Your Travel Experience with Bamba
Begin your journey by meeting your guide at Kanazawa Station. Upon stepping outside, you’ll immediately spot Tsuzumi-mon Gate, a modern symbol of Kanazawa that blends traditional and contemporary architectural styles.
From here, stroll through side streets lined with local homes and temples to reach the Nagamachi Samurai District, where you'll explore a small neighborhood once home to lower-ranking samurai. Enter one of the traditional houses to experience how these modest samurai lived during their time.
Continue down the district’s winding main street, where you’ll have some free time to explore on your own, shop for local Kanazawa crafts, and perhaps pick up a souvenir. Next, visit Oyama Shrine, a unique fusion of Japanese and Western architecture that reflects Japan's transformation in the 19th century. Behind the shrine, take a peaceful walk around a koi pond and small garden before crossing a wooden bridge to reach the Kanazawa Castle grounds.
Behind the shrine, take a peaceful walk around a koi pond and small garden before crossing a wooden bridge to reach the Kanazawa Castle grounds.
At the Gyokusen-an Tea House, situated at the base of the castle’s towering stone walls, enjoy a break with traditional matcha tea and artistic "Wagashi" sweets. Learn from your guide the proper way to savor matcha tea while taking in the serene beauty of the Japanese interior. Occasionally, special events are held here, and the matcha tasting may be relocated to another venue. Refreshed, it’s time for lunch! Ask your guide for nearby restaurant recommendations before heading back through the castle grounds.
The tour continues into the Kenroku-en Garden, considered one of Japan’s most beautiful gardens, designed over 200 years ago under the orders of the Lord of Kanazawa Castle. Wander through this stunning landscape and learn about the careful planning that went into its creation.
Next, visit the iconic Higashi-chaya Tea District, Kanazawa’s most famous and historically significant tea house district outside of Kyoto. Stroll the streets lined with tall, two-story wooden tea houses, some painted in a unique red hue only found in Kanazawa.
As the final stop of your tour, immerse yourself in the rich culture of Kanazawa by exploring the iconic Higashi-chaya Tea District, one of Japan’s most famous geisha districts. Stroll through narrow streets lined with beautifully preserved tea houses (chaya), where geishas once entertained wealthy patrons during the Edo period.