Shirakawa-go, UNESCO World Heritage in the Japanese Alps

On this tour, you’ll experience the unique and picturesque mountain village of Shirakawa-go, located near the Japanese Alps. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the village is famous for its traditional and unusual thatched houses, also known as “gassho-zukuri”, which means “praying hands”. The houses were thus named because of their shape, with steep roofs that look like two folded hands. The roofs insulate against the winter cold and are made to withstand the large amounts of snow that fall in the region in winter.

The tour starts at Kanazawa Station at 9.30 am. The bus stops at the “West Gate” bus stop, from where you are driven for around 90 minutes to Shirakawa-go.

Once in Shirakawa-go, you’ll visit the Gassho Museum, where you will gain a good understanding of the special gassho-zukuri building style. Next, you will be driven to an observation deck, where you can enjoy the beautiful view of Shirakawa-go, which is located in a picturesque valley.

You will then have time to explore the cosy village on your own. The landscape is spectacular, and a walk around the village is cosy, relaxing and breathtaking. You can come in to see several of the houses inside and there are also nice, small souvenir shops.

A nice lunch, made from local ingredients, is included in the price and is enjoyed in one of the houses, which has been converted into a restaurant.

After a lovely day, you head back to the bus station in Kanazawa, where you arrive at around 3.30 p.m.

Duration: approx. 6 hours

Please note that you have to make your own way to the meeting place at the bus station in Kanazawa. Information on how to get there can be found in the welcome pack given to you on your arrival in Japan.

This excursion can take place with other than TourCompass’ own guests.

We recommend that you book the excursion when booking the tour.