Kenrokuen garden in Kanazawa under snow. Photo: tab2_dawa / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0
- Stay near Kanazawa Station if you arrive by Shinkansen or leave early by bus; the old town is 7–18 minutes away by bus from the station's Kenrokuen (East) Exit.
- Stay in Higashi Chaya, Omicho or Korinbo if you want to walk to the sights in the evening; on Ishikawa's tourism site they are 8, 7 and 15 minutes from the station by bus.
- Either way you can send your bags from Kanazawa Station to your lodging the same day: ¥700 a bag within Kanazawa, handed in by 15:00.
This guide contains affiliate links, marked "(affiliate)." I hope it helps your trip.
Stay near Kanazawa Station for an easy arrival, or in Higashi Chaya for evenings in the old town.
The station area puts you next to the Shinkansen, the city buses at the Kenrokuen (East) Exit and the Shirakawa-go bus at the West Exit.
Higashi Chaya is busy with visitors by day and quiet at night, so staying there lets you walk its teahouse streets after the crowds leave.
- 1Kanazawa StationShinkansen, city buses and the Shirakawa-go bus
- 2Higashi ChayaTeahouse streets, quiet in the evening
- 3Korinbo and NagamachiA 5-minute walk to the samurai district
Kanazawa is compact, but without a car the bus stop nearest your room decides how much of each day you spend getting around. This guide compares the areas by what official pages say: the stop you get off at and the minutes from Kanazawa Station.
For how Kanazawa fits into a trip through the mountains, see my Japanese Alps without a car guide.
Times and prices below come from Ishikawa's official tourism site, Kanazawa City and the operators' pages, checked October 22–24, 2026. I have not stayed in these lodgings and do not review them.
Kanazawa areas compared
| Area | Bus stop | Bus from station | On foot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Omicho | Musashigatsuji/Omicho Market | 7 min | 15 min |
| Higashi Chaya | Hashiba-cho | 8 min | 25 min |
| Korinbo and Nagamachi | Korinbo | 15 min | 26 min |
| Kenrokuen and the castle | Kenrokuen-shita/Kanazawa Castle | 15 min | 32 min |
| Hirosaka | Hirosaka/21st Century Museum | 16 min | 36 min |
All times are from Kanazawa Station. They are from Ishikawa's tourism site, for Hokutetsu buses from the Kenrokuen (East) Exit of Kanazawa Station; the page is dated November 25, 2024. "On foot" is the walk from the station to the sight the stop serves, not to a particular lodging. Kanazawa Station itself is the starting point. Stop names are my translations of the Japanese names.
Area by area
Kanazawa Station
The station is where the Hokuriku Shinkansen stops, and the bus and taxi stands for the city are at its Kenrokuen Exit, also called the East Exit. On the November 2026 timetable the Kagayaki 503 leaves Tokyo at 7:20 and reaches Kanazawa at 9:44; check that it runs on your date.
- Good for: a first or last night, an early train, or a day trip by bus.
Rooms in the station area: see places to stay near Kanazawa Station (affiliate)
- Day trip to Shirakawa-go: the Kanazawa – Shirakawa-go – Takayama bus leaves from the West Exit, stop 4, and Hokutetsu asks you to reserve every bus on that line (Nohi Bus marks only some as reserved, so reserving is the safe choice). From December 1, 2026, a new Takayama – Kanazawa express does not stop at Shirakawa-go, so check the stop when you book. On the current timetable the last bus back leaves Shirakawa-go at 17:30 and reaches the West Exit at 18:45. More on that route is in my guide to the Shirakawa-go bus.
Omicho
Omicho Market has about 170 shops. Ishikawa's tourism site says most shops open around 9:00–17:00 and most restaurants around 11:00–17:00, with some opening at 7:00 or staying open until about 21:00. Some shops close on Wednesdays and Sundays.
- Good for: walking from the station with your own bags; it is the closest old-town area, 15 minutes on foot.
Rooms in Omicho: see places to stay near Omicho Market (affiliate)
Higashi Chaya
The teahouse district is a nationally protected historic district of latticed wooden fronts and stone-paved lanes. Ishikawa's tourism site says it is busy with visitors by day and calm at night, under gas lamps.
- Good for: walking the teahouse streets in the evening without a bus ride back.
- Watch out: check the walk from Hashiba-cho to your lodging before you book; you may be walking it with your luggage.
Rooms in Higashi Chaya: see places to stay near the Higashi Chaya district (affiliate)
Korinbo and Nagamachi
Korinbo is the stop for the Nagamachi samurai district, a 5-minute walk away, with its ocher earthen walls, stone-paved lanes and the Onosho canal. In winter the walls are wrapped in straw mats against the snow. Oyama Shrine is 11 minutes by bus from the station, at Minamicho/Oyama Shrine.
- Good for: a base between the station side and Kenrokuen.
- Bags: Kanazawa Central Tourist Information Center in Minamicho keeps bags during the day (see Luggage).
Rooms in Korinbo: see places to stay near Korinbo (affiliate)
Kenrokuen, the castle and Hirosaka
Kenrokuen and Kanazawa Castle Park share the Kenrokuen-shita/Kanazawa Castle stop: 15 minutes by bus to Kenrokuen and 18 minutes to the castle park on the tourism site's table. The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art is 16 minutes by bus, at Hirosaka/21st Century Museum.
- Good for: an early walk in the garden and the museums on foot.
- Watch out: of the areas in this guide, it is the farthest from the station, 31–36 minutes on foot.
