10 Takayama Tours, Compared Side by Side

1.World Heritage Shirakawa-go Morning Guided Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 988 reviews · 5 hours · from $77Our pick

Review of Kanazawa’s $77 morning tour to snowy Shirakawa-go, with an English guide, local food tips, Wi-Fi bus, and free time.

“We had the loveliest time on the morning tour to Shirakawa Go with Yasushi. The drive to the village went so quickly as he was so informative, funny and personable. En route we were given a map that helped us navigate the best spots to visit (and where to eat) which made our 2.5 hours very efficient and we managed to see everything we hoped to see. When we arrived we were left to explore on our own which was perfect — the loveliest day to experience this beautiful snowy place and Yasushi was the perfect tour guide! Because we left so early, we were able to see the village…”

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2.World Heritage Shirakawa-go & Two Local Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 274 reviews · 9 hours · from $116

See Shirakawa-go, Kenrokuen, Kanazawa crafts, wagashi, Daruma painting, and gold leaf on a guided $116 day tour from Kanazawa.

“really amazing tour and fun crafts if you do the full day tour. Aiko was our guide and she was absolutely delightful and well informed! definitely recommend if you are in Kanazawa”

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3.Kanazawa/Takayama: Shirakawago & Takayama Private Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 172 reviews · 8 hours · from $580

Review of a private Shirakawago and Takayama day tour with Hida no Sato, flexible pacing, private van, and multilingual guides.

“We had an amazing tour. It was very relaxed to have your own guide that would bring you to both Shiragawa-go and Takayama. Our guide was Abdul, he was very sweet and patient! He showed us around Shiragawa-go and told us background of the town. He knew a lot and was also so kind to make nice pictures of us! We had a bit of bad luck with traffic (highway closed off due to an accident and the only alternative local road had works). Abdul appologized and said that it was the first time in 8 months this had happend to him - he proposed alternatives sites we could visit,…”

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4.Takayama Half-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 69 reviews · from $122Top rated

Explore Takayama with a private licensed guide, custom stops, old streets, festival floats, markets, temples, and local food tips.

“We had Tatsuya Ito as our guide and he took us through Takayama expertly, kindly and patiently and was able to answer all our sometimes very meticulous questions well. Thanks to him, we learned a lot about Takayama and its history, as well as about Japan as a whole. We can recommend it, as well as this activity, without reservation to anyone interested in history and culture.Auto-translated”

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5.Ninja Experience in Takayama – Basic Course

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 62 reviews · from $36

Dress as a ninja in Takayama, throw real iron shuriken, practice sword iai, pop balloons with a blowgun, and enjoy a fun one-hour family activity.

“It's so much fun! Real shuriken and balloon popping with a blowgun are highly recommended if you come to Takayama. You can take some very memorable and special photos.”

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6.Ninja Experience in Takayama – Basic Course

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 59 reviews · 1 hour · from $35Best value

Review of Takayama’s $35 ninja experience, with costumes, shuriken, sword practice, photos, family tips, and honest value advice.

“Instructif et très fun. Bon moment passé en famille. Recommandée.”

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7.Takayama: Takayama Jinya & Old Town Private Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 32 reviews · 2 hours · from $68

Review of Takayama’s private two-hour tour, with Takayama Jinya, Sanmachi Suji, local shops, and sake tasting.

“Mihoko was our tour guide and she was absolutely amazing! She was very knowledgeable and clearly fascinated by history. The tour was so interesting that the two hours went by incredibly fast. Really recommend this tour!”

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8.Takayama: Private Walking Tour with a Local Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 29 reviews · 4 - 6 hours · from $119

Explore Takayama with a private local guide, from Edo-era streets and markets to temples, museums, Hida beef, and mountain scenery.

“Our tour through Takayama with Yoko was exceptional. Her deep knowledge of the city's history, coupled with fluent English and engaging storytelling, made every moment educational and captivating. Yoko tailored the tour to our interests, ensuring a personal connection to each site visited. She highlighted Takayama's hidden gems, revealing the city's depth beyond the typical tourist paths. Yoko's approach was personal, treating us more like friends, and shared insights into local lifestyle and traditions, deepening our understanding and appreciation of Takayama. Her passion for the city was infectious, making our experience not just memorable but truly enlightening.”

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9.Knife Making Experience in Samurai Sword Town

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 29 reviews · from $316

Make a Damascus kitchen knife in Seki with master bladesmiths, visit sword museums, enjoy lunch, and take home a one-of-a-kind blade.

“En dejlig hyggelig dag med en masse erfaring om knive og hvordan de laves. Tak for en dejlig dag. Og tak for kniven. 😁”

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10.Gifu Samurai Sword Town;Japanese Damascus Knife Making Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 27 reviews · from $250

Forge a Damascus knife in Seki, tour G.SAKAI’s museum and factory, learn sharpening, and test your blade in a small hands-on workshop.

“This class was very fun and entertaining. The hosts are wonderful! The location is a bit off the beaten track but well worth the effort to find.”

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