Hotel Vischio Toyama by GRANVIA
ホテルヴィスキオ富山 · in the JR Toyama Station building
Two minutes from Dentetsu-Toyama for the Alpine Route and from the Shinkansen for the gorge: the easy base for three nights.
from ¥11,500Our notes →
Check rates ↗Oct–NovJapan's Golden Route runs Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka along the Tōkaidō. The Golden Triangle takes the long side: up to Toyama and Kanazawa, down to Kyoto, then the Nozomi home in 2h 13m.
The Golden Triangle is Tokyo, then Toyama and Kanazawa, then Kyoto, then home. You ride the Hokuriku Shinkansen up the Sea of Japan side, the Thunderbird down to Kyoto (a change at Tsuruga), and the Tōkaidō Shinkansen back to Tokyo, or fly out of Kansai. It takes 7 days at a minimum, 10 ideally, 14 slowly. The 7-day plan below costs ¥44,440 in single tickets from Tokyo and back. Fly in at Tokyo and out of Kansai and the ¥35,000 Hokuriku Arch Pass is the cheaper way to ride it.
Most first trips run Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka in a line and back. The Golden Triangle joins Tokyo and Kyoto by the other side of the country: the Hokuriku Arch Pass was designed for it, and the direct Nozomi back to Tokyo closes the loop in 2h 13m. Below: how it differs from the classic route, three day-by-day plans with fares and hotels, the money worked through four cases, and what changes by season. For the Tokyo to Kyoto leg alone, with one stop, start at Where to stop between Tokyo and Kyoto.
| Item | Golden Route | Golden Triangle |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Tokyo, Hakone or Mt Fuji, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara (sometimes Hiroshima), one straight line | Tokyo, Toyama, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Tokyo: a loop with the long side up the Sea of Japan coast |
| Tokyo to Kyoto | Nozomi, 2h 13m, ¥14,170 reserved | About 4h 15m of train and ¥22,320 with one stop in Kanazawa (¥14,600 + ¥7,720) |
| The view | Mt Fuji from the train window on a clear day, then Kansai | The Northern Alps behind Toyama, then the Sea of Japan coast, then Lake Biwa |
| Crowds | Kyoto, Osaka and Hakone are busy for most of the year | Quiet at Toyama, the Kurobe Gorge and Fukui; Kanazawa is busy at Higashi Chaya from 11:00 to 15:00 and near empty before 9:00 |
| What it adds | Fuji, Hakone onsen, Osaka street food, Nara deer | The Kurobe Gorge, the Alpine Route (15 April to 30 November), Kenrokuen, Higashi Chaya, Toyama sushi, Unazuki and other onsen |
| Rail pass | JR Pass covers the Tōkaidō on Hikari, not Nozomi without a supplement | Hokuriku Arch Pass (¥35,000, 7 days) covers Tokyo to Tsuruga and the Thunderbird to Kyoto; not the Tōkaidō back |
The triangle trades crowds for space and Fuji for the Alps. It does not replace Kyoto: it ends there, with you arriving rested from five or six quiet days. If Fuji, Hakone and Osaka are the reason for the trip, take the classic route; see also what to see instead of Kyoto. Fares are regular-season reserved fares checked 13 Oct 2026; the Nozomi is the fastest Tōkaidō train.
The mountains come first because the Alpine Route and the gorge railway depend on weather and close at the end of November. Swap days 2 and 3 if the Murodō forecast is poor: the gorge is lower and more sheltered. Kanazawa's gardens and teahouses work in rain.
