Comparison · Japan
Kyoto vs Kanazawa: Which Suits Your First Trip?
Kyoto's temples and shrines or Kanazawa's gardens and old streets? Airport transfers, days, budgets, same-month weather and sights, compared side by side.
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Flights to Kansai Airport (KIX)
The short answer
Kyoto was Japan's capital for over a thousand years and is full of famous temples and shrines: Fushimi Inari Taisha with red torii gates winding up the mountain, Kiyomizu-dera with its wooden stage over the hillside, and Kinkaku-ji reflected in its pond. It has no airport, but trains run from Kansai Airport, and it is an easy train ride from Osaka.
Kanazawa, in Japan's Hokuriku region, preserves old teahouse streets, samurai residences and Kenrokuen, counted among Japan's three great gardens. It is also known for fresh Sea of Japan seafood and gold-leaf crafts, and frequent city buses link the station and the main sights.
Who each suits: Kyoto, if you want a first look at the classic temples and shrines of Japan's old capital or want to pair it with Osaka in the Kansai region. Kanazawa, if you want garden walks, old streets, market seafood and a day trip to Shirakawa-go.
Getting there and airport to city
Kyoto has no airport. The easiest way in is the limited express train from Kansai Airport (KIX) to Kyoto Station with no change. With lots of luggage, the airport limousine bus to Kyoto Station is handy, though traffic can cause delays. If you are also visiting Osaka, you can ride into central Osaka and change to a private railway for Kyoto.
Kanazawa's air gateway is Komatsu Airport (KMQ) in neighboring Komatsu city, with buses to Kanazawa Station timed to arrivals. From Kansai Airport, take the Haruka to Shin-Osaka (or Kyoto), the Thunderbird to Tsuruga, then change to the Hokuriku Shinkansen. If you come via Tokyo, the Hokuriku Shinkansen runs straight from Tokyo Station to Kanazawa Station.
Fares and timetables can change, so check official transport information before you travel.
- Kyoto limited express (Kansai Airport → Kyoto Station): about 1 hr 20 min, about 2,000-3,600 yen depending on the ticket
- Kyoto airport limousine bus (Kansai Airport → Kyoto Station): about 1 hr 30 min, about 2,500-3,000 yen
- Kyoto trains via Osaka: about 1 hr 40 min-2 hr (check official fares)
- Kanazawa airport bus (Komatsu Airport → Kanazawa Station): about 40 min, about ¥1,200-1,400
- Kansai Airport → Kanazawa (limited express + Hokuriku Shinkansen): about 3-4 hours (check official routes and fares)
- Tokyo Station → Kanazawa Station (Hokuriku Shinkansen): about 2 hr 30 min-3 hr, about ¥14,000-15,000
How many days and what budget
Plan on 3 to 4 days for Kyoto and 3 days for Kanazawa (4 with Shirakawa-go).
Kyoto's plan: Fushimi Inari early, Kiyomizu-dera and the Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka lanes, then an evening walk in Gion on day 1; Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Kinkaku-ji, then Nishiki Market and Kawaramachi on day 2; Nijo Castle, the Philosopher's Path and Ginkaku-ji on day 3. Kanazawa's plan: Omicho Market and Higashi Chaya, then Korinbo in the evening on day 1; Kenrokuen, Kanazawa Castle Park, the 21st Century Museum and the Nagamachi Samurai District on day 2; a Shirakawa-go day trip on day 3; and a booked Myoryuji visit on day 4.
Below are the daily budgets for each city. At all three levels, Kanazawa's figures are higher than Kyoto's. Kyoto also charges a separate accommodation tax; check your booking and official information for the amount.
- Budget: Kyoto about 8,000-10,000 yen (guesthouse, buses, simple meals), Kanazawa about ¥9,000-13,000 (business hotel, market food, buses)
- Mid-range: Kyoto about 18,000-25,000 yen (hotel, entry fees, restaurant meals), Kanazawa about ¥20,000-30,000 (nicer hotel, restaurants, admissions)
- High-end: Kyoto about 40,000 yen+ (ryokan, kaiseki dinner, taxis), Kanazawa about ¥55,000+ (ryokan, kaiseki dining)
Weather by month, side by side
In both cities the spring cherry blossoms and autumn colors are the most beautiful times. Exact timing changes every year, so check official blossom and foliage forecasts before you go. Kyoto is extremely crowded in these seasons, with higher hotel prices. Here we compare April and November, which fall within both cities' best times, plus January for winter.
The figures are 1991–2020 normals from the Japan Meteorological Agency: Kyoto station for Kyoto and Kanazawa station for Kanazawa. Each line shows average high / average low / monthly precipitation.
In all three months Kanazawa's highs are a little lower than Kyoto's and its precipitation is higher. In November and January especially, Kanazawa's precipitation is far higher than Kyoto's. Lows are similar in the two cities.
In Kyoto, June-July is the rainy season and July-August is very hot and humid; winter is cold but quieter. In Kanazawa rain and snow are frequent, so carry an umbrella and wear non-slip shoes in winter. Kanazawa's winter also brings snowy scenery and winter seafood, and its summers are hot and humid. Normals are long-term averages, not this year's weather, so check the forecast before you go.
