4 nights: Shirakawa-go, Takayama or Kanazawa???
May 25th, 2007, 11:21 PM
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4 nights: Shirakawa-go, Takayama or Kanazawa???
Dear Fordories,
I need your help. My husband & I are planning a 15 days trip to Japan this September. We can’t decide where to spend 4 nights: Shirakawa-go, Takayama, or Kanazawa. We plan on purchasing a 14 day ordinary JRL pass, so we could travel accordingly; I’m aware that I will have to purchase an additional bus ticket from Nagoya to Shirakawa-go for aprox. ¥3500 one-way.
What we’re looking for a home base (Ryokan or Onsen) where we could take side trips to hot springs, see historical areas, enjoy the local culture, etc…
Please find below our tentative plans and feel free to critique:
Sept 22-25 (4 nights Tokyo)
Sept 26-29 (4 nights) Shirakawa-go, Takayama, or Kanazawa?
Sept 30-Oct 2 (3 nights Kyoto)
Oct 3-5 (3 nights Tokyo)
Also, on Sept 22, I’ve managed to secure tickets to the sumo finals with Sunrise Tours. Would anyone know if I’ll be able to see a baseball game during my stay?
Thank you all ahead of time.
I need your help. My husband & I are planning a 15 days trip to Japan this September. We can’t decide where to spend 4 nights: Shirakawa-go, Takayama, or Kanazawa. We plan on purchasing a 14 day ordinary JRL pass, so we could travel accordingly; I’m aware that I will have to purchase an additional bus ticket from Nagoya to Shirakawa-go for aprox. ¥3500 one-way.
What we’re looking for a home base (Ryokan or Onsen) where we could take side trips to hot springs, see historical areas, enjoy the local culture, etc…
Please find below our tentative plans and feel free to critique:
Sept 22-25 (4 nights Tokyo)
Sept 26-29 (4 nights) Shirakawa-go, Takayama, or Kanazawa?
Sept 30-Oct 2 (3 nights Kyoto)
Oct 3-5 (3 nights Tokyo)
Also, on Sept 22, I’ve managed to secure tickets to the sumo finals with Sunrise Tours. Would anyone know if I’ll be able to see a baseball game during my stay?
Thank you all ahead of time.
May 26th, 2007, 01:40 AM
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Spend 2 nights in Kanazawa. Then take the bus to S-go and spend a night there in a gassho style minshuku. Then take the bus to Takayama and spend a night there.
Or skip Takayama entirely and spend 3 nights in Kanazawa and 1 in S-go. Takayama is OK, but it is a city, though a smaller city than Kanazawa. While we like it fine, we go back to S-go and have only been once to Takayama. We live in Kanazawa.
A minshuku in S-go will be about 7500 yen per person per night, dinner and breakfast included. Definitely reserve, as the more popular will sell out early.
No shortage of hotels in Kanazawa, though a nice ryokan will cost you plenty. The cheaper ones are fine if all you want is to sleep on a futon on tatami. I prefer the area away from the station, though the station is surrounded by hotels. For sightseeing, the area around Katamachi, Kohrimbo and Kenrokuen is nicer because you can walk almost everywhere, and in September, the weather is usually very nice. The Excel Tokyu is in a great location and rooms are fine (not special, but fine). The APA Chuo is nearby and has cheap but small rooms. Asadaya Ryokan is downtown and is very famous and highly regarded, staff is very good and helpful, rooms are huge and luxurious and meals are a great sampling of local specialties that they can and will tailor to your liking...for a price starting at ¥50,000 per person per night. As a one night splurge it is worth it...but for more than one night it's a bit much. They do warmly welcome foreigners and take great care of you there...definitely a ryokan experience. Being in the city though, there is not an onsen but rather a simple bath.
There are many, many onsen hotels within an hour's drive of Kanazawa, good ones with starting prices of abotu ¥20,000 per person per night, great ones for about the same as Asadaya. Yamanaka onsen might be good to look at, as it's in a nice mountain stream setting small town with a nice bridge...we found it a pretty friendly town.
Between Kanazawa and Shirakawa-go is Gokayama, which is also a world heritage site of gassho houses, but on a much smaller, more local scale than S-go. It's easy to stop there if you have a car, but from the bus you'd have to inform the driver and be careful of bus schedules onward to S-go. There are a handful of places to stay in Gokayama, and if you wanted a quiet more local type of experience you might want to try that.
Just outside of Kanazawa there are several onsen towns. Yuwaku Onsen is popular for day visits with lunch. To the south are the mountain towns for skiing in winter and camping in summer. There are onsen there, too, and some really neat outdoor baths you can hike to (but I don't know the name of that place). To the north is very famous Wakura Onsen. The thing about these places is that easiest access is by car. Wakura is accessible by special train. Buses are the only option for the other places if you don't have a car.
