Table of Contents
Traveling around Japan may be a lot of fun, but it can also be quite challenging. If you are planning to travel from Nagoya to Takayama by train, we recommend that you take some time to plan and research your journey.
After all, if you’re investing a load of money in an epic Japan trip, you really don’t want to spoil your trip with avoidable mistakes. To leave us when we tell you, there are a lot of things that can go wrong on this journey.
In this guide, we will tell you everything you need to know to plan your trip. We will also include a step-by-step guide of the trip to help you navigate through the complexities and nuances of the Japanese rail system. Please do read this article Catholic because we have some very important tips, advice, and information to share.
The train journey from Nagoya to Takayama is very beautiful. It really was one of the many highlights of our Japan trip. We hope that this guide saves you time and energy and helps you to plan your trip.
PREFER A TOUR? If all of this sounds too complicated – why not book a tour? Don’t miss this amazing Takayama and Shirakawa-go Tour from Nagoya on KLOOK
Why Visit Takayama?
If you are looking for an authentic Japanese rural experience, we highly recommend a visit to Takayama. This town is packed with culture, heritage, natural beauty, and plenty of delicious street food. Takayama is famous for Hida beef (a particularly succulent type of wagyu beef). It is also well known for its onsens (traditional Japanese baths). If you plan your trip carefully, you can even have a go at cooking a meal on a traditional Japanese fire called an Irori.
Make sure you take a visit to the beautiful mountain town of Hirayu. What’s more, you can also visit the iconic praying hands village (Shirakawa-go). We also highly recommend a visit to the Hida No Sato Folk Village to learn more about the culture and history of the region. Takayama is a charismatic contrast to Nagoya. Nagoya is your chance to experience a bustling Japanese City, and Takayama is your chance to experience rural Japan at its best.
Why Take the Train to Takayama?
The journey from Nagoya to Takayama is particularly beautiful. This train travels up into the mountains through deep valleys alongside beautiful sections of river and through lush Japanese farmland. Watch out for snow-capped mountains, Japanese temples, traditional Japanese village homes, bamboo forests, and cherry blossom (if you are traveling in March or April). Throughout the journey, they announce interesting things to watch out for. Taking the train from Nagoya to Takayama is worthwhile even just for the journey itself. Another advantage of taking the train is the outstanding facilities. This is particularly helpful if you are traveling with kids. The train has clean state-of-the-art toilets, and it even has Wi-Fi on board.
How Much Does It Cost to Take the Train from Nagoya to Takayama
The train journey from Nagoya to Takayama costs around 6,000 yen (roughly £30 or $35) per person. The exact price of the train depends on the day you choose to travel. Train prices increase a little on more popular days. Kids from 6 – 11 years old pay half price. Seat reservation is free both for adults and kids. The journey takes around 2.5 hours. Although this may sound expensive, it is a relatively standard train price in Japan.
Top Tip: If you are traveling with a child under six years old, they do not need to pay for a ticket. However, if you do not purchase a ticket for your child, they are not guaranteed to have a seat. In our experience, the train was relatively quiet (we traveled in April at the peak of the blossom season). In most cases, you are likely to get a seat for your child even if you do not have a ticket for them.
Daily Train Schedule: Nagoya & Takayama (Hida Ltd Express)
Japan trains are very punctual – so make sure you arrive at the station in plenty of time.
| Nagoya to Takayama | Takayama to Nagoya |
| 7.43 – 10.16 8.43 – 10.58 9.39 – 12.14 10.48 – 13.12 11.43 – 14.14 12.48 – 15.12 14.48 – 17.13 16.03 – 18.45 18.12 – 20.51 20.17 – 22.49 | 6.46 – 9.12 8.00 – 10.34 9.36 – 12.04 11.35 – 14.04 12.35 – 15.04 13.35 – 16.09 14.44 – 17.04 15.34 – 18.06 16.33 – 19.06 18.48 – 21.03 |
Do You Need to Pre-book Your Ticket for the Nagoya – Takayama Train?
You do not need to pre-book your train from Nagoya to Takayama. However, if you would like to get organized and get your ducks in a row, you may want to pre-book your train. Pre-booking your ticket will allow you to reserve seats and give you peace of mind that your trip really is organized and happening.
How Do You Book a Train Ticket to Travel from Nagoya to Takayama?
1. Book your tickets online. You can book the train online on the Official JR Website.
2. Book your tickets at a JR station. You can book your ticket at any JR station. You will finding machines. Alternatively, you can go to a ticket office to book your tickets.
3. Book your train ticket at an Official Tourist and Travel Information Center. Some travel information desks may also be able to book train tickets for you. For example, there is a travel and tourist information desk situated at The Central Japan International Airport (Chubu Centrair Airport, Nagoya). Your tickets will be issued immediately. Only cash payments are accepted at this desk.
Can you use a JR pass to travel from Nagoya to takayama?
Yes, if you have a JR pass this fully covers the train journey from Nagoya to Takayama by train. The JR Pass is relatively expensive and is not necessarily good value for money. When you are planning your Japan itinerary we recommend that you price up the cost of individual rail trips against the JR Pass. The JR Pass does include some bus routes and some subway lines. The JR Pass is only good value for money if you are doing a significant amount of rail travel around Japan.
