Kirifuri Kogen & Ryuokyo Gorge — Nikko HighlandsLoop.
Distance
95 km
Duration
1 day
Climb
1,400 m
Kirifuri Kogen & Ryuokyo Gorge — Nikko Highlands Loop.
A highland loop above the World Heritage town of Nikko that most temple visitors never ride. Climb the hairpins of the Kirifuri Kogen Road to a 1,200m plateau of lily meadows and Kanto-plain views, then drop east to the Kinugawa gorge and the twisting rhyolite ravines of Ryuokyo before returning to Nikko. Best in late June for the Nikko-kisuge day lilies or mid-October for the maples.
Quick facts
SurfacePaved
Distance95 km
Days1
Total climb1,400 m
DifficultyModerate
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The route.
Nikko (Toshogu)Start · Start in the World Heritage shrine town. Fuel up and leave early — the Kirifuri road fills with sightseeing buses by mid-morning.
Kirifuri FallsPhoto Spot · A 75m two-tier waterfall a short walk from the road; the name means falling mist for the spray thrown off in early summer.
Kirifuri Highland (Tenku Kairo)Mountain Pass · The road tops out near 1,200m at the Sky Corridor stairway. Yellow Nikko day lilies carpet the slopes in June-July; on clear days you can see the Kanto plain and even the Pacific.
Kinugawa OnsenRestaurant · Historic hot-spring resort strung along the Kinugawa gorge. Good lunch stop and the last cluster of shops before the ravine road north.
Ryuokyo GorgePhoto Spot · The Dragon King gorge — a 3km cut of white rhyolite, green tuff and purple andesite eroded by the river. Park and walk a short riverside path.
Nikko (Toshogu)End · Return to Nikko to close the loop; time an evening visit to Toshogu if the shrine is still open.
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