Our English speaking driver will take you directly to the hamlet of Shirakawago. The UNESCO village of Shirakawa-go is nestled in the Japanese alps. You will spend 1 and half hours here, exploring the town and taking in lunch. Crossing the spectacular pedestrian bridge across the Sho river, your senses will be filled with the sounds and smells of authentic rural life. This fairy-tale village is bound to inspire you as one of Japans most picturesque sites.
Our family had a wonderful tour with our tour guide Kumiko, she was so knowledgeable, kind and attentive! She knew everything about the sites and the construction of the different houses and explain in detail and answered all our questions. We had such a great time and we highly recommend Kumiko!
We really enjoyed our half-day tour with Ian. He was very knowledgeable about the background and history of Shirakawago. He was also able to answer our varied questions about the area and cultural aspects as well. For us the half-day experience was perfect - we were able to experience Shirakawago and also enjoy the rest of our day. I would definitely recommend this tour.
Ian is a marvelous guide. While driving from Kanazawa to Shirakawago, he told us about the history of the region which was ruled by Lord Maeda until the 1868 Meiji Revolution that abolished the samurai order. He also wove in the history of gold leaf artistry as well as the other cultural arts of the area. He led us on a comfortably paced walking tour of Ogimachi, the village that is at the center of the Shirakawa UNESCO cultural heritage site. Ian provided us with a memorable experience, one which we will cherish for years to come.
The private half day tour was wonderful. Our guide Ian made sure we were able to go early and beat the hordes of tour buses thereby being able to enjoy walking around the village when it wasn’t crowded. Ian was also very patient and we learned a lot about the village and houses from him. Half day was perfect as it was quite cold that day and we were able to get dropped off at the Omicho market by lunchtime. Recommend this tour as a stress free way to enjoying Shirakawago.
Nice and quaint village is a great place to visit. I can see why it’s a UNESCO site. Easy pick up and drop off.
We had the Best experience. Ian was not only a good driver but also a good guide with thorough knowledge. He made our journey very comfortable through out.
Ian took us on a private tour of Shirakawago. He made it special for us with lots of interesting facts and information. Highly recommended! Nick
This was such a great tour - we learned a ton from Ian, who was friendly and open to all of our questions, and Shirakawago was delightful. This touring company was very intentional about planning our visit to get there before the larger crowds arrived, and thank God they did because there was a line of cars two miles long waiting to get there by the time we left. The village is adorable with a really interesting history, and we learned a lot about what it means to be a UNESCO Heritage designated site. My only suggestion for improvement would be to allow an hour more so that we didn’t have to choose between the actual walking tour and sitting down to enjoy a real lunch in the village. There’s a restaurant there that my friend highly recommended called 合掌茶屋 孫右エ門 that we did not have time to visit. Overall, however, such an enjoyable morning. Thanks to Ian!
Ian from Kanazawa Tours was fabulous! I enjoyed walking with him and learning about Shirakawaga. He was incredibly knowledgeable, kind and lovely to have as my introduction to the historical village! You must go. I hope you get him for a guide!
Tetsuro was an amazing guide who explained Shirakawa-go and the Ghasso-zakuri houses. We were able to even see workers repairing a thatch roof. We really enjoyed our tour. After he dropped us off at the train station I realized that I had left my purse in the van. Tetsuro was so kind to return it quickly. I hope all our future tours are as pleasant and informative as this one.
We have been on a lot of guided tours and would have to say this was one of our favourites. Our guides, Yasushi (Yeah Sushi) and Aiko were absolutely fantastic. They gave us a great introduction to Shirakawago as we drove from Kanazawa, which allowed us to understand what the town was known for, where to go and what to do. It can be a bit crowded, so was nice not to have to fight through the "mosh pits", and have to deal with the other tour's "scrums". We could really enjoy at our own pace. The town is beautiful and lots to see, and taste!! Definitely recommended.
