Oct–NovThere has been no direct train since March 2024. You ride the Thunderbird limited express along Lake Biwa to Tsuruga, go upstairs, and take the Shinkansen the rest of the way.
Kyoto to Kanazawa takes from 1h 41m and costs ¥7,720 with a reserved seat on both trains. Take the Thunderbird from Kyoto to Tsuruga (about 51–55 minutes), change to the Tsurugi Shinkansen (about 50 minutes to Kanazawa). The Thunderbird has no unreserved cars, so book both legs as one ticket.
The Hokuriku Shinkansen was extended from Kanazawa to Tsuruga in March 2024, and the old direct Thunderbird was cut back to meet it. Until the line is built on to Kyoto and Osaka, which is years away, every journey from Kansai changes at Tsuruga. The change is designed for it: the Shinkansen platforms are directly above the Thunderbird platforms. How the Tsuruga transfer works. Leaving Kyoto to get away from the crowds? See what to see instead of Kyoto. Riding it the other way, from Tokyo up to Kanazawa and down to Kyoto? That is the Golden Triangle.
| Leg | Train | Time | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kyoto → Tsuruga | Thunderbird (all reserved) | about 51–55 min | in the through fare |
| Tsuruga | Change upstairs | 8 min minimum | no extra charge |
| Tsuruga → Kanazawa | Tsurugi Shinkansen | about 50 min | ¥5,480 if bought alone |
| Kyoto → Kanazawa | Through ticket | from 1h 41m | ¥7,720 |
| Kyoto → Fukui | Same route | from 1h 16m | see Fukui |
| Kyoto → Toyama | Same route, stay on the Shinkansen | from 2h 7m | ¥8,820 |
Regular-season reserved fare. Thunderbirds run from early morning to evening; look up your date on JR West's timetable. Fares checked 7 Oct 2026 against JR West's through-fare table.
Platform to platform.
Trains start at Osaka, so they arrive part-full. Your seat is fixed. Sit on the right-hand side for Lake Biwa: the line follows the west shore for half an hour.
Follow the crowd up the escalators to the transfer concourse, put all your tickets in the gate together, and go up again to the Shinkansen. Connecting trains wait across the same building. Step-by-step with what to do if you miss it.
The shuttle Shinkansen. If your seat ticket says Hakutaka or Kagayaki instead, it is the same platform and it continues to Toyama and Tokyo.
A single return does not pay for a pass. A return plus day trips does.
A Kyoto–Kanazawa return is ¥15,440; the pass is ¥19,000 for 7 days and adds Toyama, Fukui and the airport train.
Find on Klook ↗Find your whole route, not just this leg, before you buy.
Rail pass hub →Hot-spring top floor and a 2-minute walk to the Kagayaki platforms. Easy after a late Thunderbird connection.
Out of the gates and across the plaza. The reliable pick for tight connections and early trains back to Kansai.
A step up in room quality, near Ōmichō market for breakfast. Five minutes by bus from the station.
From 1 hour 50 minutes: about 51 to 55 minutes on the Thunderbird to Tsuruga, an 8-minute change, and about 50 minutes on the Shinkansen to Kanazawa.
¥7,720 one way with reserved seats on both the Thunderbird and the Shinkansen, at regular-season 2026 fares.
No. Since March 2024 every train changes at Tsuruga, where the Thunderbird limited express meets the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
Yes, about two hours each way, but Kanazawa needs a full day for Kenrokuen, the teahouse districts and the market. One night is better.
Yes. The Thunderbird and the Hokuriku Shinkansen are both JR. The Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass and the Hokuriku Arch Pass cover it too.
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