Oct–NovThe Shinkansen does the long hops, a web of local railways, trams and buses does the rest. How the pieces fit, how long each trip takes, how to get in from the airports, and which pass is worth buying.
Hokuriku is easy to travel without a car: the Hokuriku Shinkansen links the main towns (Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui and Tsuruga are 16 to 23 minutes apart), and local railways, trams and highway buses cover the rest. For a Tokyo, Hokuriku and Kyoto trip the Hokuriku Arch Pass (¥35,000, 7 days) is cheaper than the JR Pass (¥50,000 from JR, ¥53,000 through agents from 1 October 2026). A plain Tokyo–Kanazawa return (¥29,200) is cheaper with no pass at all.
My advice: base yourself in Toyama and branch out by train. From Toyama the Alpine Route, the Kurobe Gorge, Takayama, Gokayama and Kanazawa are all day trips. It's like branching out from Tokyo, but in the Japan Alps, with much better food. Kanazawa works the same way for Fukui, Kaga Onsen and Shirakawa-go. See Toyama as a base.
Plan on changing trains, not hiring a car. The Shinkansen runs through snow that closes mountain roads, and most sights are within walking distance of a station, a tram stop or a bus stop. A car earns its cost in only a few places: the Wakasa coast's Rainbow Line, the Noto Peninsula and the rural corners of Fukui.
Rail passes are sold online as a voucher that you exchange at a major JR station on arrival. Whether one pays depends on the route: the comparison is below.
Tokyo to Osaka via Toyama and Kanazawa, Shinkansen reserved seats included. Cheaper than the JR Pass for any trip that stays on this corridor. Is it worth it?
See on Klook ↗Unlimited mobile data on a QR code: maps, timetables and translation without hunting for wifi.
See on Klook ↗Seven ways of getting around, from the Shinkansen spine to the taxi at the end of the line. Which pass covers which is in the pass table.
The Hokuriku Shinkansen links every main town: Toyama to Kanazawa 18 min, Kanazawa to Fukui 23 min, Fukui to Tsuruga 16 min. The Tsurugi shuttles between Toyama or Kanazawa and Tsuruga. Stations, services and booking.
The Thunderbird runs from Tsuruga to Kyoto (52m–54m) and Osaka, all seats reserved. The Hida runs from Toyama through the mountains to Takayama in about 1h 30m. Limited expresses from Kanazawa reach Wakura Onsen on Noto in about an hour.
The old JR Hokuriku Line is now three local railways: Ainokaze Toyama across Toyama Prefecture (Toyama to Takaoka 20 min, ¥370), IR Ishikawa through Kanazawa and Hapi-Line Fukui from Daishōji to Tsuruga (Fukui to Awara-Onsen ¥380). Cheap and frequent, but the JR Pass does not cover them.
Toyama's trams loop the centre and run north to Iwase port for ¥220 a ride. The Toyama Chiho Railway (Chitetsu) runs from Dentetsu-Toyama to Tateyama for the Alpine Route (60 min) and from Shin-Kurobe to Unazuki Onsen (26 min, ¥740). No JR pass covers Chitetsu.
The reserved bus from Kanazawa reaches Shirakawa-go in 1h 15m and Takayama in 2h 15m (¥4,200). The World Heritage Bus runs from Shin-Takaoka to Gokayama and Shirakawa-go. In Kanazawa, the Castle Town Loop Bus is ¥220 a ride or ¥800 a day. Book the Shirakawa-go bus a month ahead in peak seasons.
Taxis wait at the Shinkansen stations and the bigger local ones. At small rural stations, such as those on the Wakasa coast, phone a local firm ahead. Carry cash for rural taxis and buses, which are the least card-friendly part of the trip.
Fukui needs its own day. Eiheiji, Tōjinbō and the Dinosaur Museum are reached by the Echizen Railway and Keifuku buses from Fukui or Awara-Onsen, not by JR, so they don't work as a quick stop between trains. I'd give Fukui at least a full day; it could fill a week. See Getting to Fukui.
