Time zone
GMT +09:00
No time difference
Currency
Japanese Yen
1NZD = 93.22JPY
Official languages
Japanese
Best time to visit
APR
Cherry blossom viewing
Recommended trip duration
2 days

Kanazawa
A visit to the attractions in Kanazawa entails a historical discovery of Japan's unique heritage. In every corner and district, this northwestern city in Ishikawa Prefecture boasts picturesque streetscapes and well-preserved relics dating back to the Edo Period. One of its finest attractions, Kanazawa Castle, draws tourists and locals to explore its restored grandeur, all the way to the towering Hashizume-mon gate, and into the serene gardens of Kenroku-en. Celebrated as one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, the beauty of Kenroku-en blooms under any season. Nearby, rows of teahouses adorn the Higashi Chaya District, where geishas continue to entertain and retain traditional practices.
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Explore Kanazawa
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Top things to do in Kanazawa
Attraction passes • Kanazawa
Kenrokuen Garden Admission Ticket
Book now for tomorrow
Instant confirmation
★ 4.6
(11) • 600+ booked
NZ$ 3.45
Tours • From Kanazawa
Shirakawa-go & Gokayama or Hida Takayama Bus Tour (From Kanazawa)
Booked 42 times today
Book now for tomorrow
Instant confirmation
★ 4.8
(468) • 9K+ booked
NZ$ 158.00
Tours • From Kanazawa
One-day tour to the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route from Kanazawa
English guided
Free cancellation
★ 4.8
(67) • 1K+ booked
NZ$ 214.55
Tours • From Kanazawa, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto
Shirakawago and Kanazawa Day Tour and optional bullet train
English guided
Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
★ 4.7
(47) • 700+ booked
From
NZ$ 98.85
NZ$ 137.09
Tours • From Nagoya
Nagoya Shirakawa-go & Takayama & Kanazawa 2-Day Small Group Tour (Departure from Nagoya)
Free cancellation
★ 4.6
(69) • 2K+ booked
NZ$ 265.55
Klook's choice
Tours • From Kanazawa
World Heritage Shirakawa-go and KanazawaTour by Professional guide
Book now for tomorrow
English guided
Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
★ 4.9
(159) • 2K+ booked
NZ$ 198.39
Summer deal
Cultural experiences • Kanazawa
VASARA Kimono and Yukata Rental in Kanazawa
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English guided
7+ hrs
Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
★ 4.8
(55) • 1K+ booked
NZ$ 46.99
30 off
Sale
Klook's choice
Tours • Kanazawa
Kanazawa Private & Personalized Hidden Gems Walking Tour
Private tour
Small group
English guided
Private group
Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
★ 4.8
(42) • 400+ booked
NZ$ 113.75
Attraction passes • Kanazawa
Kanazawa Castle Park Admission Ticket
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Instant confirmation
100+ booked
NZ$ 3.45
Tours • Kanazawa
Kanazawa Samurai & Geisha Walk with 2 Craft Studio Visits and Lunch
English guided
Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
50+ booked
NZ$ 150.19
Cultural experiences • Kanazawa
Kanazawa: Samurai Swordsmanship Lesson at a rented temple
English guided
Up to 3 hrs
Private group
Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
★ 4.8
(5) • 100+ booked
NZ$ 135.45
Tours • Kanazawa
Shirakawa-go UNESCO Heritage Winter Tour
Book now for tomorrow
Private tour
Small group
English guided
Free cancellation
★ 3.0
(2) • 50+ booked
NZ$ 222.39
Transport in Kanazawa
Rail passes • From Kanazawa
JR Thunderbird train ticket (Osaka/Kyoto to Kanazawa)
Instant confirmation
★ 4.6
(598) • 30K+ booked
NZ$ 53.65
Summer deal
NZ$ 75.15
Summer deal
NZ$ 375.49
Rail passes • From Takayama
JR Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass
Instant confirmation
★ 4.8
(4,335) • 80K+ booked
NZ$ 212.40
JPY2,800 off
Summer deal
Rail passes • From Osaka
JR Kansai Hokuriku Area Pass
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Instant confirmation
★ 4.8
(1,193) • 20K+ booked
NZ$ 203.85
Car rentals • Kanazawa
Kanazawa car hire | Choose from multiple car models
Instant confirmation
1K+ booked
From
NZ$ 86
NZ$ 94.69
10 off
Buses • Osaka
Highway Bus from Osaka to Takayama
Book now for tomorrow
Free cancellation
Instant confirmation
★ 4.8
(24) • 500+ booked
NZ$ 53.65
Hotels in Kanazawa
From
NZ$ 99.76
NZ$ 100.76
From
NZ$ 110.88
From
NZ$ 61.90
From
NZ$ 130.76
From
NZ$ 50.17
NZ$ 53.77
From
NZ$ 43.84
From
NZ$ 97.36
From
NZ$ 90.60
From
NZ$ 166.84
From
NZ$ 146.75
From
NZ$ 55.48
From
NZ$ 59.45
Kanazawa travel guide
Travel essentials
Malcolm Koh
Klook Team
Things to do
Transport
Malcolm Koh
Transport
Things to do
Klook Team
Transport
Things to do
Klook Team
Reviews of Kanazawa activities
Usuario de Klook
2026-05-03 01:27:51
Fantastic 5.0
Tour was amazing, our guide Kana was super friendly and provided all the info in advance while on the way, so when you arrive you already know what to prioritize and have a map to go around easily. tour starts early but then, when you arrive, is not that crowded which is nice. Better to follow her recommendation and go to the observatory first, when I went after arrival was almost empty but one hour later it was super full and it continued like that the rest of the day. Lunch was great and nice opportunity to try a traditional lunch. Both places were honestly breathtaking and we were super lucky to have a super sunny day. Bus was also great and it honestly felt nice to not have to check 10 times the public info for transport to make sure I was going in the right direction :) . Overall I think the experience is definitely worth it if you are in the area!
