Takayama Hiking and Rural Life Tour
Takayama Hiking and Rural Life Tour
Japan is rightly famed for its traditional and contemporary urban culture, found in major centres like Tokyo or Kyoto. Takayama offers a different aspect of Japan, surrounded on all sides by towering mountains, abundant nature and creative use of scarce land. Our tour opens up spectacular views, both of Takayama’s townscape and the Hida mountains, perhaps even the North Japanese Alps if visibility permits. We also visit the site of a traditional castle, before exploring the relationship between countryside and culture through learning more about rice paddies and traditional rural architecture, notably the use of thatched roofs.
Start time: 8:45
Finish time: 13:00
Season: Late April – late November
Start place: Takayama Station East Exit
Finish place: Takayama Station East Exit
Gallery
Price
This tour offers two options: Group Tour and Private Tour.
In group tours, participants join with other visitors to form a group, offering the opportunity to meet new people and share the experience together. If your preference is to have a guide just for you and your traveling companions, a private tour is the best choice for you, offering more flexibility and catering to individual requests.
The key differences between the two types of tour are outlined below:
Group tour:
Price (per person):
7,700 JPY per adult
3,900 JPY per child (7 – 12 years old)
Notes:
- Full price applies from the age of 13.
- Children 6 and under go free.
- Minimum number of participants: 2 people.
- Maximum group size is 6 people.
- Transport fees and admission fees are not included.
- Please obtain appropriate travel insurance before coming to Japan.
- All tour fees include tax.
What is included:
- Friendly licensed English-speaking guide.
- Tea break at a local cafe.
- Hike up Mt. Matsukura, with excellent views of Takayama and the surrounding mountains.
- Visit to the historical site of the ruins of Matsukura Castle.
- Visit to Hida Folk Village, where real traditional farmhouses of the past are on display.
Cancellation Fees:
In the event a confirmed booking is cancelled, the following charges will apply;
- Cancellations more than 2 days prior to your tour departure date will incur no charge.
- Cancellations at any point in the 2 days prior to your tour departure date will incur a charge of 50% of the tour cost.
- Cancellations on the day of your tour departure, or no-shows, will incur a charge of 100% of the tour cost.
Cancellation of your booking must be received in writing via email, our contact form or SMS.
Payment:
We accept payment by credit card through the following online services: Square and Paypal.
Private tour:
Price (per group):
1 person 20,600 JPY
2 people 24,100 JPY (12,050 JPY per person)
3 people 27,700 JPY (9,233 JPY per person)
4 people 31,200 JPY (7,800 JPY per person)
5 people 34,700 JPY (6,940 JPY per person)
6 people 38,200 JPY (6,367 JPY per person)
Notes:
- Full price applies from the age of 13.
- Children from 7 to 12 years old are charged 800 yen and children 6 and under go free.
- Please contact us if you have more than 7 people in your group.
- Transport fees are not included.
- Please obtain appropriate travel insurance before coming to Japan.
- All tour fees include tax.
What is included:
- Friendly licensed English-speaking guide.
- Tea break at a local cafe.
- Admission fee for Hida Folk Village.
- Pick up at accommodations.
- Hike up Mt. Matsukura, with excellent views of Takayama and the surrounding mountains.
- Visit to the historical site of the ruins of Matsukura Castle.
- Walk alongside rice fields.
- Visit to Hida Folk Village, where real traditional farmhouses of the past are on display.
Cancellation Fees:
In the event a confirmed booking is cancelled, the following charges will apply;
- Cancellations more than 7 days prior to your tour departure date will incur no charge.
- Cancellations between 3 and 7 days prior to your tour departure date will incur a charge of 50% of the tour cost.
- Cancellations during the 2 days prior to your tour departure, cancellations on the day, or no-shows, will incur a charge of 100% of the tour cost.
Cancellation of your booking must be received in writing via email, our contact form or SMS.
Payment:
We accept payment by credit card through the following online services: Square and Paypal.
Rental Equipment:
Rental equipment which will help while hiking can be provided. If required, please indicate how many and what sizes you would like to rent in the booking form below:
Walking poles: 500 JPY
Waterproof rain jackets and pants: 1,000 JPY
Note: the size of rain jackets and pants are all in Japanese men’s sizes: S, M, L, XL. Sizes and numbers are limited.
Booking Form
In order to book a tour, please fill in the form below by 6pm two days in advance. We will reply to you within 24 hours. If you do not get our email, please check your junk email box. Until you receive our confirmation, your booking has not been confirmed yet. Please read our terms and conditions.
FAQ
More common questions are found here.
As long as rain is not too heavy, hiking tours will go ahead. However, customer safety is a priority and if we decide conditions are not safe, we will offer you an alternative option or refund the tour fee.
Here is a list of equipment you should have for the tour.
Clothing
We recommend you have quick-dry clothing, and long trousers which prevent insect bites. Wearing hiking shoes is best, but trainers are also good enough for where we go. In the event of rain, having your own rain jacket and pants is a good idea. From mid-October, it starts to get cold. The temperature at this time will range between 10 and 15 degrees Celsius (50 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit) and later even lower. You may need a good insulation layer of clothing like a fleece jacket, as well as gloves and a beanie.
Backpack
Backpacks enable easy transport of other equipment, such as clothing, water bottles, rain jackets and pants, snacks, etc.
Water bottle
For a hike of this duration, we recommend you bring 500ml to 1,000ml of water.
Sunscreen
On sunny days, you may need this to protect your skin.
A round trip ticket for the bus is 200yen per person. The admission fee is 700yen per person.
Moderate fitness is required for this hiking tour. We hike up about 200m and then walk down a ridge.