How to get to Takayama from Tokyo, Nagoya and Kyoto

1. 1

   Pick Nagoya or Toyama

   Route searches may show only the Nagoya route from Tokyo; add a stop in Toyama to see the other.

2. 2

   Shinkansen out of Tokyo

   Take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya, or the Hokuriku Shinkansen (Kagayaki or Hakutaka) to Toyama.

3. 3

   Change to the Hida

   The JR Hida Limited Express takes about 2.5 hours from Nagoya or about 1½ hours from Toyama.

4. 4

   Walk into town

   From Takayama Station or the Takayama Hida Bus Center next to it, the old town is a 10-minute walk.

Via Nagoya, the JR Tokaido Shinkansen and the Hida together take 4–4½ hours³. Via Toyama, the JR Hokuriku Shinkansen route from Tokyo takes about 4 hours³, so it’s a touch quicker.

Passes worth pricing against single tickets:

• The Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass is valid for 5 consecutive days and covers the Nohi Bus lines from Takayama to Shirakawa-go, Kanazawa and Toyama, but reservations are required⁶.
• Children’s tourist passes are for ages 6 to 11⁶.
• Longer Japan Rail Passes exist: the 14-day ordinary pass costs ¥80,000⁸ (about US$510).

• Japan has visa exemption arrangements with 74 countries and regions¹⁵.
• Visa-free stays are 90 days for most of them, 30 days for Brunei and Qatar and 15 days¹⁵ for Indonesia and Thailand.
• Malaysians are visa-exempt only with an ICAO-compliant ePassport¹⁵.
• Visit Japan Web¹⁶, the Digital Agency’s service, handles immigration and customs online. Register before the trip, then show its QR codes instead of paper forms¹⁷.

From the airports

Chubu Centrair, Nagoya’s airport, puts Takayama about 4 hours¹⁸ away. Its routes:

• Rail: µ-sky to Meitetsu Nagoya (30 min, ¥1,230 (about US$8)), then the Hida (135 min¹⁸).
• Bus: Centrair Limousine to Meitetsu Bus Center (80 min, ¥1,200 (about US$8)), then a highway bus to Takayama (165 min¹⁸).
• Via Gifu: µ-sky to Meitetsu Gifu (60 min), then a 120-min¹⁸ highway bus. Centrair calls this the cheapest way, and it skips the Nagoya crowds.

From further afield, Centrair gives about 5 hours from Kansai International, 6 hours from Haneda and 7 hours¹⁸ from Narita.

Toyama Airport has international flights to Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei¹⁹. A bus to JR Toyama Station takes about 25 minutes for ¥420²⁰ (about US$3), and the Hida runs on from Toyama.

• Takayama Station doesn’t accept IC cards³, so buy a paper ticket for the last leg.
• Route planners may only show the Nagoya route³ from Tokyo: add a stop in Toyama to see the other.
• With a Japan Rail Pass, Nozomi trains on the Tokaido Shinkansen need a special ticket issued only to pass holders⁸.
• Takayama holds two well-known festivals, the Takayama Matsuri in spring and autumn¹³: reserve seats early if your dates overlap.
• Winter brings constant snowfall³, so check the best months to visit the mountain town before you fix your dates.
• Once you arrive, the Sarubobo bus loops from the Nohi Bus Center to Hida no Sato and Matsuri no Mori²⁷. More in getting around Takayama.

Pick a bed from these Takayama hotels by area and budget, and plan your walks with the Takayama map with sightseeing spots.