. We then drove 2.5h to Nikko with a stop at a convenience store. Our guide did speak with us a but he had a strong accent and spoke very low so difficult to understand. The first stops were the Lake and the waterfall. The lake was not much unfortunately given the weather but the waterfall was amazing. However our guide did not come in with us and it became clear that this was more of a taxi ride with multiple stops than an actual guided tour. We then went to an amazing shrine and temple. We were about to skip (!!!) the temple when I asked to go in and the guide seemed shocked as if no one has ever asked to go in before. It’s a good thing I did as after we paid to see it we witness the three amazing Buddha statues inside and it may have been the best temple we saw in Japan. We then made our way up to the shrine which was another wonder. Tokugawa Ieyasu’s laying ground and an amazing temple/shrine. It was again difficult to understand our guide who kept saying « Leeasshoo ». I can understand accents but as a French person speaking English in Japan, I feel like the guide should be able to say the name properly. We then went for lunch which was the worse meal we had in our entire trip. We were told to grab a picture of the red bridge in Nikko on our way out of the restaurant. We had left our umbrellas in the car prior to lunch and coming out we saw heavy rain so we attempted to go get them. The guide and the van were nowhere to be seen. We texted him and searched for him for 10 minutes in heavy downpour before he showed up. Following that, we went to two more waterfalls which were nice and then were driven back to Tokyo. Our « guide » tried to ask us many times to not leave him a bad review despite the awful day we had. Long story short, Nikko is amazing but don’t overpay for this one!

We were so thankful to have had Umer as our tour guide. He was punctual, flexible, but above all, very knowledgeable. Umer was able to converse with us on a wide variety of topics, not just the sites we visited. I would highly recommend using his service again.

We would not have seen Kegon Falls or the lake if we had tried this on our own. Traveling with Raja made the day more relaxing and allowed us to see everything we wanted and more. Toshogu shrine was beautiful! Futarasan shrine and Rinnoji temple were great to see as well. It was nice to try tuba for lunch. Having Raja explain and take care of everything made this day relaxing and enjoyable while still seeing a lot.

Knowledgeable guide and top-rate door to door service. Most highly recommend!

Our guide was knowledgeable and his car was clean and comfortable.

Be sure to bring cash for entrance fees and if you get car sick prepare for the 48 turns going up and down from waterfall. Totally worth it. Bring light jacket, phone charger and stops are provided for restroom and snacks . Van is extremely comfortable and driver is excellent and knowledgeable. The tour is a wonderful experience and opportunity to see Nikko!!

Umer was more than an excellent driver. He educated us, took photos, and created a seamless day for our family. We whole-heartedly recommend this tour and driver.

Raja struck the perfect balance between sharing history and context and just letting us take in the scenery. At Nikko, the Toshogu Shrine and the surrounding mountains were stunning, and having someone who knew exactly when and where to go meant we skipped the worst of the crowds. What really set the experience apart was the flexibility. When we wanted to linger somewhere or change the pace, it was never a problem. Took and shared great photos too.

Raja was an excellent tour guide, making visiting the World Heritage area of Nikko easy. Had a great day!