We went on this trip to Shirakawa in late December, precisely to appreciate it amidst wintry scenery. But on the day of our on 28 Dec 2018, the snowfall was heavy and it was -8C. Very cold.The grounds in several parts became slippery, and because we only had 90 minutes for the tour, plus the fact there were so many tourists that day tiptoeing across the bridge (to avoid falling or sliding down the slippery trail) to go to the other side of the village where the renowned Wada house is located, we confined ourselves within the area with less houses. No way we could go to the observatory. Anyway, it was enough experience under such weather conditions. Takayama, which was the first stop and was allocated almost an hour, was not easy to visit on a go-around-by-yourself basis. The map provided by the guide was not detailed enough - not all streets both on the map and the actual ones themselves were labelled with names. Or if there were street signs, they were in Japanese characters. Difficult and troublesome! because of time limitation, we could not find two places we wanted to see and we just headed back to the tour bus lest we be left behind.Despite the minor disappointments, overall the trip was alright. The tour gave us a sense of Takayama and Shirakawa. A final note: lunch was quite good. Quantity, taste and presentation were adequate. No issues.

I enjoyed this trip and was especially impressed by the village of Shirakawago. I attended with my partner. These are the top 3 things we loved; 1. Spending two hours in Shirakawago and entering all the traditional homes. 2. The kindness of the guide. 3. The lunch whic was traditional and an unique experience which left you very full!The only down sides: 1. From an english only speaker point of view I wish our guide could communicate more detailed explainations about the places we were going in english. He had effective english but not enough to go into the finer explainations of places and details that we asked about. We didnt have an english helper on our trip. 2. I wish had arrived earlier in Takayama in order to attend the the 2 local markets. Over all a super relaxing and well organised day. I recommend.

Amazing tour! Shirakawa-go was a truly a winter wonderland and Takayama was charming!

a fun trip for the whole family! enjoyable and memorable!

Well organised trip. Very attentive guide. Interesting places to visit. Clean and modern coach. Comfortable. Sufficient breaks and time to look around unaccompanied. The lunch was interesting in a lunch room with many other tour groups. Well organised. Acceptable food. I would recommend the trip and go again maybe when the weather is better!! Both places are in the mountains and at quite high altitude so bad weather can be expected.

It was a nice experience for us as a family because it was my kids' first time to see and feel snow. Frolicking in the snow and tasting the local fare was truly enjoyable. The tour was short. I should have gotten an overnight trip so there's more time to explore. Another thing: the guide assigned to our bus was not really a certified guide so she had nothing much to say about the places we visited.

Itinerary was fantastic but guide was very poor. Unable to speak English as a result her account of the activities and what to expect was not helpful at all. Lunch was disappointing. Ingredients were not fresh. Service was poor.

This tour takes you to two areas of Japan that most tourists seldom see because they are hidden away in the mountains of Japan. Hida Takyama is a picturesque town with many places to explore. We were given two hours to walk around the town to go into the shops and visit the historic areas of the town. I especially enjoyed the small museum near the bus parking area that had the history of the town. Next, we went to though stunning mountains and valleys with many tunnels and bridges to Shirakawago which was very beautiful and historic. The houses are of a unique construction and very well preserved. I took the historic village walking tour which was only about 8 and it was worth it. The scenery in and around the Shirakawago is breathtaking. There were three tour guides on the bus, one spoke in Japanese, one in Chinese, and one in English so everyone could understand what was being communicated. The bus ride takes some time because these places are in remote areas. However, we stopped often to rest and to have a wonderful lunch so the trip was very comfortable. The starting place is in the Nagoya Main Train Station but It was a little tricky to find since it is on the lower level. I just asked for directions in the train station and could find it without much difficulty.