Takayama Festival (2027): Dates, Float Times, and What You Actually Need to Book
You don't need a ticket for the Takayama Festival. The floats, the marionette shows and the night parade happen in the streets, and watching is free. What you do need to arrange is a bed in Takayama on those nights, and a seat on the train or bus there.
The festival runs twice a year on fixed dates: April 14–15 (spring) and October 9–10 (autumn). The detailed 2027 schedule had not been published when we checked the Gifu Prefecture tourism site on Nov 7, 2026, so the times below are the latest published ones.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. The festival itself is free, and we say so first.
Do you need tickets for the Takayama Festival?
No. The festival is a shrine event in public streets. The Gifu Prefecture tourism page lists no admission fee and no reserved seats, only a free shuttle bus from a temporary car park.
So the booking job is everything around it. Book the room in Takayama for the night of the 14th (spring) or the 9th (autumn) first, because that's the night festival. After that, reserved seats on the trains and buses in and out.
Gifu Prefecture tourism site, spring festival page: basic info lists Apr 14–15, 2027, but the text says details for 2027 "will be announced later". The schedule shown is for 2026. No fee or reservation is mentioned.
Same site, autumn festival page: Oct 9–10. The schedule shown is the 2026 one (Oct 9–10, 2026). Weather can change or cancel events, with no postponement.
Spring festival schedule (last published: 2026)
These are the 2026 times from the official page. The 2027 times may differ, so check again in March.
- Apr 14 · 9:30–15:00Floats on display along the streets (yatai hikisoroe)
- Apr 14 · 10:00 and 14:00Karakuri marionette performance, about 50 minutes each
- Apr 14 · 12:45–16:00Gyoko procession through the town
- Apr 14 · 18:00–20:30Night festival: floats lit with lanterns
- Apr 15 · 9:30–16:00Floats on display
- Apr 15 · 10:00 and 14:00Karakuri performance
- Apr 15 · 12:30–15:30Gyoko procession
Autumn festival schedule (last published: 2026)
- Oct 9 · 9:00–17:00Floats on display
- Oct 9 · 12:00 and 14:00Karakuri performance, about 50 minutes
- Oct 9 · 13:20–about 15:30Mikoshi procession (gojinko)
- Oct 9 · 18:00–about 21:30Evening festival (yoi-matsuri): lantern-lit floats
- Oct 10 · 8:30–about 12:00 and 13:30–about 16:00Procession
- Oct 10 · 9:00–16:00Floats on display
- Oct 10 · 11:00 and 13:00Karakuri performance
Where to stay when Takayama is full
If Takayama has nothing left, base yourself somewhere with a direct link and come in for the day. Remember that the night festival ends at 20:30 in spring and around 21:30 in autumn (2026 times), so check the last train or bus back before choosing.
Nagoya
The JR limited express Hida runs direct to Takayama in about 2 hours 30 minutes. If you want the night festival, check the last train back first.
Kanazawa or Toyama
Highway buses run Takayama ⇄ Kanazawa (¥4,400 from Dec 1, 2026) and Takayama ⇄ Toyama (¥3,900 from Dec 1).
Hida-Furukawa or Gero
Smaller towns on the same JR Takayama Line.
Getting there, and is a rail pass worth it?
The JR Hida train is a JR limited express, so the Japan Rail Pass covers it, and seat reservations are free with the pass. During festival days, book seats as early as you can: reserved seats go on sale one month before at 10:00 Japan time.
If Takayama is part of a loop with Shirakawa-go and Kanazawa, look at the regional pass before the national one. Takayama-Hokuriku pass → · Is the JR Pass worth it for your route? →
Not here on festival days? See the floats anyway
The Takayama Festival Floats Exhibition Hall, in the grounds of Sakurayama Hachimangu, keeps four of the eleven autumn festival floats on display all year and rotates them three times a year. Adult admission is ¥1,000, and it is open daily, 9:00–17:00 (March–November) or 9:00–16:30 (December–February), according to the Gifu Prefecture tourism site and the shrine. The hall also runs the Sakurayama Nikkokan, which displays a detailed scale model of Nikko Toshogu; ask at the counter what your ticket covers.
Around the festival there's also Shirakawa-go, 50 minutes by bus. How to book the Shirakawa-go bus →
Festival-day checklist
- Book the room first: the night of the 14th (spring) or 9th (autumn).
- Book train or bus seats both ways as soon as they go on sale.
- Check the official schedule again in March (spring) or September (autumn).
- Bring rain gear. Events cancelled for weather are not moved.
- The festival information tent is in front of Takayama Jinya on the day.
Planning around the festival
The Takayama Festival is free to watch. Sort out the room and the train or bus seats early, and check the official schedule again before you go.
Affiliate link on the second button.