Oct–NovThe direct Nozomi takes 2h 13m. The Sea of Japan route takes about 4h 15m, costs ¥8,150 more, and gives you Kanazawa, Toyama, Nagano and Fukui on the way.
The direct Nozomi from Tokyo to Kyoto takes 2h 13m for ¥14,170 (reserved). Going up and over the Sea of Japan side, Tokyo → Kanazawa → Kyoto takes about 4h 15m and costs ¥22,320: ¥14,600 plus ¥7,720. You spend about 2 hours and ¥8,150 more, and in return get eight possible stops between Karuizawa and Tsuruga. For one stop, make it Kanazawa.
Without the Tōkaidō Shinkansen? An overnight bus takes about 7 hours from ¥4,200. With a JR Pass, the Hikari takes about 2h 40m with no supplement; the Nozomi costs about ¥5,000 more each way.
Almost everybody takes the Tōkaidō Shinkansen: fast, frequent and with nothing to see from the window except, on a clear day, Mt Fuji. The other route runs north from Tokyo on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, along the Sea of Japan coast and then south on the Thunderbird to Kyoto. It is slower, but every stop on it is a place worth getting off. The Arch Pass was designed for it, and the Golden Triangle plans it as a 7, 10 or 14-day loop back to Tokyo. Below: a which-route table, the numbers, the stops in line order with a "worth it if" and a "skip if" for each, three sample trips, and the Tōkaidō-side stops for comparison.
| If you | Take | Time and cost |
|---|---|---|
| Have one day, or a fixed timetable | The direct Nozomi | 2h 13m, ¥14,170 reserved, no change |
| Can spare one night and want the stop most like Kyoto | Hokuriku via Kanazawa | About 4h 15m of train, ¥22,320: about 2 hours and ¥8,150 more than direct |
| Want sushi, mountains and gardens (two nights) | Toyama, then Kanazawa | ¥24,290 in tickets; the Alpine Route and the Kurobe Gorge Railway run to 30 November 2026 |
| Want temples as well (four nights) | Nagano, Toyama, Kanazawa | ¥26,850 in tickets, ¥32,830 with a Kurobe Gorge day; the ¥35,000 Arch Pass costs ¥2,170 more |
| Want Mt Fuji views or Hakone | Stay on the Tōkaidō side | Hakone is about 35 minutes to Odawara, then the Tōzan line (see the Tōkaidō table below) |
| Hold a Japan Rail Pass | The Hikari, or Hokuriku | Hikari about 2h 40m, no supplement; the Nozomi needs about ¥5,000 extra each way. Hokuriku is covered end to end |
| Want the lowest fare, or no Tōkaidō Shinkansen | The overnight bus, or Hokuriku | Bus about 7 hours from ¥4,200; the Hikari saves ¥320 over the Nozomi (¥13,850 reserved) |
Fares are regular-season reserved fares, one way. The Nozomi supplement for pass holders is quoted at ¥4,960 for Tokyo to Kyoto. Bus fares move with the date; see the FAQ for sources.
| Item | Direct Tōkaidō | Via Hokuriku (one stop in Kanazawa) |
|---|---|---|
| Train | Nozomi, Tokyo to Kyoto | Kagayaki to Kanazawa, then Shinkansen to Tsuruga and Thunderbird to Kyoto |
| Time | 2h 13m | About 4h 15m (Kagayaki 2h 24m to 2h 30m, then Kanazawa to Kyoto from 1h 43m), plus your stopover |
| Reserved fare | ¥14,170 | ¥22,320 (¥14,600 + ¥7,720) |
| Changes | None | One, at Tsuruga (8 minutes, upstairs) |
| Stops you can add | Hakone, Nagoya, Takayama (a detour) | Karuizawa, Nagano, Itoigawa, Kurobe, Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui, Tsuruga |
| Hokuriku Arch Pass (¥35,000) | Not covered | Covered, reserved seats free; pays once you add day trips |
| JR Pass | Covered, but the Nozomi needs a separate supplement (about ¥5,000); the Hikari takes about 2h 40m | Covered end to end (Shinkansen to Tsuruga, Thunderbird to Kyoto); not the Alpine Route or the Kurobe Gorge Railway |
Reserved fares in the regular season, checked 7 Oct 2026; the Nozomi fare and the Kanazawa to Kyoto times were re-checked on 18 Oct 2026. The Nozomi is the fastest Tōkaidō train: ¥8,360 fare plus ¥5,810 supplement. Its charge rises for tickets bought from 1 July 2027 (see the FAQ). The Hokuriku times are the fastest trains; the Hakutaka is slower. Timetables change each March. See Kyoto to Kanazawa and Tokyo to Toyama.
Worth it if you want a forest resort town, cycling and autumn colour within an hour of Tokyo. Kumoba Pond and Old Karuizawa Ginza are the half-day. Skip if you are short of time: it is the nearest stop and the least on the way to Kyoto. The Kagayaki does not stop here. Karuizawa guide.
