The line to buy tickets to the shrine was huge and we almost gave up until we saw a KKDay sign on the side. I looked it up and they sold online advance tickets and within 15 minutes I registered, bought my tickets, picked them up from the window and entered the grounds! Inside was crazy crowded. Courtyard- it was quite large with three sacred storehouses, stables (with the popular monkeys 🙊 🙉 🙈 painted on the side), Toshogu lanterns, huge trees, candelabra and more. Main Shrine - outside was very ornate. shoes were not allowed inside and there were rows and rows of shoe cubbies to store. Once inside no photos were allowed. We spent the longest time inside here looking at the intricate designs and layout. Very impressive. Inner Shrine - the line to pass through the gate was long because everyone wanted to take photos of the sleeping cat (nemuri neko) carving! I wish they setup a bypass line instead of requiring everyone to queue. I looked quickly at the cat and was it really sleeping??Once past the cat then there was a walk, longer than expected, and then a climb up a few sets of stairs before reaching the inner shrine. Behind the inner shrine was the tomb and and everyone walked one way around it. When we left there was still a long line to buy entrance tickets. Well worth the visit and definitely buy your tickets ahead of time if you can.

Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf on the gate and Toshogu shrine make this place become another UNESCO World Heritage. If you don’t know anything about history of this place, try to capture some highlights which are 1) see no evil, speak no evil and hear no evil" monkeys “ 2) Sleeping cat 3) Tokugawa Ieyasu's mausoleum 4) Five-storied-pagoda. What to consider , The place is so crowded everyday so a chance to get nice photos like social media could be low. You also need 15-20 walks to the gate so please prepare.

Amazing attraction. The place is a complex of 4 amazing temples. Not to be missed! You can do the complete tour in 1-2 hours but I recommend to save more time since the forest around the temples is beautiful too. When you exit the visit there is a museum that I recommend to visit. It displays Toyotomy Hydeoshi belongings. When you exit the road you can also visit the Shikyo Bridge.

Located 150 km north of Tokyo, the cultural and natural gem Nikko can be reached in a few hours by Shinkansen and a cozy local train. Here you'll find one of Japan's most impressive temple complexes, Toshogu Shrine, with incredibly beautiful 400-year-old buildings filled with gold, intricate carvings, and Chinese paintings. Just so you know: To reach Toshogu Shrine, you have to climb over 200 high steps.

Very impressive shrine with lots of beautiful carvings and interesting history. The hall with the dragon was cool and the demonstration by the monks was entertaining. Lots of steps involved but a really lovely temple and well worth the visit. There were sadly a lot of very disrespectful people who were taking photos where they are not allowed, walking with shoes where not allowed, taking phone calls INSIDE the main hall and talking while the monks explained in Japanese. Please be respectful as tourists! This is a place of worship, not Disneyland.

Awesome sight. So much rich history. We went on a Friday afternoon right after the rain ended. It wasn't that crowded and it was before the cherry blossoms were in bloom. So much to see. Such intricacies to look out for, such as three monkeys on the stable, the sleeping cat and so forth. We purchased entrance into the small museum but we found the garden next to it very peaceful with some cherry blossoms just blooming.

Nikko Tosho-gu is one of the main reasons for visiting Nikko and I believe it is worth going out of your way for. The whole temple complex here is spectacular from the pagoda, temples, and beautiful nature. You can spend hours exploring here. When I visited, it was crowded and there were lines. I recommend coming early and taking your time exploring the whole area.

A magnificent shrine befitting a shogun. Very photogenic, and I guess a must-see-in-Japan. Rightly so, but when the sightseeing buses roll in, it's horribly overcrowded. So, like many places in the same position, it is best to visit early morning, or late afternoon.