Oct–NovHow many days, which train, which pass, which season and where to sleep. Each answer below is the short version; each links to the page with the timetables, fares and day-by-day plans.
A Hokuriku trip works best at a week or more, and two weeks is ideal: my recommended route is Slow Hokuriku, Tokyo to Kyoto with whole days in each place. Short of time, 3 to 7 days from Tokyo still works on the Hokuriku Shinkansen: 2h 4m to Toyama, 2h 24m to Kanazawa. You don't need a car. For a round trip from Tokyo through Hokuriku to Kyoto or Osaka and back, the Hokuriku Arch Pass (¥35,000, 7 days) saves about ¥13,000 on tickets; one way, tickets are cheaper. Go in April–May or October–November for the best weather, and base yourself in Toyama if the Alps are on your list.
Most visitors to Japan never see Hokuriku, the Sea of Japan coast between the Northern Alps and the sea. It is two and a half hours from Tokyo by Shinkansen, and it has better food and more mountains than the Tokyo to Kyoto route. I live here and guide and plan trips here, and these pages answer the questions I am asked most, with the times and fares checked against JR and the operators.
In my experience, the most common mistake is treating Hokuriku as one day trip from Tokyo or Kyoto. Toyama, Kanazawa and Fukui are each worth at least a full day, and the reason to come is the part between them: the Alps, the coast and the food. If Kyoto is your yardstick, start with Kyoto without the crowds or our quieter alternatives to famous places.
Often not. Tickets for Tokyo to Kanazawa to Kyoto come to about ¥22,320 against ¥35,000 for the Arch Pass, so check the worked fares first.
Worked fares for the Hokuriku Arch Pass, JR Pass and the regional passes, so you can see which, if any, beats buying tickets.
Compare the passes →Tokyo to Osaka via Kanazawa on one pass, Shinkansen reserved seats included. Is it worth it?
See on Klook ↗Kanazawa, Toyama and Fukui hotels within minutes of the Shinkansen gates, so you can drop bags and go.
Out of the ticket gates, across the Tsuzumi-mon plaza, and into the lobby. The reliable choice for tight transit connections, late arrivals, and early departures.
1 min across the road from the south exit and two from Dentetsu-Toyama, where the Chitetsu line to Tateyama starts. The pick for early trains.
International hotel two minutes from the Shinkansen gates and the robot dinosaurs. Echizen Railway to Mikuni, Eiheiji and Katsuyama leaves from next door.
Hokuriku is worth a week or more, and two weeks is ideal: whole days at the Kurobe Gorge, the Alpine Route, Kanazawa, Fukui and Wakasa, with no rush back to Tokyo or Kyoto, as in the Slow Hokuriku route from Tokyo to Kyoto. Short of time, 3 days covers Kanazawa and Toyama, 5 days adds the Alpine Route or Kurobe Gorge and Gokayama from a Toyama base, and 7 days continues through Fukui to Kyoto or Osaka. See the day-by-day itineraries.
The Hokuriku Shinkansen takes 2h 24m from Tokyo to Kanazawa on the fastest Kagayaki, and most Kagayaki take 2h 26m to 2h 34m. A reserved seat costs ¥14,600 in the standard season. The Kagayaki is all-reserved, so book a seat even with a rail pass. See getting to Kanazawa.
The Hokuriku Shinkansen takes 2h 4m from Tokyo to Toyama on the fastest Kagayaki, and a reserved seat costs ¥13,180. Toyama is the start of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route and 18 to 23 minutes from Kanazawa by Shinkansen. See getting to Toyama.
Hokuriku is easy without a car: the Hokuriku Shinkansen links Toyama, Kanazawa and Fukui in under an hour, and buses cover Shirakawa-go, Gokayama and the Alpine Route. A car only helps on the Noto Peninsula, the Wakasa coast and rural Fukui. Send big suitcases ahead by takkyūbin on multi-stop trips. See getting around.
The Hokuriku Arch Pass (¥35,000, 7 days, foreign visitors only) is the best-value pass for a Tokyo to Kyoto or Osaka trip through Toyama, Kanazawa and Fukui. The nationwide 7-day JR Pass costs ¥50,000 from JR, or ¥53,000 through agents such as Klook from 1 October 2026, and only pays off if you also travel far beyond Hokuriku. A Tokyo to Kanazawa return alone is cheaper on normal tickets.
Mid-April to May and October to November are the best times to visit Hokuriku: sakura or autumn leaves, dry clear days, and the Alpine Route open. December to February brings snow crab, snow-roped gardens and powder snow for skiing, but grey skies and the Alpine Route closed. June and July are the rainy season. See when to visit.
I would base myself in Toyama if the mountains matter: the Alpine Route, Kurobe Gorge, Takayama, Gokayama and Kanazawa are all day trips from Toyama Station, and the food is the best in the region. Base in Kanazawa for a city-focused trip with gardens, museums and geisha districts on foot. See Toyama as a base.
Hokuriku sees a small fraction of Kyoto's foreign visitors, so temples, gardens and old streets outside Kanazawa's peak hours are quiet. Kanazawa's Kenrokuen and Higashi Chaya do get busy from late morning to mid-afternoon in sakura and autumn weeks; go at opening or after 16:00. See why Hokuriku.
Tell us your dates, where you land and what you like, and we will reply with the route we would take. We plan Hokuriku trips and guide small groups on weekends and national holidays.
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