Worth it if you want Zenkō-ji, a temple said to date from the 7th century, with snow-monkey country nearby. Zenkō-ji is about 2 km from the station, by bus or on foot up a shopping street. Skip if you only want one temple: Kanazawa and Fukui cover it. Zenkō-ji's Gokaichō runs from 4 April to 19 June 2027 and fills the trains. Nagano guide.
Worth it if you like geology and empty coast: Japan's first UNESCO Global Geopark, the Fossa Magna, and jade pebbles on the beach. It is where the Shinkansen reaches the sea. Skip if you want a city: it has none. Only the Hakutaka stops, so check the timetable first. Itoigawa guide.
Worth it if you will be here before 30 November: the open-air Kurobe Gorge Railway runs to Keyakidaira from 1 October, with peak colour forecast from late October to mid November. Unazuki Onsen is the bath at the end of the day. Skip if you arrive in winter: the railway is closed from December. Kurobe guide.
Worth it if you want the Alps and the sushi: the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route (15 April to 30 November) starts 65 minutes away, and Toyama Bay fish is the best meal of the line. Station hotels start at about ¥8,000. Skip if you only want old streets: Kanazawa has more of them, 18 to 23 minutes on. Toyama guide, Toyama as a base.
Worth it if you want the one stop that most resembles Kyoto: Kenrokuen (¥320), three teahouse districts and a samurai quarter. It is the natural single stop. Skip if you are crowd-averse in peak weeks: Higashi Chaya is busy from 11:00 to 15:00, near empty before 9:00. Kanazawa guide, Kenrokuen.
Worth it if you want a working Zen monastery: Eiheiji (¥700) is 30 minutes from Fukui by Eiheiji Liner (¥1,000 from 1 October 2026), with drop-in zazen at 10:00, 13:30 and 15:30. Fukui is also 1h 20m from Kyoto. Skip if you have already been to Eiheiji-style temples: the city itself is quiet. Fukui guide, Eiheiji.
Worth it if you want a stopover that costs no detour: the Kehi Jingū torii (10.9 m) is a short walk from the station, and Obama (Mackerel Road, temples) is a branch line away. Skip if you are on a tight connection: the change is 8 minutes. Changing at Tsuruga, Obama.
Day 1: Kagayaki to Kanazawa (2h 24m, ¥14,600). Kenrokuen, Higashi Chaya at dusk. Day 2: Kenrokuen at 7:00, then Kanazawa to Kyoto (from 1h 43m, ¥7,720). The cheapest, simplest version, and the one that costs you least over the direct train.
Day 1: Kagayaki to Toyama (2h 4m, ¥13,180), the Glass Art Museum and a sushi dinner. Day 2: Toyama to Kanazawa (18 to 23 minutes, ¥3,390), Omicho and Higashi Chaya. Day 3: on to Kyoto (¥7,720). Toyama first puts the better dinner on the first night.
Day 1: Tokyo to Nagano (1h 20m, ¥8,450), Zenkō-ji. Day 2: Nagano to Toyama (45 minutes, ¥7,290). Day 3: a Kurobe Gorge day by Hakutaka (return ¥5,980, railway to 30 November). Day 4: Toyama to Kanazawa (¥3,390). Day 5: Kyoto (¥7,720). Tickets: ¥26,850, or ¥32,830 with the Kurobe return. At that point the ¥35,000 Arch Pass costs ¥2,170 more and gives you every extra hop. See also the Hokuriku itinerary and Slow Hokuriku.
| Stop | From Tokyo | What it does better | Skip if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hakone | About 35 minutes to Odawara, then the Tōzan line | Nearest and easiest: onsen, a lake and the old Tōkaidō road, with Mt Fuji on clear days | You want fewer day-trippers: it is crowded at weekends |
| Mt Fuji (Kawaguchiko) | About 2 hours by direct bus from Shinjuku | The icon itself, with the best close views | You need it on the way to Kyoto: it is a day out, not a stop on the line |
| Nagoya | About 1h 40m on the Nozomi | Castle, Atsuta Shrine and the best-connected junction on the line | You want a place to stay a night: it is mostly a change point |
| Takayama (via Nagoya) | Nagoya, then the Hida limited express, from 2h 15m (about 2h 30m on most trains) | A walkable old town and mountains; you can rejoin the Hokuriku route at Toyama | You have only a day: it is a detour. See Kanazawa or Takayama |
Times are approximate and by train or bus from Tokyo; Hakone, Nagoya and Takayama are what readers usually weigh against the Hokuriku stops. The Tōkaidō side gives you speed, and the Sea of Japan side gives you stops that are less visited.
The Nozomi wins on three counts. If any of them decides your trip, take it, and visit Hokuriku another time.
Tokyo to Tsuruga and the Thunderbird to Kyoto, reserved seats free. One-way with one stop, tickets are cheaper (¥22,320). Add Kurobe and day trips and it pays; our 7-day Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui plan is ¥33,580 in tickets to Osaka. Worked fares.
Find on Klook ↗For live platform changes at Tsuruga and e5489 bookings for the Thunderbird.
See on Klook ↗Tokyo to Kanazawa to Kyoto one way costs ¥22,320 in tickets, less than any 7-day pass. The table says when that flips.
