Takayama, Japan: travel guide
Old merchant streets, sake breweries and festival floats in the Hida Alps
High in the Hida Alps, Takayama's Sanmachi Suji district of 300-year-old breweries and merchant townhouses is one of Japan's most atmospheric historic quarters. The spring and autumn Takayama Festivals rank among Japan's three finest.
About Takayama
Takayama is a small town in the mountains of Gifu, with a well-preserved old quarter of dark wooden merchant houses, sake breweries and craft shops. The setting in the Hida Alps gives it a calm, rural feel.
The Sanmachi Suji district is the heart of a visit, and it is pleasant to walk early in the morning before the crowds. You can also see the Takayama Jinya, the old government house, visit the Hida Folk Village and follow the Higashiyama walking course past temples. The town's spring and autumn festivals are known for their ornate floats.
Takayama suits slow travellers and photographers. Spring, autumn and winter snow are all attractive times to visit.
- Country
- Japan
- Currency
- JPY
- Time zone
- Asia/Tokyo
Last updated
Top places to visit in Takayama
Sanmachi Suji — Historic Old Town
preserved Edo-period merchant streets · 4.8 rating · about 1.5 h · check the fee at the gate
Three parallel streets of immaculately preserved Edo-period merchant townhouses make up the Sanmachi Suji district, one of Japan's finest historic preservation zones. Sake breweries display cedar ball (sugidama) advertising beacons,…
Hida Folk Village (Hida no Sato)
open-air architectural museum · 4.7 rating · about 2 h · check the fee at the gate
A 30-hectare open-air architectural museum displaying 30 original farmhouses relocated from the Hida mountain valleys. The structures include magnificent gassho-zukuri (thatched "praying hands" roof) farmhouses up to 450 years old — the…
Takayama Jinya (Edo Government House)
Edo government building · 4.6 rating · about 1.5 h · check the fee at the gate
The only surviving example of a rural Edo-period government administrative building in Japan, Takayama Jinya was the Shogunate's regional office from 1692 to 1868 — a direct arm of Tokugawa authority in the remote Hida mountains. The…
Hida Kokubun-ji
buddhist temple · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate
Takayama's oldest temple, with a three-story pagoda and a 1,200-year-old ginkgo.
Sakurayama Hachimangu Shrine
shinto shrine · about 0.5 h · check the fee at the gate
Shrine that stages the autumn Takayama Festival, with the float exhibition hall alongside.
Miyagawa Morning Market
morning market · about 0.8 h · check the fee at the gate
Riverside morning market of local produce, pickles, crafts and snacks.
Higashiyama Walking Course
walking trail · about 1.5 h · check the fee at the gate
Temple trail winding through Takayama's old eastern hills and shrines.
Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall
cultural museum · about 0.8 h · entry ¥1,000 (≈ ₹600)
Hall displaying rotating sets of the ornate Takayama Matsuri festival floats.
Shirakawa-go (Ogimachi)
historic village · about 4 h · check the fee at the gate
UNESCO village of steep gassho-zukuri thatched farmhouses, a classic day trip.
Nakabashi Bridge
bridge · about 0.3 h · check the fee at the gate
Iconic red lacquered bridge over the Miyagawa River in the old town.
Hida Takayama Museum of History and Art
history museum · about 0.8 h · check the fee at the gate
Free town museum of Takayama history set in restored merchant storehouses.
Things to do
- Hida Folk Village & Morning Jinya Market Tour Cultural · 4 h · from JPY 4,600 per person
- Shirakawa-go Day Tour from Takayama Tour · 8 h · from JPY 7,000 per person
- Hida Beef & Sake Old-Town Tasting Walk Tour · 2.5 h · from JPY 6,000 per person
Day trips and tours
- Hida Folk Village & Sanmachi Suji Full Day Takayama 9 h · from JPY 9,300
Where to stay in Takayama
Hotels
- Ryokan Yamakyu Takayama 4-star · JPY 20,000 to JPY 50,000 per night
- Honjin Hiranoya Kachoan 4-star
- K's House Takayama 2-star
- Spa Hotel Alpina Hida Takayama 3-star
Where to eat
- Mitarashi Dango Stall Sanmachi Japanese, Street Food, Wagashi · about JPY 400 per person
- Kakusho Japanese, Vegetarian, Shojin Ryori · about JPY 3,800 per person
- Center4 Hamburgers Burgers, Western · about JPY 2,000 per person
- Kyoya Japanese, Hida beef · about JPY 2,800 per person
- Sakaguchiya Ramen · about JPY 900 per person
- Takayama Ramen Masago Ramen · about JPY 900 per person
Getting to Takayama
Nearest airport: Toyama (TOY), about 56 km away in a straight line. The road or rail journey is longer.
Getting around
- Bicycle
- Bus
- Walking