Kanazawa is a jewel of a city, known for its Edo-period Chaya districts, its former samurai houses and Kenroku-en, one of the country’s top three gardens.
Two days in Kanazawa is enough time to hit its highlights at a relaxed pace, and this itinerary covers exactly how to do it, day by day. If you are pressed for time, I have also flagged how to compress this into a single busy day.
I have included how to get to Kanazawa, how to get around once you are there and where to stay.
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A Brief History of Kanazawa
Kanazawa flourished for 300 years under the Maeda family and their samurai, who governed the Kaga domain through the Edo period. The city was spared the destruction of the Second World War, which is why its Edo-era streets still sit alongside its modern buildings today.
It is recognised by UNESCO as a City of Crafts and Folk Art, and its gold leaf production technique is listed as intangible cultural heritage, which explains why gold turns up in everything from souvenirs to ice cream.
My Suggested 2-Day Kanazawa Itinerary
Kanazawa’s must-see sights cluster around Kanazawa Castle Park, around two kilometres from Kanazawa Station.
Day one covers the castle area, including Kenroku-en and the Nagamachi Samurai District. Day two covers Omi-cho Market, two contemporary museums and the city’s geisha districts.
DAY ONE: Kanazawa Station, Kenroku-en, Kanazawa Castle Park, Oyama Jinja Shrine, Nagamachi Samurai District
DAY TWO: Omi-cho Market, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Ishiura Jinja Shrine, D.T. Suzuki Museum, Kazue-machi Chaya District, Higashi Chaya District
You can walk between most of these sights, with 10-15-minute bus journeys filling any gaps.
If you only have one day in Kanazawa, follow day one and add Kazue-machi Chaya and Higashiyama in the late afternoon.
Day 1: Gardens and Samurai
Day one takes in one of Japan’s most celebrated gardens, a shrine with one of the country’s more unusual gates, and a stroll through the old samurai district.
Take the JR Kenrokuen Shuttle or the Kanazawa Loop Bus from Kanazawa Station, itself worth a look, to Kenroku-en. From there, everything else is an easy walk.
Kanazawa Station
Suggested time: 15 minutes
Kanazawa Station mixes a futuristic glass and aluminium roof, designed to collect rainwater for the plaza’s plants and fountains, with the handcrafted wooden Tsuzumi Gate outside, built in the shape of a traditional shrine gate. The Tourist Information Centre here is one of the most helpful I have come across across 30+ years of solo travel.
Kenroku-en
Suggested time: 1 – 2 hours
Originally the outer garden of Kanazawa Castle, Kenroku-en is one of Japan’s most beautiful gardens.
Its name comes from the six qualities of a classical Chinese garden: seclusion, spaciousness, antiquity, human ingenuity, abundant water and scenic views. Kenroku-en delivers all six.
From the southern edge there are wide views over Kanazawa. Streams cross the garden under stone bridges, and the Karasakinomatsu pines have been trained skyward for well over a century. A plum grove of 200 trees across 20 varieties puts on a dazzling colour display each spring.
At Hisagoike Pond, a cherry blossom tree casts its reflection in still, moss-green water. The 18th-century Yugao-tei tea house looks over the pond, which has a small fir-planted island at its centre and the Midori-taki Waterfall nearby for company. Just add birdsong.
Address: 1 Kenrokumachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0936
Admission: Fee applies
Stop for a gold-leaf ice cream
Before Kanazawa Castle, pick up a gold-flake ice cream from one of the sellers outside the garden. Gold turns up in a lot of local food here, including a beef curry finished with gold leaf, but the ice cream is the classic.
A word of warning: mine was gone within seconds of being lifted for a photo, plucked clean off the cone by a passing seagull.
Kanazawa Castle Park
Suggested time: 1 hour
Kanazawa Castle was built in 1580 and was home to the Maeda clan for fourteen generations before fire destroyed most of it in the late 19th century. What you see today is a reconstruction
The best use of your time here is a walk through Kanazawa Castle Park to Gyokusen’inmaru Garden, laid out in 1634 and landscaped by successive lords of the Kaga domain. It is built around a pond with three small islands linked by low wooden and stone bridges.
