Kanazawa Walking Tour: Matcha, Gardens, and Culture

Immerse yourself in the rich culture of Kanazawa with our full-day tour. Discover the city’s must-see spots, hidden gems, and indulge in matcha and traditional sweets. Join us for an enriching and unforgettable experience!

Duration: 9 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Ashigaru Museum - The tour starts with a visit to the Ashigaru Museum. Ashigaru is a word describing low ranking Samurai, and here you can enter two homes that once belonged to Ashigaru families in the days of the Samurai. Outside, you will find beautiful landscaping, and inside faithfully preserved rooms granting a glimpse into old-school…
What's Included
  • Matcha Tea and Wagashi Sweets at a Tea House
  • Entry to the Shima Chaya Preserved Geisha House
  • English Speaking Guide
  • Entry to the Kenrokuen Garden
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
Additional Information

Our excursion presents an optimal path to visit all of Kanazawa’s top sights, and some hidden treasures, in a single day by foot. Our expert guides make sure you gain a deep appreciation of Kanazawa’s culture. Participants will also get a chance to savor Matcha and traditional sweets at a historic tea house, fostering a bond with Kanazawa and its…

Location
Kanazawa Station
The meeting point is outside of the Shinkansen Ticket Gates, across the concourse and in front of the information center. Look for a four large sumo wrestlers under the information center sign. Be sure to look for our guide wearing the SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tag.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(22 Ratings)
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Luca
Aug 9, 2024
Unforgettable and exciting - Experience absolutely to be redone! Magnificent to discover Japan together with our impeccable Guide Lee who, in addition to telling us fantastic stories along the way, was super helpful and friendly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jotas376
Aug 6, 2024
Great experience endorsed by a great guide - I can only recommend this tour if you happen to be in Kanazawa for a whole day and want to enhance your experience on Japanese culture. Garrett, our guide, contributed extensively to this experience through his broad knowledge on East Asian Culture and more concretely Japan. During our visit, he made us discover more in-depth how Geishas and Samurai lived back then, and some typical Japanese dishes in the fish market area. Last but not least the famous Matcha tasting with a beautiful view of the Kenroku-en garden was the peak of the tour. Can only advise this it is worthwhile and of good value for money. J.C.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Leonsf1696yt
Jul 30, 2024
Amazing experience at Kanazawa! - I had an amazing time on the tour in Kanazawa! Our guide, Lee, was incredibly knowledgeable and provided fascinating insights throughout the trip. We visited some fantastic locations, including the beautiful palace and the atmospheric geisha district. The experience was both educational and enjoyable. I highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Kanazawa—it's a must-do activity!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sightsee13260985498
Jul 28, 2024
Amazing experience! - Lee has been really nice, easygoing and entertaining guide, who showed us some incredible places that we’ll never forget! He shared with us anecdotes about the history of Japan and about everyday life in this nation which made the visit even more interesting. We would recommend this experience to anyone looking for an excursion in the most traditional part of Japan.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tyson_b
Jun 13, 2024
Kanazawa tour past and present - Spent the day with Lee and it was perfect! Lee was very knowledgeable and provided great insight into past and present Japanese culture. The tour was flexible, catering to our group and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Review provided by Viator
Matt_d
Jun 11, 2024
Be ready for a great day full of history and a lot of walking - Garrett was a fantastic guide showing us through the sights of Kanazawa and its rich history. We were lucky being the only group on the tour the day we went which meant we got to go at our own pace which, given we all walked quickly, did mean at times we were ahead of schedule but again Garrett adapted and juggled the schedule expertly to accommodate that. The tour is 100% walking and while there’s opportunity to sit and rest at some of the sights you do need to consider whether you can walk the ~10-12km that this tour involves, given the hot day a couple in our group struggled even with a lot of shade and water stops. Thanks again Garrett for a superbly enjoyable day taking in the history and culture of Kanazawa!
Review provided by Viator
Omar_l
Jun 9, 2024
Brilliant tour with Lee! Recommended - Had an amazing full day tour with Lee! Very knowledgeable guide and very friendly. He perfectly knew how to pace the tour according to the group. I would recommend for anyone who is visiting a hidden gem like Kanazawa.
Review provided by Viator
Debpd9910ru
Apr 29, 2024
I was very lucky ! - Garrett was great fun to talk with and very knowledgeable about the history of the area and more. It just so happened that I was the only traveler this day, so Garrett was able to adjust the tour to me- so rather than just having a rote script, he could tell me about things I expressed interest in, and could point out things that he knew I would be interested in. I definitely saw places and got to do things that I never would have found on my own. Especially when you only have a day or so in a place, it is so worth the money to have someone who could show you around like a friend would. Arigato Gozaimaste Garrett!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Francis_w
Apr 19, 2024
Unusually interesting - My wife and I toured this itinerary, and are exceptionally pleased with the tour, and in particular the tour guide, Garrett Weeden. What made it especially interesting was the attention and accommodation he provided our group. It was essentially a walking informative tour of interesting places. The guide was very knowledgeable in the history, culture, geography of Kanazawa and presented his talk which drew an absorbing interest from us. The walk through the Geisha District, as well as the history of the Samurai was typically engaging, as we walked around the streets of old Japan. My favorite was savoring the Matcha (green tea, served in unique Japanese style) in a typical Tea house. In the front view was a delightful pond/garden just adjacent to the Kanazawa castle. The Kenrokuen Garden was a delight; a perfect landscaped garden with ponds, teahouses, variety of trees, and let’s not forget the cherry blossoms which were in early bloom. The sunny weather did enhance our outing, but much credit goes to the gratifying sights, enriching experience and interesting talk by the guide who provided us a good understanding of Kanazawa culture and history. It was quite a walk (about 10 miles), but we (70-year olds) made it through pretty well. I must say we are indeed happy that this tour was a part of our vacation. –Frank Wallis
Review provided by Viator
The_o
Apr 17, 2024
A great and interesting way to see Kanazawa - We had a great day tour with Garret. He is extremely knowledgable regarding Japanese culture and history. The pace of the day was ideal, not too rushed. We toured many areas and Garret gave us great information on each location. We ended the day with sake tasting. It was an awesome day out.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
November 2024
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