Takayama 1-Day Tour: Experience Hida-Furukawa’s Cultural Highlights

Meet your guide just outside the ticket gates at JR Takayama Station, near the walkway beside a decorative carving of an ornate wagon. Look for a Snow Monkey Resorts tour tag. Please be at the meeting point by 09:30 as the tour departs on time. Travel to Furukawa Station is by scenic train and takes approximately 30 minutes.

Arrive at Furukawa Station, where guests joining from Furukawa will meet the guide. A brief orientation takes place here before the tour continues into town.

Begin with a walk along Shirakabe Dozogai Street, the historic White Wall Warehouse District at the heart of Hida-Furukawa. The street is lined with well-preserved Edo-period buildings characterized by their bright white plaster walls and dark wooden beams — once a busy commercial center for trading rice, sake, and miso.

Enter the Hida-Furukawa Festival Exhibition Hall for an in-depth look at the town's most celebrated cultural event. The Hida Furukawa Festival is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage event held each April, known for its elaborate floats, traditional costumes, music, and the dramatic drum performances that define the occasion.

Visit the Hida no Takumi Crafts Museum to explore the region's long tradition of skilled craftsmanship. Exhibits showcase the tools, techniques, and finished works of Hida's artisans, offering context for the hands-on weaving experience later in the day.

Enjoy a lunch break at a local restaurant selected by your guide. Guests with different preferences are welcome to explore other dining options in the area, and your guide will be happy to offer recommendations.

Set out on the Santera pilgrimage route, visiting the three significant temples connected to one of Furukawa's most important annual festivals. Your guide will explain the spiritual significance of each temple and the role the pilgrimage plays within the town's cultural calendar.

Take part in a hands-on weaving session led by local artisans. Under guided instruction, guests learn the fundamentals of traditional Japanese weaving and create their own small handwoven piece to take home as a keepsake from the day.

Your guide will escort you back to Furukawa Station. Guests who wish to remain in Furukawa may end the tour here.

Guests returning to Takayama will travel back by train with the guide, arriving at Takayama Station at approximately 15:30.