Japan Spring 2023 - Day trips from Takayama

Takayama is an old, well preserved Edo period town located in the mountainous area of the Gifu Prefecture. This city is located in between the famous UNESCO world heritage site, Shirakawago and Kamikochi. You can conveniently plan your trip from the Nohi Bus Station which is just next to the Takayama train station. And not to worry, the bus station accepts cash or card :)

The Takayama Station in the city center is location roughly 1 hour and 30 mins train from Toyama Station. The reason we chose to drop by for a couple of nights in this city on our way to Osaka is because of the day trips you can do from here! 

Hida No Sato (Hida Folk Village) is like a mini Shirakawago located 10 min away from Nohi bus station. The tickets below includes a return bus ride an entry to the open air museum :) 

More info: https://www.hidanosato-tpo.jp/english12.htm

We bought our Shirakawago tour tickets online via https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/hida/bustrip/teikan-ainokura-en/ and tickets redeemable from Nohi bus station. This day tour includes 3 Gassho Zukuri villages, passing by Suganuma (9 houses), 1-2 hours stop by at Ainokura (20 houses) and the whole afternoon at Shirakawago (114 houses). Shirakawago is a very touristy area, there was like 20-30 buses at the parking lot at ant time. You can enter the well preserved houses there for a fee of ¥400/pax. We went up Wada House, the largest in the village 😊

Kamikochi tickets can be bought in advance from Nohi bus station.We bought the Takayama-Kamikochi return tickets and it’s valid for 7 days hence you can hop on and off the bus to Kamikochi and back to Takayama any time. This includes the bus change in Hirayu Onsen. Below are the list if destination options available from Nohi bus station:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tickets we bought and the timetable, apparently there are more buses on weekends. Noticed the tearable bottom part of the ticket? You need to tear and pass to the bus driver when hopping on/off, the bus driver will request of it:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More on Kamikochi on its dedicated page!