# How do you get from Kanazawa to Takayama via Shirakawa-go by bus? > The Kanazawa to Takayama highway bus via Shirakawa-go costs ¥4,200, or ¥2,800 per leg with a stopover. Reservations, timetable, lockers, Toyama train. - Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/kanazawa-to-takayama-bus-shirakawa-go-guide - Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from a 526-day trip across 20 countries) - Published: 2026-07-29 The simplest way from Kanazawa to Takayama is the **Nohi Bus / Hokutetsu highway bus via Shirakawa-go**: **¥4,200** one way if you stay on, or two tickets at **¥2,800 each** (¥5,600 total) if you stop to see the village. It takes about **75 minutes from Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go** and about **50 minutes on to Takayama**. Most departures from Kanazawa need a **seat reservation**, and coin lockers at the Shirakawa-go bus terminal take your bags for ¥500 to ¥1,000 while you walk around. The train via Toyama is the alternative, but it skips Shirakawa-go and runs infrequently. ## The bus route, operators and fares The Kanazawa–Shirakawa-go–Takayama line is run jointly by **Nohi Bus** (based in Takayama) and **Hokuriku Railroad (Hokutetsu)** on the Kanazawa side. Buses leave from the **Kanazawa Station West Exit** and stop at the **Shirakawa-go bus terminal in Ogimachi**, the main thatched-roof village, before ending at the **Takayama Nohi Bus Center**, next to JR Takayama Station. Fares on Nohi Bus's official route page in 2026: • **Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go:** ¥2,800 • **Shirakawa-go to Takayama:** ¥2,800 • **Kanazawa to Takayama (straight through):** ¥4,200 One guide reported a small increase on the Shirakawa-go legs from December 2026, which we could not confirm on Nohi Bus's own pages; the booking screen shows the fare for your travel date. Children under 6 ride free on a lap with an adult. The Japan Rail Pass does **not** cover these buses. The regional Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass does, but pass holders have to reserve by phone rather than on Japan Bus Online. ## Reservations and timetable On the timetable, services marked **R** are reservation-only, and most Kanazawa departures fall into that group. Book on **Japan Bus Online**, which opens about one month ahead, or by phone with the Nohi Bus or Hokutetsu reservation centers. Autumn foliage weekends, Golden Week and the winter light-up season sell out, so book as soon as your dates are fixed. In 2026 Kanazawa departures toward Shirakawa-go ran at about **8:10, 8:40, 9:10, 9:40, 11:10, 13:00, 13:20, 14:00 and 16:00**, and some continue to Takayama. Between Shirakawa-go and Takayama there are around **16 round trips a day**. Some Kanazawa buses also detour via Gokayama (Suganuma) from April to November, which adds time. Treat these times as a guide and use the current timetable when you book. For a stopover, book two separate legs: Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go in the morning, then Shirakawa-go to Takayama in the afternoon. Two to three hours is enough to walk the village, climb to the Shiroyama viewpoint and go inside one farmhouse such as Wada House. Do not book the onward leg so tight that a late first bus leaves you stranded. ## Luggage and lockers at Shirakawa-go Large suitcases go in the bus's underfloor hold, which is shared and limited, so a huge case or several per person may not fit on a full bus. Keep power banks in the cabin, not in the hold. At Shirakawa-go, **coin lockers at the bus terminal** cost **¥500** for small and medium lockers and **¥1,000** for large ones, available from about **8:00 to 17:00**. There is also a staffed luggage storage service next to the terminal, open until 17:00. Lockers can fill up by late morning on busy days, and the village lanes are no place for a rolling suitcase. If you are carrying a lot, forward your main bags from your Kanazawa hotel to your Takayama hotel with a **takkyubin** luggage service the day before, and travel with a daypack. ## Winter: snow, delays and the light-up Shirakawa-go sits in one of Japan's snowiest valleys, and from about December to March the road is regularly snowbound. The buses run on winter tires and usually keep going, but heavy snow can cause delays or cancellations. Leave slack in your schedule and check Nohi Bus's notices on the day. The famous **winter light-up** happens on a few evenings in January and February, and entry has been **by advance reservation only**, with no same-day admission. Regular route buses do not get you there for it; you need one of the tour buses sold by Nohi Bus and other operators, which sell out quickly once booking opens in autumn. Check the official Shirakawa-go tourist site for the dates and booking rules. ## Train alternative via Toyama By rail you take the **Hokuriku Shinkansen from Kanazawa to Toyama** (about 20 to 25 minutes), then the **Limited Express Hida** up the Takayama Line to Takayama (about 90 minutes). Total journey time is around 2 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours, depending on the connection. The whole route is covered by the Japan Rail Pass, which makes it the obvious choice if you already hold one and do not want to stop at Shirakawa-go. The weakness is frequency: only a few Hida trains a day run between Toyama and Takayama. In 2026 the Takayama Line between Sugihara and Inotani was suspended from **18 March** after erosion was found at a bridge pier, and local reports say service including the Hida to Toyama resumed in early summer. Check JR Central's service notices before you plan around this route. ## Which way should you go? If you want to see Shirakawa-go, the bus with a stopover is the clear answer: it costs ¥5,600 and puts the village halfway along your route instead of costing a separate day trip. If you have a Japan Rail Pass and have already seen Shirakawa-go, take the train via Toyama. The same bus also runs in the opposite direction, from Takayama to Kanazawa. Plan each end with our [Kanazawa guide](https://clevertourists.com/guides/kanazawa) and [Takayama guide](https://clevertourists.com/guides/takayama), which also covers Shirakawa-go as a half-day trip. ## Frequently asked questions ### How much is the bus from Kanazawa to Takayama? ¥4,200 one way straight through. With a stop at Shirakawa-go you buy two tickets at ¥2,800 each, ¥5,600 in total. ### Do you need to reserve the Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go bus? Yes, for most departures. Services marked R on the timetable are reservation-only. Book on Japan Bus Online or by phone, ideally as soon as seats open about a month ahead. ### Can you leave luggage at Shirakawa-go? Yes. Coin lockers at the bus terminal cost ¥500 for small and medium or ¥1,000 for large, from about 8:00 to 17:00, and a staffed storage service next door is open until 17:00. ### How long is the bus from Shirakawa-go to Takayama? About 50 minutes. Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go takes about 75 minutes, longer on buses that detour via Gokayama. ### Is the Kanazawa to Takayama bus covered by the JR Pass? No. The JR Pass covers the train via Toyama (Hokuriku Shinkansen plus the Limited Express Hida), but not the Nohi Bus or Hokutetsu highway bus. ## Official sources - [Nohi Bus: Shirakawa-go route, timetable and fares](https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/route_bus/shirakawago_en/) - [Japan Bus Online (reservations)](https://japanbusonline.com/en/) - [Shirakawa-go Tourist Association: FAQ and lockers](https://shirakawa-go.gr.jp/en/faq/5/) - [JR Central service information](https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/)