Toyama Prefecture

Discover the history and culture of Takayama through its gastronomy on this walking tour with a local guide. After meeting your guide, head to the morning market. Here, smell and taste the local herbs, vegetables, and seasonal products. Next, walk to your next stop where you will sample fried tofu. Then visit a sweet shop where you can try some delicious sweets. Don't miss the cute cat-shaped sweets. Afterward, visit another morning market where you can see traditional local products. Purchase some unique souvenirs and get the chance to interact with the locals. Finally, visit a sake brewery and learn why this area is so famous for sake production. Sample 5 different types of sake and discover the process behind their production.

Get an insider’s view of Takayama’s most vibrant neighborhoods on a walking tour of the Old Town alongside a local guide. Begin your urban walking adventure by meeting your guide in the city center. Make your way through the Old Town and learn about the local people's lifestyle and culture from your local guide. Discover why Takayama was listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage site. Turn the corner towards Nakabashi bridge and snap photos with this famous red bridge. Stroll to Takayama Jinya, the former government office. Witness the hustle and bustle of the Jinya morning market and grab a bargain with the help of your guide. As you stroll, your friendly local guide will tell you interesting facts and anecdotes about the city’s past and the people who have lived here.   Finally, arrive at Yamazakura shrine, your last stop, where you can learn about Japanese religion. Your guide will be happy to point you in the direction of the nearest subway station or bus stop. Or feel free to ask them for local recommendations on great places to eat or drink nearby.

Located in Gifu Prefecture on the main island of Honshu, Takayama (or Hida-Takayama) is filled with historic charm and is also renowned for its natural beauty. Explore this ancient city with a local guide and see the best of what it has to offer on a private walking tour. Below are some things included as part of a typical itinerary that can be customized based on your wishes. Sanmachi Street has many houses and stores that date back to the Edo period (1603-1868). The area is lined with shops carrying local specialties and has a lively atmosphere with many people stopping to shop and eat here. Hida Folk Village is an open-air museum exhibiting over 30 traditional houses from the Hida Region, the mountainous district of Gifu Prefecture around Takayama. The houses were built during the Edo period and were relocated from their original places to create the museum in 1971. The Takayama Jinya served as the local government office headed by the officials dispatched from Edo (present-day Tokyo). The building complex was in official use until 1969 and is now open to the public as a museum. Hida-Takayama Miyagawa Morning Market is held daily in Takayama between 7:00 AM (8:00 AM in winter) and 12:00 AM. The Miyagawa Market along the Miyagawa River in the old town and the Jinya-mae Market in front of the Takayama Jinya sell local crafts, snacks, and produce. Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall shows key aspects of the Takayama Festival. The festival takes place for two days each spring and autumn and, along with Kyoto's Gion Matsuri and the Chichibu Yomatsuri, is considered to be one of Japan's three most beautiful. Hida Kokubunji Temple is a Buddhist temple. Its iconic three-storied pagoda was constructed in 1820. A Buddhist statue thought to have been made in the Heian period is enshrined in the main building. Be sure to check out the huge gingko tree on the grounds. It is over 1260 years old. Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine in Takayama is the venue for the Takayama Festival in the autumn. Next to the shrine is the Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall, or Yatai Kaikan, where four of the actual floats used in the festival are on display. The Kusakabe Folk Museum is a historic private residence that has been opened to the public. The building was constructed during the Meiji period in an Edo architectural style. The entire building is designated important cultural property of Japan.

Taste the best Sake in Takayama and learn all about why this area is so well known for sake production. More than 300 years ago, there were 56 sake breweries in Takayama city and today, seven sake breweries remain active. Learn all about the history and culture of the city from your local guide. Visit the oldest sake brewery in the region, a totally exclusive experience. Once there, experience the ambiance and, best of all, taste five different types of sake and see how different they are from one another.

Be picked up by your English-speaking guide at your accommodation in Kanazawa and head to the UNESCO village of Shirakawago. Spend 2.5-hours in Shirakawago exploring the village. Walk across the Sho River on the pedestrian bridge and take in the sights of this fairytale village. Head to the canal-lined streets of Hida-Furukawa. Spend 1-hour in Hida-Furukawa exploring the town and enjoying lunch. Hida-Furukawa is famous for its timber craftsmanship and festivals. Your last stop is Takayama. Spend 2-hours in this preserved town famous for carpentry and sake brewing. Takayama village is a preserved village, with buildings dating back to the Edo period. From Takayama, your driver will take you back to your accommodation in Kanazawa.