• Private Tour
• Instantly Confirmed
• Carbon Neutral

Want to see the best of Kanazawa? We got you covered. But as you can expect from a Withlocals experience, the real excitement is its hidden gems. Join your favorite local and get a feeling of the city's real vibe on a tour that has it all, so you can say: I experienced the real Kanazawa!

Destination

Kanazawa, Japan

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

3 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, 日本語, Español, Deutsch, Français

Included

• Private Guide
• 1 Local Snack or Drink
• All Withlocals Tours are Carbon Neutral

Excluded

• Entrance to attractions

What you can expect

Choose your local

Get to know these 6 passionate locals, each bringing unique perspectives and talents. Choose your favorite, check their availability, and book to create an unforgettable adventure tailored to you.

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with the host of your choice.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at Outside in front of the Cafe Murakami Nagaya-Mon Shop - Kanazawa to start your journey

   View on Maps

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Nagamachi Exploring

   This Kanazawa tour takes you to explore Nagamachi, where you can see another area of the city. Check out its highlights and hidden gems and its many interesting insights that will show you Nagamachi at its best!

4. Area Highlights

   See from Ishiura Shrine, Kanazawa Shrine, Nomura Samurai House, and other landmarks and must-sees of the city. Your local host will take you to the main spots in town so you can get the perfect overview of what makes Kanazawa so unique

5. Hidden Gems

   Along the way, your local host will show you treasures hidden in plain sight that only the locals know about. Get to know the city through a different perspective, the local way, and discover places and stories that not many tourists experience

6. Magical Storytelling

   Behind every landmark and every stop, there’s a story, and your local host is ready to tell it all. Get ready to listen to incredible stories, one-of-a-kind insights, and fun facts only a knowledgeable local would know!

7. Special Treat

   Follow your host to one of their favorite eateries for a snack or a drink beloved by the locals. Take a break and catch up with your new local friend and get the answers to all your travel questions

8. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Kirstin

(About local Selda)

12 June 2025

We had a wonderful morning with Selda - she knows so much about history and society of the old Kanazawa - and answered all our questions on contemporary issues, too! A great experience, highly recommended. Selda speaks pristine English, so communication was very easy. The next day, Selda even sent us some information she had researched regarding some of our questions, so really exceeded our expectations. Thanks again, Selda!Knowledgeable and Fun

Gabby🇺🇸 United States

(About local Raphaël)

7 June 2025

We had only 2 days in Kanazawa and booked Raphaël on a whim and I’m so glad we did. Raphaël took our requests seriously and filled our 3-hour tour with all things we wanted to see and do. He has a vast knowledge of Kanazawa and was able to answer most of our (many) questions. And if he didn’t know something, you knew he was going to look it up later for the next tour. Raphaël took us to the quieter parts of town and stopped by local artisan shops at my request. While Raphaël is not from Japan, you could tell how much he respects the culture and wants to learn as much about it as he can. At the end of the day, I would recommend Raphaël as a tour guide to anyone and wish we had more time with him. Highlight of Kanazawa

Harley🇫🇷 France

(About local Yoji)

6 June 2025

Had a great time exploring Kanazawa with Yoji. Being a local, he really knows the area well and took us to some interesting places that we wouldn’t have found on our own. Yoji was knowledgeable about the city’s history and culture, and it was nice getting his perspective on different spots around town. He showed us places that felt more authentic than the usual tourist areas. Overall, it was a good experience and we’d book with him again if we’re back in the area. Would recommend for anyone wanting to see Kanazawa through local eyes.Kanazawa Tour with Yoji

christine

(About local Raphaël)

2 June 2025

We recently had an enjoyable afternoon walking Kanazawa with Raphael, he is very knowledgeable about the history and obviously has a passion for the area We certainly learnt a lot of interesting things that you would not know or find if walking solo Thanks RaphaelKanazawa tour with Raphael

Corinna

(About local Lucy)

31 May 2025

Wir haben eine private 3-stündige Führung gebucht, nicht ganz billig, aber jeden Cent (Yen) wert. Egal, ob Gärten, Samuraihäuser oder die Viertel der Geishas - Lucy hat uns alles gezeigt und erklärt. Tolle Führung in Kultur und Geschichte

Vladimir and Zena🇺🇸 United States

(About local Raphaël)

