Noto Peninsula Without a Car? Bus, Train, Tour or Rental

You can see the middle of the Noto Peninsula (能登半島) without a car: the train reaches Wakura Onsen in under an hour, and Wajima has a direct express bus from Kanazawa. The west coast and the far tip around Suzu are where a car, or a guided bus on weekends, makes the day work. Whichever you choose, check road and bus status on the morning you travel, because parts of Noto are still recovering from the earthquake and the heavy rain.

Key facts

• Train to Wakura Onsen: a Kanazawa departure at 08:58 arrives at 09:56.^[7]
• Bus to Wajima: the 7:15 from Kanazawa Station West Exit arrives at 10:04,^[2] for 2,300 yen;^[4] no reservations.^[1]
• Guided bus: the Pokémon Noto Meguri Bus, weekends and holidays through November 2026, 5,000 yen.^[6][6]
• Car: Kanazawa Station to Notojima in about 1 hour and 30 minutes.^[12]
• Status checked: Hokuriku Railway showed the Noto buses running normally at 09:54 on October 20, 2026.^[5]

Which parts of Noto can I reach without a car?

The answer depends on which part of the peninsula you want. Noto is long, and public transport runs up its spine, not along its coasts. The table puts the sourced travel times side by side. Where it says a car is the practical choice, that is our reading of the timetables, not an operator’s statement.

Area	Train or bus	Guided bus	Car from Kanazawa Station
West coast: Chirihama, Keta Taisha	No direct service in the sources checked; car is the practical choice	Not on its route	About one hour to Keta Taisha via the beach road
Middle: Wakura Onsen, Nanao, Notojima	Limited express to Wakura Onsen in 58 minutes	Starts at Wakura Onsen	About 1 hour and 30 minutes to Notojima
Anamizu	JR and Noto Railway, just under 3 hours	Stops at Anamizu Station	Not given
Wajima	Express bus, 7:15 to 10:04	Starts at Noto Airport, near Wajima	Not given
Suzu, Noto Town	Express bus with a change at Noto Airport	Visits Mitsuke Island in Suzu	Over 300 km via the tip toward Wajima

Sources for the table: the train time,^[7] the Anamizu ride,^[12] the Wajima bus,^[2] the change for Suzu,^[12] the guided bus stops,^[6] and the drive times to Keta Taisha,^[12] Notojima^[12] and around the tip.^[12]

If your plan is Wakura Onsen, Nanao or a Wajima visit, you do not need a car. If you want the Chirihama beach drive, the coast between Wajima and Suzu, or several stops in one day, rent one or join the guided bus. The Noto Peninsula guide lists which sights in each area have reopened.

How do I do Noto by train and bus?

Two plans work as day trips from Kanazawa. Buy tickets on the day: the JR train has an ordinary ticket, and the Noto express buses do not take reservations.^[1]

1. Middle of Noto by train

   Take a Noto Kagaribi limited express from Kanazawa toward Wakura Onsen. On JR Odekake Net’s timetable for October 23, 2026, the 08:58 departure reaches Wakura Onsen at 09:56.^[7] To go on to Anamizu, change at Nanao to Noto Railway (のと鉄道). Kanazawa to Anamizu takes just under 3 hours.^[12]

2. Wajima by express bus

   Board at Kanazawa Station West Exit. The 7:15 bus calls at Noto Airport at 9:34 and arrives at Wajima Station at 10:04.^[2] The fare is 2,300 yen each way.^[4]

3. Back to Kanazawa the same day

   The last bus from Wajima Station leaves at 17:20 and reaches Kanazawa Station West Exit at 20:09.^[3] Plan your last stop around that departure.

If you leave your bags in Kanazawa for the day, the Kanazawa guide covers the city you start from.

For Suzu or Noto Town, the bus from Kanazawa does not run through. Visit Kanazawa, as of August 2026, says you change at Noto Airport.^[12] That works for one destination, but not for hopping along the coast.

Is there a guided bus instead?

