Ishikawa travel guide
The Ishikawa guides here start from Kanazawa, and the questions follow from there: which train brings you in, which part of the city to sleep in, and which outings to the coast, the onsen towns or the mountains are realistic without a car.
For arriving, Tokyo to Kanazawa by Shinkansen covers fares and booking, and Kyoto to Kanazawa via Tsuruga explains the change from the Thunderbird. In the city, things to do in Kanazawa lays out day plans on the loop bus, and where to stay in Kanazawa compares the station, Korinbo and Higashi Chaya.
Beyond the city, the Shirakawa-go day trip gives a bus plan with booked seats, and the Noto Peninsula guide tracks what is open after the earthquake. This page lists more, from the Hokuriku Arch Pass and Kaga Onsen to geiko performances, the ninja temple and Natadera in autumn.
Explore Ishikawa
Getting around
Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass 2026: ¥19,800 Worth It?
JR Central's 5-day pass costs ¥19,800. It suits one-way trips between Kansai Airport or Osaka and Nagoya via Shirakawa-go, not round trips from Nagoya.
KanazawaIshikawaGetting around
Tokyo to Kanazawa Shinkansen (2026): ¥14,400, How to Book
Kagayaki: Tokyo to Kanazawa in 2 hours 27 minutes, all seats reserved. JR West's e-ticket is ¥14,400, and seats go on sale at 10:00 one month ahead.
Shirakawa-go With Luggage (2026): Lockers Until 17:00
Yes: book each bus leg separately and leave your bag in a terminal locker, 500 yen per box, until 17:00. Bus pairs Kanazawa–Takayama, costs, forwarding.
KanazawaIshikawaGetting around
Hokuriku Arch Pass: Is It Worth It for Tokyo–Kanazawa–Osaka?
The JR West Hokuriku Arch Pass price since March 2026, what it covers, and whether it beats single tickets on three common Tokyo–Kanazawa–Kansai routes.
KanazawaIshikawaGetting around
Kyoto to Kanazawa: Tsuruga Transfer in 8 Minutes (2026)
Thunderbird to Tsuruga, then the Hokuriku Shinkansen: JR West allows 8 minutes to change, floor 1 to floor 3. Tickets, luggage, late trains.
Noto PeninsulaIshikawaGetting around
Noto Peninsula Without a Car? Bus, Train, Tour or Rental
Which parts of Noto you can reach by train and bus from Kanazawa, when you need a car or guided bus, where to rent, and road status after the 2024 quake.
Things to do
Kaga OnsenIshikawaThings to do
Is Yamanaka Onsen Worth Visiting? 15-Min Gorge Walk (2026)
Yes for an easy half day from Kanazawa: a 1.3km gorge path, the Kiku no Yu bath and a ¥470 bus from Kaga Onsen Station. The last bus back leaves at 18:35.
Kaga OnsenIshikawaThings to do
Kaga Onsen Guide: Yamanaka, Yamashiro, a Day from Kanazawa
Kaga's four hot-spring towns compared: what each is like, the public baths, the CANBUS loop and how to visit as a day trip from Kanazawa by Shinkansen.
How to See a Geisha Performance in Kanazawa (and Book It)
Kanazawa's scheduled geiko shows compared: the Saturday Geiko Experience, Geigi no Mai, MEET the GEIKO, Kanazawa Odori; dates, prices, language, booking.
Myoryuji Ninja Temple Reservation (2026): Phone Only, ¥1,200
Book by phone only, from one month ahead, yourself, not via your hotel; the 40-minute tour is in Japanese and preschoolers cannot enter. Fees and times.
Noto PeninsulaIshikawaThings to do
Noto Peninsula Guide: What's Open Now and How to Visit
Can you visit Noto after the 2024 earthquake? Which sights, onsen and roads are open (dated), how long to spend, and how to reach them from Kanazawa.
Things to Do in Kanazawa (2026): Two-Day Plan, ¥220 Loop Bus
Kenroku-en (¥320), three chaya districts, the D.T. Suzuki and gold leaf museums and Omicho Market, with one- and two-day plans on the ¥220 Loop Bus.
Where to stay
Onsen Near Kanazawa (2026): Which Town? Kaga 15 Min Away
Yuwaku is a ¥630 bus ride, Kaga Onsen 15–19 min by Shinkansen, and 11 of 19 Wakura ryokan take guests again: pick the onsen town for your night.
Where to Stay in Kanazawa: Station, Korinbo, Higashi Chaya?
Which Kanazawa area fits your plan: the station for trains and buses, Korinbo–Katamachi for evenings, Higashi Chaya for mornings, plus the city tax.
Seasons & events
Natadera Autumn Leaves: When to Go and How to Get There
When Natadera's maples usually peak, the temple's hours and fee, and how to reach it from Kanazawa by Shinkansen and the CANBUS loop bus without a car.
Latest
Onsen Near Kanazawa (2026): Which Town? Kaga 15 Min Away
Yuwaku is a ¥630 bus ride, Kaga Onsen 15–19 min by Shinkansen, and 11 of 19 Wakura ryokan take guests again: pick the onsen town for your night.
Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass 2026: ¥19,800 Worth It?
JR Central's 5-day pass costs ¥19,800. It suits one-way trips between Kansai Airport or Osaka and Nagoya via Shirakawa-go, not round trips from Nagoya.
Kaga OnsenIshikawaThings to do
Is Yamanaka Onsen Worth Visiting? 15-Min Gorge Walk (2026)
Yes for an easy half day from Kanazawa: a 1.3km gorge path, the Kiku no Yu bath and a ¥470 bus from Kaga Onsen Station. The last bus back leaves at 18:35.
KanazawaIshikawaGetting around
Tokyo to Kanazawa Shinkansen (2026): ¥14,400, How to Book
Kagayaki: Tokyo to Kanazawa in 2 hours 27 minutes, all seats reserved. JR West's e-ticket is ¥14,400, and seats go on sale at 10:00 one month ahead.
Shirakawa-go With Luggage (2026): Lockers Until 17:00
Yes: book each bus leg separately and leave your bag in a terminal locker, 500 yen per box, until 17:00. Bus pairs Kanazawa–Takayama, costs, forwarding.
KanazawaIshikawaGetting around
Hokuriku Arch Pass: Is It Worth It for Tokyo–Kanazawa–Osaka?
The JR West Hokuriku Arch Pass price since March 2026, what it covers, and whether it beats single tickets on three common Tokyo–Kanazawa–Kansai routes.