Nagoya to Takayama Step-By-Step Guide
1 Go to the Nagoya Central Railway Station
The first step is to get to the Nagoya Central Railway Station. Most people will do this by subway. The Nagoya Subway system is extensive, affordable, and very convenient. When you get to the subway station, you need to look for ticket vending machines. You should also see a price map above the ticket machines. You can use this map to work out the price for your journey. All you need to do is select the correct price on the vending machine, pay, and then you will get a ticket. Use this ticket to get through the gate and keep hold of it until the end of your journey. Nagoya Central Railway Station is located on the Sakura Dori Red Line (station S02) and the Higashiyama yellow Line (Station H08). Most subway journeys around Nagoya range in price from 200 yen – 350 yen (around £1 – £1.50 or $1.20 – $4)
2 Find your platform
The second step is to find the correct platform. When you arrive at the Central Station, you will need to follow signs to the JR Lines. Once you are in the railway station, keep following signs for the JR lines (ignore signs for the Shinkansen and the Aonami line). You will find a gate to JR lines. You can use your train ticket to get through the entrance gate.
Look for your platform number on the train information board. It’s likely to take at least 15 minutes to find your platform.
3 Wait for your train
The Takayama train is bound for Toyama. Keep an eye on the time and the information on your platform so that you get the right train. If you have time, you can also find the correct area on the platform so that you get onto the correct carriage when the train arrives (your seat number and carriage number should be printed on your ticket, assuming that you have reserved a seat).
Once you’re on the train, find your seat, sit back, and enjoy the journey. Be prepared to jump off at the Takayama station (the train only stops for a few minutes here before continuing towards Toyama). Also, remember that you cannot buy food or drinks on the train. If you want food or drink on your journey, you will need to buy it in advance.
Things to Know Before You Take the Train to Takayama
You need to allow plenty of time to get to the station
Remember, it takes a surprising amount of time to navigate through a big city like Nagoya. If you’re planning to use the Nagoya subway system to travel to Nagoya Central train station, you will need to allow plenty of time to transfer between lines and to find the JR lines at the Central station. You may also want to buy food, drink, or snacks before your journey. It often takes 1 – 2 hours to travel through Nagoya city. It is always better to arrive a bit early rather than miss your train.
Find your carriage before the train arrives
When you get to your platform, you will need to be ready to jump on the train very quickly (it only stops in Nagoya for a few minutes). Your ticket should tell you your carriage and seat number (assuming you’ve reserved a seat). You can find the carriage numbers printed on the platform. Finding the correct spot means that you can jump straight on the train in the correct carriage and you do not need to walk all the way up and down the train with your bags. (We found this particularly helpful because we travel with 3 kids and big bags!)
You cannot buy food or drink on the train
If you’re planning to travel over a mealtime, make sure you plan your food and drinks. There is no way to buy food or drinks on the train, and there is also nowhere to top up your water bottle. We recommend that you buy a bento box or a tray of sushi in the station and bring it on the train with you. We enjoyed making the journey special by splashing out on some tasty treats and delicious drinks so that we could have a family moment on the beautiful train journey. Having tasty treats on their beautiful Japanese train journey was one of those moments that will stick with us.
Top Tip: There are several convenience stores situated in the Nagoya Central train station where you can buy sandwiches, sushi trays, sushi rolls, and bento boxes. Bento boxes generally range in price from 800 – 1,500 yen. There is also a small convenience store situated on the platform if you do not have time to buy food and drink before you get there.
The train splits into two parts
Okay, this one is pretty important. The train from Nagoya to Takayama may split into two parts with different carriages going to different destinations. It’s as important that you remain in your assigned carriage. You will also notice that the train changes direction at Gero station (approximately 20 minutes into the journey).
You can rotate the seats.
If you’re traveling with kids, it is possible to rotate the seats so that you can face your family. In order to rotate the seats, there is a lever that you can press with your foot at the bottom of the seats. The seats can then spin 180 degrees.
The train facilities are excellent.
The facilities are genuinely outstanding. There is plenty of bag storage space on the train. Each carriage has a dedicated baggage area. There is also plenty of overhead storage.
The train has sophisticated state-of-the-art Japanese toilets (everything is impeccably clean and very well designed). They even have free Wi-Fi onboard the train. It is pretty slow, so we would not rely on the Wi-Fi, but you can get a connection.
English is not widely spoken in Japan.
Before you start traveling around Japan, it is important to recognize that English is not widely spoken. Japanese people are very friendly and helpful by nature. However, the language barrier can be very challenging. Even station staff and officials may speak very limited English. We recommend using Google translate to help you communicate with locals. It is also possible to download the Japanese language on Google Translate. This allows you to use translation features even if you do not have internet access.
Can You Travel from Nagoya to Takayama by Bus?
Yes, it is possible to travel from Nagoya to Takayama by bus. Buses depart from the bus terminal situated at the Nagoya Central Station. Buses are more affordable, but they do not have the same facilities (there are not any toilets on board the bus, and the journey takes longer than the train journey). Most buses from Nagoya to Takayama range in price from 3,000 yen – 4,000 yen (around £15 – £20 or $18 – $25).
LEARN MORE – Find out how to travel Japan for as little as £50 per day
