How much is the Kegon Falls elevator?

It costs ¥600 return for adults (junior high school and over) and ¥400 for primary school children. Preschool children ride free. Tickets are sold on the spot and cannot be reserved.

What are the Kegon Falls elevator hours?

It runs 8:00 to 17:00 from 1 March to 30 November, and 9:00 to 16:30 from 1 December to the end of February. It can stop in bad weather.

How do I get to Kegon Falls from Nikko Station?

Take a Tobu bus bound for Chuzenji Onsen from Tobu-Nikko or JR Nikko Station, about 40 minutes, and get off at the last stop. The elevator is a 5-minute walk.

Yes, the upper viewpoint by the elevator building is free. Only the elevator down to the lower viewing deck costs money.

Can you do Toshogu and Kegon Falls in one day?

Yes, if you leave Tokyo by 8:00. See Toshogu in the morning and take the bus up to the falls around midday. On autumn weekends the Irohazaka traffic can make it too long.

Kegon Falls, Nikko: How to See It and When to Go

09/04/202510/10/2026

Kegon Falls dropping in a single white column down a cliff between green forested slopes

Quick answer

Kegon Falls drops 97 m from Lake Chuzenji, about 40 minutes by bus from Nikko Station.
A free viewpoint is at the top, and the elevator to the lower deck costs ¥600 for adults and ¥400 for primary school children.
The elevator runs 8:00 to 17:00 from March to November, and the Akechidaira Ropeway is closed until 2027.

Contents

What Is Kegon Falls?

Kegon Falls is the waterfall where Lake Chuzenji empties over a cliff in the mountains above Nikko. It drops 97 metres in one column, about 7 metres wide, and it is counted with Nachi Falls and Fukuroda Falls as one of Japan's three great waterfalls.

The falls were formed when lava from Mt. Nantai dammed the valley and created the lake. Tradition says they were found about 1,200 years ago by Shodo Shonin, the monk who opened Nikko as a sacred mountain.

The name comes from the Kegon sutra, or from a temple of that name nearby. The falls were designated a national Place of Scenic Beauty in 1931.

Kegon Falls is in Oku-Nikko, the high part of Nikko around Lake Chuzenji, about 40 minutes by bus above the shrines in town. Most visitors combine it with Toshogu Shrine on a day trip from Tokyo.

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Private Tours in Tokyo with a Local Guide Your own guide for the day, on foot and by train, planned with you before you arrive. From US$550 per group.

How to See the Falls from the Free Viewpoint or the Elevator

There are two ways to see the falls, from a free viewpoint at the top by the elevator building, or from the paid elevator that drops 100 metres through the rock to a viewing deck facing the falls at the level of the basin. If you have come this far, take the elevator.

The view from below is the one in the photographs.

	Free upper viewpoint	Elevator and lower deck
Cost	Free	¥600 adults (junior high and over), ¥400 primary school, preschoolers free (return)
View	The top of the falls from the side	The full 97 m drop head-on, the basin and the smaller falls around it
Time needed	10 minutes	30 to 45 minutes, more in queues
Booking	Not needed	Not possible, first come, first served

Elevator hours.

1 March to 30 November. 8:00 to 17:00
1 December to end of February. 9:00 to 16:30

The elevator carries 30 people and takes about one minute. It has run since 1930. Tickets are sold on the spot, pets are not allowed, and you cannot take food or drink in.

In October and November there can be a long queue for it. Arrive in the morning.

Visitors at a railing looking out at Kegon Falls across a green valley under grey clouds — The view from the lower viewing deck

From the lower deck you also see the Twelve Falls (Juni-taki), thin streams that seep out of the cliff on either side of the main fall.

With children, the free viewpoint is enough if you are short of time or the queue is long. You see the top of the drop and hear it.

The lower deck is where children react to the noise, the spray and the height of the cliff in front of them. If the queue for the elevator is over about 30 minutes, see the falls from the top, walk to the lake, and come back later in the afternoon, when the tour buses have left.

How to Get to Kegon Falls

From Tobu-Nikko or JR Nikko Station, take a Tobu bus bound for Chuzenji Onsen or Yumoto Onsen and get off at Chuzenji Onsen. The ride is about 40 minutes, up the hairpin bends of the Irohazaka road.

The elevator building is a 5-minute walk from the bus stop.

Step	Route	Time
Tokyo to Nikko	Tobu limited express from Asakusa to Tobu-Nikko	About 1 hr 50 min
Nikko to the falls	Tobu bus to Chuzenji Onsen	About 40 min
Bus stop to the elevator	Walk	About 5 min

From Tokyo the Tobu limited express from Asakusa is the most direct train. There is also a direct JR and Tobu train from Shinjuku, and the Shinkansen to Utsunomiya with the JR Nikko Line.

Trains and passes are compared in our Nikko day trip guide.

The bus and carsickness. Irohazaka is two one-way roads of tight bends, one up and one down. Children who get carsick do better sitting near the front. Consider medicine before the ride.

By car. From the Tohoku Expressway at Utsunomiya, take the Nikko-Utsunomiya Road to Kiyotaki and climb Irohazaka, about 50 minutes. There are two car parks by the falls, both ¥500 for a car and 2 or 3 minutes' walk from the elevator.

Autumn traffic. On weekends in the leaf season, Irohazaka can be jammed for hours, buses included. Go early in the day, or go on a weekday.

