Best Summer Spots & Tours Near Kanazawa
The summer in Japan is often a battle between going outside and experiencing the beautiful the natural and cultural sights and staying cool inside with experiences and museums. Kanazawa and the entire Hokuriku region provides a good balance of both with the immense crowds of Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. If you are searching for cultural institutions and experiences, the city of Kanazawa or Toyama are for you. Those cities, especially Kanazawa, can serve as a convenient base to explore the beaches, temples, mountains, coastlines and small towns of the region.
There is something for everyone and below is a list of those great cultural activities, natural beauty and simple in and overall best spots in and around Kanazawa.
— Hakui
— Uchinada
KANAZAWA CITY
The largest city in the region, Kanazawa punches far about its weight and will pleasantly surprise you no matter what you are looking to do. The top places to see are the Higashi Chaya Tea House District with its beautiful traditional houses, Kenrokuen Garden and its wonderfully curated grounds and the Nagamachi Samurai District with its old fashion Edo-period streetscape. When it gets too hot there is a plethora of museums to check out like the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, the Yasue Gold Leaf Museum, the Ninja Weapons Museum, the National Crafts Museum, the D.T. Suzuki Museum, the Maeda Samurai Museum and the list goes on. This is why it’s a great city to explore the region, it is easy to do half-day trips anywhere and there will always be something else to do in Kanazawa!
For those who are looking to go deeper into the arts of Kanazawa, try our Experience Tour. You can try applying gold leaf, making Japanese sweets and throwing ninja stars while seeing some of the interesting sights of the city.
1 Day Tour
| Kanazawa Walking Tour: Experience Gold Leaf, Japanese Sweets and Ninja Stars | |
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| Period | All Year Round |
| Time | 08:30 – 17:00 |
| Meeting Place | Kanazawa Station |
| Adult Rate | ¥20,800 |
| Child Rate | ¥16,700 |
SHIRAKAWAGO & GOKAYAMA
The summer in the mountains around Shirakawago and Gokayama can be a relief from the heat of the plains. The The magnificent greens of the rice fields of Shirakawago are something out of a movie with the carefully preserved thatch-roof houses sprinkled throughout. The local soba can be eaten cold and is incredibly refreshing after walking around all morning in the heat. If you need a drink, pick one up that is chilled by the cold spring water from the mountain. Finally, the homes themselves are reasonably cool as well as they are built to allow the breeze to pass directly through them.
It can be difficult to reach both of these easily so join us for a tour of Shirakawago, Gokayama and the wood carving town of Inami. You can try your hand at paper-making in one of the thatched roof houses! Check it out below.
1 Day Tour
| 1 Day Tour from Kanazawa: Eiheiji Temple and Fukui City Castle Town | |
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| Period | All Year Round |
| Time | 08:30 – 18:00 |
| Meeting Place | Kanazawa Station Fukui Station |
| Adult Rate | ¥25,300 / 17,800 |
| Child Rate | ¥14,500 / 11,000 |
HAKUI
The region north of Kanazawa is a road not often traveled, but it is full of history and beautiful nature. Hakui is a great place to see all the colors of summer and have it all to yourself. Chirihama Driveway is an 8 km beach you can drive on but also a place that you can, of course, relax and swim. The other major sight is Myojoji Temple, a 400 year old temple that is unchanged form that period and sits in the middle of the rice fields. If it gets too hot, stop by the Cosmo Isle Space Museum and see real lunar landers and spacecrafts!
Check out the tour below to see everything that you read about above!
1 Day Tour
| 1 Day Tour from Kanazawa: Relaxing Beaches, 400-year old Temples and Aliens in Hakui City. | |
| Period | May-November |
| Time | 08:30-18:10 |
| Meeting Place | Kanazawa Station |
| Adult Rate | ¥19,800 |
| Child Rate | ¥13,000 |
FUKUI NORTHWEST COAST
The coast of Fukui is rugged and dramatic and perfect for a summer trip. The breeze off the ocean feels great as you walk along and through the rock formations. There are three main areas to explore in the area: Tojinbo Cliffs, Oshima Island and Echizen Matsushima. The area above is Tojinbo, the most famous and largest in scale of the rock formations. Oshima Island is a spiritual island with a shrine and an eerie torii gate as well as unique flora and a jagged coast. Echizen Matsushima is a cluster of small magma created islands that look like their are form an alien planet. There is so much interesting landscapes and nature to explore in northwest Fukui.
If you want to join a tour that goes by all of the places listed above as well as Mikuni Port nearby, check out the tour below!
1 Day Tour
| 1 Day Tour from Kanazawa: Fukui’s Stunning Cliffs, Spiritual Island and Historical Port | |
| Period | All Year Round |
| Time | 08:45 – 17:40 |
| Meeting Place | Kanazawa Station |
| Adult Rate | ¥25,300 |
| Child Rate | ¥14,500 |
KUROBE GORGE
The escape from the heat of summer is a top priority for many and the deep mountains is one of those perfect spots. Starting from Unazuki Onsen, the Kurobe Gorge Railway is an amazing way to feel the cool mountain breeze while seeing spectacular sights. There are multiple places where you can get off the train and explore as well. The last stop of the train is Keyakidaira Station, where you can go down to the river and feel the cold rush of the fresh mountain stream. This trolley train and nature walks are perfect for getting out of the oppressive heat of the city.
Finding the best view points in Unazuki Onsen and understanding the history of the area can be difficult alone. Join one of our tours to get more out of your time in the mountains of Japan. Check it out below!
1 Day Tour
| 1 Day Tour from Kanazawa: Kurobe Gorge and Unazuki Onsen | |
| Period | May to November |
| Time | 08:00 – 17:30 |
| Meeting Place | Kanazawa Station Kurobe-Unazuki Onsen Station |
| Adult Rate | ¥30,000 / 24,000 |
| Child Rate | ¥24,000 / 21,000 |
UCHINADA
On a long trip to Japan, some people just want to relax for a half day or a full day before getting back to touring the country. Kanazawa is the perfect place to hang out at a Japanese beach without having to travel hours into the middle of nowhere. Hop on the Hokutetsu Asanogawa Line to Uchinada Station (17 minutes) and then walk another 15 minutes to Uchinada Beach, which is pictured above. It is quite extensivve and there is plenty of room to find your own spot. There is also a supermarket on the way from the station to the beach so you can buy whatever you need enroute!
MT. HAKUSAN
More than 2000 meters tall, Mt. Hakusan is a sacred and imposing sight from all sides. This height also makes it great for exploring during the summer because of the relatively cool temperatures that are experienced up at the top. The hiking itself is rather straightforward and isn’t too difficult but you need to reserve a place to stay on the mountain before going or else you’ll be stranded without transport back down. There are multiple peaks and areas to explore once you’re at the top so it can be worth staying a couple of nights to see it all!
PRIVATE TOURS AND CHARTERS
Looking for a private tour or charter to any of the locations listed in this article? We’ve got you covered.
PRIVATE CHARTERS
If you are looking for transportation to/from major destinations in Central Japan, our company is happy to help! Our buses and vehicles are suitable for single travelers, couples, families and groups of up to 45 people. Click the button below to browse some of our popular charters and to inquire directly.
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PRIVATE TOURS
In addition to providing transportation, we can also accommodate your tour needs by providing guides with the itinerary of your choice. If there are tours that you want us to conduct or if you want to adjust our current tours to your needs, feel free to contact us. There are a number of private tours already on our website that allow you to enjoy our tours without the stress of having to worry about other guests, so check those out, too. Click on the button below to make an inquiry.
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