Onsen stays: Yuwaku and Wakura
- Yuwaku Onsen: its tourism association says the regular bus leaves from stop 6 at the station's East Exit; it does not give the time or fare on that page.
- Wakura Onsen is on the Noto Peninsula. JR West's release of September 16, 2026 said 11 of the 19 inns in the Wakura Onsen ryokan cooperative had reopened to guests. Check that your inn is open before you plan around it.
Luggage
- Same-day delivery from the station: the counter in Kanazawa Station, opposite the Hokuriku Shinkansen gates, delivers bags to your lodging for ¥700 each within Kanazawa and ¥900 elsewhere in Ishikawa. Hand them in by 15:00 for Kanazawa and the Kaga area, and they arrive between 17:00 and 20:00; for the Noto area the deadline is 12:00 and bags arrive by 18:00. The counter is open 8:30–20:00, with shorter hours over the New Year holidays.
- Storage in town: Kanazawa Central Tourist Information Center in Minamicho keeps bags for ¥500 each. Hand them in from 10:00 and collect them by 20:30.
Hand your suitcase in at the station counter by 15:00 (for lodging in Kanazawa or Kaga) and go straight into town; it reaches your lodging that evening.
The lodging tax
Kanazawa City charges an accommodation tax per person per night, on the room price before consumption tax:
| Room price a night | Tax |
|---|---|
| Under ¥5,000 | None |
| ¥5,000 to under ¥20,000 | ¥200 |
| ¥20,000 or more | ¥500 |
These rates apply to stays from October 1, 2024. Ask your lodging whether the tax is included in the price you see.
Getting around
The city buses leave from the Kenrokuen (East) Exit. Kanazawa City sells a digital day pass on its Norimasshi Kanazawa web app that covers the Kanazawa Loop Bus, the Flat Bus and Shopping Bus, city-center route buses inside a set area, set sections of the Asanogawa and Ishikawa lines and Machi-nori, the public bike share, for ¥2,000 until March 31, 2027 (¥2,450 at the normal price). You show a QR code when you get on and off. It is sold only as a digital ticket.
How I checked this
- I read the bus stops and times from Kanazawa Station, and the descriptions of Omicho, Higashi Chaya and Nagamachi, on Ishikawa's official tourism site.
- I read the luggage delivery and storage services on the same site, and the accommodation tax and day pass on Kanazawa City's pages.
- I read the bus stop for Yuwaku Onsen on its tourism association's page, and the Wakura Onsen figures in JR West's release.
- I had not confirmed single bus fares or the price of the paper day pass on Hokutetsu's pages as of October 22, 2026, so this guide gives neither. Sources: Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism League; Kanazawa City; Yuwaku Onsen Tourism Association; JR West; JR East; Hokutetsu
- Single bus fares in the city, and the price of the paper day pass.
- Walking times from lodgings to their nearest bus stops.
- Price ranges for lodging in each area.
- The time and fare of the bus to Yuwaku Onsen.
- Kaga Onsen and other towns outside Kanazawa City.
Frequently asked questions
Which part of Kanazawa should I stay in without a car?
Near Kanazawa Station if you arrive and leave by train or bus, since the city buses leave from its Kenrokuen (East) Exit. If you would rather walk the old town in the evening, stay in Higashi Chaya, Omicho or Korinbo; the table in this guide gives the bus stop and minutes from the station for each.
How far is the old town from Kanazawa Station?
Ishikawa's tourism site gives Omicho Market as 15 minutes on foot or 7 minutes by bus, Higashi Chaya as 25 minutes on foot or 8 minutes by bus, and Kenrokuen as 32 minutes on foot or 15 minutes by bus, on Hokutetsu buses from the Kenrokuen (East) Exit.
Can I send my suitcase from Kanazawa Station to my hotel?
Yes. The luggage delivery counter in Kanazawa Station, opposite the Hokuriku Shinkansen gates, delivers bags the same day for ¥700 each within Kanazawa. Hand them in by 15:00 and they reach your lodging between 17:00 and 20:00. The counter is open 8:30–20:00.
How much is the Kanazawa accommodation tax?
Kanazawa City charges ¥200 a person a night for stays from ¥5,000 to under ¥20,000 (before consumption tax) and ¥500 for ¥20,000 or more. Stays under ¥5,000 a night are not taxed. These rates apply from October 1, 2024.
Can I stay at an onsen near Kanazawa without a car?
Yuwaku Onsen's tourism association says the regular bus leaves from stop 6 at Kanazawa Station's East Exit. On the Noto Peninsula, 11 of the 19 inns in the Wakura Onsen ryokan cooperative had reopened to guests by September 16, 2026. This guide does not cover how to reach Wakura by public transport.
Keep planning
Sources
- Getting around Kanazawa: buses and taxis from Kanazawa Station — Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism League
- Luggage delivery service at Kanazawa Station — Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism League
- Omicho Market — Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism League
- Higashi Chaya District — Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism League
- Kanazawa at night (July 28, 2026) — Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism League
- Nagamachi samurai district — Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism League
- Kanazawa Central Tourist Information Center — Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism League
- Accommodation tax — Kanazawa City
- Kanazawa 1-day bus pass and Machi-nori 1-day pass, digital ticket (April 17, 2026) — Kanazawa City
- Access to Yuwaku Onsen — Yuwaku Onsen Tourism Association
- Wakura Onsen recovery event (September 16, 2026) — JR West
- Kagayaki 503 timetable (November 2026) — JR East
- Kanazawa – Shirakawa-go – Takayama bus — Hokutetsu