Oct–NovHokuriku rewards a slow trip: whole days in each place and more nights, not a dash between Tokyo and Kyoto. For travellers short of time, here are three, five and seven days on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, with the trains, the fares and where to sleep each night.
A Hokuriku trip is best at a week or more, and with ten nights or more I recommend Slow Hokuriku, two weeks from Tokyo to Kyoto. Shorter trips from Tokyo work too: 3 days for Kanazawa and Toyama, 5 days to add the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, the Kurobe Gorge Railway and Gokayama, and 7 days to continue through Fukui to Kyoto or Osaka. Toyama is 2h 4m from Tokyo on the fastest Kagayaki (¥13,180 reserved) and Kanazawa 2h 24m (¥14,600). Both mountain lines close after 30 November 2026. The ¥35,000 Hokuriku Arch Pass pays off from five days.
Mountains first, cities last. The Alpine Route and the Kurobe Gorge depend on weather, so put them early and keep a spare day; Kanazawa's gardens and teahouses work in rain. Sleep where the next morning starts. The Chitetsu line to Tateyama leaves from Dentetsu-Toyama beside Toyama Station, and the Shirakawa-go bus from Kanazawa's West Exit. Change hotels as few times as you can. Every town on these plans is under an hour apart by Shinkansen, so one or two bases beat a new hotel every night.
Fares on this page are one-way reserved seats in the standard season, checked in September 2026 (JR East raised Shinkansen fares on 14 March 2026). Times are from the October 2026 timetable. The Alpine Route, Chitetsu, the gorge railway and all buses are extra, whatever pass you hold.
A 3-day Hokuriku trip from Tokyo covers one night in Kanazawa and one in Toyama: a taster, not the whole region. Going out to Kanazawa and home from Toyama means no backtracking, and dinner in Toyama, for me the best food of the trip, comes on the last night.
| Day | Trains | What to do | Sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo 07:20 Kagayaki 503 → Kanazawa 09:44 (2h 24m, ¥14,600). The first Kagayaki leaves at 06:16 and arrives 08:43 | Kenrokuen 兼六園 and the castle park, the 21st Century Museum, Nagamachi, then Higashi Chaya ひがし茶屋街 at dusk. The timed version is on the Kanazawa itinerary | Kanazawa |
| 2 | Kanazawa → Toyama, Shinkansen 18–23 min, ¥3,390 | Morning: Omicho Market 近江町市場 for breakfast. Afternoon in Toyama: the Glass Art Museum, Kansui Park and the light rail to the old port of Iwase. Dinner at a Toyama Bay sushi counter or an izakaya | Toyama |
| 3 | Toyama → Tokyo, Kagayaki (¥13,180). Book a seat: the Kagayaki is all-reserved | A morning trip to Takaoka 高岡 (Zuiryū-ji, the Great Buddha), or the Kurobe Gorge (20 April to 30 November), then an afternoon train home | Tokyo |
| Day | Trains | What to do | Sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo 07:20 Kagayaki 503 → Toyama 09:24 (2h 4m, ¥13,180) | Toyama city: Glass Art Museum, Kansui Park, Iwase; buy Alpine Route web tickets for tomorrow | Toyama |
| 2 | Dentetsu-Toyama → Tateyama, Chitetsu about 1h (¥1,420), then cable car and highland bus to Murodō | Alpine Route 立山黒部アルペンルート to Murodō (2,450 m): Mikurigaike, the snow walls until 25 June. Return from Dentetsu-Toyama to Murodō: ¥10,220. Allow 8–10 hours | Toyama |
| 3 | Toyama → Kanazawa (¥3,390), then Kanazawa → Tokyo (¥14,600) | Kenrokuen, Omicho and Higashi Chaya on the way home; lockers at both Kanazawa Station exits | Tokyo |
Rail cost: ¥14,600 + ¥3,390 + ¥13,180 = ¥31,170 for either plan, so buy single tickets, not the ¥35,000 Arch Pass. Luggage: the Hokuriku Shinkansen needs no luggage reservation, but space is first come, first served; a back-row seat helps with a big case.
