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Departing from Takayama [Regular sightseeing bus] World Heritage Sites Shirakawago and Gokayama Ainokura
4.6
51 Ratings
Takayama
Embark on a guided bus tour to explore the enchanting World Heritage sites of Gokayama Ainokura and Shirakawa-go Gassho Villages. Indulge in local Hida cuisine and immerse yourself in the rich culture and history of the Hida region.
Duration:
7 hours, 20 minutes
Cancellation:
1 day
learn more
Highlights
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Ainokura Gassho Community - We will guide you to the Gassho Village of Gokayama Ainokura, a World Heritage site.
In the Ainokura Gassho-zukuri Village in Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture, there are 20 Gassho-zukuri houses still in existence, and you can see a variety of Gassho-zukuri houses.
People still live in these gassho-zukuri houses. -
The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go Gassho Style Houses - Shirakawa-go, a World Heritage Site, is a village where 114 thatched gassho-zukuri houses still retain the nostalgic scenery of old Japan.
The steeply sloped triangular roof, which is unique to regions with heavy snowfall, resembles the shape of hands joined together, which is why it is called a gassho-zukuri house.
Feel free to stroll around the village for as long as you like.
- You can also enter “Shirakawa-go Gassho-zukuri Minkaen”.
- Shirakawago Gassho Zukuri Minkaen - During the walk, you can also enter the “Gassho-zukuri Minkaen”. (Entrance fee is included) *The park is closed on Thursdays from December to March. (If the park is closed, we will give you our original mascot.)
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Tenshukakau Observatory - Located on a hill in the northwest of Shirakawa-go, you can overlook the Shirakawa-go gassho village.
The view from here is the one you often see on posters.
The gassho-zukuri village of Ogimachi is colored by the nature of each season, making you feel as if you are in a fairy tale world.
What's Included
- Comfortable air-conditioned transportation
What's Not Included
- Lunch
Additional Information
This is a regular sightseeing bus that visits the Gassho villages of Gokayama-Ainokura and Shirakawa-go, which are world heritage sites, with the help of a bus guide. We will take you to Gokayama Village and Shirakawago Gassho Village, which are difficult to reach on your own, in a safe and comfortable chartered bus. Please enjoy your lunch at Gassho Village in Shirakawa-go. This tour is a regular sightseeing bus guided by a Nohi Bus bus guide. We will provide you with a higher-grade, more comfortable bus journey while providing you with up-to-date information that cannot be found in guidebooks, such as the charms of world heritage sites, how to spend your time there, and the food and dialect of the Hida region. You can participate even on the day of departure if there are seats available. (However, we may refuse your reservation if the seats are full.)
Location
6-chōme-125 Hanasatomachi
1 minute walk from JR Takayama Station East Exit (Norikura Exit)
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.6
(51 Ratings)
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Mariano_a
Aug 27, 2024
Shirakawa-go Tour - Excellent trip to experience the history of the ancient dwellings in Japan. Very functionally efficient and economically designed for versatility. Guide was excellent comprehensive and well organized.
Review provided by Viator
Gloria_p
Jul 31, 2024
See the heart of Japanese culture - What a great day! Even though it was raining, we had a wonderful time exploring these sites. The transportation staff were wonderful and professional. Paper-making and a visit to a magical tea shop added exquisite touches to a perfect day. Would highly recommend this experience to anyone who wants to see the beating heart of Japanese culture.
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Ann_n
Jul 13, 2024
Wonderful trip. - Shiragawa-go village was the best with so much heritage & history. The guide was very knowledgeable with helpful tips.
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Josue_p
Jul 5, 2024
Recommended tour with family or kids. - Visiting a traditional village and housing was incredible. It was a wonderful experience and a recommended tour. On our bus tour, we had both Japanese and American tourists. The information was provided in both languages. The bus driver and the tour guide were polite, friendly, and accommodating. The bus seats were comfortable, and the day ride was just right for us.
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Cynthia_o
Jun 17, 2024
The best way to see the sights! - Fantastic tour. The destination is absolutely stunning and going on this tour made it so much easier than finding our own way. We visited Gokayama which I don’t believe you can get to on the public bus. Then we went to Shirakawago with the crowds. We visited on a Wednesday which is the day many shops are shut. There were limited (but enough) lunch options. We were not there for the lunch or shops so we loved that there were considerably less tourists. So we’d pick a Wednesday again. Our guide was amazing. She was very knowledgeable and made the day extra special. This is a small group tour, with our own bus. Perfect! I would highly recommend this tour.
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Annemarie_k
May 30, 2024
A day to remember - Excellent prepared guide, shared great tips
Both places we visited were excellent, stunningly beautiful.
Great bus ride and driver
Highly recommend
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Happyliz2023
May 29, 2024
A World Heritage Site indeed! - What a wonderful excursion! A World Heritage site indeed! A very special place.
The bus ride was very comfortable. The tour guide gave us very helpful information during the bus ride, and good maps! She left us to explore on our own at our own pace. This is better than following a guide. An absolutely delightful excursion!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Naomi_a
May 29, 2024
Loved Gokayama & Shirakawago - We had an amazing day in Gokayama & Shirakawago. The villages are stunning & we had enough time to explore the different areas. Our tour guide (I can’t remember her name) was lovely & informative.
I highly recommend this tour
Review provided by Viator
Christine_z
May 30, 2024
Glad I took this trip. - I really enjoyed visiting Gokayama Ainokura. It was not as busy with tourists. We were there on a rice planting day which was really interesting. Of course Shirakawago is a beautiful town. The bus driver was a very safe driver.
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Geoffrey_f
Jun 6, 2024
Pleasant day out. - Comfortable bus, nice guide the drive there and back is probably the highlight. We could have done with longer at the first village you didn’t need three hours at the second village unless you were planning on having a long lunch. Plenty of restaurants once you cross over the suspension bridge. I actually preferred Hida folk village just outside Takayama, it was quieter less tourists and the interpretation was far better. Definitely go and see it before you visit Shirawago as the guide does not come round with you and the explanations are not nearly as good. Pleasant day out and the countryside is wonderful.
Review provided by Viator
