World Heritage Tour: Explore Gokayama Ainokura and Shirakawa-go Gassho Villages with Guided Bus Trip
4.6
39 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
It is a regular sightseeing bus that visits the world heritage, Gokayama Ainokura and the gassho village of Shirakawa-go with the guidance of a bus guide.
We will guide you through Gokayama Village and Shirakawago Gassho Village, which are difficult for individuals, with a safe and comfortable chartered bus.
For lunch, please enjoy local Hida cuisine at the castle tower observatory overlooking the Gassho Village of Shirakawa-go.
This tour is a regular sightseeing bus guided by the bus guide of Nohi Bus. We will offer you a higher-grade comfortable bus trip by sharing seasonal information that is not included in the guidebook, such as the attractions and ways of spending the World Heritage, food and dialects of the Hida region, etc. You can participate if you have a seat even on the day of departure. (However, it may be refused if it is 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
(39 Ratings)
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Xy4qzx2b4b
Apr 21, 2024
Well worth it - This is exactly what I wanted. A simple tour that brings you to 2 beautiful sites. Goyama is stunning in my opinion. Enough time in Shikarawa go for me, as it is relatively crowded and I get tired. Despite what other people have experienced, we actually had a lot of commentary and explanations in English. Nami (she told us we could call her this way but I don’t remember her full name) was very good.
Review provided by Viator
Helen_r
Apr 19, 2024
Interesting sites to visit - Interesting place to visit. The tour had a guide who shared a lot of info. Note - you exchange the voucher at the bus terminal which is also where the tour departs.
Review provided by Viator
Gretel_b
Apr 18, 2024
A very interesting tour, great staff - A great day out with a lovely guide and an excellent driver.
The tour met all our expectations and we would definitely recommend it.
Review provided by Viator
Neil_m
Apr 5, 2024
Good value tour, highly recommended - Very good outing to Shiragawago and Ainokura. All went smoothly. Well organized guide with good English, who gave clear directions and commentary. There was enough time to see both villages, although it was a bit tight in Ainokura. Very pretty mountain scenery on the way. The trip takes you to each place, but lets you explore it on your own after getting directions and suggestions. We liked that. Good value and highly recommended.
Review provided by Viator
Travellingbuzz
Apr 1, 2024
Easy way to visit Shinagawa -go from Takayama - We came to Takayama with the intention of visiting Shiragawa-Go. The weather had been variable so we waited until it settled and then couldn’t get a reservation on the scheduled buses. We had seen this tour but were concerned we wouldn’t get a lot of value as it said the commentary was only in Japanese. However its bonus was a second village which was impossible on the regular bus. We had no choice and we booked it. What a great decision. The first village was stunning AND there was English commentary. I suspect that they can’t provide English commentary every day so they won’t promise what they can’t deliver.
The explanations were fabulous, the time in the villages wasn’t rushed. It was super easy and we were delighted with our decision.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ines_t
Feb 20, 2024
Excellent - A great day with an excellent guide and driver. We had enough time at all the places. Good value for money. Highly recommended.
Review provided by Viator
Shahar_y
Apr 14, 2024
A great experience that was to short to complete - The world heritage museum and playing the musical instruments. Only unfortunate thing is that we had too little time at ShirakawaGo and ended up returning to Takayama earlier than expected
. 45-60 minutes more would be ideal
Review provided by Viator
Frantz05
Mar 19, 2024
If you have to go out of Tokyo, go there. - This was a good tour. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Shirakawa-Go village. It was great to experience this life outside of the big cities such ask Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto. For this tour, you need to be at the bus station at least ten minutes before departure. The instructions says meet at 8:30, but that’s when the bus leaves. You need to be there before then to get your tickets if you booked online. They will at the appointed time on the dot.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Siehang_t
Feb 15, 2024
Wonder place not to be missed. - Good experience. The bus was very comfortable. The guide was also Very courteous. The weather was perfect and we enjoyed ourselves.
Review provided by Viator
Daryl_t
Apr 4, 2024
Meh - Paper making was great at the first stop
Not enough time at the first stop and too much time spent at the second stop
Long drive though
Spent a lot of time in a bus !
Review provided by Viator
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