A 5-day Hokuriku itinerary is the shortest trip I would call relaxed: four nights in one Toyama hotel, a whole mountain day, a whole gorge day, a village day and Kanazawa on the way home.
| Day | Trains | What to do | Sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo 07:20 Kagayaki 503 → Toyama 09:24 (2h 4m, ¥13,180) | Toyama city: the Glass Art Museum 富山市ガラス美術館, Kansui Park, the tram to Iwase 岩瀬. First dinner of Toyama Bay fish | Toyama |
| 2 | Dentetsu-Toyama → Tateyama, Chitetsu about 1h (¥1,420) | Alpine Route to Murodō and back (¥10,220 return from Dentetsu-Toyama), or on over the Tateyama Ropeway to Kurobedaira. Start on an early train: queues peak 13:00–15:00 | Toyama |
| 3 | Toyama → Kurobe-Unazukionsen, Hakutaka 12 min (¥2,990), then Chitetsu from Shin-Kurobe to Unazuki-Onsen 26 min (¥740) | Kurobe Gorge Railway 黒部峡谷鉄道: Unazuki 10:44 → Keyakidaira 12:03, back on the 13:10 (Unazuki 14:28). Keyakidaira return ¥4,960. A bath in Unazuki Onsen before the train back | Toyama |
| 4 | Toyama → Shin-Takaoka, Shinkansen (¥1,210 unreserved), then the World Heritage Bus, about 60–90 min | Gokayama 五箇山 (Ainokura and Suganuma), then on to Shirakawa-go 白川郷. The 2-day return free pass is ¥3,500. Check the Kaetsuno Bus timetable before you go | Toyama |
| 5 | Toyama → Kanazawa 18–23 min (¥3,390), Kanazawa → Tokyo Kagayaki (¥14,600) | Check out, bags in a Kanazawa locker, then Kenrokuen, the 21st Century Museum and Higashi Chaya. Evening train home | Tokyo |
Rail cost: ¥13,180 + ¥5,980 (Kurobe return) + ¥2,420 (Shin-Takaoka return) + ¥3,390 + ¥14,600 = ¥39,570. The Arch Pass at ¥35,000 saves about ¥4,500. Weather: swap days 2 and 3 if the forecast at Murodō is poor; the gorge is lower and more sheltered. From 1 December to mid-April both mountain days close: use the winter plan in Variants below.
A 7-day Hokuriku itinerary runs the whole Shinkansen line and ends in Kansai, which is the route the Hokuriku Arch Pass was designed for. Fly into Tokyo, out of Kansai Airport. With two weeks, the same route at an easier pace is Slow Hokuriku; if you come back to Tokyo on the Tōkaidō, see the Golden Triangle.
| Day | Trains | What to do | Sleep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tokyo 07:20 Kagayaki 503 → Toyama 09:24 (¥13,180) | Toyama city and a sushi dinner | Toyama |
| 2 | Chitetsu to Tateyama, about 1h (¥1,420) | Alpine Route to Murodō or Kurobedaira (15 April to 30 November). In winter: Takaoka and Himi for kan-buri and the Alps across the bay | Toyama |
| 3 | Hakutaka to Kurobe-Unazukionsen (12 min, ¥2,990), Chitetsu 26 min | Kurobe Gorge Railway (20 April to 30 November; Keyakidaira from 1 October). In winter: Gokayama under snow | Toyama, or a ryokan in Unazuki Onsen |
| 4 | Toyama → Kanazawa 18–23 min (¥3,390) | The core loop: Omicho, Kenrokuen, the 21st Century Museum, Nagamachi, Higashi Chaya at dusk. See Kanazawa itinerary | Kanazawa |
| 5 | Bus from Kanazawa West Exit Bay 4: 9:10 → Shirakawa-go 10:35, back 15:55 → 17:20 (¥2,800 each way, reserved) | Shirakawa-go, or a second Kanazawa day (crafts, museums) if you saw Gokayama on day 3 | Kanazawa |
| 6 | Kanazawa → Fukui 23–35 min (¥3,740), Eiheiji Liner about 30 min (¥1,000 from 1 Oct 2026) | Eiheiji 永平寺 (¥700) in the morning, then the Dinosaur Museum at Katsuyama, or Tōjinbō 東尋坊 for sunset via Awara-Onsen | Fukui, or Awara Onsen |
| 7 | Fukui → Tsuruga by Shinkansen, then the Thunderbird to Kyoto and Osaka. Fukui → Osaka 1h 47m–2h (¥7,290) | Arrive in Kyoto or Osaka by lunchtime. The Thunderbird is all-reserved: allow 8–10 min to change at Tsuruga | Kyoto or Osaka |
Rail cost, one way to Osaka: ¥13,180 + ¥5,980 (Kurobe return) + ¥3,390 + ¥3,740 + ¥7,290 = ¥33,580, so the ¥35,000 Arch Pass costs about the same and adds the airport trains and any extra day trip. Round trip: go home from Fukui instead (Kagayaki 2h 49m, ¥16,030) and single tickets reach ¥42,320, so the pass saves about ¥7,300. The Arch Pass does not cover the Tōkaidō Shinkansen from Kyoto back to Tokyo.