| Day | Trains | What to do | Sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo 07:20 Kagayaki 503 → Toyama 09:24 (2h 4m, ¥13,180). The Kagayaki is all-reserved | Toyama city: the Glass Art Museum, Kansui Park, then a Toyama Bay sushi counter for dinner | Toyama |
| 2 | Dentetsu-Toyama → Tateyama by Chitetsu, about 1h (¥1,420), then cable car and bus to Murodō. Return from Dentetsu-Toyama ¥10,220 | The Alpine Route to Murodō (2,450 m), 15 April to 30 November. Allow 8–10 hours; queues peak 13:00–15:00. December to mid-April it is closed: take Takaoka (Zuiryū-ji, the Great Buddha) instead | Toyama |
| 3 | Toyama → Kurobe-Unazukionsen, Hakutaka 12 min (¥2,990), then Chitetsu from Shin-Kurobe to Unazuki-Onsen 26 min (¥740) | Kurobe Gorge Railway: Unazuki 10:44 → Keyakidaira 12:03, back on the 13:10; return ¥4,960, running to 30 November. Book on the railway's own site, since Keyakidaira seats are capped. A bath in Unazuki Onsen before the train back. In winter: Gokayama under snow | Toyama |
| 4 | Toyama → Kanazawa, Shinkansen 18–23 min, ¥3,390 | Omicho Market for lunch, Nagamachi, then Higashi Chaya at dusk | Kanazawa |
| 5 | None | Kenrokuen at 7:00 (¥320), then the castle park and 21st Century Museum. Evening: a geiko show and dinner on Klook ↗ on its set dates, or the other ways to see geiko | Kanazawa |
| 6 | Kanazawa → Kyoto, Shinkansen to Tsuruga, change upstairs (8 min), Thunderbird to Kyoto: from 1h 43m, ¥7,720 | Fushimi Inari is open round the clock and quietest early or late; Gion in the evening | Kyoto |
| 7 | Kyoto → Tokyo, Nozomi 2h 13m, ¥14,170 (or the Haruka to Kansai Airport) | A morning at Kiyomizu-dera or Arashiyama before the train. Kyoto gets one night here: add days to the end if the temples are the point | Tokyo, or fly home |
Rail cost: ¥44,440 in single tickets (¥13,180 + ¥5,980 Kurobe return + ¥3,390 + ¥7,720 + ¥14,170). The Alpine Route (¥10,220), gorge railway (¥4,960), Chitetsu and Kanazawa museums are extra whatever pass you hold. Kagayaki seats sell out 2–3 weeks ahead at Golden Week, Obon and autumn weekends. Fares and times are the October 2026 timetable and the fares on Hokuriku itinerary.
Same bones as the 7 days, with a night in Tokyo to land, a free day in Kanazawa for Shirakawa-go, and two nights in Kyoto so the last stop is not a rush.
| Day | Trains | What to do | Sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrive in Tokyo | A night to land and adjust. The Narita Express into Tokyo is ¥3,140 if you land at Narita | Tokyo |
| 2 | Tokyo 07:20 Kagayaki 503 → Toyama 09:24 (¥13,180) | Toyama city and a sushi dinner | Toyama |
| 3 | Chitetsu to Tateyama, about 1h (¥1,420) | Alpine Route to Murodō and back (¥10,220 return), or over the ropeway to Kurobedaira | Toyama |
| 4 | Toyama → Kurobe-Unazukionsen, Hakutaka 12 min (¥2,990), Chitetsu 26 min (¥740) | Kurobe Gorge Railway to Keyakidaira (return ¥4,960) and a bath at Unazuki | Toyama |
| 5 | Toyama → Kanazawa, Shinkansen 18–23 min (¥3,390) | Omicho, Nagamachi and Higashi Chaya at dusk | Kanazawa |
| 6 | None | Kenrokuen at 7:00, the 21st Century Museum, then crafts or a kimono afternoon in Higashi Chaya | Kanazawa |
| 7 | West Exit coach to Shirakawa-go, about 1h 25m (¥2,800 each way, reserved) | Shirakawa-go for the thatched farmhouses, back by late afternoon. Prefer a guide? Shirakawa-go coach tour from Kanazawa on Klook ↗ | Kanazawa |
| 8 | Kanazawa → Kyoto, change at Tsuruga: from 1h 43m, ¥7,720 | Afternoon in Kyoto: Fushimi Inari late, Gion at dusk | Kyoto |
| 9 | None | A whole Kyoto day: Kiyomizu-dera early, then the Philosopher's Path or Arashiyama. Quieter than the first-time list because you have the time to be early | Kyoto |
| 10 | Kyoto → Tokyo, Nozomi 2h 13m, ¥14,170, or the Haruka to Kansai Airport | Home, or one more night in Tokyo | Tokyo or fly home |
Rail cost: ¥44,440 again, because the extra days are bus and sightseeing days. The four JR legs inside one week come to ¥30,270; days 2 to 8 do fit one 7-day Arch Pass window, but the legs in it cost only ¥30,270, so single tickets still win unless you add Fukui or fly out of Kansai (cases 3 and 4 below). The Shirakawa-go coach is not JR.
