In early November, the leaves in greater Tokyo are starting to change, with ginkgo leaves noticeably yellowing in many places. Maples in the mountain regions are starting to change, while most of those around downtown Tokyo are still green.

Just over 2 hours north of Tokyo is the beautiful Nikko area, a popular getaway for Western visitors for well over a century.

While the Toshogu Shrine area, which was officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, draws crowds of visitors this season, its colors tend to arrive more toward the middle of November. To enjoy the season in all its glory, we boarded a bus bound for Yumoto Onsen/Ryuzu Falls, immediately in front of Tobu Nikko Station, and hopped off at the Akanuma Bus Stop (around 1 hour away).

If you have ample time in the area and are up for some trekking, I suggest taking the bus one additional stop, to the Sanbonmatsu Bus Stop. This will place you immediately in front of the Senjogahara Observation Deck, where you can view the beautiful marshland unfold in front of you.

I chose to disembark at Akanuma, which also happens to be the head of several hiking trails, some of which hug the Yu River and are particularly enjoyable in late October/early November. If you're curious to check these out, you can download a trail map here.

In my case, I intended to walk from Akanuma, following the Yu River to Ryuzu Falls, then along the shores of Lake Chuzenji to Kegon Falls, for a distance of around 7km (90 minutes at a moderate pace).

There are several bus stops along the way, if you would prefer to hop on and off the bus, but do keep an eye on the bus schedule. The bus comes infrequently, and might involve considerable wait times.

Continuing down Route 120, you'll eventually come to a bridge spanning the Yu River, with a well-marked trailhead to your left. From here, you can see the start of the cascades, with Lake Chuzenji sparkling in the distance.

The upper part of Ryuzu Falls is very scenic, and I caught it nearly at peak foliage season. I estimate that the foliage would last for at least another week, where it will start falling away.

These are the famous Ryuzu Cascades, where the Yu River splits around rocks and trees. At the perfect time of day, you'll be able to spot a rainbow forming within the spray.

The foliage here was not quite at peak, and I estimate that it will be at its best around November 5.

I recommend grabbing a bite to eat at Ryuzu no Chaya, a restaurant right above the cascades. If you're particularly keen on exploring the area, you might wish to consider staying at the Chuzenji Kanaya Hotel or Oku Nikko Hotel Shikisai, which will place you right near the north end of the lake.

Alternatively, instead of walking around Lake Chuzenji, you might consider a comfortable 35-minute cruise (1,200 yen for adults; see the official website for details). This departs from the Lake Chuzenji Cruise Shobugahama Pier, about a 10-minute walk south of the falls, along Route 120.

Continuing down along the road, you'll spot a trail that hugs the Lake Chuzenji shoreline. The paths are easy to follow, but can be muddy after rain. Alternatively, many views are visible from the road, but do be careful of traffic.

If you happen to stroll this way, you'll enter a tunnel of colors along the way, before being treated to views of gleaming golds and reds along the shores of Lake Chuzenji.

Continuing on for about 40-45 minutes, and you'll come to the Lake Chuzenji Lakefront Park area, where the leaves were gorgeous on October 30. I would recommend grabbing a bite at one of the restaurants in town or continuing on to see Kegon Falls, ranked among Japan's three most beautiful waterfalls.

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