The Hokuriku Arch Pass costs ¥35,000 for 7 consecutive days and covers the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Tsuruga, the Thunderbird to Kyoto and Osaka, and the airport trains at both ends. It is sold only to foreign passport holders entering Japan as Temporary Visitors.
| Plan | Single tickets | Best buy | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | ¥31,170 | Single tickets | ¥3,830 less than the Arch Pass |
| 5 days, Toyama base | ¥39,570 | Hokuriku Arch Pass | Saves about ¥4,500, and every extra hop is free |
| 7 days, to Osaka | ¥33,580 | Arch Pass, just | Costs about the same, but covers the Haruka to Kansai Airport and any extra day trip |
| 7 days, round trip | ¥42,320 | Hokuriku Arch Pass | Saves about ¥7,300 |
| Hokuriku plus Hiroshima, Tōhoku or Kyūshū | varies | JR Pass | ¥50,000 for 7 days at a JR station, ¥53,000 prebooked from 1 Oct 2026; worth it only across several regions |
No JR pass covers the Alpine Route, Chitetsu, the Kurobe Gorge Railway, the Shirakawa-go and Gokayama buses or Fukui's Echizen Railway. On the 5-day plan those come to about ¥20,000 more (Alpine Route ¥10,220, gorge railway ¥4,960, Chitetsu to Unazuki and back ¥1,480, the ¥3,500 village bus pass). Arch Pass and JR Pass holders get 10% off same-day Kurobe Gorge returns at the Unazuki window from 1 October to 30 November 2026.
Buy the pass before you fly; the Exchange Order is valid for 3 months. A tour saves you timing the village buses or the six Alpine Route vehicles yourself.
Tokyo to Osaka via Toyama, Kanazawa and Fukui, Shinkansen reserved seats included. Is it worth it?
See on Klook ↗Shirakawa-go plus Gokayama's Ainokura or Takayama's old town, from the west side of Kanazawa Station. Fits day 5 of the 7-day plan.
See on Klook ↗Only if Hokuriku is one part of a longer trip round Japan. Pass comparison
See on Klook ↗Hokuriku's two mountain lines close for winter, and that changes the shape of every plan from December to mid-April. See when to visit for the full calendar.
| Stop | 2026 season | If it is closed |
|---|---|---|
| Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route | 15 Apr – 30 Nov; snow walls to 25 Jun; Kurobe Dam discharge to 15 Oct | Takaoka, Himi and the Alps across Toyama Bay, or a ski day |
| Kurobe Gorge Railway | 20 Apr – 30 Nov; Keyakidaira from 1 Oct; open cars to 23 Nov | Unazuki Onsen for the baths, or Gokayama |
| Gokayama and Shirakawa-go | All year; colour late Oct to mid Nov; snow roofs in winter | Open all year; book the Kanazawa bus a month ahead in peak seasons |
| Kanazawa | All year; snow ropes from 1 Nov; crab from 6 Nov | Most museums close on Mondays; plan the garden day then |
| Myōkō and Hakuba skiing | About December to March | Hakuba is also good for autumn colour and summer hiking |
| Firefly squid, Toyama Bay | March to May | Toyama Bay sushi is good all year; winter brings kan-buri yellowtail |
Busiest dates for trains and hotels: Golden Week (early May), Obon (mid August), autumn weekends and New Year. Reserved Kagayaki seats sell out 2–3 weeks ahead then.
I'd base the trip in Toyama. The Alpine Route starts at Dentetsu-Toyama next to the station, Kurobe-Unazukionsen is 12 min away, Takayama 1h 30m and Kanazawa 18–23 min. It's like branching out from Tokyo, but in the Japan Alps, with much better food.
Toyama is closer to the mountains, Kanazawa to the sights in town. Kanazawa has the gardens, the teahouse districts and the direct bus to Shirakawa-go, so a city-only trip of two or three nights belongs there. Anything with the Alps in it is a longer day from Kanazawa: the Alpine Route and the Kurobe Gorge both start on the Toyama side.
Toyama's hotels are cheaper and plainer. The Toyama picks start around ¥8,000 a night and Kanazawa's central ones around ¥13,000. I live in Hokuriku and still work in Tokyo regularly, and the food is why I head straight back: all of it, from yakitori counters and izakaya to sushi and the Michelin-starred tables of Iwase. To me, Tokyo food is a 5 out of 10 next to almost any random place in Toyama. Visitors who thought they had eaten well in Tokyo tend to recalibrate after a week here.
Toyama and Fukui do not fit in one day. They are about an hour apart by Shinkansen, but each needs its own day at least: Toyama's mountain lines take a full day each, and Fukui's temple, museum and cliffs are spread across the prefecture. Fukui on its own could fill a week. More in Toyama as a base.
Hokuriku is worth a week or more, and two weeks is ideal: that gives whole days to the Kurobe Gorge, the Alpine Route, Kanazawa, Fukui and Wakasa without rushing back to Tokyo or Kyoto, as in the Slow Hokuriku route. Short of time, 3 days covers Kanazawa and Toyama, 5 days adds the Alpine Route, the Kurobe Gorge and Gokayama from a Toyama base, and 7 days continues through Fukui to Kyoto or Osaka. Both mountain lines close after 30 November 2026.
