Nippara Limestone Caves
Nippara Limestone Caves
Nippara Limestone Caves
4
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.0
101 reviews
Excellent
33
Very good
47
Average
17
Poor
3
Terrible
1
Ai
Tokyo, Japan12 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
Nihara Cave is a captivating tourist spot featuring a mysterious underground world. Inside the cave, you’ll find enchanting stalactites and stalagmites, with a well-maintained path that makes it accessible even for beginners.
The constant cool temperature makes it especially popular as a refreshing retreat in the summer. Additionally, informative panels about the cave's history and formation enhance the experience by providing educational insights. However, the high humidity requires some caution regarding footing. Overall, it's a place where you can truly appreciate the grandeur of nature and is definitely worth a visit.
The constant cool temperature makes it especially popular as a refreshing retreat in the summer. Additionally, informative panels about the cave's history and formation enhance the experience by providing educational insights. However, the high humidity requires some caution regarding footing. Overall, it's a place where you can truly appreciate the grandeur of nature and is definitely worth a visit.
Written September 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mitsuo_s
Shinjuku, Japan33 contributions
I was interested in cave adventure and came to Nippara cave from Shinjuku to Okutama by bike. Nippara cave is the biggest cave in the mountain in Okutama, Tokyo. Inside the cave it's cool even in summer. It's dark and hard to explain by photo but you can be excited! Only person with experience knows it.
Written August 6, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joy_Sinha
Kolkata (Calcutta), India2,357 contributions
Sep 2016 • Solo
A famous limestone cave in the Okutama region. It is located a bit away from the town of Okutama and can be reached by Bus services from the Okutama railway station. The buses are available every hour. The bust journey takes about 35 minutes and costa around 450 Yen on one side.
Once the bus journey ends, need to walk for about 25 minutes to reach the entrance of the cave. Entry fee is 600 Yen.
The interiors of the cave are very cold and moist. It takes around 40 minutes to take the tour of the cave and enjoy the views on offer and to see the limestone formations.
Once the bus journey ends, need to walk for about 25 minutes to reach the entrance of the cave. Entry fee is 600 Yen.
The interiors of the cave are very cold and moist. It takes around 40 minutes to take the tour of the cave and enjoy the views on offer and to see the limestone formations.
Written October 17, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
redeyeblues
Edinburgh, UK1,287 contributions
Nov 2015 • Couples
Bus stop#1 for the cave is right out Okutama Station, with only a bus an hour from 6:27 am to 6:30 pm on weekends (7:27, 8:35, 9:35, 11:00, 12:50, 2:15, 3:45, 4:50). On the weekends, the bus doesn't go all the way to the cave so you need to get off at the last stop then walk another 30 minutes along the very scenic road with drink vending machines here and there. The windy uphill bus ride is 25 minutes, 460 yen each way-can use SUICA).
The weekday schedule is different but also just one bus an hour - 500 yen to the bus stop near the cave then a 10-minute walk to the cave. Although you can rent bikes and cycle here, the road is quite steep and narrow so I imagine it would be pretty challenging to do so for 12 km.
The admission to the cave is 700 yen and it took us about 30 minutes to walk through. It's certainly not the most amazing cave but it's interesting enough if you're in the area anyway. There's a small shop selling food and some hiking trails nearby.
The weekday schedule is different but also just one bus an hour - 500 yen to the bus stop near the cave then a 10-minute walk to the cave. Although you can rent bikes and cycle here, the road is quite steep and narrow so I imagine it would be pretty challenging to do so for 12 km.
The admission to the cave is 700 yen and it took us about 30 minutes to walk through. It's certainly not the most amazing cave but it's interesting enough if you're in the area anyway. There's a small shop selling food and some hiking trails nearby.
Written November 23, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Toru O
Setagaya, Japan3,256 contributions
Aug 2015 • Couples
We drove there from the city. It was pretty cool inside the cave and felt refreshing on such a hot summer day. The cave was smaller than I thought but worth checking out. Besides getting wet, you'll need to constantly watch your head.
If you plan to drive there from central Tokyo, take route 20 westward from shinjuku. It will intersect with route 16, which will eventually take you to rout 411. It will take 2 hours or so to get there from Shinjuku w/o using highway. As you get to Okutama, you will find a street on your right leading to the caves. It's a long winding road leading to the entrance of the caves. The road is very narrow and full of sharp curves and can be quite a challenge to some.