Fastest direct times and one-way fares, reserved seat in the regular season unless marked. All figures are the same as on the destination pages.
| Route | How | Time | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo → Nagano | Shinkansen (Kagayaki) | 1h 20m | ¥8,450 |
| Tokyo → Toyama | Shinkansen (Kagayaki) | 2h 4m | ¥13,180 |
| Tokyo → Kanazawa | Shinkansen (Kagayaki) | 2h 24m | ¥14,600 |
| Tokyo → Fukui | Shinkansen (Kagayaki) | 2h 49m | ¥16,030 |
| Tokyo → Tsuruga | Shinkansen (Kagayaki) | 3h 6m | ¥16,580 |
| Nagano → Toyama | Shinkansen (Kagayaki) | 45m | ¥7,290 |
| Nagano → Kanazawa | Shinkansen (Kagayaki) | 1h 5m | ¥9,170 |
| Toyama → Kanazawa | Shinkansen | 18m | ¥3,390 reserved |
| Kanazawa → Fukui | Shinkansen (Tsurugi) | 23m | ¥3,740 |
| Fukui → Tsuruga | Shinkansen | 16m | ¥2,730 unreserved |
| Kanazawa → Kyoto | Tsurugi + Thunderbird at Tsuruga | from 1h 43m | ¥7,720 |
| Kanazawa → Osaka | Tsurugi + Thunderbird at Tsuruga | from 2h 10m | ¥9,410 |
| Kanazawa → Kaga Onsen | Shinkansen (Tsurugi) | 18m–19m | ¥3,170 |
| Kanazawa → Shirakawa-go | Highway bus, West Exit Bay 4 | 1h 15m | ¥2,800 |
| Kanazawa → Takayama | Highway bus via Shirakawa-go | 2h 15m | ¥4,200 |
| Toyama → Takayama | Hida limited express | about 1h 30m | |
| Toyama → Takaoka | Ainokaze Toyama Railway | 20m | ¥370 |
| Dentetsu-Toyama → Tateyama | Chitetsu, for the Alpine Route | 60m | |
| Toyama → Unazuki Onsen | Shinkansen to Kurobe-Unazukionsen (12 min), then Chitetsu (26 min) | about 45m | ¥2,990 + ¥740 |
| Toyama → Itoigawa | Shinkansen (Hakutaka) | 26m | ¥3,740 |
| Itoigawa → Hakuba | JR Ōito Line, change at Minami-Otari | 1h 40m–2h 10m | ¥880 |
| Nagano → Hakuba | Alpico bus, East Exit | about 1h 10m | ¥2,900 Apr–Nov, ¥3,500 winter |
| Nagano → Yudanaka | Nagaden limited express | 44m–46m | ¥1,660 + ¥100 |
| Fukui → Katsuyama | Echizen Railway, for the Dinosaur Museum | 54m | ¥820 |
| Awara-Onsen → Tōjinbō | Keifuku bus | about 40m | ¥790 |
| Tsuruga → Obama | JR Obama Line | 1h 4m–1h 9m | ¥990 |
Shinkansen fares are for the March 2026 revision, checked September 2026. Kurobe-Unazukionsen fare as on the Kurobe guide. Local and bus fares as on the linked destination pages. Blank fares are ones I have not confirmed.
Three small airports serve Hokuriku directly; most international visitors land in Tokyo and take the Shinkansen. From Tokyo, the Shinkansen is usually quicker door to door than flying.
