Day tour
Departing from Takayama [Regular sightseeing bus] World Heritage Sites Shirakawago and Gokayama Ainokura
4.6 (178 reviews) on Viator, checked October 2026
FromUS$63.80
See dates on ViatorAinokura gassho-zukuri village: hours, parking and buses
Ainokura Gassho-zukuri Village
Photo: Google Maps- Type
- Heritage preservation
- Address
- Ainokura, Nanto, Toyama 939-1915
- Entry fee
- The parking conservation fee at Ainokura is 1,000 yen for standard and mini (kei) cars.7
- Google rating
- 4.4 (3,786 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026
- On the map
- Open in Google Maps
| Day | Hours |
|---|---|
| Monday | 08:30–17:00 |
| Tuesday | 08:30–17:00 |
| Wednesday | 08:30–17:00 |
| Thursday | 08:30–17:00 |
| Friday | 08:30–17:00 |
| Saturday | 08:30–17:00 |
| Sunday | 08:30–17:00 |
Ainokura sits in Nanto City, Toyama Prefecture, according to the official Gokayama tourism site1. It is one of the three villages of the World Heritage site: Ogimachi in Shirakawa-go, and Ainokura and Suganuma in Gokayama2. The site was registered in 19953.
By public bus
Getting to Ainokura from Takayama without a tour
There is no single bus from Takayama. You change at Shirakawa-go, then take the World Heritage Bus.
-
Bus from Takayama to Shirakawa-go
The Nohi Bus takes about 50 minutes and costs ¥2,800 one way. There are 16 round trips a day, and some need a reservation.
-
World Heritage Bus to Ainokura
Change onto the bus on the Shirakawa-go–Takaoka route, which stops at Ainokura.
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Walk up to the village
From the Ainokuraguchi bus stop, the village is a 5-minute walk uphill.
If you’re coming from the Toyama side, the World Heritage Bus to the Ainokura-guchi stop takes 80 minutes from JR Takaoka and 65 minutes from JR Shin-Takaoka5. Drivers can reach Ainokura in about 15 minutes3 from Gokayama IC.
Day-trip option
The Nohi Bus tour from Takayama
Back in Takayama at 15:506
The Nohi Bus World Heritage tour is the simplest option for a day trip. It runs every day, leaves Takayama Bus Terminal at 8:30 am and is back at 3:50 pm6. You get free time to walk around Ainokura and Shirakawa-go on your own6.
The tour is run by Nohi Bus6, so there are no connections to reserve. Compare it with doing it yourself:
Costs for Ainokura from Takayama
| Cost | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| Nohi Bus World Heritage tour | ¥9,000 | ¥7,000 (ages 6 to 12) |
| Bus to Shirakawa-go, one way | ¥2,800 | – |
| Gokayama–Shirakawa-go Free Pass | ¥4,000 | ¥2,000 |
| Gokayama Free Pass | ¥2,800 | ¥1,400 |
| Parking conservation fee per car | ¥1,000 | – |
nouhibus.co.jp (operator); kaetsunou.co.jp (operator); gltjp.com (travel guide)
Lived-in village
What to see in the village
Ainokura is a working village, so walk quietly and keep to the paths. The houses range in age from the 17th century to the first half of the 20th century7.
Day visits 8:30–17:003
- The viewpoint above the village is a five- to ten-minute walk3 up the mountain.
- A few farmhouses are now restaurants, museums and minshuku (guesthouses)3.
- The official site suggests allowing at least 1 hour1.
- The region is well known for washi paper3. At Gokayama Washi no Sato, papermaking runs 10:00 to 15:00 and must be booked8; a postcard costs ¥1,0009 (about US$6).
Pair it
Nearby: Suganuma and Shirakawa-go
Suganuma, Gokayama’s other World Heritage village, has nine houses7. Ogimachi in Shirakawa-go has more than 100 gassho buildings11, so Ainokura is the smaller, quieter stop. Pair the two rather than picking one.
- Shirakawa-go is 50 minutes by bus12 north of Takayama. See things to see in Shirakawa-go and Wada House.
- Hida Furukawa in winter or any season is an easy add-on: it’s a nearby sibling town to Takayama12.
- Back in Takayama, check Takayama Retro Museum hours and fees.
- For more sights, see things to do in full.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons and Pexels. Authors and licences: image credits
Checked against 14 sources · last checked October 2026
- gokayama-info.jp (official) · checked October 2026
- Wikipedia · checked October 2026
- japan-guide.com (travel guide) · checked October 2026
- kaetsunou.co.jp (operator) · checked October 2026
- westjr.co.jp · checked October 2026
- nouhibus.co.jp (operator) · checked October 2026
- gltjp.com (travel guide) · checked October 2026
- Gokayama Washi no Sato (official) · checked October 2026
- Gokayama Washi no Sato (official) · checked October 2026
- European Central Bank (official) · checked October 2026
- Shirakawa-go Tourist Association (official) · checked October 2026
- Travel Japan (JNTO) (official) · checked October 2026
- nouhibus.co.jp (operator) · checked October 2026
- Google Maps listings via DataForSEO · checked October 2026
Page history · last changed 24 October 2026
- First written