Insider tip: the best view of the garden is from the visitor centre. One of the attendants there gave me an origami crane with its own little certificate, and taught me how to say thank you in Kanazawa: anayato.
Address: 1-1 Marunouchi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0937
Admission: Free to enter the park and Gyokusen’inmaru Garden
Oyama Jinja Shrine
Suggested time: 15 minutes
Built in 1599 for Maeda Toshiie, the first lord of the Kaga clan, this unassuming shrine is best known for its main gate, added in 1875 by a Dutch architect. It mixes European and Japanese religious styles and carries Dutch-style stained glass on its top level, once used as a lighthouse. There is also a peaceful pond garden behind it.
Address: 11-1 Oyamamachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0918
Admission: Free
Nagamachi Samurai district
Suggested time: 1 – 2 hours
Nagamachi was once home to the samurai who served the Maeda family, and its cobbled lanes, canals and former residences tell of that history. The Nomura Clan Samurai Home (Nomura-ke) is the best of these to visit, with its armour and period furniture on display alongside a small inner garden and tea house.
Address: 1 Chome-3-32 Nagamachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0865
Admission: Fee applies
Day 2: Food, Philosophy and Geisha
Day two starts at one of Japan’s best food markets, takes in two museums and ends in the geisha district.
Walk to Omi-cho Market, or take the JR Kenrokuen Shuttle or Kanazawa Loop Bus from the station.
Omi-cho Market
Suggested time: 15 – 30 minutes
Known locally as Kanazawa’s kitchen, Omi-cho Market has been around for 300 years and packs around 170 stalls and restaurants selling seafood, vegetables and fruit into a fascinating maze.
Most shops open between 9 am and 5.30 pm, with many closed on Sundays or Wednesdays and over the New Year holidays
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
Suggested time: 1 – 2 hours
I confess that I don’t really get modern and contemporary art, so the fact that I was bowled over by Kanazawa’s 21st century Museum of Contemporary Art speaks volumes.
It was designed as a park where people can gather, with exhibits spilling out into that outdoor space rather than staying behind glass. The best-known piece is The Swimming Pool by Argentinian artist Leandro Erlich, where visitors appear to stand underwater when viewed from above
Address: 1-2-1 Hirosaka, Kanazawa City, Ishikawa
Admission: Free for the public zone, fee applies for the exhibition zone
Ishiura Jinja Shrine
Suggested time: 15 minutes
Across the road from the museum, this small shrine dates back to the Tensho era, when it served seven villages in the Ishiura district. It was moved to its current site in the late 19th century. It does not look like much from the road, but its vermilion torii, strewn with omikuji fortune papers, is worth the detour.
D.T. Suzuki Museum
Suggested time: 1 hour
This small museum dedicated to Daisetz Suzuki, the Kanazawa-born philosopher who introduced Japanese Zen thought to the West, was one of my favourite stops in the city.
Designed by architect Taniguchi Yoshio, it is built as three connected buildings and three gardens, the Vestibule Garden, the Roji Garden and the Water Mirror Garden. The whole space is built for quiet reflection rather than a quick walk-through.
Address: 3 Chome-4-20 Hondamachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0964
Admission: Fee applies
Kazue-machi Chaya district
Suggested time: 15 minutes
Kanazawa has three traditional entertainment districts, often referred to as geisha districts. Nishi Chaya is the smallest one; Higashi Chaya (East Chaya) is the largest and most popular one; and Kazue-machi Chaya is the second largest.
Its Edo buildings, with their wooden facades and lattice windows lining the Asano River, make a great photo opportunity. This district is also more tranquil than the popular Higashi Chaya on the other side of the river.
Higashi Chaya district (Higashiyama)
Suggested time: 1 hour (longer if shopping or stopping her for dinner)
The best thing to see in Kanazawa is saved until last for a very good reason.
Higashiyama looks good at any hour, but it is at its best in the late afternoon, when the sun turns golden and lanterns begin to light the Edo-period houses along its narrow streets. Watch for a geisha hurrying to her next appointment if you are lucky.
The district is full of craft shops worth browsing for gifts, and there is a good spread of restaurants if you want to end the day with dinner somewhere with a bit of history behind it.
Kanazawa Tips and Practical Information
Getting there
BY TRAIN: Kanazawa is well connected by rail to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, and all routes are covered by the Japan Rail Pass, although it is no longer the bargain it once was.