Two weeks is where Hokuriku stops being a detour. This is Slow Hokuriku with one night trimmed from Toyama and from Obama to buy a longer finish in Kyoto, then the Nozomi back to Tokyo on day 14 (¥14,170).
| Base | Nights | The days | Getting in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyama 富山 | 3 | The Alpine Route, the Kurobe Gorge and the bay: a whole day for each | Tokyo → Toyama, Kagayaki 2h 4m, ¥13,180 |
| Kanazawa 金沢 | 3 | Kenrokuen, the castle, Higashi Chaya, a free day (Shirakawa-go or the market) | Toyama → Kanazawa, 18–23 min, ¥3,390 |
| Awara Onsen あわら温泉 | 2 | An onsen afternoon, Tōjinbō and the port of Mikuni | Kanazawa → Awara-Onsen, Shinkansen about 25 min, then bus 8–15 min |
| Obama 小浜 | 2 | The Wakasa coast: the fish market, temples and mackerel, where Kyoto's mackerel came from | Via Fukui and Tsuruga, then the Obama Line 1h 4m–1h 9m |
| Kyoto 京都 | 3 | Three nights with nothing to catch | Obama → Tsuruga ¥990, Thunderbird to Kyoto 52 min, ¥3,420 |
The full hour-by-hour version, with where to eat and what to book, is Slow Hokuriku: two weeks, Tokyo to Kyoto. Its JR legs from Tokyo to Kyoto come to about ¥35,280 in single tickets, so add ¥14,170 for the Tōkaidō back: about ¥49,450. A 14-day trip outlasts any 7-day pass; if you want one, start it on the Hokuriku days that travel furthest, and see the Arch Pass calculator.
Single tickets are the baseline: Tokyo to Toyama ¥13,180, the Kurobe return from Toyama ¥5,980, Toyama to Kanazawa ¥3,390, Kanazawa to Kyoto ¥7,720 and Kyoto to Tokyo ¥14,170.
| Case | Tickets only | Hokuriku Arch Pass + Tōkaidō ticket | JR Pass (7 days) | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The 7 days, Tokyo in and out | ¥44,440 | ¥49,170 (¥35,000 + ¥14,170) | ¥50,000 (¥53,000 on Klook) | Single tickets. The Arch Pass costs ¥4,730 more, the JR Pass ¥5,560 to ¥8,560 more. |
| 2. Case 1 with a Fukui and Eiheiji day trip in place of day 5 (¥7,480 return from Kanazawa) | ¥51,920 | ¥49,170 | ¥50,000 (¥53,000 on Klook) | Arch Pass, saving ¥2,750. The JR Pass saves ¥1,920 (it costs ¥1,080 more on Klook) and loses to the Arch Pass by ¥830 to ¥3,830. |
| 3. Open-jaw: land at Narita by late morning and take the Narita Express (¥3,140) to the Shinkansen on day 1; leave from Kansai Airport on the Haruka (¥3,590); no Tōkaidō ticket | ¥37,000 (¥30,270 + ¥3,140 + ¥3,590) | ¥35,000 | Not worth it at ¥50,000 | Arch Pass, saving about ¥2,000 on the plain route. |
| 4. Case 3 plus the Fukui day trip | ¥44,480 | ¥35,000 | Not worth it at ¥50,000 | Arch Pass, saving ¥9,480. |
Fares checked 13 Oct 2026: the Hokuriku fares are the ones on our Hokuriku itinerary and Kyoto to Kanazawa pages (regular season). The Kyoto to Tokyo Nozomi is ¥14,170 reserved in the regular season (¥8,360 fare plus ¥5,810 Nozomi charge); JR Central publishes the exact figure by date in its own booking search, and its 2026–27 seasonal rule adds ¥200 to ¥400 on busy and peak days. The Nozomi supplement for a JR Pass holder is ¥4,960 (Tokyo or Shinagawa to Kyoto), and the Hikari takes about 2h 40m against about 2h 15m for the Nozomi. The Haruka figure (¥3,590 reserved) and the Narita Express (¥3,140) are indicative.
