Things to do in Takayama

The entire itinerary was planned wonderfully, allowing us ample time to deeply explore the charming locations of Shirakawa-go Gassho Village and Hida Takayama. The day trip included convenient and comfortable bus transportation, eliminating any worries about complicated travel arrangements, and allowing us to fully enjoy the beautiful scenery. The tour guide, Liu Mei, was extremely knowledgeable about the itinerary, and her explanations were lively and interesting, providing us with much practical and interesting information. She not only proactively reminded us of various precautions but also took care of the needs of different members of the group, making everyone feel at home. Her Chinese expression was clear and fluent, completely eliminating any language barriers, making the entire communication process very pleasant. Even on the return trip to Nagoya city, she proactively introduced places to visit and must-try foods for our subsequent itinerary. If you are looking for a high-value Shirakawa-go & Hida Takayama day trip, this itinerary, combined with an excellent tour guide like Liu Mei, is definitely your best choice!

Pictures are of December 4, 2025. it's an English group of 30 more guests. every one is on time at all sites makes the tour going smoothly. Hida beef lunch is tasty and food are well enough for any adults. I enjoyed the one day trip.

must go, must go ! first stop a bit rush, 2 hours stopover for lunch + photo taking, second stop which is Shirakawago was fantastic. up hill maybe too challenging for elderly, but still have plenty to see with the village. The tour accompanied by humorous tour guide Lin (young boy) who did some explanation on history and food recommendation, Overall the trip is great.

Shirakawago is amazing most esp in winter. We're lucky to experience snow this early in Dec. The place is simply magical!!! Kudos also to Frank for making sure the tour ran smoothly & on time. It was great also for him to let us take a photo of his map for each location w/c shows us we're to go to maximaze the limited time we had & providing recommendations on where to go, eat & what souveniers to buy. Thank you Frank!

My wife and I just got married and wanted to experience the country side of Shirakawago and the heritage of Hida-Takayama. We’re fortunate enough to get seats in the front row of the bus. The incredible scenery and changing leaves in the fall by themselves would have easily been enough, but what took this over the top was the exceptional hospitality of our guides. They provided the perfect balance of historical education on the bus while allowing us to experience each destination in a unique way. The restaurant in Shirakawago was extremely unnexpected and delicious. I highly recommend skipping the observatory and experiencing the city. I also highly recommend trying the world famous pudding in Shirakawago and the famous Hida beef in Takayama! Can’t thank our amazing host/guides enough! Truly life changing! Btw, we took these photos ourselves on our phones, enjoy!

We had an amazing one-day trip to Hida Takayama and Shirakawa-go! From exploring Takayama’s charming morning markets to admiring the postcard-perfect gassho-zukuri houses in Shirakawa-go, every moment was memorable. 🛍️🏡🌾 The scenery was stunning, the food — especially the Hida beef — was delicious, and the cultural experience was rich and peaceful. 🍜🥩🌿 Huge thanks to our guide Mickey for making the day even more special. Highly recommended! 🇯🇵

The place is nice and beautiful, but it's a rainy day and we couldn't take a lot of photos. By the time we arrive, it's crowded. Maybe I can repeat it next time if I have a change. The bus conductor is nice to us. He waited all of us in front of the gate of takayama bus entrance.

Despite the terrible weather, this was a great tour, visiting two different villages, the first much less tourist-heavy than the other. our guide, Yamashita, was excellent explaining everything in both Japanese and English. The driver was also excellent in very rainy conditions. Had lots of time to explore. recommend this tour!

the sight of the alps were beautiful. there was snow on top at the viewpoint even though it was late autumn.