Or skip Takayama entirely and spend 3 nights in Kanazawa and 1 in S-go. Takayama is OK, but it is a city, though a smaller city than Kanazawa. While we like it fine, we go back to S-go and have only been once to Takayama. We live in Kanazawa.
A minshuku in S-go will be about 7500 yen per person per night, dinner and breakfast included. Definitely reserve, as the more popular will sell out early.
No shortage of hotels in Kanazawa, though a nice ryokan will cost you plenty. The cheaper ones are fine if all you want is to sleep on a futon on tatami. I prefer the area away from the station, though the station is surrounded by hotels. For sightseeing, the area around Katamachi, Kohrimbo and Kenrokuen is nicer because you can walk almost everywhere, and in September, the weather is usually very nice. The Excel Tokyu is in a great location and rooms are fine (not special, but fine). The APA Chuo is nearby and has cheap but small rooms. Asadaya Ryokan is downtown and is very famous and highly regarded, staff is very good and helpful, rooms are huge and luxurious and meals are a great sampling of local specialties that they can and will tailor to your liking...for a price starting at ¥50,000 per person per night. As a one night splurge it is worth it...but for more than one night it's a bit much. They do warmly welcome foreigners and take great care of you there...definitely a ryokan experience. Being in the city though, there is not an onsen but rather a simple bath.
There are many, many onsen hotels within an hour's drive of Kanazawa, good ones with starting prices of abotu ¥20,000 per person per night, great ones for about the same as Asadaya. Yamanaka onsen might be good to look at, as it's in a nice mountain stream setting small town with a nice bridge...we found it a pretty friendly town.
Between Kanazawa and Shirakawa-go is Gokayama, which is also a world heritage site of gassho houses, but on a much smaller, more local scale than S-go. It's easy to stop there if you have a car, but from the bus you'd have to inform the driver and be careful of bus schedules onward to S-go. There are a handful of places to stay in Gokayama, and if you wanted a quiet more local type of experience you might want to try that.
Just outside of Kanazawa there are several onsen towns. Yuwaku Onsen is popular for day visits with lunch. To the south are the mountain towns for skiing in winter and camping in summer. There are onsen there, too, and some really neat outdoor baths you can hike to (but I don't know the name of that place). To the north is very famous Wakura Onsen. The thing about these places is that easiest access is by car. Wakura is accessible by special train. Buses are the only option for the other places if you don't have a car.
May 26th, 2007, 03:14 PM
#3
There are a couple of historical sites in Takayama. It is a small, easily walkable city. The Best Western hotel there is nice, convenient to the train and bus stations. The Nagiso ryokan is said to be very good. There is also a nice open are museum with gassho zukuri style houses brought there from around the Hida area.
Get to Takayama by train from Nagoya and you can continue on from there to Shirakawago and back or on to Kanazawa (opposite direction from what KimJapan suggested).
There is a bus up to Hirayu Onsen in the mountains east of Takayama. It's nice, not great. Beyond there is Kamikochi where you can take a hike or easy walk. It's pretty and refreshing but a bit of a bus ride.
South of Takayama is Gero Onsen. It is a short trip by train. Lots of places to stay - and soak. North of Takayama is another Hida town, that doesn't get many visitors I think but might be worth a trip from Takayama.
I think that you would be too early for the autumn Takayama festival.
Get to Takayama by train from Nagoya and you can continue on from there to Shirakawago and back or on to Kanazawa (opposite direction from what KimJapan suggested).
There is a bus up to Hirayu Onsen in the mountains east of Takayama. It's nice, not great. Beyond there is Kamikochi where you can take a hike or easy walk. It's pretty and refreshing but a bit of a bus ride.
South of Takayama is Gero Onsen. It is a short trip by train. Lots of places to stay - and soak. North of Takayama is another Hida town, that doesn't get many visitors I think but might be worth a trip from Takayama.
I think that you would be too early for the autumn Takayama festival.
Jul 3rd, 2007, 11:39 AM
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KimJapan:
I am also trying to decide whether to go to both Takayama and/or Shira-go. I wanted to go to Takayama and stay in a Ryokan there. I thought of going to Shira-go, but can't decide if to go for one day or a day and a night. I need to go to Kyoto after that. Do you know how much longer it is to get to Kyoto from Shira-go than it takes from Takayama to Kyoto? Thank you!
I am also trying to decide whether to go to both Takayama and/or Shira-go. I wanted to go to Takayama and stay in a Ryokan there. I thought of going to Shira-go, but can't decide if to go for one day or a day and a night. I need to go to Kyoto after that. Do you know how much longer it is to get to Kyoto from Shira-go than it takes from Takayama to Kyoto? Thank you!
Jul 3rd, 2007, 12:47 PM
#7
Here is a link that shows the bus schedules:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34510676
The times may have changed but that should give you a good idea of the travel times and the FREQUENCY of the buses.
