• Private Tour
• Family Friendly
• Carbon Neutral

Discover the best of Kanazawa in just 5 hours! This tour combines the city's iconic landmarks with hidden gems. From its stunning gardens and historic districts to tucked-away spots rich in culture and charm, this tour offers an insider’s perspective on the unique beauty of Kanazawa.

Destination

Kanazawa, Japan

Category

City Highlight Tours

Duration

5 hours

Transport mode

Walking tour

Available languages

English, 日本語

Included

• Entrance tickets
• Private guide
• Pick-up Included

Excluded

• Meals

What you can expect

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 Yoji.

1. Meeting point

   You will be picked up anywhere in Kanazawa. Your local host will contact you regarding the exact pickup point.

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. Kenrokuen

   Kenrokuen Garden, one of Japan’s most famous landscape gardens, is a must-see in Kanazawa. Designed to embody the six ideal attributes of a perfect garden—spaciousness, seclusion, artificiality, antiquity, water features, and broad views—Kenrokuen offers a harmonious blend of natural beauty and careful design. Stroll along meandering paths that lead to picturesque ponds, stone lanterns, and teahouses, each revealing a new scenic view. The garden changes with the seasons, from cherry blossoms in spring to snow-covered landscapes in winter, making it a stunning destination year-round.

4. Samurai residential district & Nomura house

   The Nagamachi Samurai District in Kanazawa offers a glimpse into Japan’s feudal past, where samurai families once lived during the Edo period. Walking through its narrow, stone-paved streets lined with earthen walls, you'll feel transported back in time. The district’s highlight is Nomura House, a beautifully restored samurai residence showcasing traditional architecture and artifacts, including samurai armor and weapons. Inside, visitors can explore elegant tatami rooms, a charming inner garden with a koi pond, and intricate woodwork. The Nomura House provides a unique window into the lifestyle and culture of Kanazawa’s samurai heritage.

5. Ninja temple

   Ninja Temple (Myoryuji Temple) is famous for its deceptive design and hidden defenses, although it has no historical connection to actual ninjas. Built by the Maeda clan during the Edo period, it served as a fortified structure to protect against intruders. The temple features a complex layout with secret doors, hidden staircases, trapdoors, and escape routes, designed to confuse attackers. Visitors can take a guided tour to uncover these ingenious architectural tricks while learning about the temple's role in Kanazawa's history. Myoryuji’s mysterious and strategic design makes it one of the city's most intriguing attractions

6. Higashi Chaya

   The Higashi Chaya District in Kanazawa is one of Japan’s best-preserved geisha districts, offering a step back into the elegance of the Edo period. Its charming streets are lined with traditional wooden tea houses, where geisha once performed classical music and dance for elite guests. Today, many of these tea houses have been converted into cafes, shops, and museums, where visitors can explore Kanazawa’s rich cultural heritage. The Shima Tea House, a historic geisha house, offers a glimpse into the world of geisha with its beautifully preserved interiors. Strolling through Higashi Chaya's picturesque streets feels like traveling back in time.

7. 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.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

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

Rachel

20 November 2024

Yoji has a wide experience in many facets of life and has a deep knowledge and cares about the culture and history of Japan. His English is excellent and takes you to places you wouldn’t have gone to that are delightful. He was the best tour guide we had in Japan by a long shot and we travelled to 8 different cities. He is a joy to talk to and does a great job with his planned iternerary.Best guide in Japan, worth the money

Stephen🇬🇧 United Kingdom

6 November 2024

Yoji made the tour around Kanazawa such a pleasure. Whilst visiting all the major points of interest, the conversation flowed freely and we learned so much from him. He also had us trying food we would never had tasted if left to our own devices. We have no hesitation in recommending Yoji and wish him and his family all the best!Superb and informed guide

Sylvia

26 October 2024

The guided tour with Yoji was a great experience. He explained everything that is important to us. The conversations with him about Japanese society and politics were exciting and very entertaining. It was a pleasure to spend the day with him in Kanazawa. His recommendations on food and other interesting things were perfect. In summary: a wonderful day in kanazawa. A wonderful day with Yoji

Nancy

22 October 2024

My husband and I just got back from two weeks in Japan and are so we glad we added Kanazawa as one of our stops! It's beautiful, had a super cool and laid back vibe, lots of history, and was made even better because of our tour with Yoji! He was super easy to talk to and obviously knew a lot about his town! He made the tour really interesting, personal, and even went out of his way to help us buy train tickets for the next day. We cannot recommend the tour and Yoji enough!Yoji and Kanazawa were both amazing!

