Three Days in Ishikawa: Where to Spend the Second Night
Stay two nights in Kanazawa for market lunches, garden walks, and both historic neighborhoods. For a night at the hot springs, split your stay between Kanazawa and Yamanaka and move after Kenrokuen on the second day. Add Higashi Chaya on the return day only if the inn shuttle, IR train, and round-trip sightseeing buses fit before your next departure. Airport travel and check-in time are separate.
Choose an itinerary for 3 days, 2 nights
Kanazawa City
See the market, garden, and historic neighborhoods over three days without changing hotels. Visit Kenrokuen and Nagamachi together on the second day and walk Higashi Chaya on the last.
Kanazawa City →3 days, 2 nights BOne Night in Kanazawa and One in Yamanaka Onsen
Follow a market lunch and garden walk with a night at the hot springs over three days. Visit Kenrokuen on the second day before moving to Yamanaka. Add Higashi Chaya on the return day only if the shuttle, train, and round-trip buses fit before your next departure.
One Night in Kanazawa and One in Yamanaka Onsen →Kanazawa City
See the market, garden, and historic neighborhoods over three days without changing hotels. Visit Kenrokuen and Nagamachi together on the second day and walk Higashi Chaya on the last.
Day 1: Omicho Market and a Kanazawa Hotel
Choose a seafood lunch at Omicho Market on arrival and explore its fish, vegetable, and fruit stalls. After the market, stay near Kanazawa Station.
- Kanazawa Station, East Plaza → Omicho Market · Walk or Left Loop
Walk about 12 minutes from Kanazawa Station's East Plaza to Omicho Market. If taking a bus, board the left loop at East Exit boarding point 7 and get off at Musashigatsuji–Omicho Market in front of Ichibakan. The one-way adult fare is ¥220; add bus fares to the subtotal below, which assumes walking both ways.
Official Omicho Market Tourism GuideHokutetsu Loop-Bus Stops and FaresHotel Kanazawa Access and Luggage FAQ
- Omicho Market → Open Restaurants and Market Shops
General market guidance gives hours around 9:00 AM–4:00 PM, but restaurants and shops differ. Have lunch at an open restaurant, then explore the market in the afternoon. Meals and shopping cost extra. More shops tend to close on Wednesdays.
- Omicho Market · In Front of M'za Kuromonkoji → Kanazawa Station → Stay Nearby
Retrace the walk to the station's East Plaza, or take a station-bound right-loop bus from Musashigatsuji–Omicho Market in front of M'za Kuromonkoji. The right loop has several stops around the market; distinguish this from the left-loop stop where you arrived. Choose an open restaurant near the station for dinner.
Hotel Kanazawa Access and Luggage FAQHokutetsu Loop-Bus Stops and Fares
Opening days and closing times vary by shop. If arriving late, have dinner near the station. You can visit the market the following day at midday, but must then adjust Kenrokuen and your station departure. Walking both ways makes the market transportation cost ¥0; one left-loop and one right-loop ride total ¥440 per adult. Meals and lodging are excluded.
Day 2: Kenrokuen, Nagamachi, and Back to Your Hotel
Walk among Kenrokuen's ponds and trees, then explore Nagamachi's earthen-walled lanes. See the garden and historic neighborhood before returning to the same Kanazawa hotel.
- East Boarding Point 7 · Right Loop → Kenrokuen-shita RL6
At East Exit boarding point 7, take the Kanazawa city loop bus's right loop and get off at Kenrokuen-shita–Kanazawa Castle, opposite Ishikawa Gate. Confirm that it is the right-loop stop.
Hokutetsu Loop-Bus Stops and FaresHotel Kanazawa Access and Luggage FAQ
- Kenrokuen-shita RL6 → Katsurazaka Entrance → Garden
Walk about 5 minutes to Katsurazaka entrance and enter for the standard adult fare of ¥320. After a morning visit and rest, return to the same RL6 stop.
Access by Kenrokuen EntranceOfficial Kenrokuen Visitor Guide
- After the Garden · RL6 Right Loop → Korinbo, Former Bank of Japan → Nagamachi
Continue on the same right loop and get off at Korinbo in front of the former Bank of Japan building. The tourism association gives about 5 minutes on foot to Nagamachi and suggests about 60 minutes for the lanes. Lunch and interior residence visits are separate.
