Kanazawa and Shirakawago Full Day Bus Tour

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1

  Meet up at the West Exit Group Bus parking lot. Come to the meeting point at 7:50AM. Our bus will leave at 8AM. *The allotted time for transportation is not included in the total duration of the itinerary. The remaining hours are allotted for the travel time.

  10 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 2

  10:15-11:45 Shirakawa-go ・Gassho style houses, which looks like hands joined in prayer ・This fairytale village is bound to inspire you as one of Japanese most picturesque site ・You can enjoy lunch by yourself at Shirakawa-go village Shirakawago Gassho-zukuri village, which has beautiful retro landscape like the scenery of Japan back in the day, is highly evaluated. It was selected as an important traditional building preservation district in 1976, and in 1995, Shirakawa-go together with Gokayama (In Toyama Prefecture) was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (Cultural Heritage). In recent years, its popularity has increased as it has been registered as a World Heritage Site, and due to the development of the transportation network, many tourists from Japan and all around the world are come to visit every year. Apart from the retro-traditional scenery of Japan back in the good old days, Shirakawago also a place where you can deeply feel the rural culture way of life.

  1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 3

  13:00-14:00 Drive back to Kanazawa, and visit Kenrokuen-garden, ・One of Japan's three most famous gardens ・You can enjoy the beauty of the four seasons Kenrokuen, located in Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture, is a strolling-style landscape garden which is counted as one of the three most famous gardens in Japan, along with Kairakuen in Mito and Korakuen in Okayama. Originally built as the o – outer garden of Kanazawa Castle in 1676, the garden was developed to perfection over generations by the lords of the Maeda clan. This magnificent garden with a vast area of 110,000 square meters has the six desirable qualities for an excellent garden: spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, water-courses and panoramas.

  1 hour • Admission ticket included
• (Pass by)

  Kanazawa Castle was home to the Maeda family during their rule of the Kaga domain (present-day Ishikawa and around). The castle was built in 1580 and has suffered many devastating fires, most recently in 1881. However, some buildings have been faithfully rebuilt. The rebuilt structures include two tall turrets with panoramic views over Kenrokuen Garden and the city of Kanazawa. The Hishi-Yagura turret is diamond-shaped rather than rectangular, a display of the Kaga domain’s wealth and engineering prowess. The two turrets and connecting storehouse were constructed by traditional woodworking methods, but equipped with an elevator and stairlift for added accessibility. The grassy lawns inside the castle walls draw residents and visitors for relaxation and recreation. Gyokuseninmaru Garden, a traditional-style garden, is located on the castle grounds.

  Admission ticket free
• 4

  14:30-15:15 Higashi Chaya district ・Discover one of Kanazawa’s largest geisha districts ・Please Try gorgeous gold leaf ice cream! Gold leaf experience ・You can learn about traditional gold leaf experience. Higashi Chayamachi is like a time-travel zone, allowing visitors to experience the buildings and atmosphere of a geisha house from the samurai era. It is a valuable cultural asset designated by the government as the only existing geisha and teahouse area in Kyoto and Kanazawa. The building is adorned with a distinctive lattice known as a ‘bug cage,’ which allows an inside view to the outside, much like a magical mirror. The teahouse buildings from that era have been preserved, allowing visitors to admire unique features such as the staircase, courtyard, and musical instruments that are not typically found in ordinary houses. You will enjoy Gold leaf, which Kanazawa dominates the market for, is available as a topping for Matcha drinks and sweets!

  45 minutes • Admission ticket included
• 5

  15:30-16:15 Gold leaf experience Gold leaf, which Kanazawa dominates the market for, and you can try making crafts with it! ・You can learn about traditional gold leaf experience ※Depending on the craftsman's schedule, this experience may be making traditional crafts (painting of Daruma dolls).

  45 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 6

  16:30 End of the tour!

  5 minutes • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• The allotted time for transportation is not included in the total duration of the itinerary. The remaining hours are allotted for the travel time.

Tags