Home › Kanazawa › How many days
How many days in Kanazawa? 3 days of gardens, teahouse streets and a trip to Shirakawa-go
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Kanazawa was the seat of the Maeda family, one of the richest feudal clans of the Edo period, and because it escaped bombing in the Second World War its teahouse streets, samurai lanes and gardens survive almost intact. It is about 2.5 hours from Tokyo on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. Give it three days: one for Kenroku-en, the castle park and the 21st Century Museum, one for the old districts of Higashi Chaya and Nagamachi and Omicho Market, and one for the mountain village of Shirakawa-go. Kanazawa is compact; most sights are 10-20 minutes apart on foot.
Short answer
Two days covers Kenroku-en, the castle, the museum, Omicho, Higashi Chaya and Nagamachi. A third day adds the thatched farmhouses of Shirakawa-go, about 75-90 minutes away by bus.
The 3-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Kenroku-en, the castle and the 21st Century Museum
Morning. Be at Kenroku-en when it opens (from 7:00 in summer, 8:00 in winter; about ¥320-400), one of the three most celebrated gardens in Japan, with ponds, teahouses and the two-legged Kotoji stone lantern. Walk across the bridge into Kanazawa Castle Park (free), with its rebuilt turrets, gates and the long Gojikken Nagaya storehouse, whose interior you can visit for a few hundred yen.
Afternoon. Walk 5 minutes to the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, a low glass circle, whose permanent works include Leandro Erlich's Swimming Pool, seen from above and below (exhibition tickets about ¥1,200-2,000; the pool's lower level needs a timed ticket). Nearby, the calm D. T. Suzuki Museum honours the Kanazawa-born writer on Zen (about ¥310).
Evening. Eat in Katamachi, the city's restaurant and bar area, or try local oden, a Kanazawa winter tradition with crab and fish cakes simmered in broth, about ¥2,000-4,000 for a meal.
In winter, Kenroku-en's pine trees are tied with yukitsuri, conical ropes that protect branches from heavy snow, from about November to March; the garden is beautiful under snow.
Day 2: Omicho, Higashi Chaya and Nagamachi
Morning. Go to Omicho Market, Kanazawa's main market for about 300 years, at 9:00, for a kaisen-don, a bowl of rice topped with raw seafood, about ¥2,500-5,000. Then walk 15 minutes across the Asano river to Higashi Chaya, a street of wooden teahouses with slatted fronts, where geisha still perform in the evenings.
Afternoon. Visit Shima, an old teahouse open to the public (about ¥500), then try ice cream wrapped in gold leaf: Kanazawa produces nearly all of Japan's gold leaf, and shops in the district show how it is beaten. Walk along the river to Kazue-machi, a quieter teahouse lane, then take the bus to Nagamachi, the old samurai district.
Evening. At Nagamachi, visit the Nomura family house, a samurai residence with a small, lovely garden (about ¥550; closes around 17:00), and walk the earthen-walled lanes beside a narrow canal. Dinner in Kōrinbō or by Kanazawa Station.
Book a tour of Myōryū-ji, the so-called 'ninja temple' in the Nishi Chaya area, with hidden stairs, trapdoors and lookout rooms, in advance; visits are by reservation only (about ¥1,200, mostly in Japanese with an English guide sheet).
Day 3: Shirakawa-go
Morning. Take the highway bus from Kanazawa Station to Shirakawa-go (about 75-90 minutes; around ¥2,600-3,000 one way, book ahead), a UNESCO-listed village of gassho-zukuri farmhouses, with steep thatched roofs shaped like hands pressed together in prayer. Walk 15-20 minutes up to the Shiroyama viewpoint for the classic view of the whole village.
Afternoon. Go inside the Wada House, one of the largest farmhouses, still lived in by the family (about ¥400), to see the silk-worm attic under the roof. Eat hoba miso, miso and vegetables grilled on a magnolia leaf, with Hida beef if you like, about ¥1,500-3,000.
Evening. Return to Kanazawa by bus for dinner at a sushi counter near the station, where local fish such as nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch) are the speciality, or continue to Takayama, about 50 minutes onward by bus.
Shirakawa-go is very crowded from about 10:00 to 15:00. Take the first bus out, or stay a night in a farmhouse inn (minshuku), which needs booking weeks ahead.