Rail pass hub →Directly beside the station: the easiest base for Zenkō-ji and an early Shinkansen out.
A tram stop outside and the sushi counters of the station area on the way home.
Top-floor hot-spring baths and a short walk to the Kagayaki platforms for early departures.
On the Tōkaidō line, Hakone and Nagoya are the usual stops. On the Hokuriku Shinkansen route, the best single stop is Kanazawa (2h 24m from Tokyo, ¥14,600), then Toyama for food and mountains, Nagano for Zenkō-ji, and Fukui for Eiheiji. The route ends with a change at Tsuruga for the Thunderbird to Kyoto (1h 43m from Kanazawa, ¥7,720).
Yes. Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kanazawa (2h 24m on the Kagayaki, ¥14,600 reserved), then the Shinkansen to Tsuruga and the Thunderbird limited express to Kyoto. Kanazawa to Kyoto is from 1h 43m and ¥7,720 reserved. With one night in Kanazawa the total is about 4h 15m of train and ¥22,320.
About 2 hours more train time and about ¥8,150 more. The Nozomi takes 2h 13m for ¥14,170 reserved; the Hokuriku route is about 4h 15m for ¥22,320 when you stop in Kanazawa and buy the two legs separately.
Yes, via Hokuriku: the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Tsuruga and the Thunderbird to Kyoto and Osaka, all reserved seats included. It costs ¥35,000 for 7 days and does not cover the Tōkaidō Shinkansen. For a plain one-way trip tickets are cheaper (¥22,320 to Kyoto via Kanazawa); the pass starts to win once you add day trips or double back. Out via Kanazawa to Kyoto or Osaka and back the same way costs ¥48,020 in tickets, so the pass wins on that loop.
Not for this trip alone. The 7-day JR Pass is ¥50,000 (¥53,000 from an overseas agent since 1 October 2026) and a single Tokyo to Kyoto trip costs ¥14,170 in tickets. The pass covers the Tōkaidō Shinkansen, but not the Nozomi unless you buy a Nozomi supplement ticket (about ¥5,000 each way); the Hikari takes about 2h 40m with no supplement. It also covers the whole Hokuriku route to Kyoto, but that is ¥22,320 in tickets, so the pass still loses on one journey. The Arch Pass is the better fit for the Hokuriku version.
One night is enough for Kanazawa alone. Two nights covers Toyama and Kanazawa, and four nights adds Nagano and a second night in Toyama for the Kurobe Gorge or the Alpine Route in season. The mountain lines close after 30 November 2026.
Yes, two ways. The Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa and Tsuruga, then the Thunderbird, takes about 4h 15m and costs ¥22,320 with a stop in Kanazawa; the Hokuriku Arch Pass covers all of it. The other way is an overnight highway bus of roughly 7 hours: the Flying Sneaker Liner leaves Kyoto Station at 23:28 and reaches Tokyo Station at 06:29, with fares from ¥4,200 to ¥8,200 depending on the date.
The overnight bus, from about ¥4,200 for roughly 7 hours. By train the cheapest ticket is an unreserved seat at ¥13,320, or a reserved seat on the Hikari or Kodama at ¥13,850, which is ¥320 less than the Nozomi's ¥14,170. The Hikari takes about 2h 40m. Booking through SmartEX or Express Reservation takes a few hundred yen off the Nozomi, to ¥13,970 or ¥13,680 reserved. The Hokuriku route costs more at ¥22,320 because you are buying two journeys, not one.
From 1h 43m for ¥7,720 reserved, with one change at Tsuruga. On the 19 October 2026 timetable the quick connections leave Kanazawa on the Tsurugi at 14:55, 15:54, 16:55 and 17:55: an 8 minute change at Tsuruga and 1h 43m to 1h 45m in all. Most other departures between 11:00 and 18:00 allow 12 to 13 minutes for the change and take about 2h 4m to 2h 7m, so pick your train with that in mind. Going the other way, Kyoto to Kanazawa is from 1h 41m.
Yes, from July 2027. JR Central and JR West announced on 16 October 2026 that Nozomi and Mizuho reserved-seat charges rise for tickets bought from 1 July 2027. Tokyo to Shin-Osaka goes up ¥700 to ¥15,420 and Tokyo to Nagoya up ¥580 to ¥11,880; the Kyoto figure was not in the announcement. Until then the fare stays ¥14,170. The change covers the Tōkaidō and Sanyō lines, not the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
Yes, but it is a detour, not a stop on the line. Take the Nozomi to Nagoya (about 1h 40m), then the Hida limited express to Takayama (from 2h 15m, about 2h 30m on most trains, about ¥6,300 reserved), and come back through Nagoya for Kyoto. Or go on from Takayama to Toyama on the Hida (about 1h 30m, ¥3,420 reserved) and rejoin the Hokuriku route to Kanazawa and Kyoto, or take the reserved bus from Takayama to Kanazawa (2h 15m, ¥4,200). Kanazawa or Takayama helps you choose one.
Booking links are affiliate links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you. How we choose