Anastasia 🇲🇨 Monaco

7 October 2024

Wonderful time! Would recommend this tour for anyone seeking an authentic experience with heart - thank you Yoji!

Candice🇯🇵 Japan

24 November 2024

Yohji was fabulous. He had wonderful local knowledge especially around the best places to eat. Overall, everyone enjoyed their time with him. Highly recommended. Fabulous time

scott🇺🇸 United States

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

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

Annice

22 October 2024

Yoji is a superior guide. His English is superb and he exceeded our expectations as a knowledgeable guide- willing to take us to a restaurant of our choosing for lunch. So accommodating, personable and thoroughly enjoyable to be with. We were so lucky to have found him and highly recommend him to future customers. Thanks, YojiOne of the bedt guides in Japan

Joseph 🇵🇹 Portugal

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!

Logan🇺🇸 United States

8 October 2024

Yoji was an amazing guide for our first time in Kanazawa, his local region. He customized a full day driving tour for us for all the key sights we wanted to hit. He is super intelligent and personable, speaks amazing English (he studied for years in the US), and even provided us with great recommendations for the next stops on our trip. Yoji also helped us to make dinner reservations with restaurants by calling them for us. Also the curry place he took us for lunch was one of my favorite meals of the many exceptional ones we’ve had over the last two weeks. I could not recommend Yoji more!! :)Exceptional guide Yoji!!

Laurie🇨🇦 Canada

6 October 2024

Yogi was receptive and informative. He was flexible and made sure that we saw things that piqued our interests. Yogi has a lovely disposition and we enjoyed his company. Would highly recommend Interesting informative tour with Yogi

Shehlina🇨🇭 Switzerland

3 October 2024

Lovely personalized tour around the gardens and samurai district. Highly recommend! Friendly informative and helpful!

Kichi J.

4 September 2024

We had a fantastic day with Yoji exploring Kanazawa. It was also beautiful with the cherry blossoms. He was professional and a very enjoyable guide.A great day in Kanazawa

Linda W.

4 September 2024

Yoji gave us a fantastic experience touring Kanazawa at the height of cherry blossom season. He taught us about the places and their history and guided us effortlessly through the park, the samurai district and the geisha district, but also provided us answers to all of our questions about living in this region and in Japan. Since he has lived in many different countries before he came back to be near his family, he had interesting perspectives, including having spent number of years in the United States. Even before we came to visit, he called local restaurant on our behalf and made a reservation and made other great suggestions. The visit simply would not have been as wonderful without him. Highly recommended.Kanazawa with a local/world traveler

Marina

19 August 2024

Yoji was our tour guide on our day in Kanazawa, we loved exploring the city with him! His kindness, his knowledge and his commitment make him the greatest guide and your experience unique. If you are looking for a tour guide in Kanazawa, Yoji is the one!THE BEST GUIDE

Nir🇩🇪 Germany

19 August 2024

Yoji was easy to book, and very easy to communicate with in the preparations for our visit. Very friendly and engaging, speaks great English, understands what we were looking for, and frankly speaking - he made our trip to Kanazawa. Was also very helpful on the following days for further questions. Highly recommended! Can not get any better than that

David M.

16 August 2024

Yoji was a great guide for the day, very knowledgeable in his home town of Kanazawa. He gave us lots of options for walking of bus depending on our fitness levels and heat etc. Yoji even managed to convince me to try authentic Japanese sushi for the first time in the market! Amazing experience with my father. I thoroughly recommend Yogi as a local guide, his English is very good and really made our day special. Thank you.Kanazawa Old Town

Edson S.

