The closest airport to the city of Takayama is the Toyoma Airport located 35 miles away from the city of Takayama. Chubu International Airport is the closest international airport to Takayama but is located some 91 miles away.

If you have not booked a private transfer through us there are a few options to reach the airport, such as taxis, buses, trains, and rental cars.

The train ride from Toyama on the JR Hida limited express train to Takayama takes 90 minutes. By bus or car from Toyoma to Takayama, it takes at least an hour and a half. A taxi takes at least an hour and a half and prices can add up based on distance. The taxi stand is found right outside of the arrivals hall. Car rental counters are also located in the arrivals hall on the 1st floor.

The JR Takayama Station is the main train station located at 22-2 Showamachi 1-chome in Takayama City. The station serves as the entrance to the city and the Takayama Nouhi Bus center is located next door. There are buses, taxis, and rickshaws that can connect passengers to their hotels.

Renting a car when visiting Takayama is a great idea as reaching the city from the closest airports takes at least 1 ½ hours by car. There are many surrounding areas found around Takayama that are well worth visiting and having your own car can give you the flexibility to travel around to your desired locations. Driving around this area of Japan is pretty easy and safe, there are rental car companies at the airport and locations in the city such as Toyota Rentacar right across from the main station.

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 buses that travel to the Oku-Hida Onsen Villages and leave from the bus station which is located adjacent to the JR Takayama Train 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.

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.

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.

Takayama is remarkably safe and Japan has long been known as one of the world`s most crime-free countries. Crimes against visitors are practically unheard of and lost belongings are generally turned into local police. Keep your wits about you and practice street smarts when out sightseeing

There are many unique souvenirs to shop for in the city of Takayama including saru-bobo (monkey babies) amulets are little red good luck dolls with featureless human faces available in a variety of sizes. Shunkei lacquerware, wooden boxes, and, woodblock prints are also popular items sold in the city. Takayama is well known for its history of timber production and high-quality wooden antiques sold in the city, many items are handcrafted and include wooden furniture and straw work.

The city boast a number of interesting shops and items to shop for including local beer, sake, pickles, and the famous Hidagyu local beef. Hida beef, mountain vegetables, soba noodles, Dango and pickles are all considered delicacies in the area.

The morning markets in the city date back over 300 years ago, namely Jinya-Mae Asaichi and Miya-Gawa Asaichi are offered daily and a great place to spend the morning shopping the colorful stalls for fresh produce, local arts, and handcrafted items. The markets are open around 7 am and wrap up around

The city of Takayama features hot and humid summers and mild winters with an average annual temperature around 52 degrees, the highest temperatures are in August when it can reach up to 75 degrees and the lowest temperatures in January at 29 degrees. There are four distinct seasons in the city and the winters here bring heavy snows most days of the winter season, due to its location the city is exposed to the Sea of Japan and lake effect snow, which generates some of the highest and most consistent snowfall in the world. The springtime in Takayama is filled with plenty of sunshine and brings the beautiful blooms of the Cherry blossoms to the city that last through the end of April. The summertime starts around the end of May when it can be humid and wet in the city with high rainfall, temperatures heat up during this time of year with highs in the mid-80s and occasionally soaring to the mid-90s. Autumn is short and dry with cool temperatures and vibrant fall foilage from the maple trees, best viewed at the end of October to the first week of November.

Japanese is the language spoken in Takayama, but English is widely spoken throughout the country with announcements on public transportation frequently made in Japanese and English, most signs include roman characters or an English explanation. Most Japanese people study English in junior high and high school so you are best seeking out younger people who may be able to help and translate for you.

It is best to have your destination written down in Japanese so you are able to show this to your taxi driver or people on the street. People are always willing to help whether they can speak English or not.

We recommend that you get a good English - Japanese guidebook and familiarize yourself with common phrases such as hello, goodbye, please, thank you, excuse me and numbers 1 - 10.

The currency in Japan is the yen symbolized by ¥. US dollars are not accepted. Please be sure to have the correct currency on hand and be prepared to exchange your dollars to yen upon arrival. Currency exchange desks can be found at the airport and bank locations throughout the city, ATM`s are widespread. ATM`s are located at Post office`s all over the city, look for a symbol that indicates `International ATM Service` or `Authorized Foreign Exchange` (a green clover) and stickers indicating which cards are accepted.

Takayama cuisine includes delicious dishes such as Takayama ramen, soba noodles, sansai (mountain vegetables), and delectable famous Hida-gyu (Hida beef). There are numerous restaurants, cafes and street food stalls throughout the city to enjoy the delicious cuisine and sample some of the delicacies. Takayama ramen is cooked in miso stock, made with a soy sauce-based soup typically topped with green onions, char siu, and bamboo shoots and curly noodles. This dish can be found in front of the main station and on Sanmachi Street. The city is famous for its beefsteak `Hida beef`, which is served in many restaurants around the city, high-quality beef that melts in your mouth can be enjoyed in abundance in Takayama. Hoba miso is a local specialty made with soybean paste and mixed with dried scallions, ginger, and mushrooms then cooked on a dry magnolia leaf right at your table on a small clay burner.

Hida-Gyu or Hida Beef is the name given to beef from a black-haired Japanese cattle breed raised in Gifu Prefecture until at least 14 months old. The Hida-Gyu is required to have been confirmed and certified as Yield Score of Grade A or B by the Hida Beef Brand Promotion Conference and have a firmness and texture grade of 5,4 or 3 as graded by the Japan Meat Grading Association. Hida Beef is one of the finest quality varieties of beef in the country, served in restaurants all over the city of Takayama and is a local delicacy with a delicious taste. There are many dishes found on the restaurant menus made with Hida beef such as steak, sukiyaki (hotpot) and nigirizushi topped with rare meat.

The origin of Hiday-Gyu brand was from a farmer`s encounter with a single bull named `Yasufuku` back in 1981, the bull had the ideal genetic makeup to produce calves with high-quality meat, he produced 39,000 offspring in his lifetime.

The ancient traditional streets of Takayama are decorated with some unique and interesting nightlife establishments. The Dekonaru Yokocho area is found in the heart of the city dotted with tiny izakaya (Japanese pub) and bars that are great for a night out. This is one of the most popular places in the city to hang out at night with plenty of food and drinking options stand close together, making bar-hopping easy.

There are many hidden izakaya`s down the side streets and dark alleys of Takayama, if you are looking to find a more authentic drinking establishment, these are the places to explore. Nichome is a narrow side street brimming with izakayas, which normally hold 6-10 seats in with a quaint dim-lit bar area offering up delicious food and a wide selection of beers and sake. Here are some places to check out;

Desolation Row is owned by Ken a friendly local who named the bar after his favorite song. A friendly mellow place with Ken behind the bar pouring cocktails and playing good music. The front of the bar has a galvanized iron front with a big blue door.

Red Hill is just around the corner from Desolation Row, a great little bar, very cozy and intricately decorated with a great choice of music and a friendly owner. Great bar scenery and Hisayo the extremely friendly and happy owner who welcomes everyone into his decorated basement bar.

Bolo is a friendly sports bar in the city with an open patio and great local Japanese beer on tap. There are plenty of European beers in stock as well with a good selection of pub grub.

If you need emergency services while in Japan dial 110 for the police or 119 to call an ambulance or report a fire.

Hospitals:

Takayamakosei Hospital tel. 81-577-32-1900

Gifu Prefecture Municipal Kosei Kumiai Hospital tel. 81-577-32-1111