23 May 2025

Review We had a great time with Rafael touring Kanazawa. He gave us a wonderful introduction to the history of Kanazawa, showing around Higashi Chaya District, but also giving us some ideas and highlights for visiting Kenroku-en garden, Kanazawa Castle, Naga-macho Buke Yashiki district, and sharing so many interesting stories and insights about the local history and past and present culture. We truly appreciated Rafael’s very personal and easy going attitude. Overall, a great experience. We liked Kanazawa before but liked even more after tour with Rafael. Highly recommended to anyone visiting the city!Great experience with Rafael in kanazawa

Thomas 🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Raphaël)

19 May 2025

Raph gave us extensive information on Kanazawa, its religion and history. It was an entertaining tour and we would book Raph for sure again. We easily can recommend him as a formidable guide.Excellent knowledgable Tour

Anthony

(About local Selda)

16 May 2025

Your was really good - covered a lot of historical information that is always appreciated when visiting new places. Selda clearly has a broad background and was able to answer all of our questions. Highly recommend. Awesome tour and ao knowledgeable

Unknown

(About local Lucy)

15 May 2025

Lucy gave us a very enjoyable guided walk around the Samurai and Geisha districts. She provided plenty of historical and contemporary background as we meandered through the historic areas.A great introduction to Kanazawa

Julian🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Lucy)

14 May 2025

This is our first trip to Kanazawa, although not our first trip to Japan. Lucy met us at our hotel and asked us if we had any particular things that we would like to see and do in Kanazawa. As per our request, she took us to both the Geisha and Samurai districts. Lucy was very friendly and easy to talk to. Her knowledge of the area was excellent and she made the whole experience both educational and enjoyable. She was exactly what we were looking for in a local expert. Our whole group of 4 were thrilled with the experience and we would have no hesitation in recommending Lucy to anyone interested in learning more about Kanazawa and the region in general.A Fabulous Day in Kanazawa

Marianne🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Yoji)

14 May 2025

After the bad experience at Tokio, it was so nice to have an excellent guide from „with locals!“ Yoji is very friendly and professional! He knows a lot and we have had a lot of fun! Great experience

FELTS 🇫🇷 France

(About local Raphaël)

11 May 2025

Raphaèl est tres attentif à repondre à toutes les questions avec précision et anecdotes. Par son intermédiaire nous avons perçu la culture japonaise et découvert de bonnes adresses à Kanazawa.Approche sur mesure

Persa🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Selda)

8 May 2025

This was the first time I organised a private tour, totally appreciated it and will do it again. Selda was on time, helpful, easy-going & very informative & may I add very compromising when I mixed up the times. It was really worthwhile doing it this way. I would highly recommend!! A big thank you to Selda.Informative & relaxed

Belen🇳🇱 Netherlands

(About local Selda)

4 May 2025

Don’t miss your chance of spending some hours with Selda exploring Kanazawa. It rained, we were late, one of us had just got sick and Selda was very quick suggesting how to best spend the time. We walked the Samurai and Geiko quarters, not only she knows a lot and shares it in really nice way, it just felt like walking and talking with someone you already know. Selda also gave me afterwards quite some practical info about next destinations. Would repeat any time and recommend her full heartedly. Don’t miss your chance!

Isabell🇯🇵 Japan

(About local Lucy)

28 April 2025

Auf einer dreistündigen Tour durch Kanazawa hat uns Lucy ihre Stadt näher gebracht und uns tief eintauchen lassen. Sie wusste vieles über Vergangenheit und Geschichte zu erzählen, und wir (Kinder & Erwachsene) konnten alle unsere Fragen stellen. Wie war das mit dem Shogun, den Samurais und dem Kaiser? Auf welcher Seite läuft man und warum? Wie lebt es sich in Japan, wenn man nicht Tourist ist? Lucy teilte ihre Erfahrungen und ihr Wissen mit uns - alles durch die Augen einer neugierigen und offenen Europäerin und mit viel Wertschätzung der japanischen Kultur gegenüber. Sehr empfehlenswert. Spannender Einblick in Kultur & Alltag

Gino🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Selda)

27 April 2025

Selda is a very pleasant person and fantastic tour guide. She accommodated our requests and tailored the tour to our needs. Selda is very knowledgeable of all the places we visited and of course the Japanese culture. She also helped us with dinner table reservations in excellent restaurants. I can highly recommend a guided tour with Selda.Very nice tour & experience

joseph🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Lucy)

25 April 2025

Lucy gave us a great guide to the Samurai and Geisha areas..she is not only gave us the history and customs of these areas but we had really good wide ranging discussion about Japanese society as well . Great guide

Elgene🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Yoji)

24 April 2025

Yoji showed our family the highlight of Kanazawa. He was very kind and drove us around as it was a rainy day. He provided us valuable insights of life in Kanazawa where he grew up, and of Japanese culture, through the lenses of his international experience having lived in multiple other countries. We would highly recommend Yoji.