- April: Kyoto 20°C / 9°C / 117mm, Kanazawa 17°C / 8°C / 144mm
- November: Kyoto 17°C / 8°C / 74mm, Kanazawa 16°C / 8°C / 251mm
- January: Kyoto 9°C / 2°C / 53mm, Kanazawa 7°C / 1°C / 256mm
What to do there: sights, food and getting around
Kyoto's classics are Fushimi Inari Taisha, where thousands of red torii gates wind up the mountain (free), Kiyomizu-dera with its wooden stage and the old Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka lanes, and Kinkaku-ji, a gold-leaf pavilion reflected in a pond. Arashiyama Bamboo Grove is very crowded by midday, so go early. There are also the old teahouse streets of Gion and Hanamikoji, Nijo Castle with its squeaking 'nightingale' floors, and the canal-side Philosopher's Path. Many temples close around 5 pm, so check official opening times.
Kanazawa centers on Kenrokuen and Kanazawa Castle Park next door, with its reconstructed gates and turrets; in winter, ropes (yukitsuri) protect Kenrokuen's trees from snow. Also visit the Higashi Chaya District, with old wooden-lattice teahouses and gold-leaf craft shops, Omicho Market with over 300 years of history, the round glass 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Nagamachi Samurai District with its earthen walls and canals. Myoryuji (Ninja Temple) is by guided tour with advance phone reservation only, and most Shirakawa-go highway buses need booking.
For food, Kyoto has yudofu (set meals near temples about 2,000-4,000 yen), obanzai made with seasonal vegetables (about 1,200-2,500 yen), nishin soba (about 1,200-1,800 yen a bowl), matcha desserts and tsukemono pickles. Kanazawa has seafood rice bowls at Omicho Market (about ¥2,000-4,000), nodoguro, Kanazawa curry (about ¥800-1,200), Kanazawa oden, especially popular in winter (about ¥150-600 per piece), and gold-leaf ice cream.
Kyoto's city buses reach nearly every temple and shrine but get very crowded and slow in peak season; mixing in the north-south Karasuma Line and east-west Tozai Line subways, plus JR and private railways for outer sights, is much faster. In Kanazawa you can walk from Kanazawa Station to Omicho Market, Higashi Chaya and Kenrokuen, though distances add up, and frequent city buses link the station and main sights. Every bike-share bike is electric-assisted, so slopes are easy.
How to choose, or combine both
Choose Kyoto if you want a first look at the old capital's temples and shrines, or want to tour Kansai together with Osaka; a Kyoto trip can easily end by heading on to Osaka or Kansai Airport. Choose Kanazawa if you want gardens, old teahouse streets, market seafood and a Shirakawa-go day trip.
To combine them, note that the route from Kansai Airport to Kanazawa can pass through Kyoto (the Haruka to Shin-Osaka or Kyoto, the Thunderbird to Tsuruga, then the Hokuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa). Check travel time and fares between Kyoto and Kanazawa in official information.
In both cities the popular sights are quieter in the morning: visit Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in Kyoto, and Kenrokuen and Omicho Market in Kanazawa, early. Check official Japanese government information on entry procedures (such as online registration) before you travel.
- Respect entry and photography notices in Gion's private lanes in Kyoto and in Kanazawa's old teahouse districts
- In Kyoto, don't photograph geiko or maiko up close without permission
- At Kyoto's Nishiki Market, eat at the stall rather than while walking
- Some small shops and temple ticket counters in Kyoto are cash only, so carry some yen
- Book Kanazawa's Myoryuji visit and Shirakawa-go highway buses ahead via official information
- Rain and snow are frequent in Kanazawa: carry an umbrella, and wear non-slip shoes in winter
Plan your Kyoto trip
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Plan your Kanazawa trip
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FAQ
Which is better for a first trip, Kyoto or Kanazawa?
Kyoto suits travelers who want the classic temples and shrines and an easy pairing with Osaka; Kanazawa suits those who want gardens, old streets, market seafood and a Shirakawa-go day trip. Plan on 3 to 4 days for Kyoto and 3 days for Kanazawa.
Which one costs more?
Mid-range daily budgets are about 18,000-25,000 yen for Kyoto and about ¥20,000-30,000 for Kanazawa. At the budget and high-end levels, Kanazawa's figures are also higher.
Should I go in cherry blossom or autumn color season?
In both cities the spring cherry blossoms and autumn colors are the most beautiful times. Timing changes every year, so check official forecasts. Kyoto is extremely crowded in these seasons, with higher hotel prices.
Can I visit Kyoto and Kanazawa on one trip?
The route from Kansai Airport to Kanazawa takes the Haruka to Shin-Osaka or Kyoto, then the Thunderbird and the Hokuriku Shinkansen. Check official information for travel time and fares between the two cities.
Related reading
ⓘ Photo credits
- Yasaka-dori and the Yasaka Pagoda (Hokan-ji), Kyoto · Basile Morin / CC BY-SA 4.0