Planning a trip to Japan? Kanazawa, the capital of the Ishikawa prefecture, is a historical city with convenient access to Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.
I recommend spending at least two days in Kanazawa, and in this article, you’ll find my exact 2-day Kanazawa travel itinerary featured in the video below. It’s filled with Japan travel tips, things to do, places to eat, and more! I hope you enjoy it!
➡️ READ NEXT: What to Book Before Your Trip to Japan (+ FREE Japan Travel Checklist)
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post at no extra cost to you. These are all products and services I highly recommend. Please read full disclosure here.
2-Day Kanazawa Travel Itinerary
I think one of the best decisions we made was adding one stop before heading back to Tokyo from Kyoto.
Kanazawa, the capital of the Ishikawa prefecture, is a historical city with convenient access to Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.
It is sometimes referred to by people as “Little Kyoto” because of its traditional charm.
So, if you don’t have time to make it out to the Kansai region where Kyoto is located. Kanazawa is a great alternative.
Day One – Travel to Kanazawa & Higashi Chaya
How to get to Kanazawa
You can get to Kanazawa from Tokyo in about two and a half to three hours by train, making it the perfect weekend or two to three-day trip.
The best way to get to Kanazawa from Kyoto is by the JR Thunderbird Limited Express, which takes over two hours to get there.
When purchasing your tickets, you can either choose reserved or unreserved seats. I always recommend getting reserved seats, especially if you have luggage.
I loved the ride between Kyoto and Kanazawa. We saw so many different landscapes and weather variations, even a rainbow!
Purchase a JR Rail Pass to potentially save money while traveling in Japan.
Learn more about Japan rail passes.
📍Kanazawa Station
Kanazawa Station has a unique architectural design that is very modern and pays homage to tradition.
One of its most notable features is the massive wooden gate in the front of the station that’s in the shape of a torii gate with legs designed to resemble the structure of a Japanese hand-held drum.
📍Tokyu Stay Kanazawa
After checking into our hotel, we hopped on the Kanazawa Loop Bus, which stops at all the main sightseeing spots in Kanazawa. A one-day pass is available if you plan to hop on and off the bus all day.
📍Higashi Chaya District
The first stop on our list was the historical tea-house district – Higashi Chaya. It’s the largest of the three well-preserved geisha districts and has been an established entertainment district for rich merchants and nobility since 1820.
Two tea houses are open to the public during the day, and many of the other buildings have been converted into cafes or shops selling gold leaf local crafts.
Kanazawa is actually known as the city of gold. It produces 99% of the gold leaf used in Japan, and you can find many souvenir shops specializing in Kanazawa’s gold leaf lacquerware in Higashi Chaya.
I recommend visiting the area during the day when more stores are open. Although we didn’t get to go into many places, I’m glad we could stroll through and enjoy the historical townscape.
📍Kanazawa Forus
It was a rainy first night in Kanazawa, so we decided to hop on the Loop Bus and grab ramen. We ended up at the mall next to Kanazawa Station and spent the rest of the night indoors exploring.
I was impressed by this mall’s store selection; the Pokemon Center was one of my favorites from this trip.
Places Visited:
- 📍Kanazawa Station
- 📍Tokyu Stay Kanazawa (see availability)
- 📍Higashi Chaya District
- 📍Kanazawa Forus
Day Two – Full Day in Kanazawa
📍Ōmichō Market
We started the day off on a mission to find good coffee. On our way to coffee, we ended up walking past the Omicho Market and decided to pop in for a bit.
Omicho Market is the largest seafood market in Kanazawa.
I’m always amazed walking through these markets because of the variety and sheer size of the seafood found there.
Kanazawa is known for its seafood so definitely add seafood and sushi to your Kanazawa bucket list if you visit!
📍Cafe ASHITO
I didn’t vlog much at the next cafe because it was a small boutique cafe with only a few tables and a small bar seating area. I would definitely go back because the coffee was really good.
(Instagram: @cafe_ashito)
📍Nomura Residence
The first thing we did after we arrived in Nagamachi was walk through a former Samurai estate. The Nomura Residence was the estate of eleven generations of an upper-middle-rank samurai family and is filled with family heirlooms, including samurai swords and armor. The tranquil garden is also a must-see.
📍Nagamachi Samurai District
The Nomura Residence is located in the Nagamachi Samurai District, the neighborhood where the samurai of the Maeda clan once lived during the Edo Period. Narrow lanes and small canals wind through the well-preserved historical neighborhood.
If you visit during the winter, as we did, notice the straw they use to protect the clay walls surrounding the houses from the winter weather.
📍Yanagiya Charaku (柳屋茶楽 金沢)
On our walk, we stumbled upon a soba shop were you can get thick soba that’s made from 100% buckwheat flour, and made fresh daily.
(Instagram: @yanagiya_charaku)
📍Kenrokuen Garden
The Kenroku-en Garden is an example of a strolling-style Japanese landscape garden. It was originally the private outer garden of Kanazawa Castle.
It was built over the span of a hundred years by one of the most powerful families in the country during feudal times, the Maeda family.
The garden opened to the public in 1874 and is named one of Japan’s three most beautiful gardens.
Similar to the straw used on the clay walls, you’ll notice the pine tree branches being held up and supported by ropes in a cone shape. The ropes prevent the branches from breaking under the weight of the heavy Kanazawa snowfalls.
📍Kanazawa Castle Park
Across the way from the garden is Kanazawa Castle Park where you’ll find the partially restored castle and former headquarters of the Maeda clan who occupied the castle for fourteen generations until 1869.
Most of the original castle was destroyed by multiple fires over the centuries due to natural disasters.
The castle has since been restored using original construction techniques.
The park itself and parts of the castle can be freely explored. You can also enter some of the reconstructed buildings and enjoy a fantastic view from the castle windows for a small fee.
The Maeda family ruled over Kanazawa Castle and much of Kanazawa City’s prosperity during those times can be attributed back to them. As the Maeda family prospered, the city became a rich center of culture with gold and silver craftwork, silks, ceramics, and more.
Kanazawa Castle is a proud symbol of the city’s heritage.
📍21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
Kanazawa is a nice blend of historical and cutting-edge contemporary. One of the must-see places to visit is the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art which has rotating exhibitions by world-renowned Japanese and international artists.
You can find lots of interesting contemporary art and stores in the area near the museum as well.
📍Sushi Ippei
I loved our visit to Kanazawa. It was a nice break from the mega-touristy areas, and I enjoyed taking in the beauty of the city’s historical and contemporary architecture and culture.
We rested a bit in a nearby mall before heading to dinner at a small sushi restaurant run by the sushi chef and his wife. Remember, getting sushi in Kanazawa is a must!
Places Visited:
- 📍Ōmichō Market
- 📍Cafe ASHITO
- 📍 Nomura Residence (Samurai House Tour)
- 📍Nagamachi Samurai District
- 📍Kenrokuen Garden
- 📍Kanazawa Castle Park
- 📍21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
- 📍Sushi Ippei
Conclusion
This trip so far has been filled with so much good food and memories. I can’t wait to show you the last two weeks of our trip. I’ll see you in Tokyo!
Watch all the episodes in my ➡️ Japan Travel Series Playlist.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post at no extra cost to you. These are all products and services I highly recommend. Please read full disclosure here.
LINKS
📗 Japan Train (Eki) Stamp Book
✅ Get a FREE “Japan Travel Checklist”
👩🏻💻 “What you need to book BEFORE traveling to Japan”
WATCH NEXT
Japan Travel Checklist: Don’t Miss These Essentials! 🇯🇵
4-Day Fukuoka Travel Itinerary
Leave a Reply