From Takayama: World Heritage Gokayama & Shirakawa-go From Takayama Station, Ending at Kanazawa Station
ID: GYG1100359-1689621
Category:
Country: Japan
Duration:
1 days
Description
Explore Ainokura, Suganuma, and Shirakawa-go on a guided tour from Takayama. Enjoy a papermaking class, visit a museum, and discover the unique architecture of these UNESCO villages.
Begin your journey at Takayama Station, where your guide will meet you and lead you on a journey through some of Japan’s most scenic and culturally rich mountain villages.
First, travel to Ainokura, a quiet settlement in the Gokayama region and a registered UNESCO World Heritage Site. With far fewer tourists than Shirakawa-go, Ainokura offers a rare opportunity to explore gassho-zukuri farmhouses in a peaceful rural setting.
Surrounded by forested hills, the village is known for its well-preserved architecture and strong sense of tradition, giving visitors a more intimate and authentic experience of Japan’s mountain culture. During your visit, take part in a traditional papermaking experience, a hands-on introduction to the area's enduring craftsmanship.
From there, continue to the nearby Suganuma Village, a compact and well-preserved Gokayama settlement set along a quiet river. Smaller than Ainokura but equally rich in history, Suganuma is home to a museum that highlights the village’s role in the production of materials used in traditional gunpowder.
Your guide will lead a short visit inside, where you’ll learn about this unique aspect of the region’s past. After the museum, you’ll have time to walk through the village and enjoy lunch — either at a local restaurant or with a packed meal in one of the rest areas.
After lunch, continue with a scenic drive deeper into the mountains toward Shirakawa-go, the most iconic of the three UNESCO World Heritage Site villages. Famous for its steeply pitched gassho-zukuri rooftops, designed to withstand heavy snowfall, Shirakawa-go is larger and more lively than its Gokayama neighbors.
The village offers a unique look into traditional rural life that still continues today. Your guide will lead a short walk through the village, sharing its history and highlighting key landmarks. You’ll also have the chance to enter one of the traditional farmhouses and, if conditions allow, visit the panoramic lookout point for sweeping views over the entire village.
Finally, reunite with your guide to conclude the tour and begin the return trip to Takayama, a journey that takes roughly one hour. You can expect to arrive back at Takayama Station around 17:30. Guests who have booked to end their tour in Kanazawa will transfer from Shirakawa-go at this point. The drive to Kanazawa also takes just over one hour, with arrival expected around 18:40. Your guide will offer any assistance needed to ensure a smooth transition to your final destination.
Highlights
- Visit three UNESCO villages: (Gokayama) Ainokura, Suganuma, and Shirakawa-go.
- Take part in a traditional papermaking experience in the village of Ainokura.
- Explore Shirakawa-go, enter into one of the traditional farmhouses
- Option to end your tour in Takayama or transfer to Kanazawa; selected at booking
Guiding languages
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Tour Availability Disclaimer
All listed events, activities, and experiences are subject to availability. Please note that while certain tour options may appear bookable through our platforms, this does not guarantee that every experience can be carried out as scheduled in the tour itinerary. Many activities require direct confirmation with our partner venues, and availability may vary based on the date and other factors. Should any part of your ordered itinerary require adjustment or deviation from the original schedule, or if a specific experience is unavailable, we will contact you promptly to discuss suitable alternatives or amendments.
The tour starts at Takayama Station at 9:00 A.M.
The tour concludes at Takayama Station around 17:30 or Kanazawa around 18:40 if selected at time of booking.
The tour involves walking through villages, so comfortable shoes are recommended.
Weather can vary, so dress accordingly.
Meet outside the ticket gates at JR Takayama Station. Once you have left the gates, look to your left to see a walkway and a carving depicting an ornate wagon. Be sure to look for the guide wearing a “Snow Monkey Resorts” tour tag.
There is also a waiting room with benches nearby for guests who have arrived early and would like to sit down. However, please make sure that you have left the waiting room and are in place at the meetup point at 9:00 AM.
INCLUDED
- Transportation from Takayama to (Gokayama) Ainokura, Suganuma, and Shirakawa-go
- Traditional papermaking experience
- Entry to the museum at Suganuma
- Guided walks at (Gokayama) Ainokura, Suganuma, and Shirakawa-go
- English-speaking guide
- Option to end the tour in Takayama or Kanazawa (must be selected at time of booking; prices may vary)
When should I book?
To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.
Cancellations
This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.