| Airport | Into town | Time | Fare | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Komatsu 小松 (KMQ), for Kanazawa | Hokutetsu airport bus to Kanazawa Station West Exit | about 40m | ¥1,400 | Up from ¥1,300 on 1 August 2026. Also stops at Omicho (Musashigatsuji) and Korinbo. Local buses run to Komatsu Station for the Shinkansen |
| Toyama 富山 (TOY) | Chitetsu airport bus to Toyama Station | ¥470 | ¥470 from 1 October 2026 (¥420 before). Seated passengers only, so a full bus leaves people behind | |
| Noto 能登 (NTQ) | Furusato Taxi, a shared taxi to your address | ¥1,300–¥2,900 | Book by 15:00 the day before; Wajima ¥1,300, Suzu ¥1,800, Nanao ¥2,200. No Kanazawa zone | |
| Haneda (HND), Tokyo | Keikyu to Shinagawa, then JR to Tokyo Station | about 39m | ¥540 | Or the Tokyo Monorail and JR (about 40 min, ¥720); the monorail is covered by the Arch Pass and JR Pass |
| Narita (NRT), Tokyo | Narita Express to Tokyo Station | about 1h | ¥3,140 | Reserved seat, March 2026 fare. The JR rapid train is ¥1,410 and takes about 1h 21m |
| Kansai (KIX), Osaka | Haruka to Kyoto or Shin-Osaka, then the Thunderbird to Tsuruga | The Haruka is covered by the Arch Pass, the JR Pass and the Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass |
Noto: as of September 2026 the peninsula is still recovering from the January 2024 earthquake; check each inn before booking. Omiya is a useful change if you land at Narita or Haneda and stay north of central Tokyo: every Kagayaki and Hakutaka stops there.
All five passes are for foreign visitors entering Japan as temporary visitors. Adult prices, September 2026. None covers Chitetsu, the Echizen Railway, the Nagaden or the Alpine Route.
| Pass | Price | Hokuriku Shinkansen | Also covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hokuriku Arch Pass | ¥35,000 · 7 days | Tokyo to Tsuruga, reserved seats | Thunderbird, Haruka, JR local lines in the area, Tokyo Monorail; Ainokaze (Toyama–Takaoka), IR Ishikawa (Kanazawa–Tsubata) and Hapi-Line (Echizen-Hanandō–Fukui) for the full stretch only. No Tōkaidō Shinkansen | Tokyo to Kyoto or Osaka via Hokuriku |
| Japan Rail Pass | ¥50,000 (JR site) or ¥53,000 (agents) · 7 days | Tokyo to Tsuruga, all services | All JR nationwide (Nozomi and Mizuho with a supplement). Not the third-sector lines. ¥50,000 until 30 September 2026 | A week that also covers Hiroshima, Kyūshū, Tōhoku or Hokkaidō |
| Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass | ¥19,000 · 7 days | Tsuruga to Jōetsu-Myōkō, reserved seats | Thunderbird, Haruka, Kansai JR, the Sanyō Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Okayama. Not Tokyo | Trips that start and end in Kansai |
| Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass | ¥19,800 · 5 days | Toyama to Tsuruga, unreserved (6 free reservations) | Hida limited express Nagoya–Takayama–Toyama, Tsuruga to Kyoto and Osaka, Kansai Airport, the Shirakawa-go and Gokayama buses (reservations needed) | Kansai or Nagoya, Takayama, Shirakawa-go, Kanazawa |
| Hokuriku Area Pass | ¥7,000 · 4 days | Tsuruga to Kurobe-Unazukionsen, unreserved only | JR West local lines and unreserved limited express seats in Hokuriku; the same three third-sector stretches as the Arch Pass | Day trips from a Kanazawa or Toyama base |
| No pass | Pay per trip | Ticket machines, Eki-net or e5489 | Everything, including the lines no pass covers; IC cards work on most city transport | One return trip, or one-way journeys |
The JR East Pass (¥35,000, 5 days) reaches the Hokuriku Shinkansen only as far as Jōetsu-Myōkō, so it doesn't help west of Myōkō.
Both passes are sold online as a voucher that you exchange at a major JR station on arrival.
Tokyo to Osaka via Toyama and Kanazawa, Shinkansen reserved seats included. Cheaper than the JR Pass for any trip that stays on this corridor. Is it worth it?
