Kegon Falls: Elevator, Autumn Traffic and When to Go
Kegon Falls drops 97 m from Lake Chūzenji, and the free viewpoint above is fine, but the best view is from the lower deck, reached by a paid elevator (about ¥570). In mid to late October, autumn colour peaks, and the winding Irohazaka road from Nikko can jam for 2 hours or more, so take the first buses of the morning. In winter, the falls partly freeze, and the area is quiet.
- Free viewpoint
- Above the falls
- Elevator to lower deck
- About ¥570
- Height
- 97 m
- Autumn peak
- Mid to late October
- Traffic
- Irohazaka road jams in autumn, sometimes 2+ hours
- Best time
- Early morning
- Getting there
- Bus from Nikko station, about 45-50 minutes
- Time to allow
- 1 hour, half a day with Lake Chūzenji
How busy is Kegon Falls?
Kegon Falls is one of Japan's three most famous waterfalls. Most visitors combine it with Tōshō-gū in a day trip, so it gets busiest in the early afternoon. In autumn, crowds are less of a problem than the traffic: the Irohazaka hairpin road becomes a long queue of buses and cars.
Before you go, check how busy Kegon Falls is likely to be. BeatTheCrowd shows the live crowd level and an hourly forecast for any date.
Check today’s crowds at Kegon Falls →