Kanazawa Day Trip 🇯🇵✨
Hey Zesties!
Don’t head to Kanazawa without reading this post!
In early March 2026, we did a day trip from Toyama, catching the 8.16am Shinkansen there and the 9.03pm Shinkansen back so we could take a whole day to cover all our landmarks in Kanazawa! It was roughly a 20-min ride to and fro, and cost us roughly SGD $20-30 each ride.
Biggest tip before heading to Kanazawa: Buy the “Kanazawa Cultural Zone Pass” on Klook to save yourself the hassle of fumbling for coins to buy tickets into Kanazawa attractions or joining the insanely long queue to buy tickets!
It’s like a great value day passport that allows you entry into over 14 cultural facilities in the city centre. We paid SGD$6.52 per person on Klook, and was issued a QR code which you can just scan at the entrance, making it very convenient. We visited 4 attractions, which made our money worth already!
Places we visited:
(Included in the Kanazawa Pass):
📍Kanazawa Castle🏯 (320 yen/adult)
📍Ishikawa Prefectural History Museum (300 yen/adult)
📍Kenrokuen Garden (320 yen/adult)
📍Nomura Samurai Residence (550 yen/adult)
(Other recommended highlights in Kanazawa):
📍Ishiura Shrine
📍Omicho Market (Breakfast)
📍Kanazawa Forus (dinner at Morimori Sushi)
📍Oyama Shrine
📍Higashi Chaya District (Geisha streets)
Favourite attraction gotta be the Kenrokuen Garden🪴. We grabbed a map of the huge landscape garden and tried to identify and snap photos of every element on the map. You gotta visit their
1) famous 2-meter tall Kotojitoro Lantern,
2) prominent Karasaki Pine Tree and
3) beautiful Plum Blossoms (I heard it’s Feb - March only).
If you would like to try the popular conveyor belt sushi restaurant Morimori sushi at Forus, be prepared to queue 1h+. Get a queue number early, I heard on some days that if you arrive at 5pm, they would have already stopped giving out queue numbers! 🥲
We clocked almost 40k steps that day to complete all our landmarks so if you are doing the same, do bring comfortable walking shoes and get adequate rest the night before!
Have a great trip! 😉
If you’re visiting Kanazawa, a stop at Omicho Market is a must, especially for food lovers like me. One of my favorite treats there was the famous croquettes — crispy on the outside and full of rich, creamy crab cream on the inside, they’re a local specialty you definitely want to try. The market is bustling with fresh seafood vendors, lively atmosphere, and plenty of snack stalls. When I visited, grabbing these croquettes felt like tasting a piece of Kanazawa’s culture. It’s best to arrive early to avoid long lines, as these popular snacks sell out fast. The savory flavor and perfectly fried texture made it one of my top food experiences of the trip. Besides the croquettes, Omicho Market offers a variety of seasonal delicacies and fresh produce perfect for sampling. I recommend strolling through the aisles, chatting with the friendly vendors, and trying various street foods to get the full sensory experience. Also, consider exploring other nearby food spots around the market for dinner or snack breaks, like Morimori Sushi at Kanazawa Forus, but be prepared for long wait times if you go during rush hours. Overall, including Omicho Market and its delectable croquettes in your Kanazawa itinerary will enrich your day trip and give you authentic tastes of the region's culinary heritage. Just remember to bring cash and comfortable shoes for a fully enjoyable experience!