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Day trips from Tokyo

Four classic day trips leave Tokyo by train. Yokohama is about 30 minutes away and Kamakura, the old samurai capital with its Great Buddha, about an hour. Hakone, a hot-spring town inside a volcano’s caldera, and Nikko, where the first Tokugawa shogun is worshipped among gold leaf and carvings, take about two hours each way, so start early. Each has free Mappu audio guides with a map.

Where to go

Nikko

Tōshō-gū is the shrine where Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Edo shogunate, is worshipped as a god, among gold leaf, carved gates and cedar forest. It is the head of all the Tōshō-gū shrines in Japan. Next door, the quieter Futarasan Shrine goes back, by tradition, to the monk Shōdō in 782, and to the mountain worship Nikko began with.

Getting there
Tobu Railway limited express from Asakusa to Tobu-Nikko, about 2 hours. With a JR Pass, take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Utsunomiya and the JR Nikko Line, also about 2 hours. From the station, a bus takes about 10 minutes to the shrines, or walk about 40 minutes uphill.
Time
About 2 hours each way; it takes the whole day.
Listen to the free Tōshō-gū guideMap of Nikkō Tōshō-gū

Also free: Futarasan Shrine

On foot: Tōshō-gū to the Tamozawa Imperial Villa, Nikko

Kamakura

The seat of Japan’s first warrior government. The bronze Great Buddha of Kōtoku-in, dated by the temple to around 1252, sits in the open air; a short walk away, Hase-dera, said to date from 736, holds a Kannon over nine metres tall and looks out over the sea. In the centre, Tsurugaoka Hachimangū has guarded the city and its samurai since Minamoto no Yoritomo arrived in 1180. Enoshima, a small island 4 km around, is a short ride along the coast.

Getting there
JR Yokosuka Line from Tokyo station to Kamakura, about 1 hour, no change. Tsurugaoka Hachimangū is a 10-minute walk from the station; the Enoden, the little coastal railway, runs to Hase for the Great Buddha and Hase-dera in about 5 minutes, and on to Enoshima.
Time
About 1 hour each way; a full day with Enoshima, half a day without.
Listen to the free Great Buddha guideMap of Kōtoku-in

Also free: Hase-dera, Tsurugaoka Hachimangū, Enoshima

On foot: Kencho-ji to Hokoku-ji, Kamakura

Hakone

Hakone sits inside the caldera of a huge volcano. At Ōwakudani, the Great Boiling Valley, sulphur vents steam and eggs boiled in the hot water turn black. Hakone Shrine, founded by tradition in 757, has a red torii standing in Lake Ashi, and the Hakone Open-Air Museum, Japan’s first, opened in 1969, sets over 1,000 works across the hills, with a Picasso Pavilion.

Getting there
Odakyu Romancecar from Shinjuku to Hakone-Yumoto, about 1 hour 30 minutes, or the shinkansen to Odawara, about 35 minutes. From there, the loop runs by mountain railway, cable car and ropeway over Ōwakudani to Lake Ashi, and by boat across the lake to Hakone Shrine. The ropeway stops when volcanic gas levels are high, so check on the day.
Time
About 1 hour 30 minutes each way to Hakone-Yumoto; the loop takes the whole day.
Listen to the free Ōwakudani guideMap of Ōwakudani

Also free: Hakone Shrine, Hakone Open-Air Museum

Yokohama

Japan’s largest Chinatown grew from a settlement of 1866 whose Chinese merchants brokered the port’s silk and tea. A few streets away, Yamashita Park runs along the harbour on land built from the rubble of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, with the Marine Tower across the road.

Getting there
Minatomirai Line trains from Shibuya run straight through to Motomachi-Chukagai, at the edge of Chinatown and Yamashita Park, in about 35 minutes. From Tokyo station, take the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line to Ishikawacho or Kannai, about 45 minutes.
Time
About 40 minutes each way; half a day, or stay for dinner in Chinatown.
Listen to the free Yokohama Chinatown guideMap of Yokohama Chinatown

Also free: Yamashita Park, Yokohama Marine Tower

On foot: Yamashita Park to Chinatown, Yokohama

How to plan the day

  1. Nikko and Hakone each take a whole day: leave Tokyo by 8 a.m.
  2. Kamakura and Yokohama are on the same side of Tokyo; half a day in each fits one long day, Kamakura first.
  3. An IC card such as Suica or PASMO works on JR, Tobu, Odakyu, the Enoden and the Minatomirai Line, but the Romancecar and Tobu limited expresses need a seat ticket on top.
  4. For Hakone, Odakyu’s Hakone Freepass covers the train from Shinjuku and most of the loop: mountain railway, cable car, ropeway and boat.

Tours and tickets

From Mappu’s partners, if you would rather have a guide. The free audio guides above work without them.

Partner links (Airalo, Amazon, Booking.com, GetYourGuide, Klook, Tiqets, Trip.com, Viator, Welcome Pickups): if you book or buy through them, Mappu may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Questions travellers ask

Which is the best day trip from Tokyo?

It depends on the day you want. Kamakura is the easiest, an hour away, with temples, the Great Buddha and the sea. Nikko is the grandest, Hakone the most scenic and Yokohama the closest.

Do I need a JR Pass for these trips?

No. Kamakura and Yokohama cost little by train. Nikko is quickest by Tobu from Asakusa, which the JR Pass does not cover; with a JR Pass, go by shinkansen to Utsunomiya. Hakone is mostly Odakyu, so the Hakone Freepass is the better ticket.

Can I do Kamakura and Enoshima in one day?

Yes. The Enoden links them in about 25 minutes. Start with Tsurugaoka Hachimangū and the Great Buddha, then ride the Enoden to Enoshima for the afternoon.

Listen to the free Tōshō-gū guideListen to the free Great Buddha guideListen to the free Ōwakudani guideListen to the free Yokohama Chinatown guide

Travel times are typical timetable times from the rail operators; check the day’s timetable. The facts about each site come from Mappu’s guides and the sites’ official websites. Tobu Railway, JR East, Odakyu. Last checked on .