Kanazawa Shirakawago Takayama

map of kanazawa by Wanderdog 

Kanazawa myMaps 

Hotel Tokyu  from station 

Shinkansen Bullet Train Ride from Kyoto to Maibara, Kanazawa (Kenrokuen Garden), Shirakawa-go (Shiroyama Viewpoint - Gassho-zukuri Minkaen)

 Here is the  itinerary for visiting Kanazawa and Shirakawa-go and Takayama in Japan for two days:

Day 1:

Take an early morning train from Tokyo to Kanazawa (approximately 2.5-3 hours)

Visit the Kenrokuen Garden, one of Japan's most beautiful gardens, and enjoy a leisurely stroll through the landscape

Explore the Nagamachi Samurai District and visit the Nomura Samurai House to learn about the life of a samurai in Japan

Enjoy lunch at one of Kanazawa's local restaurants, serving seafood and other regional specialties

Visit the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art to view a wide range of modern artworks

Take an evening stroll in Higashi Chaya District, a beautifully preserved geisha district with traditional teahouses and souvenir shops

Spend the night in Kanazawa

Day 2:

Take an early morning bus from Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go (approximately 1.5-2 hours)

Visit the Wada House, a well-preserved traditional gassho-zukuri style house and museum

Explore the Ogimachi village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with several traditional thatched roof houses and shops

Take a walk across the Shiroyama viewpoint to see panoramic views of the village and surrounding mountains

Enjoy lunch at one of the local restaurants, serving regional dishes such as soba noodles and grilled river fish

Take an afternoon bus back to Kanazawa and spend the evening exploring the city before departing for your next destination

This itinerary allows you to experience the best of Kanazawa and Shirakawa-go in two days, but keep in mind that there is much more to explore in these beautiful destinations if you have more time.

Historic Villages of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama 

 unique architecture. This type of architecture is called Gassho-zukuri and is extremely rare in Japan. No nails or any other metal materials were used during the construction of the houses

 Takayama 

https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/tokai/gifu/takayama-and-around/

Sanmachi, heart of Takayama

The heart of Takayama city, the Sanmachi area of preserved buildings, attracts tourists from all over the country. You could spend a whole day wandering these old streets, buying souvenirs from the many craft shops, sampling local tea and digging into local treats like wagyu sushi.

A number of sake breweries are also located in and around the Sanmachi district, and tasting is possible.

Okada Ryokan

Japanese Style Accommodation

Takayama (Morning Market / Takayama Jinya / Old Town), Matsumoto (Matsumoto Castle) Day 11

After enjoying a Japanese breakfast at the ryokan, we will continue sightseeing in Takayama. Browse through the market stalls at the Morning market for local crafts and fresh produce. Next, visit Takayama Jinya, a former local government office that now serves as a public museum. It features an interesting interrogation room and official documents of past feudal lords. Proceed to Takayama's beautifully preserved Old Town, which highlights many buildings and whole streets of houses dating from the Edo Period (1600- 1868). In the afternoon, our group will visit the Matsumoto Castle, also known as "Crow Castle" because of its black exterior. Inside, we can see the best examples of a wooden constructed, traditional Japanese-style castle. It is classified as a "hirajiro", meaning it is a castle built on plains rather than on a hill or mountain.

Takayama is known as the first Haiku poet  Matsuo Basho, who wrote this classic haiku: An Old Pond!. The Engish transaltion is 

“Old pond—frog jumping into—water’s sound.”

A smorgasbord for history buffs

Takayama is a haven for history buffs. Hida Folk Village (Hida-no-Sato)  preserves more than 30 historic buildings from the Hida area, including traditional homes with thatched roofs, some steep-angled in the local Gassho-zukuri style.

 

Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kanazawa, and explore the city.

Day 3 Takayama:

Take a Takayama-based Nobi bus from Kanazawa to Shirakawago, leave your luggage at the bus center there, while you explore the World Heritage Village for a few hours, then take another Nobi bus to Takayama.

https:/…shirakawago.pdf

Day 4 Shin-hotaka Onsen or Hirayu Onsen, sometimes it's called Oku-hida Onsen:

Take a Nobi bus from Takayama to Shin-hotaka Onsen and enjoy the views of Japan Alps by taking Shin-hotaka Ropeway as follows and enjoy the Onsen.

https:/…hirayu_shinhotaka_line.pdf

shinhotaka-ropeway.jp.e.uk.hp.transer.com/

(Day 5 Kamikochi)

Kamikochi closes on November 15. If it's open, go there, if it's closed skip.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6040.html

Day 6 Matsumoto

(Day 7 Kiso Valley)

If you have time, consider staying at Kiso Valley.


http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6075.html

Mt Fuji, Hakone (Hakone Ropeway / Owakudani), Tokyo (Shibuya - Shibuya Crossing - Hachiko Statue)

Today, we will travel to Mt. Fuji on our private luxury coach. If the weather is in our favor, we will stop by the Mt. Fuji 5th Station for a grand view of Japan's famous mountain. Enjoy an extensive tour of Hakone by taking a 20 minute ropeway ride from Togendai to Owakudani. Owakudani is known for its active volcanic zone that was created from the eruption of Mount Hakone some 3,000 years ago. Here, you can experience its hot springs and bubbling pools, where volcanic gases still linger. From there, we will travel to Tokyo and spend time in Shibuya. There, you will get to see the famed Shibuya Crossing in action and cross the street with the crowd. You will also be able to take photos with the Hachiko Statue, a monumen