Welcome to Takayama

Takayama (officially known as Hida Takayama; 飛騨高山) has one of Japan's most atmospheric townscapes, with Meiji-era inns, hillside shrines and a pretty riverside setting. It's also home to one of the country's best-loved festivals. A trip here should be high on the list for anyone travelling in Central Honshū.

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The town's present layout dates from the late 17th century and incorporates a wealth of museums, galleries and temples for a place of its compact size. Excellent infrastructure and welcoming locals seal the deal. Although its recent rise in popularity can sometimes take the sparkle off what was a little-known hamlet just a decade ago, there's still plenty worth visiting for – a stay during the shoulder seasons will afford a little more tranquility.

Takayama is easily explored on foot and is the perfect start or end point for sojourns into the Hida Region and the Northern Japan Alps.

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Top experiences in Takayama

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Takayama activities

$51.35 Food, Wine & Nightlife

Takayama Food and Culture Walking Day Tour

Meet your guide at a centrally located meeting point at 9:30am, then head out to enjoy a variety of local food and sake, learning about the special culinary culture and history in Takayama. Visit local shops, such as a saké brewery, a miso maker, the morning market and the local restaurant to have a short break.Discover the distinctive culture and history of Takayama with your knowledgeable guide while you go through the old town area, designated an area of Important Traditional Buildings by the Japanese Government. Enjoy the relaxing time with the rich atmosphere and soak-up the daily life in Takayama.This guided tour connects travelers and locals through food and culture, and you will find the sights of Japanese countryside through this tour.
$28.15 Food, Wine & Nightlife

Sake Tasting in Takayama

This is a beginner class for those who want to enjoy and understand sake.  In this class, you can learn how sake is made, learn what the difference is between different kinds of sakes and find out how to choose the appropriate sake for you and your taste. This activity is not only sake tasting, but also other lectures about Japanese culture, history and tradition and how it is deeply connected to sake.After you finish this class, you can choose your favorite sake and food pairing with sake. By the end of the class, you will love drinking sake!There are a lot of sake brewery in Hida Takayama area but these sake brewery usually don’t offer English explanation on sake for international taveller. We want them to know how good is sake and there are so many different kinds of sake in Japan. We hope you will enjoy drinking sake in your home country bringing back what you learn sake in Takayama.
$864.22 Cultural & Theme Tours

Takayama, Shirakawago, Kanazawa 3-Day Tour from Kyoto to Tokyo

Your 3-day tour puts the spotlight on Takayama, Shirakawago and Kanazawa, three historical Japanese cities considered by the guidebooks to be must-visit destinations. Each is famous in its own right: Takayama for its impeccably preserved Old Town, Shirakawago for its unique farmhouses and Kanazawa for its cultural heritage and samurai history.With a professional guide, enjoy tours to top attractions in each city, and enjoy leisure time in the evenings. No meals are included, giving you the flexibility to eat what you want and where you please. Your guide will factor in free time each day for meals, and offer recommendations for good places. Your one-way sightseeing adventure starts in Kyoto, from where you'll travel by train, local bus, taxi and coach between destinations before ending the tour in Tokyo. Your train travel is done independently, but tour guides and assistants accompany you to the station, help you during transfers and meet you on the other end.
$4635 Cultural & Theme Tours

Scenic Japan Tour 2019

Arrive in Tokyo on March 22nd with accommodation included for this night as well, but the tour will officially commence the following day. Start in Tokyo and experience full-day tours in Tokyo with an English-speaking guide. After spending four days in Tokyo seeing popular attractions like Meiji Shrine and Toyosu Market, make your way to Hakone for a tour of the area. From Hakone, visit Takayama, Kyoto, and Nara over the course of a few days. All the tours listed in the itinerary are all included in the grand tour! Accommodation at 4 star hotels and ryokan are included to provide you with the utmost comfort during your 11 day tour of Japan!
$149.38 Day Trips & Excursions

Shared Transfer to Takayama via Norikura Skyline beyond Clouds from Tokyo

Takayama is known as a beautiful old town. On this tour, not only taking you there, we suggest you to go on Norikura Skyline and look around a hidden garden on Mt. Norikura. It is known for summer mountain skiing. Just a green licensed bus, taxi or bycicle is allowed to go there to protect the nature environment. We go up to Mt. Norikura by our own vehicle, and reach to Ohanabatake that means a flower garden.  You can see the blooming of alpine plants from May to June, and the splendid view of autumn leaves from September to October. If you are not a skilled hiker, you don't have to worry. We walk on flat paths just for 30 minutes. It is easy for senior and children.We drop you off at Takayama station, Hotel Associa Takayama or Takayama Green Plaza Hotel, and the tour is ended. Takayama is a small town, so it is easy to go for sighseeing for walk. Our staff tells you how to get to your hotel and give you tips on looking around Takayama.
$867.58 Private & Custom Tours

8-Hour Private Tour to Shirakawa-go & Hida Takayama From Kanazawa

The driver will pick you up at 13:00 in central Kanazawa before whisking you away to Shirakawa-go, a village of traditional thatched-roof farmhouses and a World Heritage Site. Spend an hour exploring the village and the unique architecture of the farmhouses which will look even more impressive in the snow. Next up is Hida Takayama, affectionately called 'Little Kyoto', offering visitors a slice of traditional rural Japan with its exceptionally well-preserved streets and old town. Stroll around the town for an hour and feel as though you have stepped back in time. The Hida region is also well known for the quality of its beef and you will get to try some of it for dinner at Hida Takayama Matsuri no Mori. Hida beef is highly prized and it will be the best eating experience you can have in Takayama. The tour concludes with a visit to Hida Folk Village, an open-air museum known for its popular winter illumination event. The village consists of around 30 thatched-roof farmhouses that have been relocated from nearby Shirakawa-go and Gokayama. Having seen the farmhouses during the day, see them wonderfully lit up at night creating a magical winter landscape. A perfect ending to the tour. Return to your chosen drop-off point in central Kanazawa by 21:00.
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