We had a great experience with Snow Monkey Resorts' tour around the old city of Takayama and Shirakawa-go. Much of that was due to our guide, Harry. One wouldn't expect to get a British guide in Tokayama, but to our surprise, he was excellent. Very knowledgeable about the local culture, interesting observations, and a clear passion for life in Japan. This was our first day in Takayama, and the tour gave us a detailed "map" of what we should see. The old town is fascinating, and Harry had many interesting insights. Next, we took a very comfortable van to Shirakawa-go. Again, Harry helped us understand the history and life in the small village. The village is very touristy, but I didn't find that to be off-putting. The setting is beautiful with the surrounding snow-covered mountains. I would definitely recommend this tour, and if you are an English speaker, you would be lucky if Harry were your guide.







![Departing from Takayama [Regular sightseeing bus] World Heritage Sites Shirakawago and Gokayama Ainokura](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia-cdn.tripadvisor.com%2Fmedia%2Fattractions-splice-spp-720x480%2F11%2F22%2F89%2F94.jpg&w=3840&q=75)




