- Tours›
- Unique Experience
Cormorant fishing viewing on the Nagaragawa River
Gifu Castle standing on the Mt.Kinka provides visitors with nice panoramic views day and night. You also enjoy watching a traditional unique event Cormorant Fishing on the Nagara River while eating dinner in a viewing boat. Sir Charlie Chaplin visited Gifu twice to enjoy this unique traditional event. Besides, a photogenic street Kawara-machi and the Great Buddha statue in Shoboji-temple move you so much.
Meeting Point
At JR Gifu Station
JR Gifu Station
After meeting, you move around the station-front area
Public tea house (Matcha-tea break) in Gifu park
Shobo-ji (Great Buddha)
In Shoboji temple, you see a golden Great Buddha statue which is one of the three most famous Buddha-statues in Japan.
Nagara River Ukai Museum
In the Nagaragawa Ukai Museum, you learn everything about cormorant fishing. You can also visit one of the fishing master's cafe 'U-no-Iori U' where you can see and come close to cormorants while drinking coffee.
Kawara-machi
Strolling around the old wooden building street, you enjoy dropping in unique souvenir shops, cafe and fancy restaurants.
Cormorant Fishing*(11 May to 15 October)
From May 11th to October 15th, you could enjoy cormorant fishing known as Ukai on the Nagara River at night. Cormorant fishing is a traditional fishing style that started over 1300 years ago. You can enjoy eating dinner on a viewing-boat on the river and see how the fishing-masters manipulate birds to catch sweetfish, Ayu. The ephemeral performance by the fishermen and birds will give you a small glimpse of the old days.
Night view from the castle *(the available date in 2024 is still unknown)
You enjoy a night tour to the castle via lift-ride and walk. The panorama view from the castle balcony is unforgettable.
JR Gifu station
Ending Point
At JR Gifu Station
Want to personalize this tour?
- Our tours can be customized according to your needs and preferences
- Click below to tell us what you are looking for:
Inclusions & Exclusions
guide fee and pick-up in a hotel in central area of Gifu city
transportation fee for guide and guests
entrance fee for guests (Gifu CIty Museum:300yen, Shobo-ji:200yen, Nagaragawa Ukai Museum:500yen)
cormorant fishing boat fee for guide and guests (adult/child:3400/1700yen per person)
lunch,tea and dinner fee for guest and guide about 5000yen/person
Tour Important Information
(example itinerary A)
・JR Gifu Station(meeting point) 13:00
・Strolling around Station Front 13:00~13:30
・Public tea house(tea break) 13:40~14:20
・Shobo-ji(Great Buddha) 14:30~15:00
・Nagaragawa Ukai Museum 15:10~16:10
・Kawara-machi 16:30~17:30
・comorant fishing 18:00~20:30
・ night view from the castle 20:30~21:30
・JR Gifu Station 22:00
(example itinerary B)
・JR Gifu Station(meeting point) 10:30
・Gifu Castle 11:00~12:20
(lunch 12:20~13:20)
・Shobo-ji(Great Buddha) 13:20~13:50
・Public tea house(tea break) 14:00~14:30
・Nagaragawa Ukai Museum 15:00~16:00
・Kawara-machi 16:20~17:30
・comorant fishing 18:00~20:30
・JR Gifu Station 21:00
*an attached video shows a scene of cormorant fishing
Important message from the guide
I can guide in Kyoto in case you support transportation fee.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Gifu Tour Reviews
“Very enjoyable visit to Shirakawago”
Tetsuji was very professional and we had a great time!
Richard Z.
Monet's Pond, Knife‒city Seki & Washi‒hometown Mino
“Detailed plan with flexibility, strong local knowledge”
Due to the bad weather, Tetsuji offered alternative to Monet's pond with Inuyama Castle. The change worked out well. The eel lunch in Seki was very good again. Perfect recommendation that only local knows. The old town of Mino and washi paper arts are memorable. Seki was the town for sword making. Traveling 3 cities with local trains within one day needs detail local knowledge. Tetsuji worked out detail plan, also with flexibility due to the weather change. I would recommend Tetsuji for non Japanese speakers want to visit local towns. That will make the trip much easier.
Tetsuji Y.
(33 reviews)Thank you for a superb review full of praise of my job. Now, I have got emotional with so much detailed nice words for me. I feel extremely honored to have worked as a guide for a lovely intelligent couple for two days in a row. I enjoyed myself not only guiding but also talking with you and Jane. I really hope you visit Japan and chat with me again. Please give my best regard to Jane.
“Well planned tour with many details”
Tetsuji guided us to Shirakawa-go. The tour was great. Starting from Gifu with train ride to Takayam, the train ride is a tour itself. The view was so beautiful that making the train ride was enjoyable. Right after arrived Shirakawa-go, Tetsuji put our name for a very good restaurant that serves hida beef. The lunch was perfect. Tetsuji was very detail person. Every detail is planned. All the activities that Tetsuji planned have their meanings, which we can feel it. And, Tetsuji took so many pictures of us. I believe those pictures will help us to reminding us about this trip. I would recommend Tetsuji to anyone that come to Shirakawa-go for the first time.
Tetsuji Y.
(33 reviews)Thank you for a superb review full of praise of my job. Now, I have got emotional with so much detailed nice words for me. I feel extremely honored to have worked as a guide for a lovely intelligent couple for two days in a row. I enjoyed myself not only guiding but also talking with you and Jane. I really hope you visit Japan and chat with me again. Please give my best regard to Jane.