15 August 2024

Yoji was one of the best guides that we have ever interacted with. Our experience with Yoji was excellent throughout the whole process. In fact, the process started quite before the tour day, where we discussed our itinerary, what we wanted to cover, as well as getting recommendations beyond the tour day, of things to do and restaurants to go. On the tour day, we saw the beauty that Kanazawa has to offer, with a highlight for the Kenrokuen Garden, which it is a splendid place to go with a beautiful scenery, that you should enjoy with all your senses. We really enjoyed being with Yoji throughout the day, where we learned about Kanazawa as well as about the Japanese culture. Also worth mentioning is that Yoji himself is a very interesting person to meet, as he has lived in other countries, which provide him with a good perspective of the world that we live in. The restaurants that he recommended were excellent and the food that we had in Kanazawa was outstanding. Don't miss the chance to drink sake in some of your meals to have a complete experience. Also, Yoji recommended us a visit to a sake brewery, that is around 400 years old, where we were able to taste different types of sake and we also learned about the sake production process and how it impacts the sake quality. If you have a chance to go to Kanazawa, make sure to book some time with Yoji. I'm certain that you will have a very nice time in Kanazawa as we did. Yoji, thank you so much for taking care of us. We really appreciated the time with you.Awesome guide !

Caterina🇮🇹 Italy

14 August 2024

Very kind, friendly and very knowledgeable! I will definitely call him again on my next trip to Kanazawa! TOPTop Guide of Kanazawa

Guy B.

13 August 2024

We were guided by Yoji today. Our first stop was Kenrokuen Garden and Castle. It was lovely garden - one of the most beautiful we have ever seen. A special highlight was seeing an eagle/kite bathing in a stream. It was a very special moment, and Yoji said he had never seen it before. The castle was very beautiful. After the garden and castle, we visited the samurai district, had lunch, and then visited the geisha district. Everything was serene, not crowded, and quite a change from what we have seen in the more populous Tokyo, Osaka, etc. We can highly recommend Kanazawa. We can especially recommend Yoji, who was knowledgeable, active, and kind. He organised the tour such that we were able to complete the tour despite the terrible heat. Thank you Yoji! We appreciate everything you did for us!Great Day with Yoji in Kanazawa

Roanna F.

7 August 2024

We ended up making a rather last minute decision on the destination for our day trip out of Tokyo and to take the Shinkansen to Kanazawa instead of Kyoto. We were scrambling to work out an itinerary for the city and where to go and what to see. We thought the best way would be to get a tour guide to bring our family of 7 around. We managed to get Yoji and what a blessing it was. He was quick to respond and able to make adjustments along the way to accommodate our youngest (6y). He devised a well balanced, interesting and most importantly well paced series of attractions. He had very good knowledge of the attractions and we were able to connect immediately with him. We would absolutely recommend him to anyone who is going to Kanazawa.Personalized one day Kanazawa Highlights

Marc B.

31 July 2024

Yoji is a great guide, his English is fantastic and he knows a lot of the local history. It was a pleasure spending half a day together to see the sights and he was very helpful afterwards as well for the remainder of our stay.Great intro to Kanazawa

Amit S.

31 July 2024

We spent a day in Kanazawa with Yoji, and it was an unforgettable experience. Yoji is not only a smart and knowledgeable guide but also someone who clearly thinks deeply about the world around him. This made spending the day with him all the more enjoyable, as our conversations often went beyond the typical tourist information. Being a Kanazawa native, Yoji’s deep understanding of the city shone through in every interaction, offering us a truly authentic experience rather than just a standard highlights tour. He took us to a charming Japanese curry spot and recommended an excellent, English-friendly sushi place for dinner—both of which were perfect. What really stood out was how naturally our conversations flowed, thanks to his excellent English and the sense that there was more to him than just guiding. His insights and thoughtfulness added an extra layer of depth to our day.Kanazawa day tour with Yoji

Peta K.

27 July 2024

Yoji San met us at our hotel and we clicked immediately. He is a warm, caring person who looked after us very well. I thoroughly recommend Yoji San. You won’t get a better guide. Peta, Sydney AustraliaYoji San - a wonderful guide

Lucia C.

19 July 2024

Yogi is a smart, nice and knowledgeable guide. Visiting places with him is a valuable experience If I knew earlier I would have asked him to be our guide in more destinationsExcellent guide

Daniel S.

