14th May 2009, we took another train out for a day trip, this time to Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture, about 140km north of Tokyo. Nikko is a World Heritage Site, and they weren't kidding when they say you haven't seen the splendor of Japan until you've visited the temples of Nikko! I totally agree with it, and I think everyone who visits Japan should make a trip to Nikko!
How to get to Nikko? By train of course! But this time, via Tobu Rail's World Heritage Pass. You can reserve the tickets online via their website, but you need to collect the tickets at Asakusa Station. The 2-days pass cost Y$3600 each (S$54), but we only went for one day. If you plan to use the pass, I would highly suggest you spend a night there in one of their onsen ryokan. But be warned, the food there isn't that great.
From Asakusa, it's 1.5 hour to Nikko direct. The first train leaves Asakusa Station at 8:20am on weekdays. Here's me sleeping on the train :) It's a lovely ride. And as you get closer to Nikko, the scenery really opens up. You can see mountains covered in snow caps as you approached Nikko. You will need to take a 15minutes bus ride from Nikko Station to the World Heritage Site, but it's covered by your pass, so it's free. 
Before we start, here are some tips you might want to note when visiting Nikko. 1. Wear slip on shoes, or learn to put on your shoes quickly. Nikko is filled with temples, and in order to see the beautiful treasures of the temple, you will need to remove your shoes before going into the temple.
2. Bring food. There aren't much food stall at the world heritage site. We found ourselves walking on empty till 3pm! And even though we manage to have lunch at Nikko town, the food wasn't to our liking :( So be safe, bring food along for your day trip.
3. Bring warm clothes. As the sun sets, around 4pm - 5pm, the chill winds starts to blow, and you better find cover!
More photo on Nikko in the next blog entry :)
Ref:
Nikko 日光市
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