Kanazawa Discovery, half day

Discover the best of Kanazawa, the "Golden Swamp", a city of art and history, in one day.

Kanazawa, a little Kyoto, the new pearl of Japan

Kanazawa has hundreds of years of history packed into a small, beautiful city. Take a half day guided tour and find out about not only the major sites, but also info only locals know. By the end of the tour you will know how to spend the rest of your time in Kanazawa, and why it is one of the best towns in Japan.Tours usually start in the lobby of your hotel.

Our guide will meet you at a mutually decided time, and sit down together for a few minutes to talk about the day. If there is anything special you want to see, do, buy, or eat, our guide will try to make it happen, all while giving their own ideas about the best places and things to do that day. Together you will plan out a route for the day, and off you go.Half-day tours can include the following Kanazawa experiences…

Strolling past beautiful shrines often visited by geishas to pray for a good night's work, find yourself thrown into the traditional side of Kanazawa. Down the steps into narrow Japanese streets, you enter an old neighborhood with cafés, 5-star restaurants, geisha houses, and also a wonderful woodblock printing atrio. Here you can find beautiful woodblock originals and calligraphy works by one of the most famous international woodblock artists.

Over the Asanogawa river, which is perhaps one of the most beautiful views in the city, walk from one geisha district to the next. Here you can find one of the most popular streets in the city. Away from the crowds is a beautiful gallery that has some of the nicest and most famous pieces of work from the Ishikawa region. If you are feeling up for it, there is also a geisha house that gives tours where you might not see any geisha, but can see and feel the space within which they work.

Out of the geisha districts, you will make your way down the Asanogawa river to the famous Kenroku-en garden. Here is one of the three most famous gardens in Japan, and you can’t come to Kanazawa and not see the garden. Our guides have lots of knowledge on the garden, so you can enjoy the best spots and get some cool facts about it as well. If anybody in the group is in need of a break, there is a small tea house in the garden where women in kimono serve tea and you can enjoy the tea house’s private garden.

If you want to stick to the traditional, a stroll through Oyama Jinja, the most famous shrine in the city, is a great idea. Just down the road is Omicho Fish Market, where you can grab some of the best fish and sushi in Japan. If the group wants to see downtown Kanazawa, our guides know many local coffee shops, vintage shops, record shops, as well as traditional tea and Kimono stores.

As the half day tour concludes, your guide will be happy to suggest a plan for you for the rest of the day, along with dinner recommendations and anything you need.Come spend an unforgettable half day in Kanazawa!"

Private guided tour of Kanazawa with an English-speaking guide

 Our guides have been living in Kanazawa for many years and enjoy sharing their experience of the area. Being fans of outings and outdoor activities, they will be able to advise you on a good restaurant or inform you about upcoming events and small authentic districts, Korinbo, Katamachi, Nagamachi and of course the Higashi-Chaya and Nishi-Chaya tea house districts. Kanazawa is a beautiful city steeped in centuries of history. Spend a day with a private guide and discover both the city's major sites as well as those that only locals know. At the end of the tour, you will know how to make the most of the rest of your stay in Kanazawa, and understand why it is worth the diversion.

A flexible, personalised tour

Your guide will meet you in front of the Omicho market at 9:00 or 14:00 to start the guided tour, which will last about 4 hours. Travel will be by public transport.

As part of our discovery days, your guide will prepare the best itinerary for you, although we also offer the possibility of contacting your guide beforehand if you have specific requests (parts of the programme you would like to discuss, etc.).

Not included in the offer:

- Transport - Paid admissions

Cancellation policy:

Up to 7 days before: 0%

Between 7 days before and 5:00 p.m.the previous day: 50%

After 5:00 p.m.the previous day and same day: 100%