Kanzawa Two-Day Itinerary
Spent a magical Christmas weekend in Kanazawa with Bunny Hubby <3
Here is your 2-day Kanazawa itinerary, where the history and tradition of Kaga Hyakumangoku are preserved. I highly recommend getting the two-day bus pass. Hop on and off any bus!
What you need:
One-Day City Bus Pass More info here 800 yen per adult
Some trains don’t accept cash and some do. It’s a headache, so just show this pass to the driver when you get off. You don’t need to grab a ticket.
About Kanazawa
It is the largest city in the Hokuriku region, about three hours from Tokyo on the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
Kanazawa produces 99% of Japan’s gold flakes.
Hotel we stayed at:
Hotel Kanazawa Nikko (5-star)
Executive room ホテル日航金沢
IG @hotelnikkokanazawa is a luxury high-rise hotel boasting 30 floors, located just a 3-minute walk from JR Kanazawa Station.
With guest rooms situated on the 17th floor and above, you can enjoy the beautiful cityscape and night views of Kanazawa at the Jazz lounge.
Offers eight restaurants prepared by renowned chefs.
This is recommended for those who seek the hotel luxury experience as part of their trip. Treat yourself!
Official website: https://www.hnkanazawa.jp/en/
Super Hotel Kanazawa Premier (2/3-star)
Don’t underestimate this 2-star hotel. Super Hotel is my favorite budget hotel because their service is top-notch and very convenient location to the station.
Their premier hotels include a public bathhouse. All hotels have authentic Japanese breakfast for an additional cost.
This is recommended for those who are planning to stay outside all day.
DAY 1
Arrived Kanazawa around 12 noon. Check in hotel, leave bags
Lunch time 1pm
Walk or bus to Omicho Market for fresh seafood and more
Omicho Market | 近江町市場
The BEST Kaisendon I’ve ever had!
I don’t recommend the crab with rice underneath… Just Ala carte it
The Ikura bowl (fish eggs) looked really good! I should’ve gotten that instead…
Google Map: Yamasan Sushi | 山さん寿司 本店
Then… we walked the rest to the Kanzawa Castle and Japanese garden since we used the bus pass from tomorrow
1500 yen Kanazawa Craft Beer. The gold flake is purely for decoration and it will get on your lips lol.
Gyokusenin Maru Garden | 玉泉院丸庭園 2pm
We were only able to overlook this garden. It was closed. There is also a tea house.
Kanazawa Castle | 金沢城 2:30pm
Behind the garden, there is the Kanazawa Castle. There were construction at the time. Lots of walking!
More info: https://www.pref.ishikawa.jp/siro-niwa/kanazawajou/e/
I suggest reading about the points of interest on the website here before coming here to avoid walking in circles. The castle also lights up at night.
Samurai Town | Nagamachi District
長町武家屋敷跡 3pm
Ride the bus and get off near Nagamachi District. This village is home to former samurai homes, shops and restaurants. There were no crowds at all and we had the whole road to ourselves!
I wanted to have an ice cream or at least a matcha latte, but I was so full from lunch!
There is also a tourist information center if you need to use the bathroom.
Ashigaru Museum | 金沢市足軽資料館 3:30pm
Small museum featuring 2 Edo period homes & a garden that portray the life of samurai foot soldiers. Make sure to wear socks! Free to enter!
Oyama Shrine | 尾山神社 4:30pm
Beautiful Shinto shrine that mixes Western, Japanese and Chinese influences. I’ve never seen a shrine with glass windows…
Bunny Hubby and I always fight, even on trips. I got an omamori lucky charm for happy marriages to get me through this vacation…it worked, but only for one day HAHA!
Bus back to the hotel and freshen up for dinner, maybe sneak in a power nap
Dinner & Jazz Lounge at hotel 8-10pm
DAY 2
Start your day with hotel breakfast. Amazing line-up of Japanese and western dishes. Egg chef on standby! Hotel Kanazawa Nikko allows check out til 12 noon, so we took full advantage of that.
12:15 pm Go to the bus stop at Kanazawa Station
Myoryuji Temple (Ninja House) 12:30 - 1:30pm
We did not make reservations. We just showed up and waited about 10 minutes for our slot. Use the phone near the reception desk to book the 1-hr tour of this Ninja House-Temple. Learning about how ninjas operated was my favorite part of my Kanazawa trip.