8 July 2024

Yoji is attentive, thoughtful and organised. He listened to what I really wanted to experience in my two days with him and went beyond the call of duty to meet my needs. Overall, he exceeded my expectations. I am very fortunate to have found him as a guide and will be calling him every time I visit. He is a genuine and caring being with the ability to adapt to changing situations as the day progresses with him, something people travelling with children need and appreciate. Dan from AustraliaBest Guide I've Ever Had

Xavier C.

3 July 2024

The day was perfect because Yoji is an extraordinary guide. He knows so much about Kanazawa - what to see, its history and culture; would recommend to anyone & everyone.Yuji is perfect!

Ian C.

2 July 2024

Our guide was knowledgable and personable. We visited the places a tourist would want to see. The plan was adhered to leaving us at a place we wanted to be at the relevant time. People should always be this helpful, thank you.Our enjoyable experience of Kanazawa

Barb L.

24 June 2024

Yoji was a phenomenal guide for my wife and I. Arriving into Kanazawa …we were on a time constrained schedule and he made sure we saw all the city had to offer I. The specific time frame. We have had many guides in many cities and he ranks as #1! Thanks Yoji!One in A Million!

Miguel eduardo C.

24 June 2024

The experience of having Yoji as a guide in Kanazawa has been excellent. The first thing is that from before hiring the tour and in the days prior to the tour he was in constant communication to understand what we wanted to visit, at what time we could start, always with suggestions to make our tour more interesting and entertaining. Yoji arrived at the agreed time at our hotel and we immediately started the tour. His explanations were very clear and always giving a context about Japanese culture and history, which helps to better appreciate what we were visiting. Yoji's English is very good and his conversation is pleasant and informed on many topics that a visitor wants to know about Japan. Finally, he made a recommendation of a restaurant for lunch that was extraordinary.Excellent Guide

Neal G.

20 June 2024

We had a wonderful tour of Kanazawa with Yoji. He met us at the train station and guided us to Kenrokuen Gardens, Kanazawa Castle, the Samurai District/Samurai House, a delicious teppanyaki lunch, and an area with many shops and restaurants. It was a wonderful tour and introduction to Kanazawa. Yoji was extremely pleasant and helpful during the tour. His explanations and comments made the trip a wonderful adventure. We would highly recommend others choose Yoji for their tour in this area of Japan.Wonderful Day in Kanazawa

Nick🇬🇧 United Kingdom

17 June 2024

We had a wonderful tour with Yogi last week. His English was excellent and so we had no problem communicating. It was so helpful to have someone to guide us around and answer all our questions. Our mistake was to arrange the tour towards the end of our time in Kanazawa rather than at the beginning. Wonderful tour

Flavia T.

16 June 2024

Yoji is an excellent kind and perfect guideAmazing tour of kanazaua

Douglas

14 June 2024

He is a great tour guide and very friendly.. Honestly, I was expecting a little more about the history and culture of kanazawa, just because I’m a historical tour guide, but this is not a problem for most of the people.. Anyway, I recommend his services!! 👍🏿I recommend it!

Xóchitl T.

9 June 2024

Our family enjoyed so much visiting and learning from Yoji’s great company, so smart and polite young guide, he made possible our 3 young adult children and we had the best introduction ever to Kanazawa and Japan as well. From the first moment we adopted as another family member. Thank you!!?Best cultural and historical visit with a lot of fun

Josephine🇺🇸 United States

9 June 2024

Wonderful morning tour in Kanazawa with Yoji! He is knowledgeable about the cultural history of the area and he was warm and friendly. We enjoyed his company and learned quite a bit on our bop around from the Geisha districts, to gardens, to the Samurai residence and in between. He went above and beyond to make sure we enjoy his city, even helping us make a reservation at a big deal restaurant in the area. We highly recommend choosing Yoji San as your local guide for lovely Kanazawa.Relaxed, fun bop around with Yoji San

Katja R.

5 June 2024

The Tour with Yoji was exactly what we were looking for. He showed us the most important sights in Kanazawa and we got a lot of interesting Information. We enjoyed it very much.Kanazawa Tour

Christopher M.

