Best of Kanazawa
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Port
Kanazawa, Japan
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Activity Level
Strenuous
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$219
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 7 Hours
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Meals Included
Meals included
Explore Japan's samurai history in the city of Kanazawa, contrasted with a visit to the 21st-century Museum of Contemporary Art. This is a glimpse into just a few of the dichotomies that make modern Japan an endlessly fascinating destination.
Begin your day with a drive to Kenroku-en -- one of the three celebrated Great Gardens of Japan. The great daimyo of Kanazawa Castle originally developed Kenroku-en's 25-acre landscaped garden. It boasts Japan's first fountain, a teahouse dating to 1774, and a pagoda donated to the Maeda clan by the great warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The celebrated Ganko-Bashi is a bridge comprised of 11 red stones laid out to resemble a formation of flying geese.
Cross the Asano River to the Higashi Chayamachi -- one of the city's four pleasure districts established in the late Edo period (1820). The district is home to traditional tea houses, where wealthy merchants and artisans held drinking parties and geisha performed. Explore the narrow streets.
After lunch, continue to the Nagamachi District, once home to many of Kanazawa's samurai. Kaga was unlike other Japanese fiefdoms because its samurai lived in Kanazawa town. The remains of their houses can be seen today, along with a few surviving residences, earthen boundary walls, narrow lanes and canals.
Your final destination is Kanazawa's 21st-century Museum of Contemporary Art**. Opened in 2004, this cutting-edge museum focuses on art created after 1980. The museum's architecture is as new and avant-garde as its collection.
Return to ship by coach.
Notes:
In some cases, the Museum of Contemporary Art is not available. In that case, a visit to Omicho Market (270 years old and the largest market in Kanazawa) will be substituted. You must remove your shoes at the Nagamachi Samurai Residence. Exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Art may vary; Erlich's Swimming Pool may or may not be available. Wear comfortable walking shoes. Terrain includes gravel paths. Tour does not operate on Mondays or holidays.
** Westerdam Call on 20th October 2025- The visit to the 21st Centuary Museum of Contemporary Art has been replaced with a call to Omicho Market. Omicho Market has 270 years of history and is the largest market in Kanazawa.