Walk over to Nishi Chaya District | にし茶屋街 1:40pm
It was empty on a weekend, some shops were closed, but really good spot to take photos without the crowd!
Ninja Weapon Museum | 忍者武器ミュージアム 2:15-2:45pm
Pay the small admission and you can attempt to throw ninja shuriken and check out upstairs to see all the secret weapons and armors they used. No reservation is necessary, just walk-in!
Cost: 1100 yen per adult (admission + shuriken throw)
This was really hard to throw! None of us made it.
Is it worth it? Mmmm… I would skip it.
Google Map: Ninja Weapon Museum
Mizuhiki Museum | 自遊花人水引ミュージアム 3-4pm
Admission is 500 yen per adult. Photos and videos ok.
There is also a workshop and gift shop. Bunny Hubby bought me lots of jewelry here as my Christmas present.
Website: https://peraichi.com/landing_pages/view/jiyukajinmizuhikimuseum/
Itaya Confectionary Shop | 板屋 本店 5:00pm (closes at 5:30pm)
This is a “Komokaburi”. Azuki and Chestnut Maron inside! 335 yen each
When we arrived, he was still finishing up batches to box for tomorrow. It was really cool to observe how he makes it in front of you. It’s been passed down from generation to generation. I wanted to come because it looks like bunny ears.
I was lucky to meet and speak with the 6th generation confectionary owner (Soma Itamura) of his family business. He makes about 500 of these a day. I bought my family back home a few boxes. He went viral on Youtube and appeared on magazines and TV programs.
Google Map: Itaya ( Hours: 9-5:30pm)
Head back to hotel for dinner nearby
Checking in to our Super Hotel Premier Kanazawa just in time for Happy Hour!
5-8pm Pre-game before dinner
Snag your pillows
Dinner at the counter 7pm
The first two restaurants we planned to go were booked. We just walked in to this one. Our bill was less than 10,000 yen which was unbelievable for two! Many side dishes and Bunny Hubby had at least 4 drinks! The owner was so nice, he gave me a muscat grape sorbet for dessert on the house! Maybe because we ordered a lot and we were from Tokyo?
Time to head back to the hotel and soak in the bath
DAY 3
Breakfast and bath at the hotel 8am
Leave your bags at the hotel and check out
I can always count on Super Hotel for a good night’s sleep
Japanese and western breakfast
Ride bus from Kanagawa Station
Higashi Chaya Geisha District
So much walking… coffee break
Very quiet and serene in this hidden shop. I was able to check my emails and social media (which I really shouldn’t be during a vacay).
Google Map: Tableware shop ＆ cafe 白磁 hakuji
Soba Lunch (hot or cold)
The staff and Bunny Hubby looked at me strange because I wanted cold soba during the dead of winter. Why not?? It has gold flakes.
Would you pay 5000 yen for a gold face mask?
Kenrokuen Garden | 兼六園
More walking! 320 admission fee. The garden is huge… This bridge is the prettiest photo spot btw!
Ishiura Shrine | 石浦神社
Ishiura Shrine is the oldest shrine in Kanazawa. There’s a mascot called "Kima-chan". Polka dot design on lucky charms mean “All is well.”
There was construction when I went. The Torii gates were pretty and it would make a nice clear shot if you were not able to do that in crowded Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari.
Take Kanazawa Loop Bus (Right Loop) at bus terminal 7 at the east exit of Kanazawa Station. (18m) Get off at Hirosaka/21st Century Museum.
21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
Please be sure to reserve your tickets online. The famous swimming pool is a timed entry. You only have about 7 minutes to get in and out.
Another museum nearby that I did not get the chance to go to. Probably less people there. https://www.ka-mu.com
Splurged on Sushi & Crab for Dinner 5pm
Grabbed our bags from Super Hotel and went straight to our early dinner.
Bunny Hubby did not want to go back to Tokyo unless he had Kanazawa’s sushi and crab. We splurged on our Christmas dinner (28,000 yen). He had a good time, that’s all that matters…
Crab sashimi is a delicacy!
Google Map: Akamesushi | あかめ寿し 加賀料理
Ride bullet train back to Tokyo at Kanagawa Station 7:30pm
Got home by 10pm…