Tokyo to Tsuruga on every Hokuriku Shinkansen, the Thunderbird to Kyoto and Osaka, the Narita Express and the Haruka, with free seat reservations. It does not cover the Tōkaidō Shinkansen. Since 14 March 2026 it also covers the Ōito Line to Hakuba and Matsumoto and Tsuruga to Kyoto via the Kosei Line or Maibara. Try your own route.
Find on Klook ↗Covers the whole loop, including the Tōkaidō back on the Hikari (not the Nozomi without the ¥4,960 supplement). Only worth it if the same week also reaches Hiroshima, Tōhoku or Kyūshū. JR Pass guide.
See on Klook ↗The Arch Pass is the one built for this loop; the others cover a slice of it. The table says when each pays.
Rail pass hub →Toyama for 3 nights and Kanazawa for 2 (3 on the 10-day plan). Tokyo needs no recommendation here. In Kyoto, stay near Kyoto Station if you have an early train, or around Gion and Shijō if you want the evenings; book early for autumn and sakura weeks.
Two minutes from Dentetsu-Toyama for the Alpine Route and from the Shinkansen for the gorge: the easy base for three nights.
A tram stop outside and the izakaya of the station area on the way home.
Top-floor hot-spring baths and a two-minute walk to the platforms, which helps on the morning of the Thunderbird to Kyoto.
Out of the gates and across the plaza: the reliable pick for an early train.
The Golden Route is the classic first trip: Tokyo, then Mt Fuji or Hakone, then Kyoto and Osaka, sometimes with Nara or Hiroshima, all on the Tōkaidō and Sanyō Shinkansen. The Nozomi covers Tokyo to Kyoto in 2h 13m for ¥14,170 reserved. It is fast and easy, and it is where most visitors go.
It is our name for the third side of that map: Tokyo, then up the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Toyama and Kanazawa, then down to Kyoto by Thunderbird (a change at Tsuruga), then back to Tokyo on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen or a flight out of Kansai. It swaps Mt Fuji and Osaka for the Northern Alps, the Kurobe Gorge, Kenrokuen and Toyama Bay, and it is the route the Hokuriku Arch Pass was made for.
7 days is the minimum: six nights, with 3 in Toyama, 2 in Kanazawa and 1 in Kyoto. 10 days is the sweet spot, with Shirakawa-go and two nights in Kyoto. 14 days is the slow version through Awara Onsen and the Wakasa coast, covered in full on Slow Hokuriku. Allow a night in Tokyo at the start if you land late.
For one round trip on this route, single tickets (¥44,440 in our 7-day plan) beat every pass. The ¥35,000 Hokuriku Arch Pass wins if you fly into Tokyo and out of Kansai (it saves about ¥2,000 on the plain route and about ¥9,500 with a Fukui day trip), or if you come back to Tokyo but add several extra hops. The JR Pass (¥50,000, or ¥53,000 on Klook) loses to the Arch Pass plus a single Tōkaidō ticket in every case we ran.
No. There has been no direct train since March 2024. Take the Shinkansen to Tsuruga, change upstairs to the Thunderbird (8 minutes), and ride on to Kyoto. It takes from 1h 43m and costs ¥7,720 reserved. See changing at Tsuruga.
Yes, if you have 7 days or more and care about gardens, mountains and food as much as temples. It costs about 2 hours and ¥8,150 more than the direct Nozomi to Kyoto if you stop only in Kanazawa. It is not worth it on a 4-day trip, or if Mt Fuji, Osaka and Nara are the point of the trip.
No. Fly into Tokyo and out of Kansai Airport: the Haruka from Kyoto is covered by the Arch Pass, which also covers the Narita Express at the start. That removes the ¥14,170 Tōkaidō ticket and is the cheapest way to run the triangle on the pass.
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