The Kanazawa City Guides answer what every first-time visitor wonders: which sushi counters locals queue for, how to see Kenroku-en and the samurai lanes in a sensible order, where to drink sake in Katamachi without being steered into the wrong bar, and which bus or train gets you to Shirakawa-go or the Kaga hot springs. Every place comes with the reason to stop, what to order or look out for and one practical tip, and each guide opens in your browser the moment you pay.
About the Kanazawa City Guides
- 146 places
- 6 guides
- 13 languages
- Works offline
- Print or PDF
- Instant access
- Free updates
The six Kanazawa guides
Food guide
25 places
Omicho Market and the station food halls, sushi and Kaga seafood counters, the city’s own curry, oden and ramen, plus sweets, coffee and bakeries for the gaps in between.
Things to do guide
23 places
Kenroku-en, the castle and its shrines, eight museums that justify the ticket, samurai houses and teahouse quarters, and a few walks for the evening.
Family guide
24 places
Free play rooms for wet days, gold leaf that children apply themselves, a temple full of trap doors, parks to run around in and meals that suit small eaters.
Nightlife guide
25 places
Tiny cocktail and whisky bars in Katamachi, Ishikawa sake and oden counters, lantern-lit teahouse lanes after dark, and beer, jazz and food late at night.
Day trips guide
24 places
The thatched villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama, Takayama and its Hida beef, the Kaga hot springs, Fukui’s dinosaurs and cliffs and the Noto peninsula, each with the bus or train to get there.
Budget guide
25 places
Free castle grounds and samurai lanes, cheap museums and gardens, filling meals that cost little, public baths and the bus pass that pays for itself.
Why an interactive guide beats a list
Tick places off
Mark each place as done and watch your progress, so you always know what is left.
Your own notes
Write notes on any place and add your own finds. They stay on your phone.
One tap to Maps
Every place opens in Google Maps, and the day route puts your picks in a sensible order.
Open now, near me
Filter by what is open right now or what is closest to you.
Works offline
Open the guide once with a connection and it keeps working without data.
Print it or save as PDF
On a computer, print any guide or save it as a PDF to take with you.
Three places from the guides
Itaru Honten
Kakinokibatake, near Katamachi
A counter izakaya where Kaga cooking arrives as a run of small plates, from swordfish sashimi to grilled tofu and whatever fish is in season. Locals line up before the doors open, so come early. From the food guide.
D.T. Suzuki Museum
Hondamachi, a short walk from the 21st Century Museum
A calm white concrete tribute to the Zen scholar D.T. Suzuki, set around the shallow Water Mirror Garden. There is little to read and much to sit with, so give it an unhurried hour. From the things to do guide.
Sanmachi Suji
Old Town, Takayama
Three lanes of dark timber merchant houses, sake breweries and small shops, about two hours from Kanazawa by direct bus. Watch for the cedar balls that breweries hang out when the new sake is ready, and walk it early or after snow. From the day trips guide.
Plan your days in Kanazawa
Day one: Omicho Market in the morning from the food guide, then Kenroku-en, the castle park and the 21st Century Museum from the things to do guide, and a small Katamachi bar from the nightlife guide to finish. Day two: the samurai houses of Nagamachi and the Higashi Chaya teahouses, a curry or oden lunch, and the free lantern-lit lanes of Kazuemachi at dusk. For a rainy or slow day, pair the museums and indoor play rooms of the family guide with a public bath from the budget guide, or ride the Shinkansen to the Kaga hot springs from the day trips guide.
Kanazawa guides: your questions
What do the Kanazawa City Guides include?
146 places across six guides: food, things to do, family, nightlife, day trips and budget. Each entry tells you why it is worth your time, which area it is in, notes on opening days and one practical tip.
How do I receive the guides once I have paid?
The links show up on your order page as soon as payment goes through, and they arrive by email too. They open in the browser of any phone, tablet or laptop, with no app to install and no account to create.
Can I use the guides offline in Kanazawa?
Yes. Load each guide once while you are online and it keeps working without a connection, ticks and notes included. Opening places in Google Maps needs mobile data.
What languages are the guides available in?
The guides open in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, Greek, Polish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Arabic. You can switch the language inside the guide at any time.
How much does a single guide cost?
One guide is €4.99. Two cost €8.99, four cost €15.99 and the full set of six costs €19.99.
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