Gokayama and Shirakawa-go: World Heritage Bus Tour

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: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 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…
What's Included
  • Comfortable air-conditioned transportation
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
Additional Information

This is a standard sightseeing bus tour that explores the World Heritage sites of Gassho Village in Gokayama Aikura and Shirakawago, with a knowledgeable bus guide leading the way.
The tour provides a safe and comfortable journey on a chartered bus to the Gokayama and Shirakawago Gassho settlements, which are typically challenging for individuals to…

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
(75 Ratings)
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Himhimfamily
Jan 13, 2025
Highly recommended one day tour - This one-day tour was a perfect option for people like me who wanted to sit back and relax in the bus and had no need to worry about catching the buses. We booked the tickets online in advance. The seat arrangement was made in booking, and we didn't need to worry about lining up in the snow. It was not easy to visit Ainokura by the usual bus service, and I think this village was authentic and worth visiting.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gion_t
Jan 3, 2025
Great guide, wonderful tour! - The trip was extremely well organized with a very professional guide that made sure everyone knew what to do and where to go. We felt very well taken care of and could thoroughly enjoy the two villages visited (that are both amazing places). Thank you! Highly recommended :)
Review provided by Viator
V5212maeileenc
Dec 30, 2024
Awesome Tour - The tour guide was very friendly and speak english quite well.. The driver drove the bus very carefully.. The tour explanation was very clear..
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kum_h
Nov 29, 2024
Wonderful experience - Our guide provided a lot of information that enriched our understanding of both sites. The bus ride was comfortable, and at of trip 5% discount voucher for use at gift is a plus
Review provided by Viator
Alejandraol6799wy
Nov 22, 2024
Visit to the villas. - Although the route can be long, the sights that can be seen on most of the route make the trip very special. I think the itinerary is well planned, being able to know two locations responsibly. Both the guide and the driver were very friendly, which lightened the development of the tour. The tour is a balance between what they schedule (movements) and your free development in space, basically they take care of the stressful parts and you can tour freely and respectfully the places visited. The tour did have an explanation in English, although it was sometimes difficult to follow, so I recommend having a brief context about Shirakawago before going on the tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephanie_r
Nov 22, 2024
Excellent day trip from Takayama - Great day out to both villages, really enjoyed the experience, lots to see and plenty of time to explore. Coach was very comfortable, driver and tour director both friendly and engaging.
Review provided by Viator
Ruthminerva_c
Jan 1, 2025
A good tour to an awesome destination - This was a well-managed tour with a very careful driver and an engaging and informative guide. We were all English-speakers on this tour, so the guide spoke only in English. It was good to visit the much smaller and quieter Ainokura Village before the larger and more popular Shirakawago to appreciate the contrast. The queue for lunch at a restaurant ate up our 3 hour stop at Shirakawago, so that we had to give up the view deck for a visit to one of the museums. All in all, a good tour, but an hour more at Shirakawago would have been welcome.
Review provided by Viator
Kokchow_y
Dec 30, 2024
It a marvelous trip to us... all... - It was a pleasant and enjoyable experience. Very nice and friendly tour bus guide lady. But just time is constrained, unable to finish all the attractions in the Shiragawagu. Will consider to go again.
Review provided by Viator
Juancarlos_l
Dec 4, 2024
Good value - The views from the observation decks. On time. Good organization. The guide was very friendly. Plenty of time to enjoy the towns.
Review provided by Viator
567julesd
Nov 16, 2024
Great tour but you could easily purchase directly from the bus ticket office - The tour itself was great. Picked up our tickets from the bus station, then got in line to board the bus. Chinami was a superb guide, providing lots of info in Japanese and English. Made two stops, both offering beautiful scenery and a good look at the gassho houses. The second in Shirakawago was a bit crazy with tourists. Hard to find somewhere for lunch that didn't have lines out the door (maybe bring a picnic). We enjoyed the heritage village beside where our bus stopped far more than the main village itself (much quieter). It's worth pointing out that it is very easy to buy this ticket directly from the bus station for 8,000yen. Booking it through this link does not give you anything extra, aside from the ability to book in advance.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 6 guests
1 Adult
January 2025
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