The park extends across four prefectures – Ishikawa, Fukui, Gifu and Toyama – and is accessible from Kanazawa in around 60 minutes (by car). A bus that runs from Kanazawa to Ichinose, the start point of the hike to Hakusan, runs from the end of July until the beginning of October. There is also a bus that goes from Takayama, but more often from Shirakawago, that gets fairly close, needing a taxi(summer only) to make it the rest of the way to the start of the hike. One of the highlights of Hakusan National Park is the famous ‘Hakusan White Road’ a winding 33km route that crosses the northern area of the park. It is beautiful by bus; however, renting a car and doing it yourself gives you the freedom to see everything at your own pace.
Inaccessible during winter due to heavy snow, the route is open to the public from June until mid-November. Tollgates are positioned at either end of the road and charge JPY1700 one-way or JPY2600 for a round-trip. Without stopping, the road takes around 60 minutes to drive but to enjoy it fully, visitors should allow at least 3 to 4 hours to stop at viewpoints, walking trails, and small cafes. Hakusan National Park is equally well-known for its fantastic hiking and mountaineering through summer and autumn, with trails suitable for visitors of all levels of fitness.
If you are interested in seeing some of the culture and architecture of small rural towns in Japan, then we have a tour for you! Discover the small wood carving town of Inami, make paper in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Gokayama and, finally, walk around the famous UNESCO site that is Shirakawago! The thatched roof houses are something that you will never forget,
SHIRAKAWA-GO, GOKAYAMA TOUR FROM KANAZAWA / all year round
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1 Day Tour from Kanazawa: Shirakawa-go, Gokayama and Wood Carving Village
- Spots:
- KanazawaShirakawago
- Pick-up:
- Kanazawa
- Drop-off:
- TakayamaKanazawa
One of the most visited attractions in the region is the thatched-roof houses of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama. On this tour you will hop on one of our charter buses and on the way there stop at a hidden gem of the area, Inami. This small town is famous for wood-carving, something you can see on display throughout the main thoroughfare that lead to Inami's crown, jewel, Zuisenji Temple. The carvings on this temple were done by a master carver over 200 years ago. We will then continue on to Gokayama to see some of the thatched-roofed house and get an excellent view of the small town. A paper-making experience is also waiting for you, using materials harvested in the town and techniques perfected over centuries. The last stop is Shirakawa-go where you can see the beautiful townscape and go into one of the homes to learn about the townspeople's way of life. There are also plenty of shops and stalls to enjoy!
