Nikko

Nikko needs 2 days: the Tosho-gu shrine, the mausoleum of the first Tokugawa shogun covered in golden carvings -including the famous "three wise monkeys"-, on one, and Lake Chuzenji and Kegon Falls in the nearby mountains, on the other. April-June and September-November bring the mildest weather, with autumn colors as an extra draw for the second option. It's mid-priced, with shrine admission as the main expense. Its temple and shrine complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, is Japan's most sumptuous mausoleum, and the Japanese saying "never say kekko (magnificent) until you've seen Nikko" has summed up the place's reputation for centuries.