Steven

(About local Yoji)

24 April 2025

We had a great morning with Yoji in Kanazawa. He’s a very knowledgeable guide with local knowledge of the area. Thanks YojiKanazawa private tour

Dr. Joe Hajdu

(About local Selda)

23 April 2025

Our Guide Griselda took us to all the important areas of Kanazawa and was able to point out the sights. She explained the history and traditions very clearly. But the modern world of living, housing and driving were also included. She had little anecdotes of life in Japan that made the tour even more interesting. She extended the tour so we could see the samurai district in full. She also helped us plan the following day for us. We are most appreciative, especially as she considered one of our group who had problems in walking quickly. A happy informative overview of Kanazawa

Ina

(About local Selda)

22 April 2025

We say thank, dear Cris, for the wonderful day in Kanazawa. Cris organized a car for us so we could visit the city´s most beautiful spots in the short time of only 1 day. A visit of samurai house, celebrating a tea ceremony, eating sushi and enjjoying ice cream with gold leaf were the highlights of our visit to Kanazawa. Thanks Cris, we will remember this day with great fondness. A beautiful day in Kanazawa

michelledlore

(About local Selda)

16 April 2025

Selda is an enthusiastic, kind and highly informative guide. We had a superb time visiting the Samurai district and the Omicho Market and even stopped to run an errand at a local department store. We highly recommend Selda, a delightful tour guide.Kanazawa Samurai District and market tour

Michael

(About local Selda)

15 April 2025

My spouse and I had a wonderful experience with Selda. As she led us through many of Kanazawa’s beautiful areas she provided a clear narrative of valuable insights, history and cultural significance. Yet, she also pointed out her favorite restaurants, bakeries, gold leaf ice cream shop, coffee shop, market taste highlights, and stores for ceramics, gold leaf and other local specialties. When our tour was complete, she sent us a note on WhatsApp of those locations. We were then able to continue our day gathering and creating more wonderful memories. Our time with Selda allowed us to feel the love and appreciation she has for Kanazawa. She enabled us to get more out of our perfect day in her community. A Local Guide Provides More

Bridget

(About local Monse)

15 April 2025

We had a very enjoyable time on our walking tour with Monse . She is very knowledgeable about the history of the area. We had a private tour and she changed things a bit to suit us . She was enthusiastic and informative and we covered the main sights . We would certainly recommend her as a guide . Walking in Kanasawa

Patrizia

(About local Nuria)

14 April 2025

Nuria ist eine sehr fröhliche und aufgeweckte Person, sie hat uns viel über Kanazawa erzählt und gezeigt. Leider war es ein sehr regnerischer Tag, aber trotzdem hatten wir viel Spaß. Wir haben den Ausflug auf Spanisch gebucht, wir konnten mit ihr Italienisch sprechen und sie hat uns auf Spanisch geantwortet, das hat sehr gut geklappt! Danke Nuria und liebe Grüsse von uns!Kanazawa, mit Nuria sehr interessant!

Jutta🇱🇺 Luxembourg

(About local Nuria)

11 April 2025

Die Tour mit Nuria hat uns und unseren drei erwachsenen Kindern supergut gefallen!! Wir würden Nuria unbedingt wieder buchen und jedem empfehlen ❣️Perfekte Tour durch Kanazawa

James

(About local Selda)

6 April 2025

Such a lovely guide, a very helpful and knowledgeable local with perfect English and an enthusiasm for her role as ambassador for her city. We saw so much with her and she added value and insight to each artifact and location. More than a guide, she became a friend

Carolyn

(About local Yoji)

5 April 2025

We had a wonderful walking tour of Kanazawa with Yoji! We only had a short time in the city and Yoji showed us all of the important sites that we would never have been able to accomplish seeing on our own. Thank you Yoji for a wonderful day! Beautiful Ksnazawa!

