Hokuriku Tour: Explore Shirakawa-go and Takayama

Embark on a private charter tour to explore the hidden beauty of the Hokuriku region in Japan. Visit the historic villages of Shirakawa-go, experience traditional Japanese culture in Takayama, and be guided by our knowledgeable English-speaking driver.

Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go Gassho Style Houses - Explore the world heritage site of Shirakawago at your own pace. Enjoy a leisurely walk through the countryside and savor a delightful lunch featuring mountain cuisine.
  • Ogimachi Castle Old Site Observatory - Experience the stunning view of Shirakawago village from the optimal angle…
What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • Customizable tour with option to add 2-3 personal site choices
  • Complimentary bottled water
  • English-speaking driver
  • Air-conditioned vehicles
  • Fuel surcharges included
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
  • Snacks
  • Entrance/Admission Fee
  • Admission fee Wada House:- Adults : 400 yen; children: 200 yen. Group (20 or more) Disables: 200 yen
  • Admission Fee to Takayama Jiniya
  • Admission Fee to Hida no Sato
Additional Information

We are based in the Hokuriku region and are well aware of the hidden beauty of this region. As we have been in this field for many years, our service will define itself.
Travelers to this region will be welcomed and will visualize the natural beauty, and traditional Japanese culture by visitIng The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go, Ogimachi Castle Old…

Location
The Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go Gassho Style Houses
Ogimachi,
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(139 Ratings)
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Tourist43579116346
Aug 26, 2024
Great family day out - Excellent tour to Shirakawa-go & Takayama, we as a family highly recommend it. Our driver Junaid picked us up on time he was very friendly, accommodating, and helpful. The sights were really nice especially Shirakawa-go and his lunch recommendation was great! We enjoyed our day with Smile tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Climber17449298494
Aug 24, 2024
Flexible and reliable - Amazing trip we had so far as reviews were super good so we decided to go without any doubts. We hired this service during holidays so Malik suggested to skip Shirakawa-go initially as it’s first on the itinerary on his suggestion we went to Takayama directly later on way back to Kanazawa we went to Shirakawa-go. His plan clicked as we covered everything we wanted because while heading towards Takayama we saw long queues of vehicle & was totally packed. Malik also gave us suggestions (i.e;knowledge about attractions, summarized history / best restaurant serving Hida beef) at the end of trip dropped us off at Kanazawa Station (not the pick up point) we recommend Shirakawa-go as hottest tourist spot. Private and flexible schedule also had a brief stop at Gokayama on our request because in description it was stated that we can customize & add spot of our own choice within the duration of trip. Thank you Malik for making our trip very special.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roving24086153142
Aug 24, 2024
Great day-out from Kanazawa. - Fantastic day with Junaid. Very knowledgeable and professional. The car was great,comfortable,clean great air-conditioning. Saw everything we wanted and Junaid was always ready to help us also gave us the background and history at each attraction. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
502anniaa
Aug 23, 2024
Memorable, Efficient day trip - We family of 6 took a day trip to Shirakawa-go & Takayama. Our driver Ehsan, was incredibly friendly, accommodating also shared details about the areas and cities we drove through on our way to Shirakawa-go. Moreover, had amazing scenic view on the highway. Heritage Village was splendid especially the royal family house as from outside it looks small and once we entered and realized its huge also the way they are maintained even after 300 years is speechless. Overall we had safe and memorable trip. We highly recommend this tour to everyone.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wander05664732385
Aug 23, 2024
Well organised trip - We had wonderful experience of this trip to Shirakawa-go & Takayama. Our driver Junaid was excellent! He got us to each of the attractions efficiently and safely. Had great English skills was always handy to translate when required. This tour is perfectly organized to see all the major sites around Shirakawa-go & Takayama town. We highly recommend this tour as plus point is that we can move on our own pace instead of rushing while joining group tours.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Inspire28392916889
Aug 20, 2024
Highly recommended trip from Kanazawa. - We had an amazing day with our driver Mr.Malik, despite of rainy day everything else was amazing selection of the places is wonderful to give authentic Japanese vibe. Mr. Malik took us from the hotel early morning and moved to the first attraction while cruising through highway to Shirakawa-go wonderful heritage site we ever been to.Later we went to Takayama town which was also good choice to spend few hours. We also had amazing lunch at famous restaurant near Takayama station serving delicious Hida beef recommended by Malik so credit goes to him for making our trip amazing and comfortable. At the end of the trip we were safely transported back to our Hotel in Kanazawa. Thank you Smile team.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dreamer14524022126
Aug 13, 2024
“Great trip to Shirakawa-go & Takayama” - This was a great outing while touring Shirakawa-go & Takayama town. Hamza our driver picked us punctually on very clean and spacious van, was extremely personable and professional driver. The attractions we toured were a groovy slicer of the Japanese countryside around Gifu Prefecture. I highly recommend this tour from Kanazawa.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Christien_h
Aug 13, 2024
Great day exploring Kanazawa surroundings - We had one day left in Kanazawa and wanted to do a day trip to a neighboring town. We luckily found Smile tours on Viator and made the most of our last day with this tour, visiting Takayama, Shirakawago and Gokayama. Malik was easy to coordinate with and made the day a breeze. Great way to end the Kanazawa leg of the trip.
Review provided by Viator
Adam_s
Aug 15, 2024
Day trip - Overall it was a nice trip. Ali was a good driver and provided some tips and information on each site. Biggest downside was that the tour promised a visit to the morning market but given how the itinerary is structured, the market was closed by the time we arrived at Takayama.
Review provided by Viator
Joseph_g
Aug 21, 2024
The most expensive taxi - I recently went on a tour to Shirakawago from Takayama, expecting an informative and enriching experience for the hefty price of over $500. Unfortunately, what we got was far from the description. Our "guide" turned out to be nothing more than an expensive cab driver who merely picked us up and dropped us off without providing any insights or information about the places we visited. The tour description promised a guide, not just a driver, which made the experience even more disappointing. If you’re considering this tour, I would highly recommend opting for a bus to Shirakawago instead. It’s significantly cheaper and offers the same basic service—transportation without any added guidance. Save your money and get a similar experience for a fraction of the cost!
Review provided by Viator
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