How to get to Takayama
Photo by Japanforeveryone.com
JR train from Tokyo and Kyoto
From Tokyo or Kyoto take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya. From there take the JR Hida Limited Express to Takayama. From Tokyo it takes about 4 hours and the ticket with a non-reserved seat costs 14190 Yen. From Kyoto it takes just over 3 hours and the ticket with a non-reserved seat costs 9350 Yen.
Alternatively from Tokyo take the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Toyama. From there take the JR Hida Limited Express to Takayama. The journey takes about 4 hours and 15 minutes and the ticket costs from 15590 Yen.
All trains are included in the Japan Rail Pass except the Shinkansen Nozomi between Tokyo/Kyoto and Nagoya. For this route you can only take the Hikari and Kodama Shinkansen.
Mitsuki-2368, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Bus from Tokyo
The bus from Tokyo takes about five and a half hours to reach Takayama. The companies that connect the capital to Takayama are Nohi Bus and Keio. A one-way ticket costs 6500 Yen during the week and 7000 Yen at weekends.
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Bus from Kanazawa
The Nohi Bus company connects Kanazawa to Takayama via Shirakawa-go. The one-way ticket costs 4000 Yen. The bus takes 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Cassiopeia sweet, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting around in Takayama
City buses
In Takayama, there are the ‘Sarubobo bus’, the ‘Machinami bus’ and two lines of the ‘Takumi bus’ that connect the main places of interest in the city. These are buses with a circular route. Tickets cost 100 Yen. A ‘One Day Pass’ can be purchased for 500 Yen. This pass allows unlimited use of these 4 lines.
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