Senem

(About local Nuria)

4 April 2025

We had a great time with Nuria in Kanazawa. She has been friendly and accommodative. She has covered all the members of our family with her interest and explanations. We had a memorable experience with her. Our children aged 10 and 13 loved to spend time with her. I would recommend to spend some hours with her if you are visiting Kanazawa for one- two days. She makes it convenient and enjoyable. Thank you Nuria and it was great getting to know you. Lovely day in Kanazawa

Donna🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Selda)

4 April 2025

We absolutely loved our walking tour with Criselda . She was so well informed of the local area and also the restaurants and cafe and food culture of Kanazawa . Highly recommend you to choose Criselda , a lovely , lovely person!Excellent day spent in Kanzawa

Sophia

(About local Monse)

31 March 2025

We had a really incredibly fun, interesting and knowledgable day! Monse managed to go above and beyond and tailor our tour specifically to us! She managed to see all the highlights of Kanazawa, including experiencing a tea ceremony. Lunch recommendation was also extremely tasty (black curry) which was delicious! We would highly recommend Monse! Excellent, tailor made tour!

Anthony🇬🇧 United Kingdom

(About local Raphaël)

21 March 2025

I was visiting Kanazawa on my own. Raphael was interested to know where my interests lay and adapted our three hour tour accordingly. Raphael has lived locally for a number of years, clearly understands the Japanese way of living, and the country’s and Kanazawa’s history. Not only did I learn a great deal over the tour but Raphael also directed me to other sites I might want to visit over the remainder of my stay, and recommended a number of restaurants. First visit to Kanazawa

Terrie🇺🇸 United States

(About local Selda)

15 March 2025

Before we even met her, she gave us a great suggestion for dinner. Criselda took us to the highlights of Kanazawa. She explained the history, culture and her favorites. We covered a lot of ground but it felt personal and relaxed. She was patient and engaged. Trust all of her recommendations. A terrific introduction to Kanazawa

Nigel

(About local Selda)

30 January 2025

Criselda was a brilliant guide and went above and beyond to give recommendations.Brilliant Guide

Aoife🇮🇪 Ireland

(About local Nuria)

9 January 2025

We enjoyed a lovely afternoon exploring Kanazawa with Nuria. She showed us some interesting sights which we would have never found ourselves as well as sharing lots of interesting facts about the city with us. We had a really lovely time and would recommend the tour! An enjoyable and informative afternoon

Kara🇯🇵 Japan

(About local Monse)

28 December 2024

Monse was an amazing guide! We covered most of Kanazawa in 3 hours. She was fantastic with my three kids and super helpful, capturing many family photos. It felt like a small town and she knew a lot of the people along the way. She was full of knowledge about the history and the hidden gems . One of the most organized and thorough tours I've been on - fantastic!Highly recommend!

Louise🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Lucy)

17 December 2024

Lucy was excellent, ensuring we explored and discovered many hidden places of Kanazawa that we probably would not have found ourselves and if we did happen to stumble across them, we wouldn't know or understand what we were looking at. She was very good at tailoring the tour to our areas of interest and being a local was able to share interesting insights about life, culture and history of Kanazawa. We thoroughly enjoyed and would highly recommend. Hidden Gems of Kanazawa

stuckik

(About local Lucy)

24 November 2024

Lucy was a very good guide. She showed us lots of interesting sights in Kanazawa and told us background information about them. We enjoyed our time with her very much.Very pleasant experience

Neil🇦🇺 Australia

(About local Selda)

14 November 2024

Despite a last minute booking Criselda was open and very accommodating to our schedule. She is a lovely person and very knowledgeable. She went over and above to help us book train tickets, organise a dinner location and further advise about our next stop . She deserves every success.Could not have been happier

Mark

(About local Selda)

10 November 2024

We highly recommend booking Cris! Stop searching and without a doubt, book her tour NOW! Cris made our visit to Kanazawa insightful, enjoyable, and memorable. She offered fantastic suggestions for eating (snacks, bars, lunch, dinners) and sightseeing (shrines, gardens, tea houses) and even checked in beforehand to see if we had specific interests! Her dedication to giving guests the full Kanazawa experience is evident her deep cultural knowledge and warm personality made exploring the city's districts a pleasure. Our time with Cris was a true highlight of our Japan trip! We will take our moments touring Kanazawa with Cris back home with us - and will surely recommend her tours to our friends back home! ☺️Unforgettable tour of Kanazawa by Cris!

