The Four Falls at a Glance
Same bus network, four different experiences. Heights and prices verified as of mid-2026.
| Waterfall | Drop | What you see | Cost | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kegon 華厳滝 | 97 m single drop | Lake Chuzenji's entire outflow over one cliff — the icon | Free upper deck; elevator ¥570 to the lower deck | Chuzenji Onsen, beside the lake |
| Ryuzu 竜頭ノ滝 | 210 m twin cascade | "Dragon head" — two channels racing down a long rock chute | Free (classic view from the teahouse) | Okunikko, near the lake's north-west inflow |
| Yudaki 湯滝 | 70 m lava face | Lake Yunoko draining down a broad volcanic slab | Free deck at the base | Top of Senjogahara, below Lake Yunoko |
| Kirifuri 霧降ノ滝 | 75 m, two tiers | A forested double drop seen across a valley | Free observation deck | East of Nikko town — opposite side from Okunikko |
Each Fall, Honestly
What you actually get at the rail — and what each one costs you in time.
Kegon Falls — the icon
The 97 m single drop is Nikko's headline sight and the only outlet of Lake Chuzenji. The free upper deck gives the postcard side view; the 1930 elevator (¥570 adult, as of mid-2026) descends 100 m through rock to a deck near the basin, where the scale and spray actually register. One of Japan's "three great waterfalls" — more on that below.
Ryuzu Falls — the dragon head
Not a drop but a 210 m cascade: the river splits into twin channels around a rock nose — the "dragon head" — and the classic frame is straight up the chute from a teahouse at the bottom. Viewing is free, and in late September this is one of the first places in Nikko to turn red.
Yudaki — the lava face
Lake Yunoko empties over a 70 m volcanic slab in one broad white sheet — you stand at a free deck close enough to feel it. Yudaki is less a destination than a hinge: it is the upper trailhead of the Senjogahara marshland hike, which is the best reason to come this far up.
Kirifuri Falls — the outlier
A 75 m two-tier drop viewed from a free deck across a forested valley — atmospheric, quiet, and on the wrong side of town for the Okunikko loop: it sits east of Nikko town, opposite everything else on this page. Worth an hour if you are staying near the station; hard to justify on a one-day sweep.
Limited Time? Pick in This Order
One stop: Kegon. Tallest drop, shortest detour, and it comes bundled with Lake Chuzenji for free. Half a day in Okunikko: Kegon plus Ryuzu — the icon and the cascade are different enough that neither feels redundant. A full Okunikko day: add the hike — take the bus to Yudaki, walk the Senjogahara boardwalk (~2 hours across the marsh at ~1,400 m) down to Ryuzu, then bus back past the lake to Kegon. That chain — Yudaki → marsh → Ryuzu — is the single best walking day in Nikko National Park, and it strings two of the four falls onto one trail.
Kirifuri is the exception to all of the above: it is a separate short excursion from the town side, best slotted before or after the shrines rather than into an Okunikko itinerary. And if you are choosing a date, the falls behave differently by season — flow, color, and ice are covered in the seasons guide.
Japan's Three Great Waterfalls
Kegon is traditionally counted among Japan's three great waterfalls, alongside Nachi Falls in Wakayama — the tallest single drop in Japan, paired with a pagoda in the country's most photographed waterfall scene (our sister guide covers it at nachifallsjapan.com) — and Fukuroda Falls in Ibaraki, a 120 m fall that descends in broad tiers. Nachi and Fukuroda are each a separate trip from Nikko; Kegon is the only one of the three you can fold into a Tokyo day trip.
Seeing Kegon on a Tour
Group day tours from Tokyo cover Kegon Falls — with Toshogu and Lake Chuzenji — on a fixed loop. None of them detours to Ryuzu, Yudaki, or Kirifuri; for those on a guided day you would need a customizable private tour.
Tokyo: Nikko Toshogu Shrine and Kegon Waterfall Tour
Full-day coach tour pairing Kegon Falls with Toshogu Shrine and Lake Chuzenji, with free time for a yuba lunch in town. Fixed route and timing — the usual group-tour trade-off.
Check AvailabilityNikko Waterfalls FAQ
The comparison questions people actually ask.
Kegon Falls. It is the tallest single drop (97 m), the easiest to reach — a few minutes from the Chuzenji Onsen bus terminal — and it sits next to Lake Chuzenji, so one bus ride buys you two major sights.
Usually yes. The free upper deck gives a side-on panorama, but the elevator (¥570 adult, ¥340 child, as of mid-2026) descends 100 m through rock to a deck near the basin, where you get the full 97 m of falling water and the spray. Skip it only if the queue is long and your schedule is tight — the comparison table shows what each fall costs.
Yes — they are the two ends of the Senjogahara boardwalk hike, roughly 2 hours across the marshland plateau at about 1,400 m. It is mostly flat boardwalk, and buses stop near both ends, so you can walk it in either direction.
Yes. The classic view of the 210 m twin cascade is from a teahouse at the bottom, free to enter for viewing — the two channels splitting around the rock are what earned it the name "dragon head". Timing a visit for its early autumn color is covered in the seasons guide.
Kegon Falls in Nikko, Nachi Falls in Wakayama, and Fukuroda Falls in Ibaraki. Kegon is the only one of the three in the Nikko area — Fukuroda is a separate trip despite also being in the wider Kanto region. See the three-great-falls box above for how they differ.
Not on fixed routes. Standard group day tours visit Kegon Falls (with Lake Chuzenji and Toshogu) but skip the other falls. To include Ryuzu, Yudaki, or Kirifuri on a guided day, you need a customizable private tour — options are in the booking section.
On the opposite side — Kirifuri sits east of Nikko town, while Kegon, Ryuzu, and Yudaki are all up in Okunikko to the west. Its 75 m two-tier drop has a free observation deck, but plan it as a separate short excursion from the town area — the geography is clearest on the Okunikko map.