The waterfall
Kegon Falls: ninety-seven metres, straight out of a lake
Most great waterfalls are fed by rivers. Kegon is fed by a lake sitting a thousand two hundred and sixty-nine metres up, dammed into existence by a volcano, and the water simply leaves over the edge. It is one of the three great falls of Japan and it is forty minutes above the shrine that everybody actually books the tour for.
Quick answer
Kegon Falls drops 97 metres in a single fall from Lake Chuzenji, and is counted among the three great waterfalls of Japan. It sits above Nikko, up the Irohazaka road, about forty minutes beyond the Toshogu shrine complex. There is a lift down to an observation deck at the base for a small fee. Several Nikko tours mention it without going — check the column before booking.
Kegon Falls, at a glance
- Height
- 97 min a single unbroken drop
- Fed by
- Lake Chuzenjinot by a river
- Ranked
- Top three in Japanwith Nachi and Fukuroda
- Where
- Above Nikkoup the Irohazaka road
- From the shrine
- ~40 minby road, and longer in autumn
- Free viewpoint
- Yesfrom the top platform
- Lift to the base
- Small feeand the better view by far
- Best season
- Late autumnand after heavy rain, for volume
- Frozen in winter
- Partlywhen it is cold enough, and it is a sight
- Tours including it
- Severalbut not all — check the table
The lift
Should you take the lift at Kegon Falls?
The top platform is a view. The lift to the base is the waterfall.
Yes, and it is the single most common piece of advice from people who have been.
There are two ways to see the falls. The free platform at the top gives you a view down onto the drop from the side, which is decent and which is what a rushed tour will give you. The lift goes a hundred metres down through the rock to an observation deck at the base of the fall, and from there you are looking up at ninety-seven metres of water arriving.
It costs a small amount, it takes a few minutes each way, and the difference is not marginal. Nearly every review that mentions the falls mentions the lift, and the ones that complain are the ones whose tour did not allow time for it.
Which is worth checking before booking. A tour that gives you thirty minutes at Kegon is giving you the top platform and a photograph. Ninety minutes at the lake and the falls together is enough for both.
Seeing it well
Five things about visiting Kegon Falls
The waterfall does not change; how much of it you see does.
- Take the lift
A hundred metres down through the rock to the base. Small fee, few minutes, and it is the difference between a view and the waterfall.
- Volume varies enormously
After heavy rain or during the snowmelt it is thunderous. In a dry spell it is a ribbon. Nobody can promise you which you will get.
- Autumn frames it
Late October and early November put colour on the entire gorge around the fall. It is the busiest time and it is why it is the busiest time.
- Winter can freeze it
Partially, in a cold year, and the frozen columns are spectacular. The mountain road can also close, which is the trade.
- It is one of three
The Japanese ranking pairs Kegon with Nachi in Wakayama and Fukuroda in Ibaraki. If you like waterfalls, that is your next two trips.
The falls and the lake above them are the second half of a Nikko day, and several tours skip both.
Lake Chuzenji and the road up→Every trip, current fare
Every tour, and whether it reaches the falls
Twelve tours, cheapest first, with the lake column — the tours that reach the lake reach the falls too, since one feeds the other.
| Tour | Length | Price | Lake Chuzenji | Cost per hour | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private Tour with English-Speaking GuideA private guide at a coach price | 10 h | $66 | If you want it | $6.60 | 5.0 · 45 |
| World Heritage Sites & Hot Spring Day TripThe World Heritage sites and a hot spring | 10 h | $71 | Not included | $7.10 | 5.0 · 1 |
| Kegon Falls, Lake Chuzenji & ToshoguThe most-reviewed Nikko day, lake included | 10.5 h | $74 | Included | $7.05 | 4.6 · 2,272 |
| Toshogu Shrine and Lake Chuzenji Day TripToshogu and the lake, no waterfall stop | 10 h | $75 | Included | $7.50 | 4.4 · 33 |
| Toshogu Shrine and Kegon Waterfall TourThe shrine and the waterfall, most booked | 10.5 h | $83 | Falls only | $7.90 | 4.5 · 1,506 |
| Guided Day Trip to the World Heritage SitesAll three World Heritage sites | 10 h | $88 | Not included | $8.80 | 4.7 · 75 |
| Private Customizable Day Tour with DriverA driver, a vehicle and your own itinerary | 10 h | $303 | If you want it | $30.30 | 5.0 · 26 |
| Full-Day Personal and Private TourA private day, rated 4.9 | 10 h | $311 | If you want it | $31.10 | 4.9 · 316 |
| World Heritage Site Private Day TripA private car and driver | 10 h | $337 | If you want it | $33.70 | 5.0 · 1 |
| Nikko Day Tour with English DriverAn English-speaking driver, flexible route | 10 h | $342 | Included | $34.20 | 4.8 · 23 |
| Private Tour: Toshogu Shrine & Kegon FallsToshogu, the lake and the falls, privately | 10 h | $397 | Included | $39.70 | 4.4 · 11 |
| World Heritage Site Private Full-Day TripThe most complete private day here | 10–11 h | $458 | If you want it | $43.62 | 5.0 · 436 |
Common questions
Kegon Falls, answered
How tall is Kegon Falls?
Ninety-seven metres, in a single unbroken drop, and it is counted among the three great waterfalls of Japan.
Where is Kegon Falls?
Above the town of Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture, at the outflow of Lake Chuzenji, about forty minutes by road above the Toshogu shrine complex up the Irohazaka road.
Is there a lift at Kegon Falls?
Yes, and it is worth the small fee. It descends about a hundred metres through the rock to an observation deck at the base, where you look up at the full drop rather than down at it from the side.
Is Kegon Falls included on Nikko tours?
On several, but not all. The tours that reach Lake Chuzenji reach the falls too. Our table has a column for it, because the listings are vague.
When is the best time to see Kegon Falls?
Late October and early November, when the gorge around it turns. After heavy rain or during the snowmelt the volume is far greater; in winter it can partially freeze.
Can you swim or walk to the bottom of Kegon Falls?
No. The base is reached only by the lift to the observation deck, and there is no access to the water.
Go deeper
More on Nikko
Nikko Toshogu
The mausoleum of Ieyasu, and why it is covered in gold.
The dayA day trip from Tokyo
Ten hours, four of them travelling, and what fits into the rest.
Getting thereTokyo to Nikko
Two railways, two hours, and which pass covers what.
All threeThe shrines and temples
Toshogu, Futarasan and Rinnoji, and what UNESCO listed.
The gateThe Yomeimon gate
508 carvings, no two the same, and one column upside down.
The monkeysThe three wise monkeys
One panel of eight, and the seven nobody photographs.
