Shirakawa-go from Takayama: Private Car & Driver, No Guide

Explore the beautiful mountain settlement of Shirakawa-go via chartered vehicle exclusively for you and your travelmates. Your English-speaking driver will take you to the World Heritage Site of fairy-tale village Shirakawa-go. Shirakawa-go is a remote settlement designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture. As the region receives considerable snowfall in the winter, the farmhouses are well-known for their distinctive architecture featuring steep roofs to easily shed snow. Learn more about this unique village on a full-day chartered vehicle tour with English-speaking driver. On this day trip departing from Takayama, leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind to wander around a unique village, stroll through historic streets, take in stunning mountain landscapes, and enjoy a lunch made of authentic local ingredients.

1. 1

   Stop 1

   Pass by

   This tour starts at Takayama. Your driver pick you up at your hotel or Takayama station.

2. 2

   Ogimachi

   1 hour

   Ogimachi, Shirakawa-go's largest village and main attraction, makes a good day trip from Takayama, or a stop on the bus journey between Takayama and Kanazawa. The best way to experience the town, however, is to stay overnight at one of the farmhouses, many of which now serve as minshuku.

3. 3

   Shirakawago

   2 hours

   The Shirakawa-go (白川郷, Shirakawagō) and neighboring Gokayama (五箇山) regions line the Shogawa River Valley in the remote mountains that span from Gifu to Toyama Prefectures. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, they are famous for their traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. Gassho-zukuri means "constructed like hands in prayer", as the farmhouses' steep thatched roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer. The architectural style developed over many generations and is designed to withstand the large amounts of heavy snow that falls in the region during winter. The roofs, made without nails, provided a large attic space used for cultivating silkworms. Ogimachi, Shirakawa-go's largest village and main attraction, makes a good day trip from Takayama, or a stop on the bus journey between Takayama and Kanazawa. The best way to experience the town, however, is to stay overnight at one of the farmhouses, many of which now serve as minshuku. Gokayama is a little more difficult to access and requires a change of buses in Ogimachi. Less developed and less crowded than Shirakawa-go, its villages are smaller, more intimate and with less intrusion from modern buildings. Gokayama's nicest villages are Suganuma and Ainokura.

• Wheelchair accessible
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
• All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels

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