Kanazawa in 2 Days: Kenroku-en, Teahouses and the Market

Two days in Kanazawa is enough to see the city's highlights at an easy pace: Kenroku-en, one of Japan's most celebrated gardens, the castle park beside it, the wooden teahouses of the Higashi Chaya district, the Omicho seafood market and the old samurai quarter. The Hokuriku shinkansen links Kanazawa with Tokyo in under three hours, and the city also pairs well with Shirakawa-go and the Japan Alps.

Day 1: The garden, the castle and the market

Start early at Kenroku-en, a large stroll garden of ponds, stone lanterns and old pines that changes with every season. Walk across to Kanazawa Castle Park, then visit the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art nearby. For lunch, head to Omicho Market for seafood rice bowls and fresh crab in the winter season, and spend the afternoon in the Nagamachi samurai district, with its earthen walls and canals.

Day 2: The teahouse districts

Walk the Higashi Chaya district in the morning, before the crowds, when its wooden teahouse facades are at their best. Some teahouses are open to visitors, and the area is known for gold leaf, which appears on everything from crafts to ice cream. Cross the Asano River to the smaller Kazue-machi district, then end the day with a kaiseki dinner or an izakaya near Katamachi.

Getting there and onward

The Hokuriku shinkansen runs from Tokyo to Kanazawa in about two and a half to three hours. From Kanazawa, highway buses reach Shirakawa-go in a little over an hour, and the route continues to Takayama, which our Japan Alps in 4 days itinerary follows. Our Kanazawa guide has more on the city.

Tips

• Visit Kenroku-en early, when the garden is quiet and the light is soft.
• Book a ryokan or a machiya townhouse to stay in the old town.
• Eat at Omicho before noon, when the stalls are busiest and the fish freshest.