To visit the Gifu area, the nearest international airport would be Nagoya. From Singapore, you can fly direct to Nagoya to connect with the beautiful Gifu prefecture.Upon arrival at the Chubu International Airport, take the railway connected to Nagoya city ( JR Nagano), to connect to Gifu prefecture.
Gero
It took us about 90 minutes via the Ltd Express to Gero, the onsen town. The quality of the hotspring water is one of the top 3 in Japan.Gero was my kind of town for holiday. Idyllic and non touristy. Time seemed to have stopped in this quaint little town. Everywhere was reachable via foot. No big souvenirs stores getting quick bucks from tourists.The walk along the river was theuraptic. You could even take an open bath in the river and enjoy the fresh air. Highly recommend to stay in a ryokan in this region to enjoy the hospitality and service and not forgetting the fresh seafood.
Takayama
The close cousin of Gero, Takayama is more touristy and definitely more commercialised.
Take a walk along the Sanmachi-Suji district and enjoy some of the local snacks.
The must try in the area are the Hida Beef bun and the Hida Beef sushi. Personally, I loved the cheese Hida Beef bun. The Hida sushi was too chewy for my liking. Not worth the long queue.
Was off to exploring some traits when I saw the above. What do we do when bears appear? Luckily we had biscuits with us to feed them or the easiest way, play dead. Luckily for us, the bears did not appear 😂🤣You could also visit the souvenirs shop and do some DIY, the making of the Sarubobo workshop.
The verdict ? If you are after onsen and a quiet time, Gero is the town to go to. If you the vibes, the shops, the snacks, head to Takayama