Christine🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Lucy)

7 November 2024

Auf unserer Japanrundreise mit mehreren Stadtführungen, war der Rundgang durch Kanazawa mit Lucy das Beste!!! Wir haben viel über das Leben in der Stadt erfahren und wir besichtigten alle historischen Stadtteile. Sie hat alle Fragen von uns beantwortet. Danke Lucy ;))Das Beste was uns passiert ist

Tracey

(About local Selda)

29 October 2024

Crissy was a great tour guide a lovely lady and very knowledgeable guide. It was great to be able to go into a Samari and Geisha houses. The history was amazing and interesting and the tour was tailored to what we wanted to do. The best way to see Kanazawa. Great tour

Andree🇩🇪 Germany

(About local Lucy)

29 October 2024

Da wir eine kleine Tour (3 Stunden) in deutscher Sprache mit Lucy gebucht haben werde ich auch in deutsch schreiben. Lucy war pünktlich an unserem Hotel in Kanazawa. Wir haben uns sofort gut verstanden. Unsere Tour führte durch zwei Geisha-Viertel wobei Lucy uns viel über Vergangenheit und Gegenwart erzählte. Wir schlenderten durch die Gartenanlage von Kanazawa Castle und spazierten durch das Samurai-Viertel. Wir waren so in der Lage am nächsten Tag individuell auf eigene Faust durch Kanazawa zu streichen. Wir besuchten das Innere der Burg, waren auf einem Sake-Fest (auf das uns Lucy hinwies) und haben uns ein echtes Samurai-Haus angesehen. Am Abend hatten wir ein tolles Abendessen im PlatHome (unbedingt vorher reservieren...). Vielen Dank, Lucy... wir kommen wieder... :-)Kanazawa Tour mit Lucy

Vadim

(About local Lucy)

26 October 2024

We’ve booked our tour at the very last moment after having already arrived at Kanazawa. It was a wise move, as Lucy turned out to be an outstanding guide. We especially appreciated her mother naught into everyday life in the city and enjoyed the noodle house she recommended for lunch.Excellent Kanazawa walk with Lucy

scott🇺🇸 United States

(About local Yoji)

24 October 2024

On our first day in Kanazawa, my partner and I spent a happy morning touring with Yoji, a native of the city. We used the tour as our intro to the city and enjoyed wide-ranging discussions about Japanese (and American) culture and politics and the history of the sites on our tour. Yoji responded from direct experience to our many questions about the changes he's seen as Kanazawa has grown over the past few decades. It was so nice and informative to connect with a local. We spent four days in Kanazawa and highly recommend a visit!Great tour of Kanazawa

Jan

(About local Yoji)

24 October 2024

Yoji was the perfect tour guide - personable, knowledgeable, and accommodating. Our group had a wonderful time in Kanazawa and all thanks to Yoji!Best Kanazawa Guide

Luis🇨🇭 Switzerland

(About local Nuria)

23 October 2024

Nuria gave us a great tour around Kanazawa, probably the best experience we had in Japan. The best mix of a historical, food and walking tour, she made our time in Kanazawa unforgettable. Best guide ever

Katherine

(About local Nuria)

19 October 2024

Nuria gave us a fine tour of Kanazawa, starting with showing us the way to do sushi off a conveyor belt. Next we went to a beautiful samurai house and enjoyed the lovely garden there as well. She had recommendations for a place to buy ceramics and finally we went to the Kanazawa castle area before heading to the fabulous Kenroku-en garden. Nuria was friendly, helpful and well informed and completely tri-lingual! I highly recommend her services.Excellent guide

Joseph 🇵🇹 Portugal

(About local Yoji)

18 October 2024

Yoji was an absolute delight as a tour guide. Knowledgeable, informative, charming and speaking extraordinarily English. He is a cultured and humble man who represents his country in an extraordinary manner. I could not recommend him strongly enough. The time flew and we felt we had obtained an in-depth understanding of Kanazawa’ history. Thanks!!! Joe and AnneWonderful Tour in Kanazawa!

Heidi🇺🇸 United States

(About local Selda)

18 October 2024

Criselda was a wonderful guide who had tons of fascinating information. She was super fun to hang out with and was flexible with any changes we wanted to do. The tour was a real pleasure. Great information!