Note: there is not much parking space so you may opt to go there by public transportation depending on the day you go. If it's a public holiday and the weather is beautiful, You're best bet is using the train or bus, or both:)
If you plan to drive there from central Tokyo, take route 20 westward from shinjuku. It will intersect with route 16, which will eventually take you to rout 411. It will take 2 hours or so to get there from Shinjuku w/o using highway. As you get to Okutama, you will find a street on your right leading to the caves. It's a long winding road leading to the entrance of the caves. The road is very narrow and full of sharp curves and can be quite a challenge to some.
Note: there is not much parking space so you may opt to go there by public transportation depending on the day you go. If it's a public holiday and the weather is beautiful, You're best bet is using the train or bus, or both:)
Written August 18, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TheJackeh
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada30 contributions
Apr 2018 • Friends
After hanging out in "everybody is a busy-body" central Tokyo, it was a literal breath of fresh air to get into the countryside and view natural beauty. The caves are spectacular and cheap for admission (something like 700 yen). I felt genuinely nervous upon first entering, because it was very dark, quiet and eery, much like a horror movie. There are few visitors and you'll have most of the place to yourselves, for good or for bad. The cave has diverse formations which takes you up and down some pretty steep and narrow spots. You'll also at one point enter the main cavern, which is lit up with colorful spotlights and is stunningly surreal. The signs in Japanese divulge interesting tidbits of information about monks who would stay in the cave - there are a small number of small stone monuments dedicated to either monks or deities, which adds to the atmospheric feeling of the strange but wonderful. I found a kick out of how they named some of the passes "path to hell", "death mountain". It's all in Japanese and I hope it's just a joke.
When you arrive at the nearest train station, you still have to take a bus ride. So train ride plus bus ride is a solid 3 hours travel time from Shinjuku station. I still felt it was worth the travel time. I had a lovely time sitting around old but cute train stations and viewing the Japanese mountain scenery. The bus ride from the station to the cave was interesting, as the road is a mountain road, narrow and at times fit only a single vehicle. To see how the bus, driver (plus conductor) navigated these stretches of road was amusing. The drivers, tour people at the station and everyone who I encountered were tremendously helpful, very kind, and not daunted by the fact that my Japanese was crude and simple. Your usual super pleasant countryside manners.
My tips:
1. Bring a light jacket, the cave is cool. You'll sweat at some of the steeper climbs, but you'll cool right down as soon as you rest.
2. Visit the visitor's information house and request a discount 100 yen for entrance to the cave.
3. Arrive early, so when you return home via the train station, small shops are still open for grub.
4. Bring snacks (the bus ride is half hour long each way, you might spend an hour in the cave) as there is no food near the cave, which is in the middle of nowhere. But be respectful and don't eat in the cave.
5. Don't visit if you are not fit.
6. Wear sturdy shoes. Don't worry about most other attire, as there is no underwater section and you won't get wet.
7. Check their seasonal opening dates. They have black-out dates when it's too dangerous, weather-wise to view the caves.
When you arrive at the nearest train station, you still have to take a bus ride. So train ride plus bus ride is a solid 3 hours travel time from Shinjuku station. I still felt it was worth the travel time. I had a lovely time sitting around old but cute train stations and viewing the Japanese mountain scenery. The bus ride from the station to the cave was interesting, as the road is a mountain road, narrow and at times fit only a single vehicle. To see how the bus, driver (plus conductor) navigated these stretches of road was amusing. The drivers, tour people at the station and everyone who I encountered were tremendously helpful, very kind, and not daunted by the fact that my Japanese was crude and simple. Your usual super pleasant countryside manners.
My tips:
1. Bring a light jacket, the cave is cool. You'll sweat at some of the steeper climbs, but you'll cool right down as soon as you rest.
2. Visit the visitor's information house and request a discount 100 yen for entrance to the cave.
3. Arrive early, so when you return home via the train station, small shops are still open for grub.
4. Bring snacks (the bus ride is half hour long each way, you might spend an hour in the cave) as there is no food near the cave, which is in the middle of nowhere. But be respectful and don't eat in the cave.
5. Don't visit if you are not fit.
6. Wear sturdy shoes. Don't worry about most other attire, as there is no underwater section and you won't get wet.
7. Check their seasonal opening dates. They have black-out dates when it's too dangerous, weather-wise to view the caves.
Written March 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brent Z
Victoria Capital Regional District, Canada36 contributions
Aug 2015
Hop on the JR Chūo Line and transfer to the Uno Line ride out to the end and grab a bus. Sounds like a long way to go, but we found it was worthwhile. We saw the real Japan, not the blinking lights of the Ginza. The cave was a spectacle. Cool and mysterious, it was a nice way to spend a ho summer day. Explore the illuminated galleries. Stroll around the community.
Written July 27, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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