Takayama Itinerary: Morning Market, Sanmachi Old Town, Hida Folk Village and Kamikochi

This post contains affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend places we've been to ourselves.

Takayama, in Gifu Prefecture, is an old merchant town with Edo-period streets, sake breweries and a riverside morning market. Spend a day on the Miyagawa Morning Market, Sanmachi old town and Hida Folk Village, then head into the mountains for Kamikochi (by shuttle bus, since private cars are banned) and a night at a ryokan with an onsen.

After Kurobe, we drove on to Takayama in autumn 2019, as Part 5 of our 7-day Central Japan road trip. Takayama sits right in the middle of Japan, and its old town, lined with Edo-style buildings, has charmed locals and tourists alike. It's a very different experience from Tokyo or Osaka.

Hida Folk Village

Our first stop was Hida Folk Village (Hida no Sato), an open-air museum of about 30 old farmhouses with thatched and shingled roofs. You can go inside to see the carefully preserved tools and how people lived. Unfortunately, we arrived late; otherwise it would have been a fun visit. It's open 8:30am to 5pm, and entry is ¥700 for adults in 2026.

Miyagawa Morning Market

The next morning, we went to the Miyagawa Morning Market along the river. The most common thing you'll see in the market and the old town is Hida beef. It's not as famous internationally as Kobe beef, but locals consider it just as premium. It won the Wagyu Olympics in 2002, and many say the pure spring water in Gifu helps make the meat so good. I don't eat beef, so we skipped it.

Besides Hida beef, there's lots of street food and traditional Japanese sweets. The most unusual thing I tried looked like tamagoyaki but was a sweet cake made from egg whites.

2026 update: the market runs daily from 7am to noon (8am from December to March) and is free.

Takayama Old Town (Sanmachi)

Just a few streets from the morning market is Takayama's popular old town, with buildings beautifully preserved from the Edo period. Sanmachi has several traditional sake breweries with long histories, so naturally we started our day with sake tasting! For ¥500 each (in 2019), you could try different sakes and take the sake cup home as a souvenir.

The tourist streets are full of cafes and souvenir shops in old houses. We tried a cafe in Sanmachi that's off the tourist radar: its shopfront and menu were only in Japanese, and it looked so quiet from outside that for a moment I thought it was closed. We took off our shoes and went upstairs. The dessert was delicious, and it was a great place to relax away from the crowds.

Tip: avoid Takayama on a Tuesday if you can, as some shops close that day.

Kamikochi

Kamikochi is one of the most popular and best-preserved highland valleys in the Northern Alps, and it's said to be stunning in autumn, so we had to see it for ourselves. We took the bus in and went for a leisurely walk along the Azusa River. The view was beautiful. Sadly, it was raining heavily, so we couldn't explore the whole valley.

2026 update: private cars aren't allowed into Kamikochi. From Takayama, drive to the Hirayu car park in Okuhida and take the shuttle bus or a taxi. Kamikochi is open from mid-April to 15 November.

Dinner at Nagase (奈賀勢)

Afterwards, we found a home-style restaurant and treated ourselves to local Japanese food. Nothing fancy, but very well made! The tofu was perfectly cooked, with cheese on top, and the soba with vegetable fritters wasn't oily at all, perfect for the cold weather. Do visit if you can!

Address: 868-3 Hitoegane, Okuhida Onsengo, Takayama, Gifu 506-1432
Hours: 10am–2pm and 5–8pm, closed Thursdays

Our Mountain Ryokan

That night, we stayed at Ryokan Sansui, and it was memorable. Waking up in the mountains to fresh air and peace is one of the best feelings, and it had a really cool private onsen. It's not a luxury stay, but it was cosy and homely. Next to the ryokan was a quirky little market for local tourists, which H and I really enjoyed browsing together.

Overall, we loved Takayama. The old town gets crowded, but walking its streets is romantic and fun. With more time, we'd have visited Shirakawa-go too; we finally did on our 12-day Central Japan trip in 2024. Compare Takayama hotels on Agoda.

FAQ

What time does the Miyagawa Morning Market open?

It runs every day from 7am to noon, or 8am to noon from December to March, along the Miyagawa River in central Takayama. It's free to visit.

Can you drive to Kamikochi from Takayama?

Not all the way: private cars are banned in Kamikochi. Drive to the Hirayu car park in Okuhida and take the shuttle bus or a taxi. Kamikochi is open from mid-April to 15 November.

Is Hida Folk Village worth visiting?

Yes, if you arrive with time to spare: it's an open-air museum of about 30 old thatched and shingled farmhouses. It's open 8:30am to 5pm, and entry is ¥700 for adults in 2026. We arrived too late to enjoy it properly.

Which day should I avoid in Takayama?

Tuesday, when some shops in the old town close. Visit Sanmachi early in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the biggest crowds.