This Ultimate Two Day Kanazawa Itinerary covers all the key sights in Kanazawa.
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Experiencing the Best Culture and Gourmet Kanazawa has to Offer
Ultimate Two Day Kanazawa Itinerary
See MoreThe Kanazawa of Times Gone By
Discover Kenrokuen, Higashi Chaya District, and the 21st Century Museum
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Culture
Gourmet
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This itinerary covers the key locations that require a bit of traveling to get to. While many of central Kanazawa's attractions are easily walkable to one another, the ones on this list usually require a bus ride to access.
We'll start off at Nagamachi (長町武家屋敷跡, Nagamachi Bukei Yashiki Ato), the location of the old samurai residences, then check out the Ninjadera (忍者寺), a temple decked out in traps, stroll through the Higashi Chaya District (ひがし茶屋街, Higashi Chaya Machi), and lastly try out some omakase sushi at Kourin Sushi (香りん寿司, Kōrin Sushi).
We recommend getting a One Day Bus Pass, as we will be riding the bus multiple times.
Itinerary Details
Start off at Kanazawa Station
Recommended Time:
09:00
金沢駅
Kanazawa Station
北陸新幹線
Hokuriku Shinkansen
IRいしかわ鉄道線
IR Ishikawa Railway Line
Head to Kenrokuen
Est.
09:00
20 mins
20 mins
Kanazawa Station
to
Kenrokuen
Est.
09:20
1.5 hours
Kenrokuen (兼六園)
Explore one of Japan's Best Gardens
One of Japan's Three Great Gardens (日本三名園, Nihon San-mei-en), Kenrokuen was named for the six (六, Roku) attributes of a perfect landscape: spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, waterways, and panoramas. The garden was built over 200 years under the Maeda Clan (前田氏, Maeda-shi) from the 1600s to the 1800s. There is a simple beauty to the garden, from its expansive ponds, simple streams, beautiful trees and teahouses.
Head over to the Higashi Chaya District
Est.
10:50
9 mins
1 min
¥200
Bus 11, 12, & 16
Kenrokuen
to
Higashi Chaya District
Est.
11:10
1.5 hours
Ushioya Higashi Chaya (潮屋 茶屋街)
Try out the unique local dish Buri Tataki
Ushioya is a popular shop specializing in kaisendon (海鮮丼, Seafood rice bowl). Their signature item is the buri (ブリ, Young Yellowtail) tataki (たたき, Broiled), a dish that they pioneered after being inspired by Kochi’s katsuo tataki (鰹たたき, Seared Bonito).
Est.
12:40
1 hour
Higashi Chaya District (ひがし茶屋街)
Explore this old tea district
The Higashi Chaya District is one of the best neighborhoods to explore in Kanazawa, with its traditional ambience, and wide variety of shops and restaurants. This district filled with geisha-ya (芸者屋, Geisha House) that have a beautiful traditional appearance, a two-storey building with a wooden lattice structure outside the door known as the kimisuko (木虫籠), and tatami (畳) guest rooms on the second floor.
Est.
13:40
1 hour
Cafe Tamon (Cafe たもん)
Shake those fluffy pancakes
Cafe Tamon is nestled within one of the beautiful old teahouses in the Higashi Chaya District (ひがし茶屋街, Higashi Chaya Machi), and specializes in rice-flour fluffy Japanese pancakes (パンケーキ, Pankēki). With a strong commitment to the environment and supporting local businesses, many of Cafe Tamon’s ingredients are locally and sustainably sourced.
Est.
14:40
1 hour
Higashi Chaya District (ひがし茶屋街)
Roam more of the district
The Higashi Chaya District is one of the best neighborhoods to explore in Kanazawa, with its traditional ambience, and wide variety of shops and restaurants. This district filled with geisha-ya (芸者屋, Geisha House) that have a beautiful traditional appearance, a two-storey building with a wooden lattice structure outside the door known as the kimisuko (木虫籠), and tatami (畳) guest rooms on the second floor.
Est.
15:40
30 mins
Closed on Thu
and Kanazawa Cafe (アンド金沢カフェ)
Take a coffee break in a refurbished machiya
and Kanazawa is a low-key cafe located slightly off-the-beaten path from the popular areas of the Higashi Chaya District (ひがし茶屋街, Higashi Chaya Machi). The cafe features a beautiful modern industrial aesthetic, fused with traditional Japanese wooden elements from the original machiya (町家, Traditional wooden townhouse). The understated nature of the cafe really comes through with the food. While things like the thick toast might look boring and plain at first, the moment you bite into one, the fluffiness of the bread, the perfect saltiness of the butter on top, and the crisp outer layer will leave you wanting for more. This is really a hidden gem cafe that is not to be missed in the Higashi Chaya District.
Head over to the 21st Century Museum
Est.
16:10
7 mins
7 mins
¥200
Loop Bus (Left Loop)
Higashi Chaya District
to
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
Est.
16:25
1.5 hours
Closed on Mon
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art (金沢21世紀美術館)
Indulge in your artistic side
Head over to Kourin Sushi
Est.
17:55
11 mins
4 mins
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
to
Kourin Sushi
Est.
18:15
1.5 hours
Closed on Wed-Wed, Sun
Kourin Sushi (香りん寿司)
Get an omakase sushi meal
A popular local sushi (寿司) shop that has existed since 1951, Kourin Sushi is best known for its cheap omakase (お任せ, Chef's Selection) sushi. Omakase is typically a costly affair, costing around ¥6,000 at the cheapest for the chef to pick their selection of sushi to be served.
Take the bus back to Kanazawa Station
Est.
19:45
8 mins
6 mins
500m
Kourin Sushi
to
Musashigatsuji・Omicho Market (武蔵ヶ辻・近江町市場)
2 mins
Musashigatsuji・Omi-cho Market (武蔵ヶ辻・近江町市場)
to
Kanazawa Station
End off at Kanazawa Station
Est.
20:05
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