Takayama and Shirakawa-go, observatory Deck| Day Tour from Nagoya
Description
*Easy meet up point, 5mins walk at JR Nagoya station. *Specials tour directly to go to observatory deck not changing shuttle bus. *Walk around the old townscape of Takayama.Also can have free time to visit by own. *World Heritage Site- Hida Shirakawa-go Japan's Unexplored Region - Hida Shirakawa-go The ``Gassho-zukuri Village'', which is registered as a World Heritage Site, is known for its large number of over 100 Gassho-zukuri buildings remaining, and where people still live there. There are also plenty of other sightseeing spots where you can experience traditional wisdom and techniques, as well as magnificent nature, such as Hirase Onsen, whose source is at the foot of the sacred mountain Hakusan.
Tour Options
Itinerary
11:00-13:00 AM Explore Takayama’s Old Town Stroll through Takayama’s historic streets and step back in time to the Edo period.
12:00-13:00PM Free Time for Lunch We recommend trying Hida beef—a local specialty! (Lunch cost not included in tour price)
13:00-14:00PM Depart for Shirakawa-go's Ogimachi Village 14:00-16:00PM Exclusive Itinerary: Shirakawa-go Observatory Enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of the iconic gassho-zukuri thatched-roof village from the scenic observatory—a perspective few get to experience.
14:00-15:00 Ogimachi is the largest village and main attraction of Shirakawa-go. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, the village is home to several dozen well preserved gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. The farmhouses are quite amazing structures, designed to withstand the harsh winters while providing a place to work and live, and are best seen either covered in snow or surrounded by green fields. Many of the farmhouses are now restaurants, museums or minshuku, where you can stay overnight, the ultimate way of experiencing Shirakawago. 15:00-16:00 Shiragawago (60 minutes)
15:00-15:30PM If time permits you may also visit The Historical Roots of the Kanda Family Discover where Sadaemon Wada, descendant of the prominent Wada clan, established this settlement - now designated a National Treasure. (Site admission purchased separately)
16:00 Go back to Nagoya (120 to 150 minutes)
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(5)
It was a wonderful trip with a fantastic overall experience. The tour guide was very attentive and caring, and the driver was also very nice. Thanks to this tour, I gained a much better understanding of Shirakawa-go.
Good comfortable bus ride to tour sites. Excellent, and friendly tour guide, giving good tour site information.
Do not mistake this for a tour. It's a transport with instructions. The only reason I cannot give it 1 star is because it delivered the taking us to the places. The 'guide' is more centered in making sure everybody stays on time and keeps the bus clean making clear you will be fined or left out if you don't comply. You are given a map to take pictures since they only have 1 copy so you can go around the villages to see the sites. ¿Is it so hard in 2025 to make a QR code so everybody has the detailed map and explanations with 1 click? Explanations are done in the bus and not on sight as a proper guide would do. You basically choose what to do freely. The problem is that you are given little time. Since we arrived half an hour late to Takayama (11am instead of 1030am) we only had 2 hours to see the town including lunch. If you decide to take a regular restaurant lunch and see a couple of shops you will miss out on the shrines and Jynia. The stop should be 3 hours at least here. Once you arrive to Shirakawa it's more of the same, you rush through the town pressed by time, making it hard to enjoy the beauty and details of this village. The stop should have been 2h and 30m at least. We saw that the driver had several usb ports and cables to charge smartphones. We asked if we could charge our mobile phone in the driver seat during our stop. The answer was a hard no. This trip should leave Nagoya sooner to make the most out of the day. At least with that we could have had a positive experience. But what's worse is the attitude. How hard it is to smile and give a welcome to the tour properly? Instead you feel you are in school bus with a strict headmaster worried about how well you are going to behave. My advise is to spend a bit more money to receive a better quality experience.
The Japanese participated in the event, although they were themselves, and the majority were Chinese. Mr. Liu, our tour guide, was talking to Chinese people, but he was very kind to us and we enjoyed our trip to Gassho Village, which was our first time there. Thank you very much. People from Mitaka, Tokyo
