Village
Shirakawa-go
A UNESCO World Heritage village of steep thatched-roof gassho-zukuri farmhouses, tucked into the mountains of Gifu Prefecture — at its most striking under winter snow.
Best season
Jan–Feb (snow), Oct–Nov (autumn colors)
UNESCO since
1995
Duration
Half-day trip
Best season
Jan–Feb for snow
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“We arrived just after a fresh snowfall and the whole village had gone completely silent — smoke curling up from a few chimneys, no sound but snow falling off the thatched roofs. It looked more like a diorama than a real place people still live in.” January 2025
Book a Shirakawa-go day tour from Takayama
From $45