Yes, on some days. Hokuriku Railway (Hokutetsu) runs the Pokémon Noto Meguri Bus (ポケモンのとめぐりバス), with a bus guide on board. It runs on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from September to November 2026, and again in March 2027.^[6] It does not run on March 6 and March 7, 2027.^[6] Adults pay 5,000 yen, and lunch is extra.^[6]

The bus does not leave from Kanazawa. You can board it only at the Wakura Onsen bus stop at 9:00 or at Noto Airport at 10:50, and it returns to Wakura Onsen at about 17:25.^[6] From Kanazawa, the 7:15 express bus reaches the airport at 9:34,^[2] in time for the airport pick-up. The first morning train reaches Wakura Onsen too late for the 9:00 start, so board there only after a night at Wakura.

Seats go on sale one month before the travel date, and you pay in advance online, by cashless payment only.^[6] Book on Hokuriku Railway’s own booking page for the bus.

Where do I rent a car for Noto?

A car is the simplest way to see the west coast and the tip in one trip. Visit Kanazawa calls the drive from Kanazawa via Noto Airport to the tip and on toward Wajima a long one, over 300 km, and suggests a night on the way if you plan to stop often.^[12]

You have two practical pick-up points. Nippon Rent-A-Car has an office 60 meters to the left of the rotary at Kanazawa Station West Exit, one near Komatsu Airport, and a counter on the first floor of the Noto Airport terminal.^[11] Noto Airport lists three rental companies on its access page: Toyota Rent a Lease Ishikawa, Nissan Rent a Car and Nippon Rent-A-Car.^[10] Pick up at Kanazawa Station if you start in the city. Pick up at Noto Airport if you fly in from Tokyo or take the express bus up and want a car only for Oku-Noto.

The main road north, the Noto Satoyama Kaido (のと里山海道), has no toll. The former Noto Toll Road became free on March 31, 2013, and Ishikawa Prefecture gave it the nickname Noto Satoyama Kaido.^[14] For the license translation you need before you rent, see the guide to driving in Japan.

Are the roads open after the earthquake and the rain?

Mostly, with care. Visit Kanazawa, in a feature based on information as of August 2026, says Noto roads still have bumps, uneven surfaces and stretches of alternating one-way traffic.^[12] Allow extra time on every leg, and take more care than the road signs alone suggest.

Heavy rain from August 27, 2026 hit the west side of the peninsula. Ishikawa Prefecture’s damage report as of 14:00 on October 2, 2026 lists 6 road closures, all on prefectural roads in Hakui, Hodatsushimizu and Shika.^[13] These are local roads, but they are on the west coast route, so check them before you drive that side.

For the day itself, open the Ishikawa Road Information Network (Ishikawa Prefecture’s road map, in Japanese). Closures are marked on the map.

What can change on the day?

• Beach road: as of August 2026, Visit Kanazawa says the Chirihama Nagisa Driveway was not damaged by the earthquake but may close in bad weather. It directs drivers to the prefecture’s road map.^[12]
• Buses: Hokuriku Railway posts delays and cancellations on its service status page. On October 20, 2026 at 09:54 it showed the Noto buses running normally.^[5]
• Guided bus: it runs only on its listed days, and not on March 6 and March 7, 2027.^[6]
• Flights: Noto Airport’s timetable lists flights from Haneda NH747 at 8:55 and NH749 at 15:30 up to October 24, 2026, then NH747 at 9:00 and NH749 at 15:05 from October 25, 2026 to January 31, 2027.^[8] Check the next timetable before you book later dates.

Frequently asked questions

Can I do Noto as a day trip from Kanazawa without a car?

Yes, for one area. Wakura Onsen is 58 minutes away by limited express,^[7] and a Wajima day works with the 7:15 bus out and the 17:20 bus back.^[3] Covering several coastal stops in one day needs a car or the guided bus.

Do I need to book the Kanazawa to Wajima bus?

No. Hokuriku Railway does not take reservations for its Noto limited express buses.^[1] Arrive early at Kanazawa Station West Exit on busy days.

Is there an expressway toll to Noto?

Not on the Noto Satoyama Kaido. It has been free since March 31, 2013.^[14]