See on Klook ↗For weeks that cross several regions of Japan. Klook posts the voucher to your home, so it is in hand before you leave. The JR Pass guide
See on Klook ↗Local trains, trams and buses have little room for big cases. Send them ahead.
The best way to travel around Hokuriku without a car is the Hokuriku Shinkansen between the main towns, with local trains, trams and buses from each station. Toyama to Kanazawa takes 18 minutes and Kanazawa to Fukui 23 minutes. My advice is to base yourself in Toyama or Kanazawa and make day trips. A car helps only for Noto, the Wakasa coast and rural Fukui.
The Hokuriku Arch Pass costs ¥35,000 for 7 days and covers the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Tsuruga plus the Thunderbird to Kyoto and Osaka. The 7-day Japan Rail Pass costs ¥50,000 on JR's official site and ¥53,000 through agents such as Klook from 1 October 2026 and covers all JR lines nationwide. For a trip that stays on the Tokyo, Hokuriku and Kansai corridor, the Arch Pass is ¥18,000 cheaper.
The Hokuriku Arch Pass (¥35,000, 7 days) is the best rail pass for a Hokuriku itinerary that starts in Tokyo and ends in Kyoto or Osaka, or returns to Tokyo. From Kansai, the Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass (¥19,000, 7 days) is better. With Takayama and Shirakawa-go on the route, the Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass (¥19,800, 5 days) also covers the buses.
A rail pass does not save money on a simple Tokyo–Kanazawa return: two reserved tickets cost ¥29,200, against ¥35,000 for the Hokuriku Arch Pass. A one-way trip from Tokyo to Kanazawa and on to Kyoto (¥22,320) is also cheaper without a pass. A pass pays off only when you add return legs or several day trips within 7 days.
The Hokutetsu airport bus runs from Komatsu Airport to Kanazawa Station West Exit in about 40 minutes for ¥1,400, with departures timed to flights. It also stops at Omicho (Musashigatsuji) and Korinbo in the city centre. The fare rose from ¥1,300 on 1 August 2026. See Getting to Kanazawa.
The Chitetsu airport bus runs from Toyama Airport to Toyama Station, where the Shinkansen and the trams leave. The fare is ¥470 from 1 October 2026 (¥420 until 30 September). The bus carries seated passengers only, so when it is full the next passengers wait for the following bus or take a taxi.
The Noto Peninsula is reached by limited express from Kanazawa to Wakura Onsen in about an hour, or by air to Noto Airport. From the airport, the shared Furusato Taxi runs to Wajima for ¥1,300 and Suzu for ¥1,800 if you book by 15:00 the day before. As of September 2026 Noto is still recovering from the January 2024 earthquake, so check each inn first.
From Haneda, take the Keikyu line to Shinagawa and JR to Tokyo Station (about 39 minutes, ¥540), or the Tokyo Monorail, which the Arch Pass covers. From Narita, the Narita Express reaches Tokyo Station in about an hour (¥3,140 reserved). Every Hokuriku Shinkansen starts at Tokyo Station and also stops at Omiya.
Luggage forwarding works across Hokuriku: Yamato's takkyūbin sends a 120-size case from the Tokyo area for ¥2,170, from any convenience store or hotel desk. Send it to arrive the day before check-in. At Kanazawa Station the tourist information office (8:30–20:00) delivers bags to hotels in Kanazawa, Kaga Onsen, Noto and Awara the same day.
The JR Pass does not cover the Ainokaze Toyama Railway, IR Ishikawa, Hapi-Line Fukui, Toyama's trams, Chitetsu or the Echizen Railway. The Hokuriku Arch Pass covers three short stretches for the full segment only: Toyama–Takaoka, Kanazawa–Tsubata and Echizen-Hanandō–Fukui. Local fares are low: Toyama to Takaoka on Ainokaze is ¥370.
Send us your dates and the towns on your list, and we'll work out the train order, the base and whether a pass pays. We plan Hokuriku trips and guide small groups on weekends and national holidays.
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