Arrive at Tokyo Station in the morning and board the limited express train for the 2-hour ride to Nikko. Your private guide will be waiting to meet you at Nikko Station and begin your excursion.
Make your first stop of the day at Nikko’s famous Toshogu Shrine and Rinnoji Temple. Built to honor Ieyasu Tokugawa, one of Japan’s most famous generals, this intricate religious complex offers an insightful look at the country’s medieval history. Admire the incredible architecture and interior craftsmanship of a site whose construction is said to have cost an estimated 16 billion Japanese Yen (around $160 million) and taken nearly 1.5 years for more millions of Japanese laborers to finish. The remains of Tokugawa, along with Japanese leaders Yoritomo Minamoto and Hideyoshi Toyotomi, are all enshrined at the site.
After your visit to Toshogu Shrine and Rinnoji Temple, take a break for lunch at Nikko Station, where you can purchase a variety of meal options at your own expense. In the afternoon you’ll continue to Watanabe Sahira Sake Brewery, to learn about the production and history behind this iconic Japanese beverage. Take a VIP tour of the brewery led by a sake master brewer, learning about the processes used to create the perfect bottle. If you’re lucky enough to visit during the height of brewing season from November and March, you’ll even get to see the manufacturing process in action.
Depart from the sake brewery in the afternoon for your return bullet train ride, arriving in the early evening at Tokyo Station.