Only have 2 days?
With 2 days, do Days 1 and 2 as written and skip Shirakawa-go, or see it on the way to or from Takayama.
Got extra days?
A fourth day can go to the hot-spring towns of Kaga, such as Yamanaka Onsen, about 30-45 minutes by train and bus, or to Gokayama, a quieter village of thatched farmhouses near Shirakawa-go. The Noto peninsula was badly damaged in the January 2024 earthquake; check what has reopened before planning a visit.
Where to stay in Kanazawa
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Hostels and business hotels around Kanazawa Station | By the Shinkansen and the Shirakawa-go buses. | ¥6,000-11,000 |
| Mid-range | Kōrinbō and Katamachi | Between the castle, Nagamachi and the restaurants; walk everywhere. | ¥12,000-22,000 |
| Mid-range | Higashi Chaya machiya | Restored wooden townhouses rented whole, by the teahouse district. | ¥18,000-35,000 |
| Comfort | Ryokan in Kanazawa or Kaga Onsen | Kaiseki dinner and hot-spring baths. | ¥40,000-90,000 |
Getting around
The Hokuriku Shinkansen reaches Kanazawa from Tokyo in about 2.5 hours (around ¥14,000-15,000 one way) and continues to Tsuruga, where trains connect to Kyoto and Osaka. In the city, most sights are 10-20 minutes apart on foot; the Kanazawa Loop Bus and local buses cost about ¥200-300 a ride, with a day pass of about ¥800. Shared bikes are cheap and practical, and IC cards such as Suica work on most buses.
What to eat in Kanazawa
Kanazawa is one of the best seafood cities in Japan, on the cold Sea of Japan. Eat kaisen-don at Omicho, nodoguro sushi, snow crab from about November to March, and amaebi, sweet shrimp. Try jibu-ni, duck stew with wheat gluten, a local classic; Kanazawa curry, thick and dark, served with a fork; and wagashi, the city's traditional sweets with matcha. Sushi lunch sets cost ¥2,500-5,000; a full kaiseki dinner ¥10,000-25,000.
Best time to visit
April, for cherry blossoms at the castle and Kenroku-en, and October to November, for autumn colours, are the best seasons. May and June are mild; July and August are hot and humid, around 30-33°C. Winter is snowy and grey, but it brings the yukitsuri ropes, snow on the gardens and the best crab of the year.
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | ¥4,000 | ¥9,000 | ¥22,000 |
| Food & drink | ¥3,500 | ¥7,000 | ¥15,000 |
| Sights & tickets | ¥1,500 | ¥3,500 | ¥7,000 |
| Local transport | ¥800 | ¥2,000 | ¥4,000 |
| Total per person, per day | about ¥9,800 | about ¥21,500 | about ¥48,000 |
Approximate 2026 prices; Kanazawa charges an accommodation tax of about ¥200-500 per person per night, depending on the room rate, and the Shirakawa-go bus is averaged across the days.
Before you go
Common questions
Is Kanazawa covered by the Japan Rail Pass?
Yes, the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kanazawa and on to Tsuruga is covered by the nationwide Japan Rail Pass, and regional passes such as the Hokuriku Arch Pass may also suit some routes. Since the big price rise in 2023, check whether the pass is still cheaper than individual tickets for your trip.
Can I visit Shirakawa-go as a day trip from Kanazawa?
Yes. Highway buses take about 75-90 minutes each way, and the village can be seen in 3-4 hours. Book bus seats a few days ahead in autumn, winter and holidays. Many travellers instead continue from Shirakawa-go to Takayama, about 50 minutes onward, linking Kanazawa and Takayama in one day.
When can I see geisha in Kanazawa?
Geisha, called geiko here, still work in the teahouses of Higashi Chaya, Nishi Chaya and Kazue-machi, mostly at private evening banquets. Some teahouses offer public performances or experiences on certain dates, bookable through the tourist office. In the streets, keep a respectful distance and never block their path for photos.
Is two days enough for Kanazawa?
Two full days is enough for the city's main sights, which are close together. Three days lets you add Shirakawa-go, go back to Kenroku-en at a different hour, and take time for crafts such as gold leaf, lacquer and Kutani pottery workshops, which are a large part of what makes Kanazawa special.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan may earn a commission; the price you pay is the same. How we make money.