- From Takayama: change at Toyama for the shinkansen or a local train; allow over 3 hours in total.
- From Tokyo: the Kagayaki shinkansen takes 2 hours 30 minutes (reservations compulsory); the slower Hakutaka takes closer to 3 hours.
- From Nagano: just over an hour on the Kagayaki, or under 90 minutes on the Hakutaka.
- From Kyoto or Osaka: just over 2 hours on the JR Thunderbird limited express, no reservation needed.
- From Toyama: around 20 minutes on the Tsurugi or Hakutaka shinkansen.
BY HIGHWAY BUS: This is useful if you are also visiting Shirakawa-go or Takayama. The Nohi Bus Takayama-Shirakawa-go/Kanazawa line takes 2 hours 15 minutes from Takayama.
BY PLANE: Komatsu Airport (KMQ) serves Haneda, Sapporo, Sendai, Fukuoka, Naha and a handful of Asian cities. A bus links the terminal to the airport railway station in 12 minutes, then it is a further 30 minutes to Kanazawa Station.
Getting around
Kanazawa has no subway, but its bus network covers everything you need.
The Kanazawa Loop Bus has English announcements and displays, and connects the station to every stop on this itinerary. Its runs every 15 to 20 minutes from 8:30am to 6pm in two directions – right and left loops – and the flat fare is 220 yen in 2026.
A one-day pass costs 800 yen, covers unlimited rides on both tourist buses and regular city buses, and gets you discounted entry to several attractions. Buy it at the station’s Tourist Information Centre or the Hokutetsu Ekimae Centre. IC Cards and contactless payment are also accepted.
The JR Kenrokuen Shuttle is a faster way to travel between Kanazawa Station and Kenrokuen Garden. It is free if you are a JR Pass holder.
You can also hire a bike through Machi-nori, the city’s self-service bike scheme, unlocked with a credit card at docking stations around the city. Taxis are easy to find but not cheap, and you should not need one.
Where to stay
As a large city, Kanazawa is not short of places to stay. For convenience, I recommended staying near Kanazawa Station.
Hotel MyStays Premier Kanazawa: This 4-star hotel, a ten-minute walk from Kanazawa Station, was one of my favourite places to stay during this trip to Japan. The room was huge by Japanese standards, with fabulous views and a separate lounge area, and at a price that was reasonable for the standard of the hotel.
Dormy Inn Kanazawa Natural Hot Spring: I’m a big fan of this budget hotel chain, and Dormy Inn Kanazawa Natural Hot Spring is close to the train station, has open-air and indoor hot-spring baths, and a sauna. There is also a coin-operated laundrette and complimentary coffee is available in the lobby in the afternoon and evening.
Hotel Nikko Kanazawa: Stretching the travel budget a little further, this 5-star hotel slap-bang in front of Kanazawa Station has garnered stellar reviews. The beds are reportedly super comfy, and there are panoramic views from the rooms.
Guided Tours and Experiences
This Kanazawa itinerary is built to be done independently, but if you are short on time or want a more social or hands-on experience, GetYourGuide is my go-to platform for booking activities, usually with generous cancellation terms.
Guided walking tour of Kanazawa: a customisable walk through the city with a local guide.
Kanazawa night tour with meal: an after-dark walk through the geisha district with a full-course dinner included.
Is Kanazawa Safe for Solo Travellers?
Japan is among the safest solo travel destinations in Asia, with a low crime rate and a culture that takes pride in order. If you are a woman travelling alone, it should be high on your list of first-time solo travel destinations.
That holds for Kanazawa too. Use common sense, keep an eye on your belongings, go easy on the alcohol and let someone at home know your plans, and you should have no trouble here.
A Final Word
Kanazawa is sometimes billed as Little Kyoto, which undersells it.
It has the temples, the traditional architecture and the geisha districts that comparison suggests, but its samurai houses, one of Japan’s finest gardens and a surprisingly good contemporary art museum give it a different feel to Kyoto. Two days here is enough to see why it deserves a spot on your Japan itinerary in its own right.
About Bridget
Bridget Coleman has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.
Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.
To get in touch, email her at hello@theflashpacker.net or follow her on social media.