郭 **
2026-05-11 16:44:11
Fantastic 5.0
First, I'd like to thank our tour guide, Ms. Anna, for leading us on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route tour on May 8th. From the moment we boarded the bus, she provided very detailed explanations and repeated them in both Chinese and English. It seemed like if there were Japanese participants, she might have even explained it in Japanese again.
She was able to explain the origins of everything, from the history of Tateyama and its scenic spots to the herbs on the Chizushi bento box, which was truly impressive. Furthermore, during the tour, she would always be the first to arrive at the meeting point, holding her flag high, and would frequently offer helpful tips, such as information on limited-edition local products, seating areas, recommended seating positions on public transport, crowd control, and perfect timing. In short, she is a truly admirable person.
Regarding the attractions, I honestly feel we were very lucky. I initially thought it would be a day ruined by heavy rain, as it was pouring heavily on the way to Tateyama Station... My heart sank at that moment. I thought, "How are we going to enjoy anything like this?"
However, from Tateyama Station onwards, the rain stopped. Then, at Murodo, at a crucial moment, there was only fog and wind, but the visibility was still very good, making the experience uniquely enjoyable. The fog even created a snow-like, yet not quite snowy, atmosphere. Besides our own group, I saw many other tourists having a great time.
Later, at Daikanbo, there was no rain or fog when we were at the observation deck or riding the ropeway. We were able to take in the entire panoramic view, which was truly breathtaking. Any photo taken there could easily be a postcard.
At Kurobe Lake and Kurobe Dam, I had heard there would be significant rain, but by the time our group arrived at Kurobe Lake, the rain had stopped, and visibility was incredibly high. The unobstructed view of the dam was another kind of spectacular and magnificent sight. Was our group blessed with some special luck?
Thank you to our tour guide and the hardworking driver. Watching him drive precisely and smoothly on the dark, winding roads on the way back showed his extensive experience. Most of the tourists, including myself, slept soundly.
Thank you to all the staff for providing us with such a wonderful experience on this one-day tour! I would definitely recommend this to friends who aspire to travel independently but also want an easy way to experience the Kurobe Tateyama Alpine Route.
Joshua ***********
2026-01-27 12:19:11
Fantastic 5.0
We had a great experience on the Shirakawa-go, Kenrokuen, and Higashi-Chaya tour. The pace was a bit rushed, but it was exactly what we needed to see all the highlights in just one day. We also really appreciated that the tour started and ended exactly on time.
Huge thanks to our guide Cesar for a very thorough tour, clear instructions, and helpful sightseeing tips. He did a great job keeping everyone on schedule. Shout-out as well to Ikeda-san, our bus driver, for driving safely despite the heavy snow and for kindly lending us his umbrella.
The tour operator was also very responsive to our questions on WhatsApp, which made everything smoother. Overall, a well-organized tour and a great option if you want to cover a lot in one day.
Klook User
2026-06-02 09:47:18
Fantastic 5.0
Had a great time. Our guide Keita took time to give us lots of background info. We did the full day tour that included painting the Daruma and this was a fun activity and a great way to also see parts of Kanazawa. I would definitely recommend this tour.
Lee ********
2026-01-25 09:37:44
Fantastic 5.0
Such a great tour with good enthusiastic guide 小Xi and safe Japanese driver. Big coach was clean and comfortable. The scenery along the way was beautiful. Everything went well. We were very lucky to have a guide who spoke clearly and gave detailed instructions, information and recommendations both verbally and through WhatsApp. The itinerary was excellent with sufficient time at every stop. The tour is self-guided so we enjoyed the flexibility to do what we want and roam around freely based on the many places suggested by 小Xi who WhatsApp the exact location on Google maps to us. He also provided maps and gave food suggestions. We stayed at Hotel MyStays Kanazawa. Rooms are clean and new but very small. Double bed is also very small for two people. Best to ask for twin beds when booking this tour. Breakfast at the hotel was great with a wide spread of local and continental food. Overall we enjoyed this tour very much. Highly recommend this over a day tour to Shirakawago/Takayama.
Klook User
2026-02-26 23:06:15
Fantastic 5.0
Karolina is an awesome guide. she is very knowledgeable and is very friendly and approachable. I highly recommend her.
Klook User
2026-02-20 11:55:04
Great 4.0
The guide was very friendly and happy to answer our every question. It was interesting to see the almost forgotten japanese crafts.
Klook User
2026-06-15 04:09:13
Great 4.0
The trip, the people, the places, the food everything was so great. I just wish we had more time to explore deeper, time wasn’t enough other than that everything was great🙂I would definitely recommend this trip to everyone.
Klook User
2026-05-20 11:07:17
Fantastic 5.0
What an amazing tour! Mike was very a great guide and very knowledgeable about the towns and their history. Some of the small museums has very little information provided, but Mike was able to give us thorough explanations with engaging storytelling. We would never have found out about the wood carving village Inami, but it was such a great place to learn about local history and craft traditions. This tour provide very good value and never upcharged us or surprised us with unknown fees. I would highly recommend the tour to anyone looking to explore beyond Kanazawa.
Quick facts about Kanazawa
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