Long but beautiful drive through the mountains. We went in April so there was lots of snow on the ground. There's an overlook that's about a 20 minute uphill walk or you can take a shuttle bus in town to get up there. Practically no trash cans in the town so be prepared to carry any trash you make with you until you arrive back in Kanazawa. Overall a very relaxing, unique experience!
We had a great trip to Shirakawago. Our guide Tetsuro picked us up at our hotel. We had a quiet drive out. As the ladies slept, Tetsuro told me a bit about the region and Japan. The name means village by the white river, it takes a month of courses to get your driver's license in Japan, interesting tidbits like that. We were fortunate it was a sunny day and Tetsuro remarked that he had never seen the parking lot so empty. His quiet demeanor and knowledge really made our trip memorable. Would definitely recommend this trip with Tetsuro.
A half day trip of Shirakawago was the perfect amount of time for our family. It was definitely made better having Tetsuro to get us there, guide us around and share interesting facts about, not only Shirakawago but also Kanazawa, that we would not have known if not for him. All in all a great day out, finished off with a delicious, authentic lunch of soba noodles.
Fabulous tour provided by Kanazawa Tours. Our guide Tetsuro was lovely and extremely knowledgeable about the areas. Thank you very much.
Visiting Shirakawago was a definite bucket list item ticked. Our guide Kumiko was fabulous. The suggestion to start the tour early was perfect as it meant we missed all the crowds and were able to really enjoy the village. Kumiko put so much special thought and effort to our trip and ensured we had the beat time possible.
We (adults and three kids above 11 years old) had thoroughly enjoyed the private tour to Shirakawago. Our guide was exceptional: from the time he met us at our hotel to the time he brought is back. Very informative, caring and considerate.
Wonderful experience. Yuuka our guide was so friendly and knowledgeable. We had lunch with at the soba shop in Shirakawa Go. Very good. A must do if you are in Kanazawa
Friendly, reliable and very considerate driver/guide. Well organized, punctual and providing all the necessary background information.
Yuka was very sweet and an excellent driver. We appreciated her getting us to the site despite the traffic. She was great!
Our guide was great. He was friendly and helpful and made sure we had a great experience. Not having to worry about managing bus schedules to get from Kanazawa to Shirakawago really took a lot of stress out of the visit. Shirakawago was definitely worth the time to visit. The light rain and mist really gave the mountain village a unique and beautiful dimension.
Trip was amazing. Scenery was beautiful. Drive-guide, Norihiko, is friendly and courteous. He met us at the hotel lobby and explained the trip prior to the start of our tour. He inquired about our plans and provided great suggestions to enhance our trip. He communicates well.
Our guide, Nozoumi, was the most favourite part of our tour. She is so kind, sweet, patient and really knows so much. She answered any question that we had with so much more information. She was truly an excellent guide and an even more wonderful human being.
We had a great full day tour with Mai as our driver/tour guide! Though we were hoping for a snowy Christmas village setting in Shirakawago and takayama, there wasnt any snow yet. But the weather was great! Mai had great smooth driving skills. She was also very kind and patient with us
We had a wonderful experience at Shirakawa go with Mai. At first we were sad when we found out that it was not snowy at the village (as we expected a snowy version). However Mai was wonderful, she brought us to try Hida beef and a nice sake at the village. We extended our tour and had the chance to walk around at the village.
Had a wonderful tour with our excellent guide Nozomi around Kanazawa Geiko area. Very interesting and much background information was provided by a very knowledgeable Nozomi. We ended with a perfect dinner in the Hidden House. To conclude: a great evening!
Our guide was Ian. He was super attentive and showed us the details of the village and surroundings. Highly recommended!
At first the tour was to Shirakawago, but since it was a Saturday and holiday season in Japan our guide recommended that we change the tour to the village of Ainokura. At first we were scared, but the change seemed great. We went and returned without traffic, the village had few tourists, the view is amazing, with the houses in the same style as Shirakawago covered in snow, we had a great experience and excellent photos
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