Hokutetsu Loop-Bus Stops and FaresOfficial Nagamachi Tourism Guide
- Korinbo, In Front of the Former Bank of Japan → Right Loop → Kanazawa Station
Return to the right-loop stop in front of the former Bank of Japan building and ride via Minamicho and Omicho Market to Kanazawa Station. Three loop-bus rides on day two total ¥660 for a standard-fare adult, less than the ¥800 adult day pass.
- Kanazawa Station Bus Stop → Same Hotel
Cross the station's East Plaza and return to Hotel Kanazawa.
Distinguish outdoor lanes from paid residence interiors. Add both time and cost for interior visits.
Day 3: A Walk through Higashi Chaya
Explore Higashi Chaya's traditional teahouse streets and shops on the last day. Leave a buffer between your bus back to Kanazawa Station and the next train.
- East Boarding Point 7 · Right Loop → Hashibacho, In Front of Kinjoro
At boarding point 7 in Kanazawa Station's East Plaza, take the Kanazawa city loop bus's right loop to Hashibacho in front of Kinjoro. The ride takes about 13 minutes; allow separate time for waiting and walking from the stop to the neighborhood.
Hokutetsu Loop-Bus Stops and FaresOfficial Higashi Chaya Tourism Guide
- Hashibacho, In Front of Kinjoro → Higashi Chaya District
The official tourism guide gives a walk of about 5 minutes from the stop to Higashi Chaya.
- Higashi Chaya District → Lanes and Chosen Shops
Walk the outdoor streets in the afternoon. If you plan to have tea or enter a historic residence, check the facility's hours and fees. Outdoor walking and entry inside teahouses or residences have different costs.
- Hashibacho, In Front of Kinjoro · Right Loop → Kanazawa Station
Retrace the walk to Hashibacho in front of Kinjoro and continue on the right loop via Kenrokuen, Korinbo, and Omicho Market to Kanazawa Station. This return section is longer than the outward ride; check your return service first.
Hokutetsu Loop-Bus Stops and FaresHotel Kanazawa Access and Luggage FAQ
- Kanazawa Station → Next Train's Ticket Gates and Platform
Walk to your next train's gates and platform. Allow time inside the station between your return transportation and departure.
Hotel Kanazawa Access and Luggage FAQHokutetsu Loop-Bus Stops and Fares
Distinguish outdoor walking from tea and interior residence visits. The right-loop return from Hashibacho to the station is longer than the outward section.
Included: Kenrokuen ¥320 + city loop bus ¥220 × 5. The first day's market visit assumes walking both ways.
Extras and Conditions: Hotels, meals, paid residences, long-distance trains, and extra travel.
Hotel Kanazawa Access and Luggage FAQOfficial Omicho Market Tourism GuideHokutetsu Loop-Bus Stops and FaresAccess by Kenrokuen EntranceOfficial Nagamachi Tourism GuideOfficial Higashi Chaya Tourism GuideOfficial Kenrokuen Visitor Guide
One Night in Kanazawa and One in Yamanaka Onsen
Follow a market lunch and garden walk with a night at the hot springs over three days. Visit Kenrokuen on the second day before moving to Yamanaka. Add Higashi Chaya on the return day only if the shuttle, train, and round-trip buses fit before your next departure.
Day 1: Omicho Market and a Kanazawa Hotel
Choose a seafood lunch at Omicho Market on arrival and explore its fish, vegetable, and fruit stalls. After the market, stay near Kanazawa Station.
- Kanazawa Station, East Plaza → Omicho Market
Walk about 12 minutes from the station's East Plaza to Omicho Market. Check individual shops' hours when planning lunch and your market visit.
Official Omicho Market Tourism GuideHotel Kanazawa Access and Luggage FAQ
- Omicho Market → Kanazawa Station → Hotel Kanazawa
After exploring the market, retrace the walk to Kanazawa Station. Check in at the hotel from 3:00 PM.
Official Omicho Market Tourism GuideHotel Kanazawa Access and Luggage FAQ
Opening days and closing times vary by market shop. If arriving after the market closes, have dinner near your hotel.
Day 2: Via Kagaonsen Station to Your Hot-Spring Inn
Move from Kanazawa to your hot-spring inn for a rest, connecting an IR local train with the inn's reserved shuttle.
- Kanazawa Station, East Boarding Point 7 → Kenrokuen-shita–Kanazawa Castle
At East Exit boarding point 7, take the Kanazawa city loop bus's right loop and get off at Kenrokuen-shita–Kanazawa Castle, opposite Ishikawa Gate. Confirm that it is the right-loop stop.
