On a budget, Nikkō (day trip) still earns its price.
¥5,000–8,000 w/ transit
The lavishly carved, gold-leafed Tōshō-gū shrine complex set among cedar forest and waterfalls is unlike the restrained shrines in Tokyo — genuinely worth the trek for shrine and nature lovers. The catch: it's a committed 2-hour-each-way day, the sights are spread out, and autumn foliage weekends bring traffic and crowds.