A 3-day Hokuriku itinerary from Tokyo works best as one night in Kanazawa and one in Toyama: Kagayaki to Kanazawa (2h 24m, ¥14,600), the Shinkansen to Toyama on day 2 (18 to 23 minutes, ¥3,390) and back to Tokyo from Toyama on day 3 (¥13,180). The tickets total ¥31,170, less than the ¥35,000 Arch Pass, so buy them one by one. Between 15 April and 30 November 2026, swap Kanazawa for a day on the Alpine Route.
A 5-day Hokuriku itinerary works best with four nights in Toyama: the city on day 1, the Alpine Route on day 2, the Kurobe Gorge Railway on day 3, Gokayama and Shirakawa-go on day 4, and Kanazawa on day 5 before the Kagayaki home. Point-to-point tickets come to about ¥39,570, so the ¥35,000 Hokuriku Arch Pass saves about ¥4,500. The Alpine Route and gorge railway run only until 30 November 2026.
A 7-day Hokuriku itinerary follows the Arch Pass route: three nights in Toyama for the Alpine Route and the Kurobe Gorge, two in Kanazawa with Shirakawa-go, one in Fukui for Eiheiji and Tōjinbō, then the Thunderbird to Kyoto or Osaka on day 7 (Fukui to Osaka 1h 47m to 2h). The ¥35,000 Hokuriku Arch Pass covers every JR leg, and on a round trip back to Tokyo it saves about ¥7,300.
Toyama and Fukui are about an hour apart by Shinkansen, but they do not fit in one day trip. Toyama's main sights (the Alpine Route, the Kurobe Gorge) take a full day each, and Fukui's Eiheiji, the Dinosaur Museum and Tōjinbō are spread across the prefecture by bus and local rail. In my view, give each at least a day and a night; Fukui alone could fill a week.
Toyama is the better base for a Hokuriku trip in my view: the Alpine Route starts at Dentetsu-Toyama next to the station, Kurobe-Unazukionsen is 12 minutes away, Takayama is 1h 30m by the Hida express and Kanazawa is 18 to 23 minutes. Kanazawa suits a city-only trip or a Shirakawa-go day by direct bus. Toyama hotels start around ¥8,000 a night, Kanazawa's central ones around ¥13,000.
The Hokuriku Arch Pass (¥35,000 for 7 days) is worth it from about five days: a 5-day Toyama-based trip costs about ¥39,570 in single tickets and a 7-day round trip about ¥42,320. A 3-day Kanazawa and Toyama trip costs ¥31,170, so skip the pass. It is for foreign passport holders visiting as Temporary Visitors, and it does not cover the Alpine Route, Chitetsu or the Kurobe Gorge Railway.
The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route is closed in winter: the 2026 season runs from 15 April to 30 November, and it usually reopens in mid-April. The Kurobe Gorge Railway also stops after 30 November. For a December to March trip, build the itinerary around Myōkō or Hakuba skiing, snow crab, Gokayama and Kanazawa's snow-roped gardens instead.
The Kurobe Gorge Railway runs the full line from Unazuki to Keyakidaira from 1 October to 30 November 2026, after repairs from the January 2024 earthquake. The ride takes about 1h 20m each way and costs ¥2,480 one way. Keyakidaira seats book online on the official site (English, credit card) or by phone (0765-62-1011), and only the station area is open at the top.
A Hokuriku trip can end in Kyoto or Osaka: take the Shinkansen to Tsuruga and change to the Thunderbird. Kanazawa to Kyoto takes from 1h 43m (¥7,720) and Fukui to Osaka 1h 47m to 2h (¥7,290). The Hokuriku Arch Pass covers the whole one-way route from Tokyo, including the Haruka to Kansai Airport, but not the Tōkaidō Shinkansen back to Tokyo.
Toyama for the 5-day plan and the first three nights of the 7-day plan; Kanazawa for the 3-day plan and nights four and five of the week.
Upper floors of the station building, two minutes from Dentetsu-Toyama for the Alpine Route and from the Shinkansen for the gorge and Kanazawa. The easy choice for four nights.
City hotel 5 min on foot from Toyama Station on the Sakurabashi-dōri tram line, with the izakaya of the station area on the way home.
Opposite the Shinkansen exit and on the same side as the Shirakawa-go bus bay, so it suits day 5 of the week and an early train to Fukui on day 6.
Send us your dates, where you land and fly out, and what you want from the trip, and we will reply with the order we would do it in. We plan Hokuriku trips and guide small groups on weekends and national holidays.
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