The city of Takayama is walkable with many of the hotels, restaurants, and attractions located within walking distance of the JR Takayama Station. The Takayama Hida Bus Center is located adjacent to the train station and Takayama`s Old Town is just a 10-minute walk from here. The city is small and compact so walking around is easily done, it is easy to navigate the streets of Takayama with many attractions located east of the train station reached via a 15-minute walk. There are English language signs posted with directions to many of the attractions.

The Higashiyama Walking Course is a 2 mile long walking route that takes you through Takayama`s temple town (Teramachi), the rural suburbs, and Shiroyama Park with wooded areas and past the former site of the Takayama Castle. There are over a dozen temples and shrines dotted along with the route the starting and ending point of the walk is near the Museum of History and Art.

The city of Takayama is a great place to explore on a bicycle, a small city easy to navigate and bicycle-friendly. There are bike rental shops found around the city staring around ¥300 for an hour, there is an abundance of shops, hotels, and convenience stores renting bikes found right around the main station. The Hida Satoyama Cycling company offers cycling tours of the beautiful surrounding countryside.

There is a taxi stand located right outside the Takayama Station, taxis can be a little more expensive than public transport, yet can also be more affordable depending on the number of passengers in a group. Taxis can be found at the taxi stand, on busy streets or called and ordered over the phone. Initial fares start around ¥660 with an increase of around 30% in price at night.

Buses are one of the most popular forms of public transportation in the city with several bus routes offered. The Machinami Sightseeing Bus runs between the Takayama Station and Sanmachi every hour costing around ¥100, it runs only on weekdays and travels around the west side of the station. The Sarubobo Sightseeing Bus runs every 20-50 minutes from Takayama Station to Hida Folk Village, Matsuri no costing around ¥210 per ride and travels on the east side of the station. There is a One Day Open Ticket that can be used for unlimited rides on the buses for a day and includes the Machinami Bus and Sarubobo Bus. The cost is around ¥620 for adults and ¥310 for children and tickets can be purchased at the Takayama Nohi Bus Center near the station.

There are traditional rickshaw rides offered in the city, they can be found all over the city but are most popular by the Nakabashi Bridge. This is an authentic experience to see the city with the driver as a local guide offering extensive information. Prices are based upon distance and duration, negotiate a price before taking a ride. A 30 minute guided rickshaw tour in Old Town for two people will cost around ¥7000.