Hotel Kanazawa Access and Luggage FAQHokutetsu Loop-Bus Stops and Fares
- Kenrokuen-shita–Kanazawa Castle → Katsurazaka Entrance → Garden Visit
Walk about 5 minutes to Katsurazaka entrance and visit the garden. The garden opens 7:00 AM–6:00 PM March 1–October 15, with last entry at 5:30 PM. October 16–late February hours are 8:00 AM–5:00 PM, with last entry at 4:30 PM.
Access by Kenrokuen EntranceOfficial Kenrokuen Visitor Guide
- After Kenrokuen → RL6 Kenrokuen-shita–Kanazawa Castle Stop
After the garden, return to the right-loop stop opposite Kanazawa Castle's Ishikawa Gate where you arrived.
Hokutetsu Loop-Bus Stops and FaresAccess by Kenrokuen Entrance
- RL6 · Right Loop → Bus Ride → Kanazawa Station
Take the right loop via Korinbo and Omicho Market to Kanazawa Station. The adult fare is ¥220 per ride. Include the walk out of the garden and bus wait when leaving a buffer before your train.
- Kanazawa Station Bus Stop → IR Ishikawa Railway Gates and Platform
Walk from the bus stop to the IR Ishikawa Railway gates and platform. Adjust the garden visit so you can take a train that connects with your reserved inn shuttle.
Hokutetsu Loop-Bus Stops and FaresIR Official Current Timetables and Station Checks
- Kanazawa Station · IR toward Fukui → Kagaonsen Station
Take an IR Ishikawa Railway local train and get off at Kagaonsen Station. The standard adult fare is ¥880 one way; distinguish this from the Shinkansen. Choose your date's train to connect with the shuttle time you reserved.
IR Official Current Timetables and Station ChecksIR Official Standard Fares
- Kagaonsen Station, South Exit → Reserved Inn Shuttle → Ohanami Kyubei
From Kagaonsen Station's south ticket gates, go to the inn shuttle boarding area. Distinguish it from local-bus boarding point 2 and give your name to the driver with a pink flag bearing Ohanami Kyubei's name. Reserve the free shuttle separately by the day before. It does not run if there are no reservations.
- Hot-Spring Inn → Baths and Rest at the Inn
Spend the afternoon resting at the inn. Use baths and meals according to your booked lodging plan.
Request the shuttle separately from your room reservation. If choosing another inn, adjust travel to its own access and shuttle conditions.
Day 3: Hot-Spring Inn to Kanazawa
Return to Kanazawa Station by reserved inn shuttle and IR local train. Add a Higashi Chaya walk if there is enough time before your next departure.
- Hot-Spring Inn → Reserved Shuttle → Kagaonsen Station
Take your reserved free return shuttle to Kagaonsen Station. The inn's official request window runs from check-in until breakfast the following morning. For a two-night stay, confirm the actual checkout day's shuttle and request deadline at check-in. Local buses are separate.
- Kagaonsen Station · IR Local Train → Kanazawa Station
Take an IR local train toward Kanazawa and get off at Kanazawa Station. The standard adult fare is ¥880 one way. Choose your date's service with time for tickets and the platform walk after the inn shuttle arrives.
JR Travel-Date SearchOperator's October 18 Detour NoticeIR Official Current Timetables and Station ChecksIR Official Standard Fares
- Kanazawa Station, East Boarding Point 7 → Hashibacho → Higashi Chaya
Take the right-loop bus from East Exit boarding point 7 to Hashibacho in front of Kinjoro, then walk about 5 minutes to Higashi Chaya.
Station Luggage Storage GuideHokutetsu Loop-Bus Stops and FaresOfficial Higashi Chaya Tourism Guide
- After Higashi Chaya Walk and Lunch → Right Loop → Kanazawa Station
After your historic-neighborhood walk and lunch, take the same right loop via the garden, Korinbo, and Omicho Market back to the station.
Official Higashi Chaya Tourism GuideHokutetsu Loop-Bus Stops and Fares
- Kanazawa Station → Next Train's Ticket Gates and Platform
Walk to your next train's gates and platform. Allow time inside the station between your return transportation and departure.
