Takayama Travel Guide

Travel in Takayama

Nestled in the heart of the Japanese Alps, Takayama is a charming town known for its expert woodworkers, traditional architecture, and delicious cuisine.

Here you can wander through its preserved Sanmachi Suji, go back in time at the Showa-Kan Museum, snack at the Miyagawa Market, and explore the Higashiyama Temple Area.

Takayama is easily our favorite small town in Japan—so much so that we’ve visited it three times!

How to Get to Takayama

There are two ways to get to Takayama by public transportation: Train or bus.

Nagoya is the closest major city to Takayama, so most train routes to Takayama pass through Nagoya. If you’re taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo, Kyoto, or Osaka, expect to stop in Nagoya along the way.

Alternatively, you can take a bus from these cities, which is a more budget-friendly option and only slightly longer in travel time.

For example, while the train ride from Tokyo to Takayama takes about 5 hours, the bus ride is just an hour longer at 6 hours. Plus, with the bus, there’s no need to transfer or juggle luggage between trains.

Japanese buses are clean and reliable, making them a hassle-free option, especially if you’re carrying a lot of bags. However, keep in mind they may not be as spacious or comfortable as a train.

Best Time to Visit Takayama

We recommend visiting Takayama in either spring or autumn. These seasons have the best weather for exploring the town, with mild temperatures. In spring, you’ll catch the cherry blossoms in bloom, while autumn brings vibrant colors to the trees. Both times of year make for an ideal visit.

• Spring (late March to May): The weather is cool, but not too cold. The Takayama Spring Festival happens in April, around the same time as the cherry blossoms!
• Summer (June, July, and August): Summer in Takayama is the rainy season. While the weather can be nice for outdoor activities, it tends to be humid and wet during the summer.
• Autumn (October to November): The temperatures haven’t gotten too cold and the leaves start to change colors in late October and early November. The Takayama Autumn Festival also happens in October!
• Winter (December, January, and February): Winter in Takayama is cold and snowy. While there won’t be many crowds in Takayama during the winter, it is a tough time to visit since Takayama gets a decent amount of snowfall.

Where to Stay in Takayama

We stayed at both a traditional Ryokan and a Western-style hotel during our visits to Takayama. Both were exceptionally wonderful, super clean, and comfortable.

Here are the places we stayed at in Takayama and our recommendations:

• Hostel Murasaki – Japanese-style ryokan: Staying in this ryokan gives you that traditional feeling like you're in old Japan. It is also budget-friendly. The ryokan has a shared kitchen so you can cook your food and a large living room to meet other travelers.
• Koko Hotel – Western-style hotel: This hotel is a new and modern accommodation. The rooms are clean and comfortable, but a bit on the smaller side, which is normal for Japan. The lounge area in the hotel's lobby opens up in the afternoon, so you're free to sit and work there and enjoy free drinks.
• Hotel Wood – A cross between a traditional Japanese ryokan and a modern hotel. Located right in Takayama's scenic old town district.

How to Get Around Takayama

You do not need a car to get around Takayama. Most things in Takayama are within walking distance of each other. For places that are just outside of the Takayama City Center, you can use the bus to get there.

Alternatively, you can rent a bicycle to get around Takayama. That’s what we did the first time we visited the town.

Some accommodations in Takayama provide bicycles for you to rent. If yours doesn’t, here are two places in Takayama where you can rent bicycles:

• Hara Cycle Shop
• Taguchi Rental Bicycle

If you drive a car to Takayama, check with your accommodation about parking. Many places do not have on-site parking, and you may need to pay to park in a nearby lot.

Takayama Festival

Takayama Festival dates back to the late 1500s and consists of two distinct festivals: one in spring, and another in autumn.

The spring Takayama Festival happens every year on April 14 and 15, while the autumn festival happens on October 9 and 10.

One of the main characteristics of the Takayama Festival is the highly decorated floats that parade around town. During the spring festival, 12 floats parade around the city, while the autumn festival has 11 of its own floats.

People from all over Japan come to Takayama for the festival. We met a friendly Japanese couple who drove from Hiroshima to attend the festival. They provided us with a crucial tip – get the mannequin show early since it gets packed!

We celebrated the festival all day into the night. And the highlight of the festival? The night parade!

When the sun sets, the floats parade around the town with lanterns. Each float has a few dozen lanterns that are unique to that float.