The Akechidaira Ropeway Is Closed Until 2027

The Akechidaira Ropeway, which climbs to the well-known viewpoint of Kegon Falls with Lake Chuzenji behind it, is closed. It stopped running after 15 January 2026 for renewal work, and the operator plans to reopen it in September 2027.

A red ropeway cabin climbing a hillside of autumn trees under a blue and white sky — The Akechidaira Ropeway before its closure

Older guides still recommend it as the best photo spot, so do not plan the day around it. Until it reopens, the falls are best seen from the elevator deck and the free viewpoint by the elevator building.

Best Time to Visit Kegon Falls

Kegon Falls looks different in every season. For families, the most comfortable times are late spring and early autumn, before the crowds of the leaf season.

Spring (May to June)

Expect fresh green leaves, and pink Yashio azaleas on the cliffs of the gorge in late spring.

Summer (July to August)

The falls carry the most water, and the air is a few degrees colder than Tokyo. The spray reaches the lower deck.

A powerful white waterfall falling between grey cliffs and green trees — Kegon Falls in early summer

Autumn (October to November)

The leaves around the falls and the lake usually turn from mid-October, earlier than in Nikko town below, and this is the busiest time of the year. On sunny mornings a rainbow often forms in the spray.

Kegon Falls in a gorge of red, orange and yellow autumn trees, with Lake Chuzenji behind — Kegon Falls in the autumn leaf season

Winter (December to February)

The smaller falls around the main drop freeze into blue ice, and the elevator runs shorter hours. Roads can be icy. Check the weather before driving, and do not drive Irohazaka without winter tyres.

A winter visit is quiet, with short queues for the elevator.

Water flow. The amount of water going over the falls is regulated at the lake outlet. On 23 September 2026 the operator announced it had been raised from 0.3 to 1.0 tonnes, so the falls are at full strength for the 2026 autumn season.

Visiting Kegon Falls with Kids

Kegon Falls is an easy stop with children, with short walks, an elevator instead of steps, and a big, loud waterfall at the end. Allow about an hour with the elevator, including the walk from the bus.

Strollers. The walk from the bus stop and the elevator are fine with a stroller. In queues, a baby carrier is easier.
Jackets. Oku-Nikko is at over 1,200 metres and much colder than Tokyo. Bring a warm layer even in summer, and a rain jacket for the spray.
Preschoolers ride the elevator free. Primary school children pay ¥400.
The bus ride is the hardest part for young children. Plan a snack and a break at the top.
Food. There are snack shops and souvenir stores by the elevator and around the Chuzenji Onsen bus stop.

ONO

Yes, I recommend the elevator, but you can also see the falls from the free viewpoint.

Combining Kegon Falls with Toshogu and Lake Chuzenji

The falls sit on the shore of Lake Chuzenji, and the lake walk, Chuzenji Temple and the embassy villas are all within reach of the same bus stop. Higher up, the bus continues to Ryuzu Falls and the Senjogahara marshland.

A day trip from Tokyo can cover Nikko Toshogu Shrine and Kegon Falls if you leave Tokyo by 8:00. Visit Toshogu in the morning, take the bus up Irohazaka around midday, and spend the afternoon on lunch by the lake and the falls.

In autumn, with the traffic, it is better to choose one. The full one-day plan is in our Nikko day trip guide, and our day trips from Tokyo compare Nikko with Mt. Fuji and Hakone.

With young children, the changes of train and bus take much of the day. If you are choosing between destinations, see also our Mt. Fuji day trip guide and Hakone day trip guide.

Our private tours are on foot in Tokyo and Yokohama. Your guide rides the trains with you, and each of you pays your own fare with an IC card. See our Tokyo private tour with kids.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the Kegon Falls elevator?: It costs ¥600 return for adults (junior high school and over) and ¥400 for primary school children. Preschool children ride free. Tickets are sold on the spot and cannot be reserved.
What are the Kegon Falls elevator hours?: It runs 8:00 to 17:00 from 1 March to 30 November, and 9:00 to 16:30 from 1 December to the end of February. It can stop in bad weather.
How do I get to Kegon Falls from Nikko Station?: Take a Tobu bus bound for Chuzenji Onsen from Tobu-Nikko or JR Nikko Station, about 40 minutes, and get off at the last stop. The elevator is a 5-minute walk.
Is Kegon Falls free?: Yes, the upper viewpoint by the elevator building is free. Only the elevator down to the lower viewing deck costs money.
Is the Akechidaira Ropeway open?: No. It closed after 15 January 2026 for renewal work, and the operator plans to reopen it in September 2027.
Can you do Toshogu and Kegon Falls in one day?: Yes, if you leave Tokyo by 8:00. See Toshogu in the morning and take the bus up to the falls around midday. On autumn weekends the Irohazaka traffic can make it too long.

Kegon Falls

Address

Chugushi, Nikko, Tochigi 321-1661

See Map

Nearest station

Chuzenji Onsen Bus Stop (Tobu Bus from JR Nikko / Tobu-Nikko Stations)

Sources

https://www.kegon.jp/info/
https://www.kegon.jp/access/
https://www.kegon.jp/kegon/
https://www.kegon.jp/news/1256/
https://www.nikko-kotsu.co.jp/ropeway/
https://www.visitnikko.jp/en/spots/kegon-falls/
https://www.tobu.co.jp/en/access/nikko/

Plan a Private Day with a Local

Every tour is private, for your group only, and planned with you before you arrive. From US$550 per group for a day on foot in Tokyo or Yokohama, or from US$890 for a day trip by train to Kamakura, Hakone or Mt. Fuji. Travelling with children? See our Tokyo private tour with kids.

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