1 June 2024

We spent a wonderful day with Yoji in Kanazawa. He was punctual, prepared and ready to share his knowledge of the city. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour as he took us to multiple areas of Kanazawa and we were able experience the city with his input and personal views and experiences and we did see the very best.Highly recommended guide in Kanazawa Japan

Peter S.

30 May 2024

A review from someone who rarely writes a review.... Our day tour was by far the highlight of our holiday! Yoji was absolutely fantastic! Yoji accommodated all our requirements, we were traveling with an 8 months old which made it tricky, but nothing was a problem for him. We also stopped at a little town for lunch and had lunch as a local which was very cool. Yoji was the perfect guide, very informative. Yoji, Thank you for a great day!!Shirakawago & Takayama

Rameeta K.

20 May 2024

Kanazawa is a lovely quaint town and we were lucky to have Yoji as our guide. He is very pleasant, courteous and knowledgeable and made every effort to make us feel so welcomed in his beautiful hometown. He doesn’t treat his tour service just as a job, he went way beyond and made us feel so welcomed as though we were his guests in his own home. He took so much care in all aspects of our experience. Overall an excellent experience.An excellent day spent with Yoji in beautiful Kanazawa

Isaac R.

19 May 2024

We enjoyed a great time in Kanazawa, visiting the park, castle, ceramics and Samurai City. Yoji with his easy going attitude made our trip a great expierence and enriched our time in Japan !Great Kanazawa experience

Phillip C.

17 May 2024

Yoji, Was just delightful, a very intelligent man with a great understanding of his town. Also, very adept at given is opinions and thoughts to some out of the ordinary question we asked. Took us to the very places we wanted to see and a very quant restaurant that the locals would eat at for one of the best meals we had on your trip. Also, a recommendation for some Kobe beef at a nearby restaurant by our hotel was just brilliant. In summary couldn't have been better Five stars *****Kanazawa on day two in Japan

Isaac R.

16 May 2024

We enjoyed a great time in Kanazawa, visiting the park, castle, ceramics and Samurai City. Yoji with his easy going attitude made our trip a great expierence and enriched our time in Japan !Great Kanazawa experience

Barbara J.

4 May 2024

Yoji is excellent communicator. From beginning I knew I needed custom tour and our communication was solid. I knew exactly what was included in the tour and the cost. His knowledge of the area is great and he is a pleasant guide. We had a nice tour of Shiragawa-go and got to see everything we wanted in a limited amount of time. I recommend!Informative and delightful trip! Very customizable.

Gitana A.

21 April 2024

Very nice and helpful guide, everything was perfect, highly recommendEverything was great

Dan S.

17 April 2024

Yoji was an amazing guide who was happy to accommodate our family’s multiple requests. He knew all the best shops, food, and highlights, and we genuinely loved his company. It made for a wonderful day out. Thank you!Best day ever!

Suzanne C.

13 April 2024

I was not there but the group told me to rate excellentGreat tour

Chris A.

5 April 2024

Yoji-san is a lovely human being, and great guide. We talked of history, politics, economics and the future of Japan. It was a remarkable day and he took us all around the city and made additional time for us without us asking him. we consider him a friend of the family now. I highly, highly, highly recommend spending time with him in his hometown of Kanazawa - or frankly wherever you might have the chance! ChrisYoji-san made Kanazawa one of our favorite visits...

R. michael A.

14 February 2024

Yoji K. was an excellent guide for us in Shirakawago. For a place like Shirakawago, where there is a well-trod tourist path, one looks for a guide to enhance the experience you might otherwise have on your own. Yoji did all of that and more. He met us at our hotel in Kanazawa and visited with us on the bus about our day ahead. We communicated easily because of his command of English and US educational background. In Shirakawago, he guided us along paths less traveled and less crowded, to quietly enjoy the beauty of the town. He selected an excellent small family restaurant outside the tourist-heavy area, with seemingly only locals having lunch. Yoji made sure we saw one of the well-preserved gassho house museums that was uncrowded. We also went to visit the viewpoint before we left, and Yoji kept us on a good pace to see the high points of Shirakawago. He even made sure that on the trip back we had some recommendations for our next day in Kanazawa, all of which proved excellent. I would highly recommend Yoji as a guideExcellent day in Shirakawago with Yoji