Karuizawa & Nikko Self-Drive Routes | Two-Day Plans from Tokyo

Karuizawa & Nikko Self-Drive Routes | Two-Day Plans from Tokyo

GoodCars works with local Japanese rental suppliers, and among Tokyo-area driving enquiries, Karuizawa and Nikko come up together almost every month. The usual question is: "I have two days and want to do both — how should I route it?"

This article answers a question hiding inside that one. After checking the actual driving times and tolls, the honest answer from GoodCars is this: with two days, pick one. Trying to squeeze in both means spending a full day of your two on expressways. Documents, insurance and the basic rental process are already covered in the complete guide to renting a car in Japan — this article does not repeat those fundamentals and focuses only on how to plan these two routes.

The short answer: how to choose

GoodCars puts the decision rule first, so you can choose a direction without reading the whole article.

Why two days should not cover both

Plenty of itineraries put Karuizawa and Nikko in the same article, which makes them look adjacent. In reality they sit on opposite sides of Tokyo's northern arc, with the whole of the northern Kanto plain in between. Here are the figures GoodCars verified, all for a standard passenger car.

The last row is the one that matters. Getting from Karuizawa to Nikko means the Joshin-etsu Expressway, a short hop on the Kan-etsu, then the Kita-Kanto and Tohoku expressways, finishing on the Nikko-Utsunomiya road — four expressway changes, close to two hours, and nothing to see along the way. Add the runs out of and back into Tokyo and a two-day trip covering both leaves you sitting in the car for more than six hours.

The GoodCars recommendation is blunt: with two days, commit to one destination and spend the four hours you save on seeing more of it. The two routes are written out separately below — pick one and follow it.

Plan A: Karuizawa, two days and one night

Karuizawa is a classic highland summer retreat, sitting at roughly 990 metres, noticeably cooler than Tokyo in midsummer. What makes it good for driving is not difficulty but spacing: the sights are spread out but close together, which is exactly what a car is for.

One seasonal caveat from GoodCars: the Shiraito Highland Way requires winter tyres or chains in the cold season. If your rental does not include a winter tyre specification, leave that section off a winter itinerary. The 184 curves of the old pass road are a different matter — many bends but gentle gradients and low speeds, well within a first-timer's range, though anyone prone to motion sickness should take something beforehand.

Plan B: Nikko, two days and one night

Nikko is a step harder than Karuizawa because it includes a genuine mountain road and draws heavy visitor traffic. The payoff is also clearer: the World Heritage shrines and temples, Kegon Falls, Lake Chuzenji and the Oku-Nikko highland marshes all sit on one line.

Putting the climb on the second morning is deliberate. The reason is in the next section.

Irohazaka and Lake Chuzenji: the stretch that needs real attention

This is the centrepiece of the route and the part most people underestimate. Irohazaka links Nikko town with Lake Chuzenji, and the up and down runs are two separate one-way roads: the descending First Irohazaka is about 6.5 km with 20 curves, the ascending Second Irohazaka about 9.5 km with 28 curves, making 48 in total across roughly 440 metres of elevation.

One-way is good news — no oncoming traffic to negotiate on blind bends. It also means a missed turn stays missed, because there is no doubling back. GoodCars considers these three points essential pre-trip notes:

• The Akechidaira car park entrance is on the right-hand lane of the uphill road. This is the classic mistake. Drift into the left lane near the top and you cannot merge back across; you simply carry on to Lake Chuzenji and have to loop the whole way round to return
• Foliage-season queues are measured in hours: a stretch that normally takes about 20 minutes has been reported at two to six hours at peak. To beat it, aim to pass Kiyotaki IC before 8 am on weekdays and before 6 am at weekends
• Sustained bends are hard on rear passengers: with 48 curves back to back, anyone prone to motion sickness should sit in front, medicate in advance and eat something light before the climb

The climb ends at Lake Chuzenji. At over 1,200 metres it is one of Japan's highest natural lakes, and the practical meaning of that number is simple: the weather at the top is not the weather at the bottom. On a short-sleeve day below, the lakeshore may want a jacket; on a rainy day below, the top may be fog or sleet. GoodCars suggests checking the local forecast before the climb and keeping a jacket in the car year-round.

Kegon Falls sits beside the lake, with its observation lift and car park in the same area. Further in lie Senjogahara and Yumoto Onsen on easy, gently graded roads — the most relaxed driving on the whole route.

Seasons and closures: when not to plan this trip

Both destinations are mountain country, so seasonality bites harder than on the plain. GoodCars summarises the practical differences below.

Narita or Haneda: choosing your pick-up

GoodCars has two Kanto pick-up points, and both work for either route. The difference is your flight and the shape of your trip.

The advice GoodCars gives most often: if this trip is about mountains and countryside, Narita is the smoother choice, because you can run north on outer expressways and skip Tokyo's worst bottlenecks. Conversely, if you plan two or three city days first, collect the car on the day you leave rather than paying city parking to store it.

Frequently asked questions

Q1: What licence do I need to rent and drive in Japan?

For most nationalities: an International Driving Permit issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention, plus your home licence and passport. Permits issued in the Vienna Convention format are not accepted in Japan, so check which convention your issuing country follows before you travel. A small group of countries instead uses the home licence plus an official Japanese translation rather than a permit — Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco, Estonia and Taiwan — and the translation must come from an authorised body, not from you. Licences from mainland China cannot be used in Japan at all. Driving is permitted for up to one year from your date of entry, and never beyond the validity of the underlying licence.

Q2: Can two days really not cover both Karuizawa and Nikko?

You can physically drive it, but the trip suffers. The two are about 179 km apart, close to two hours of pure expressway, and with the Tokyo legs added you would spend more than six hours in the car across two days. GoodCars suggests choosing one, or extending to three days.

Q3: Is Irohazaka manageable for a novice driver?

Yes. Despite the 48 curves, uphill and downhill traffic is separated, so there is no oncoming traffic to pass, and the surface and barriers are well maintained. The real difficulties are fatigue, motion sickness and peak-season queues. Drive slowly, let faster cars past, and do not try to match the traffic ahead.

Q4: How early should I set off in foliage season?

Aim to pass Kiyotaki IC before 8 am on a weekday and before 6 am at a weekend. Later than that, Irohazaka can take two to six hours at peak. If early starts are not realistic, stay up at the lake the night before and start the day from the top.

Q5: Can I take the pass road from Gunma into Oku-Nikko in winter?

No. That section closes each winter, from roughly midday in late December until midday in late April, between the Marunuma ski area entrance and the Nikko-Yumoto entrance. In winter, use the Kan-etsu or Tohoku expressways instead.

Q6: Is parking difficult in Nikko?

Manageable on weekdays, hard at weekends and in peak season. The shrine district has Toshogu's large car park of roughly 200 spaces plus municipal options, usually around ¥700 per entry and about ¥1,000 at peak. GoodCars suggests taking the first available car park and walking, which usually beats circling for a closer space.

Q7: Do I need a larger car for these routes?

No. Both are ordinary roads and expressways, and the challenge on the mountain sections is the bends, not the width. A compact car is easier to drive, easier to park and cheaper to fuel. Unless you have a large group or heavy luggage, there is no reason to upgrade. GoodCars offers Narita and Haneda pick-up in Kanto; read the ground rules in the complete guide to renting a car in Japan, then search directly.