Nagoya Shoryudo 9 Days 8 Nights Off-the-Beaten-Path Tour in Japan (Part 1)

Day 1: Shanghai - Nagoya - Takayama Take the 11:00 Spring Airlines flight from Shanghai to Nagoya, arriving at Chubu Airport at 2:30 PM. If you have time, you can book the Chubu Airport Aviation Museum in advance, which is located between Terminal 2 and Terminal 1. After landing at Terminal 2, collect your luggage and take the elevator on the left to the second floor, then walk to Terminal 1 to take the Shinkansen to Nagoya, or you can take the free bus to Terminal 1. Upon arriving at Nagoya Shinkansen Station, buy your bus ticket first, then explore and eat before taking the bus to Takayama, which takes about 3 hours. Since we purchased the 5-day JR Pass, which activates by calendar day and involves multiple transfers in the following days, we activated it on the second day. In the evening at the hotel, enjoy free ramen, three free private hot springs that anyone can use (remember to lock the door), free ice cream, Yakult in the morning, and ice cream at night. (Stay at Takayama Sakura-an) Day 2: Takayama and Hida Furukawa In the morning, visit Takayama Jinya and Hie Shrine. Takayama is small, and walking from the hotel to these two spots takes about two hours. After sightseeing, take the Shinkansen from Takayama Station to Hida Furukawa. Highlight: Hida Furukawa is a very off-the-beaten-path and highly worthwhile small town. It’s quiet and clean. From the train station, walk to Setogawa River to feed the fish—a leisurely afternoon activity. Fish food is available for self-service purchase by the river for 100 yen per bag. The town also has several ancient shrines open for free visits. Return by train to Takayama in the evening (1 hour). (Stay at Takayama Sakura-an) Day 3: Takayama - Toyama Take the Shinkansen to Toyama in the morning. Due to heavy rain, have lunch at the Shinkansen station, which offers many delicious options. Be sure to try the sushi; the white shrimp sushi is super sweet. It rained all day, so spend the afternoon resting and soaking in the bath at the hotel, which is just a 5-10 minute walk from the Shinkansen station. (Stay at Toyama Nikko City Hotel) Day 4: Toyama Originally planned to visit Amaharashi Coast to see the sea and snow-capped mountains, but due to heavy rain, stayed in Toyama city for the day. Visited Toyama Museum, Art Museum, and the most beautiful Starbucks (though the view was average because of the rain). Toyama is small, with no subway but trams instead. The hotel offers two free tram tickets per person for two days. (Stay at Toyama Nikko City Hotel) Day 5: Tateyama Kurobe Take the 7:11 train to Tateyama. Exchange for a round-trip pass at Tateyama Station; the final destination can be set at Kurobe Lake Dam. The ascent involves cable cars, buses, and small trains, with transportation staff throughout the route. The first major stop is Murodo, where the scenery is breathtaking and worth spending a lot of time. However, our itinerary wasn’t well planned, so we went straight to the dam and then backtracked, spending only half an hour at Murodo. At Kurobe Lake, we paid extra for a boat ride; the scenery was beautiful, but personally, it felt time-consuming and optional. After the boat ride, visit Kurobe Lake Dam, which is spectacular—take photos and then head back. Since the last cable car down the mountain leaves early, those who can should stay overnight at Murodo and take the train back to Toyama the next day. (Stay at Toyama Nikko City Hotel)