All Kanazawa Tours & Excursions in 2026
What are people saying about Kanazawa
Jane_S, Apr 2026
Fabulous day touring Kanazawa
We had a delightful day from start to finish with Marina. She started our day by taking us to interesting places in the market to eat and clearly explained how things worked there. Not only did she hold our attention for hours while showing us the old world of Geisha and Samurai, but she intelligently answered every one of our questions- & we had a number of not so obvious questions.
Marina’s English is great and very easy to understand. She is warm and lovely to be with. I highly recommend her.
Richard_S, Apr 2026
A tasty and informative afternoon
A really fun, hands-on experience. We cooked a full multi-course meal (and eat it). The instruction was clear and very positive and supportive. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn to cook Japanese food and learn some interesting background to the cuisine.
Christine_W, Apr 2026
Perfect day in 2 very special places
A great experience. Perfectly timed to allow us to walk up to the Observatory and then to the opposite end of the village in Shirakawa-go. Enjoyed a traditional lunch - very tasty including beef and trout - and finally, a leisurely stroll through Gokayama - so calm and tranquil. Comfortable bus and we both actually appreciated the sights both urban and rural on the route as a bonus. The highlight in some ways was our wonderful guide, Kuroda. Excellent English, wry sense of humour which kept us amused, enough commentary without being overwhelming and allowing us to go off to discover the 2 places in our own way. We cannot thank him enough. Arigato gozaimasu.
Kerry_Q, Apr 2026
Excellent tour with our guide Illia
Our guide, ILLIA, was terrific. He was very knowledgeable, his English was excellent and he explained all the history clearly and in an interesting way.
We saw the samurai area, a samurai noble’s house, the Kenrokuen gardens (beautiful!) and more.
Definitely recommend.
Jacek_W, Apr 2026
The trip was amazing.
Our guide was an amazing tour guide. She made an all day tour relaxing, engaging and memorable. Her in-depth knowledge was matched by her sense of humour. Highly recommend if you are looking for a fully organised, stress free orientation of Shirakawa-go and takayama.
gayle12hx, Apr 2026
Fabulous night.
My husband and I had a fantastic evening with Nicola. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the area, the history of the geisha districts, and the nuances of Japanese tradition — we learned so much from him throughout the night. We ended the experience with a delicious traditional meal in a tucked‑away local restaurant we never would have found on our own. The whole evening felt thoughtful, authentic, and genuinely memorable. Thank you so much Nicola.
Douglas_G, Apr 2026
Great way to see Kanazawa
An excellent way to get around Kanazawa, very safe riding with an excellent guide. Several stops along the way. Lots to see but he kept us on time while still allowing time for photos, viewpoints, etc. Very good commentaries from our guide. We had the bikes all day, which was a bonus we didn't realize. So we went back to several sights in the afternoon before returning the bike.
Julie_T, Apr 2026
Exploring beautiful old villages outside Kanazawa.
Despite the wind and rain we loved this experience with Liam as a great guide. The wood carvers village was probably our favourite - fascinating and peaceful. Watching skilled carvers at work was amazing. The Gokayama village areas were very old and very intriguing and it was fun making our own piece of washi paper. Shirakawa-go was bigger and definitely more touristy but fascinating to find out about the history of silk making and how the houses were set up to facilitate this. Thanks for a great day exploring, Liam
Ilene_N, Mar 2026
Mountain villages, lovely spots & yummy ramen!
Masu was a wonderful guide/driver. His English is outstanding. He drove well, the van was comfortable and his plan for the day was great. I highly recommend spending a day with this charming young gentleman. He is very accommodating, kind and knowledgable! What a great day!!!
Megan_J, Mar 2026
Magical morning in the snow with a fantastic guide!
We had a wonderful time on this tour, largely thanks to our guide, Yasushi-san. He was incredibly friendly, personable, and knowledgeable.
The highlight was definitely Shirakawa-go. The tour is timed perfectly—we arrived earlier than the bulk of the crowds, which allowed us to experience the historic village in a much quieter, more peaceful state. Seeing the thatched roofs covered in snow was a "once-in-a-lifetime" experience. Yasushi-san also stationed himself inside one of the house museums to provide extra context and history, which added a lot of value to the visit.
The afternoon in Kanazawa was very enjoyable, though the craft activities were a bit underwhelming for us. The daruma painting was unguided, and the gold leaf postcard activity felt very brief. Despite the crafts being a little simple, the overall experience and the quality of the guiding made this a trip well worth taking!
Brent_L, Nov 2025
Highly recommend this tour!
Aiko (main tour guide) was an enthusiastic, knowledgeable and passionate guide! She was engaging the entire time. Really enjoyed the format of getting the information on the bus before heading into the village to get nearly 2 hours of free time to hike, eat and drink! Highly recommend to take this tour and visit this UNESCO site
Erin_M, Oct 2025
Highly Recommended Private Tour to Shirakawa-go & Takayama
We booked the 1 Day Private Charter Tour to Shirakawa-go & Takayama and had a wonderful experience. Our guide, Ali, was friendly and flexible, happily customising the itinerary to suit our interests. He spoke English very well and made communication easy throughout the day. Ali was also a safe and skilled driver, making the journey comfortable and enjoyable. Highly recommend this tour for a smooth and personalised day trip!
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