What you'll do

Some of Kanazawa’s most precious districts are overshadowed by more famous areas – but seeing the city through a local’s eyes creates a new perspective. Explore a quiet residential area where pastel-colored Rakugan confections – a Kanazawa specialty – are produced, and learn more about mysterious geisha at the geisha museum and training ground. Visit Utatsuyama Park – an expansive forest in the middle of the city with over 100 types of wildflowers – then forego crowded Higashi Chaya in favor of storybook Kazuemachi, a small riverside district lined with wood-built, feudal-era buildings where ethereal geisha play music and locals move between trendy taprooms and galleries (why not let your host recommend a hidden haunt for a quick coffee?).

Where you’ll go

In central Kanazawa, you’ll follow your local host between the fascinating districts that are often overlooked. At Utatsuyama Park, a breathtaking green slope northeast of the Asano River, stroll among the flowers and search for multiple Shintoist and Buddhist shrines, then cross Asonawa Bridge and explore Kazuemachi, where traditional and modern Japan coexist in harmony, less than a mile away. Walk between perfectly preserved wood-built architecture, unaltered by the events of WWII, and snap pictures of colorful street murals by local artists, before heading two miles south across Sai River to the west geisha district, compact Nishi Chaya – a single residential road where geisha and maiko (apprentice geisha) live and train.

- With your local host, get off the well-trodden tourist trail and explore Kanazawa’s secret side
- Visit Utatsuyama Park, an expansive forest in the middle of the city with colorful wildflowers and several shrines
- Learn about mysterious geisha in compact Nishi Chaya, a single residential district where geisha and maiko (apprentice geisha) live and train
- Let your host recommend a trendy cafe in riverside Kazuemachi, where traditional and modern Japan coexist
- Get more insider tips for unique things to see and do on your trip
- This experience will be personalized to you!
- What’s included
- Private and personalized experience
- 3 hours with a host
- Walking experience (other transport can be arranged at an additional cost)
- What’s not included
- Food and drinks
- Tickets to any attractions
- Transportation costs
- Gratuities (optional)
Your hotel/apartment or any other central location
Cancel 7 days before the experience for a full refund

COVID-19 Flexible Policy: you can cancel for free up to a day before the experience and receive a full refund.

Tour Of Secret Kanazawa

Secret gems of Kanazawa

What you'll do

Where you’ll go

Meet our locals in Kanazawa

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