Hi, I’m Rio ✨
This time, I asked ChatGPT to plan a 2-day itinerary in Kanazawa — and I actually followed it exactly!
From historic streets and incredible seafood to traditional cafés, hot springs, and modern art, the trip turned out way better than I expected 😂
If you’re planning a trip to Kanazawa, I hope this itinerary helps you!
Kanazawa, located in Ishikawa Prefecture, is a historic castle town that once flourished under the wealthy Kaga domain during the Edo period.
The city is known for its beautiful traditional culture and preserved historic streets, while also blending modern art and contemporary culture.
It’s truly a city where old Japan and modern creativity coexist ✨
Historic streets and traditional culture
Kanazawa is famous for places like:
・Higashi Chaya District
・Nagamachi Samurai District
・Kenrokuen Garden
・Kanazawa Castle Park
You can still feel the atmosphere of old Japan everywhere.
Modern art
Kanazawa is also home to the famous 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, and you’ll find art installations throughout the city ✨
Amazing food
Because Kanazawa faces the Sea of Japan, the seafood is incredibly fresh.
You can enjoy:
・fresh seafood bowls
・local street food
・traditional sweets
・Kanazawa oden
・Japanese izakaya food
For this trip, I mainly used:
🚌 buses + walking!
Kanazawa’s main sightseeing spots are relatively close together, so it’s actually very easy to explore on foot.
The sightseeing buses are also super convenient ✨
I highly recommend getting the:
Kanazawa 1-Day Bus Pass
It costs around:
¥800 for adults
and gives you unlimited rides on sightseeing buses for the day 🚌✨
It’s a really convenient way to visit:
・Kenrokuen Garden
・21st Century Museum
・Omicho Market
・Higashi Chaya District
and more!
Walking around the city was honestly one of my favorite parts of the trip 💭
Day 1
📍Kanazawa Station
The main gateway to Kanazawa, famous for the iconic Tsuzumi Gate.
The moment I saw the gate, I immediately felt:
“I’m finally in Kanazawa!” ✨
It’s definitely a great photo spot!
About 30 minutes
📍Higashi Chaya District
A beautifully preserved traditional district lined with old wooden teahouses and stone streets.
It honestly felt like stepping back in time and walking through old Japan ✨
Recommended things to do
・Street food hopping
・Café hopping
・Taking photos in kimono
The main street with traditional wooden buildings
🌸 Private Tours & Cultural Experiences
👘 Rent a kimono here:
About 60–90 minutes
📍Hakuichi
A famous shop where you can enjoy Kanazawa’s iconic gold leaf sweets and souvenirs ✨
Gold leaf ice cream
You HAVE to try the gold leaf ice cream 😂✨
It looked so shiny and luxurious, and it was super photogenic!
Watching them carefully place the gold leaf on top was also really fun.
The souvenir area also had lots of beautiful gold-leaf products, cosmetics, and crafts.
¥980
📍Morihachi Saryo
A traditional Japanese café famous for Kaga roasted tea and wagashi sweets.
Kaga roasted tea + seasonal Japanese sweets set
It was such a peaceful place to relax after walking around 🍵
The roasted tea smelled amazing, and the sweets were beautiful and delicious.
Around ¥1,000
📍Kenrokuen Garden
One of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan.
I visited in May, so the fresh greenery was absolutely stunning✨
Every corner of the garden felt peaceful and beautiful.
Morning to late afternoon
¥320 for adults
About 60–90 minutes
📍Miyoshian
A traditional teahouse inside Kenrokuen Garden.
Cold matcha and Japanese sweets
Sitting by the window and enjoying tea while looking at the garden and pond felt so relaxing 🍵
Around ¥800–1,200
About 30 minutes
📍Kanazawa Castle & Kanazawa Castle Park
A historic area where you can experience Kanazawa’s samurai history and beautiful gardens.
The architecture and Japanese gardens were absolutely beautiful✨
It was also such a peaceful place to walk around.
Some areas require admission (¥320)
About 60 minutes
📍Oyama Shrine
A unique shrine known for its unusual mix of Japanese, Chinese, and Western architecture.
The combination of Japanese and Western design felt really unique and mysterious✨
About 20–30 minutes
📍Itaru
One of Kanazawa’s most famous seafood izakayas.
・Sashimi
・Nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch)
・Crab miso gratin
The seafood was SO good that I couldn’t stop drinking beer 😂
It’s extremely popular, so reservations are highly recommended!
Around ¥4,000–8,000 per person
📍Akadama
A historic Kanazawa oden restaurant founded in 1927.
The broth was so flavorful and comforting✨
The beef tendon was incredibly soft and paired perfectly with beer 🍻
・Kanazawa oden assortment
・Beef tendon
Around ¥1,500–3,000
📍Onyado Nono Kanazawa
A Japanese-style hotel with natural hot springs and a famous seafood breakfast buffet.
The room was beautiful, and the hot spring was amazing♨️
They also had free ice cream after the bath and a manga corner where you could relax.
Drinking cold milk after a hot spring is a Japanese tradition, so definitely try it🥛✨
Around ¥10,000–20,000 depending on the season
✨Book via Klook:
✨Book via Booking.com:
After an amazing first day exploring Kanazawa,
relaxing in the hot spring at Onyado Nono was the perfect ending ♨️
But honestly…
Day 2 might have been even better 😂
From modern art and seafood markets
to samurai districts and matcha cafés,
Kanazawa still had so much more to show me✨
To be continued… 👀✨