S-go to Kanazawa bus is 1 hour 40 minutes
Kanazawa to Kyoto trainis 2 hours 16 minutes
So, 4 hours not counting connection time.
S-go to Takayama bus is 1 hour 45 min
Takayama to Kyoto train is 2 hours 10 min
So, 4 hours not counting connection time. Looks like the connection might be up to 50 minutes.
Your other option is bus to Nagoya and then train.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34510676
The times may have changed but that should give you a good idea of the travel times and the FREQUENCY of the buses.
S-go to Kanazawa bus is 1 hour 40 minutes
Kanazawa to Kyoto trainis 2 hours 16 minutes
So, 4 hours not counting connection time.
S-go to Takayama bus is 1 hour 45 min
Takayama to Kyoto train is 2 hours 10 min
So, 4 hours not counting connection time. Looks like the connection might be up to 50 minutes.
Your other option is bus to Nagoya and then train.
Jul 3rd, 2007, 01:48 PM
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You can look up all trains, times, prices etc. on www.hyperdia.com.
Jul 3rd, 2007, 02:53 PM
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And now I see your other question about S-go and Takayama. I much prefer S-go to Takayama. S-go is a well preserved village, easy to walk around, friendly people, great food, great minshuku to spend the night. Takayama is a small city not unlike others of its size, with an area of preserved shop houses and some temples and a morning market. It's interesting, but not a country experience, but rather a city experience. A night in S-go is much more affordable, at around ¥8000 per person per night with dinner and breakfast included, and it's a much more personal experience.
I would visit Takayama first, spend a night, take the morning bus to S-go, spend a night, take the bus to Kanazawa, spend a night and go Kyoto in the late afternoon from there.
I would visit Takayama first, spend a night, take the morning bus to S-go, spend a night, take the bus to Kanazawa, spend a night and go Kyoto in the late afternoon from there.
Jul 4th, 2007, 04:37 AM
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I would either spend all four days in Kanazawa or three days in Kanazawa and one day in shirakawa-go. I would skip Takayama which I found to be the least interesting place I visited in Japan (too touristy/fake). I spent two days in kanazawa and wish I had spent more.
Jul 4th, 2007, 09:51 AM
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thank you for that advice. I hadn't realized Takayama was touristy. I don't have time to go to more than 1 of the "villages" so if I go to shir-go for 2 nights, what is there to do in Shira-go during the day? thank you.
Jul 4th, 2007, 02:00 PM
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Takayama is a city. S-go is a village. Both are touristy. If you want less touristy, Gokayama would be better.
In S-go, you can go inside some of the buildings. There is a museum, where if you reserve ahead, you can make soba. There is also good hiking in the area. One night is enough in S-go provided you arrive in the morning. There is plenty to do in Kanazawa to warrant 2 or 3 nights there.
In S-go, you can go inside some of the buildings. There is a museum, where if you reserve ahead, you can make soba. There is also good hiking in the area. One night is enough in S-go provided you arrive in the morning. There is plenty to do in Kanazawa to warrant 2 or 3 nights there.
Jul 5th, 2007, 06:57 PM
#16
Takayama is perfect for an overnight stop enroute to Shirakawago but merits two nights (one in a nice ryokan, like Nagase, and one in the Best Western).
It is a small city and you can walk to pretty much everything. The exception, maybe, is the Hida No Sato which is up a hill, but an easy walk back.
There is an onsen bath in the Green Hotel, a Japanese tourist hotel. There is also an onsen in the mountains to the east called Hirayu. I think that was one of the places that Elainee really liked. It is an hour or so bus ride, not too comfortable, from Takayama tho.
Gero Onsen is just a short train ride south of Takayama and is worth a visit.
There are the merchant streets which sell pretty much the same touristy stuff that you will find in Kyoto. A good stop is the government house, I think it is called Takayama Jinya. I think it was a tax assessors's office and is one of the few structures of it's kind still standing in Japan. It is an hour or 90 minute stop.
At the east end of town there is a museum with floats from the Takayama Matsuri parade. Beyond there is a walk/hike path in the hills that goes by several shrines.
It is a small city and you can walk to pretty much everything. The exception, maybe, is the Hida No Sato which is up a hill, but an easy walk back.
There is an onsen bath in the Green Hotel, a Japanese tourist hotel. There is also an onsen in the mountains to the east called Hirayu. I think that was one of the places that Elainee really liked. It is an hour or so bus ride, not too comfortable, from Takayama tho.
Gero Onsen is just a short train ride south of Takayama and is worth a visit.
There are the merchant streets which sell pretty much the same touristy stuff that you will find in Kyoto. A good stop is the government house, I think it is called Takayama Jinya. I think it was a tax assessors's office and is one of the few structures of it's kind still standing in Japan. It is an hour or 90 minute stop.
At the east end of town there is a museum with floats from the Takayama Matsuri parade. Beyond there is a walk/hike path in the hills that goes by several shrines.