Compare the inn shuttle, IR return, and round-trip sightseeing buses to Higashi Chaya with your next departure. The right-loop return via Kenrokuen, Korinbo, and Omicho Market covers more of the loop than the outward ride. If time is short, skip the historic neighborhood and continue from the station to your next departure.
Included: Kenrokuen ¥320 + city buses ¥220 × 4 + IR ¥880 × 2. This subtotal assumes the inn's free shuttle for overnight guests with advance reservations.
Extras and Conditions: Hotels, meals, separate hotel luggage charges, long-distance trains, paid riverside facilities, and local buses.
For one adult: Kenrokuen ¥320 + four city bus rides ¥880 + IR round trip ¥1,760 = ¥2,960. This includes two bus rides to and from Higashi Chaya. Skipping that visit subtracts ¥440, making the subtotal ¥2,520. The inn shuttle assumes free travel for overnight guests with advance reservations. Hotels, meals, paid riverside facilities, long-distance trains to Kanazawa, and your chosen luggage storage cost extra. Add the applicable fare if using a local bus instead of the inn shuttle.
JR Travel-Date SearchIR Official Standard FaresInn Access and Shuttle Boarding GuideInn Stay and Luggage FAQCurrent Kaga Local Bus GuideFebruary 2026 Fare Revision NoticeOperator's Kaga City Timetable PDFStation Luggage Storage GuideOfficial Higashi Chaya Tourism GuideHokutetsu Loop-Bus Stops and FaresAccess by Kenrokuen EntranceOfficial Kenrokuen Visitor Guide
Frequently Asked Questions
Does booking an inn automatically reserve its Yamanaka Onsen shuttle?
At Ohanami Kyubei, request the shuttle separately from your room by the day before. It does not run at times with no reservations. Board at the inn shuttle area at Kagaonsen Station's South Exit, separate from local-bus boarding point 2. For another inn, check its own shuttle conditions.
Can I visit Higashi Chaya on the return day from the hot springs?
After returning to Kanazawa Station by inn shuttle and IR local train, add Higashi Chaya if there is enough time before your next departure. Take the right-loop bus from East boarding point 7 to Hashibacho in front of Kinjoro, then walk about 5 minutes. The same loop returns via Kenrokuen, Korinbo, and Omicho Market, making that section longer than the outward trip. Compare the shuttle, train, and round-trip sightseeing buses together. If time is short, skip the neighborhood and continue from the station to your next departure.
Inn Access and Shuttle Boarding GuideIR Official Current Timetables and Station ChecksHokutetsu Loop-Bus Stops and FaresOfficial Higashi Chaya Tourism Guide
Does a Hokuriku rail pass cover the IR local train to Kagaonsen?
The hot-spring itineraries' rail subtotal uses standard IR local-train tickets between Kanazawa and Kagaonsen: ¥880 one way, or ¥1,760 round trip. The Hokuriku Pass, Hokuriku Arch Pass, and Kansai-Hokuriku Pass permit IR travel only as an exception between Kanazawa and Tsubata when passing through without getting off at other IR stations. That exception does not apply to this itinerary's stop at Kagaonsen. If switching to the Shinkansen, recheck each pass's covered sections and seat conditions, your date's trains, and the inn shuttle connection. Check hot-spring local buses and facility admission separately too. Choose a pass after comparing your departure city and other travel as well.
IR Official Standard FaresJR West Hokuriku Pass CoverageJR West Hokuriku Arch Pass CoverageJR West Kansai-Hokuriku Pass Coverage
Sources and Check Dates
- Access by Kenrokuen Entrance ·
- Official Kenrokuen Visitor Guide ·
- Official Higashi Chaya Tourism Guide ·
- Official Nagamachi Tourism Guide ·
- IR Official Standard Fares ·
- Current Kaga Local Bus Guide ·
- Operator's Kaga City Timetable PDF ·
- Operator's October 18 Detour Notice ·
- Hotel Kanazawa Access and Luggage FAQ ·
- Official Omicho Market Tourism Guide ·
- Hokutetsu Loop-Bus Stops and Fares ·
- JR Travel-Date Search ·
- Inn Access and Shuttle Boarding Guide ·
- Inn Stay and Luggage FAQ ·
- February 2026 Fare Revision Notice ·
- Station Luggage Storage Guide ·
- JR West Hokuriku Pass Coverage ·
- JR West Hokuriku Arch Pass Coverage ·
- JR West Kansai-Hokuriku Pass Coverage ·
- IR Official Current Timetables and Station Checks ·