Takayama is on the JR Takayama Main Line, served by frequent limited-express "Wide View Hida" trains. From Nagoya the journey takes about two hours and forty minutes; from Tokyo, allow about four and a half hours via Nagoya. From the north, Takayama is accessible via Toyama on the Hokuriku Shinkansen and the Hida Bus (about 2.5 hours from Toyama).
A network of long-distance buses runs from Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya and Matsumoto direct to Takayama Bus Terminal, beside the train station. The drive from Nagoya takes about 3 hours via the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway.