Kanazawa Samurai & Geisha Walk with 2 Craft Visits and Lunch
Description
Explore the rich heritage of Kanazawa on a captivating walking tour that delves into the world of samurai and geisha. This half-day experience takes you through the historic Nagamachi Samurai District, where you’ll visit the Nomura Samurai House and its stunning gardens. Discover the artistry of urushi lacquer and handcrafted umbrellas, then enjoy a traditional lunch in the charming Nishi Chaya District, one of the city's last geisha quarters. Conclude your journey at the intriguing Myoryuji Temple, known as the 'Ninja Temple' for its secret passages. Perfect for history enthusiasts and families alike, this small group tour ensures an intimate cultural experience.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Visit Oyama Shrine, known for its unique mix of Japanese and Western architectural styles Start your journey at Oyama Shrine, the symbolic gate of Kanazawa’s samurai past.
Experience a rare visit to a traditional Urushi workshop founded in 1879 and hear directly from its sixth-generation artisan. Learn how tree sap is transformed into Urushi through filtering, refining, and coloring, while seeing the actual machines used in the process. Take home two pairs of chopsticks made at the workshop, including one finished with the traditional fuki-urushi technique.
Walk through the Nagamachi Samurai District and visit the Nomura Samurai House
Step inside the Nomura Samurai Residence, famed for its two-star Michelin Green Guide garden, tea room, and genuine samurai armor. Feel the quiet strength and elegance that defined the warrior class.
See the art of handcrafted paper umbrellas, a traditional Kanazawa craft
Have a local lunch in the historic Nishi Chaya District, one of Kanazawa’s three geisha quarters Recharge with a delicious lunch in Nishi Chaya District, one of Kanazawa’s remaining geisha quarters, savoring fresh seafood from the Sea of Japan or local Noto pork in a relaxed, traditional setting.
Arrive at Myoryuji Temple (Ninja Temple); your guide assists with check-in and then departs Finally, explore the legendary Myoryuji Temple, nicknamed the “Ninja Temple.” Though unrelated to ninjas, its secret passages and clever defenses once protected samurai lords.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Out of respect for all participants, the tour will start on time. Guests arriving late cannot join, reschedule, or receive a refund.
- Please note there might be other participants on the same tour.
- Please note that preschool children are not allowed to enter Myoryuji Temple (Ninja Temple). If a preschool child joins the tour, it will end for them at the temple entrance, and no refund is available for the temple or tour fee.
- Due to stairs, narrow passages, and limited accessibility in some areas, this tour is not suitable for guests with mobility issues, wheelchairs, or strollers.
- As this is a walking tour, please wear comfortable shoes suitable for long distances.
- We will visit Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines—please wear respectful clothing.
- Photography is not allowed inside Myoryuji Temple (Ninja Temple). Please follow the guide’s instructions regarding photography at other locations.
- Please bring rain gear in case of light rain; the tour will proceed unless conditions are unsafe.
- Vegetarian menus are also available upon advance request. Vegetarian options are limited and may include fish-based broth (dashi). We will do our best to accommodate, but please contact us in advance.
- We are unable to accommodate gluten-free requests or guarantee allergy-free meals, as food is prepared in external kitchens. Substitutions may not always be possible, but we’ll make every effort to provide alternatives.
- You do not need to pay for the guide’s food or drinks.
- Please bring some cash if you wish to buy additional snacks or drinks.
- The itinerary order may change depending on traffic, weather, or facility operations. If any place is closed, an alternative location will be arranged.
- The tour may be cancelled in case of severe weather for safety reasons.
- All temple entrance fees and lunch are included in the tour price.
Reviews(22)
Such a knowledgeable guide. We learned loads and he was able to answer all our questions and was very attentive. Definitely recommend.
Great Tour. Great Infos. Great Guides Rai and Tomo are really nice to know. Get to know Traditionell handcraft deon Japanese and history of the City.
Lovely tour with excelent guides ttomo and rai.
Iku and Rai were perfect hosts in their city providing all the details during the visit and a lot of funny moments spent together. I was alone but I did not feel so! Thanks guys for this great experience, hope to meet you again in the future. I definitively recommend their tour !
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you had such a great time with Iku and Rai and enjoyed both the informative and fun moments during the tour. It’s especially nice to know that even though you joined alone, you felt comfortable and welcomed throughout the experience. Thank you for your recommendation, and we truly hope to welcome you again in the future!
"We had an absolutely unforgettable time in Kanazawa! This walking tour far exceeded all our expectations. Diving into the rich history of the samurai and geisha districts was deeply immersive—we felt like we were walking through a beautiful historical movie. A huge thank you to Rai and his assistant Iku for such a wonderful experience! Your knowledge and hospitality made the day truly special. Visiting the artisan workshops was a highlight—getting to see such incredible craftsmanship firsthand was priceless. And the lunch was the perfect, delicious ending to our tour. Thank you, Rai and Iku, for making these 4 hours fly by like a blink of an eye! We highly recommend this tour to everyone!"
Thank you so much for your amazing and thoughtful review! We’re truly delighted to hear that your time in Kanazawa exceeded expectations and that you enjoyed exploring the rich history of the samurai and geisha districts. It’s wonderful to know that the experience felt so immersive and memorable for you. We’re especially happy to hear that Rai and Iku helped make the day so special with their knowledge and hospitality. It’s great to know that the artisan workshops and lunch were highlights of your tour as well. Thank you again for your kind recommendation and for joining us. We hope to welcome you again on another adventure in Japan someday!
We really enjoyed our tour with rai and tetsuya! They were very knowledgeable and kind. We got to talk with them and ask questions, and learn more about the local crafts. We really enjoyed our time learning about urushi and Mr. Takano. He and his mother were so sweet and had such passion for their craft. We also loved meeting Mr. Matsuda who is working hard to preserve his trade and the beautiful umbrellas.
We’re really happy to hear that you enjoyed your tour with Rai and Tetsuya. It’s great to know they were able to share their knowledge, answer your questions, and help you learn more about local crafts. We truly appreciate you joining us and hope to welcome you again on another tour in the future!
We had a fantastic experience with our guide Tomo. She was very kind and insightful. We were lucky enough to be the only two on the tour and we had a great time learning about Kanazawa's history and culture!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that you had a fantastic experience with Tomo. It’s great to know she was kind and insightful, and that you were able to enjoy a more personal tour while learning about Kanazawa’s history and culture. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you again for another great experience!
Really interesting, our guide was lovely and very knowledgeable. We had a wonderful visit to the lacquer small family factory, such lovely people, and the umbrella factory which was incredible. We also had a beautiful lunch organised for us. All ending with the “Ninja” temple, amazing!
It was a lovely experience with Ako, she guided us through some wonderful craft workshops and really gave us a great experience in Kanazawa understanding Japanese Culture from the Edo period and beyond.
Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re happy to hear you had a lovely experience with Ako and enjoyed the craft workshops in Kanazawa. It’s great that you were able to learn more about Japanese culture from the Edo period and beyond. We hope to see you again on another tour!
Amazing and very interesting tour Our guide Ako was fantastic and full of information
![[One-day bus tour departing from Kanazawa Station] Shirakawa-go and Gokayama - Two World Heritage Villages Enjoyable Bus Tour](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia-cdn.tripadvisor.com%2Fmedia%2Fattractions-splice-spp-720x480%2F09%2F94%2F2f%2F89.jpg&w=3840&q=75)