Gifu

We went as a family and Mr. Liu provided instructions & suggestions in English & Mandarin. He offered to lead people though a tour guide was not to be included. I wish we had a bit more time in Takayama (1.5 hrs) as I felt a bit rushed and couldn’t do everything. Even in Shirakawago, if you want to do the Observation deck it would be rushed plus the lunch break was during that stop (2.5 hrs). But regardless we got a taste of Takayama and Shirakawago. The tour mainly provided a ride instead of having to deal with train transfers. We were in a large bus with mostly Chinese tourists, I think only 2 families needed English translation. The seats on the bus were a bit tight so may not be comfortable for larger size people but we did make stops for restrooms. If you have an odd number of people, you may need to sit with strangers.

You need to pick it up at the information desk; you can use it by scanning a QR code with your phone. However, there aren't many brands available, so it's a small bonus. It's recommended to confirm before making the trip. Theoretically, the process of redeeming discount codes can be optimized and completed online.

Getting off midway to soak in the hot springs in Hirayu is amazing! They even run extra buses when it's crowded.