There are two ways to travel from Kanazawa to Kyoto: by train and by bus.

How far is Kanazawa from Kyoto?

The travel distance between Kanazawa and Kyoto is 220 km. There are two options to travel from Kanazawa to Kyoto: taking a train or taking a bus.

How long does it take to get from Kanazawa to Kyoto?

It takes about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 10 minutes by train and 4 hours 30 minutes by bus to get from Kanazawa to Kyoto.

What types of trains operate the route Kanazawa to Kyoto?

There is one railway company operating trains on the route Kanazawa to Kyoto.

JR West operates the Hokuriku Shinkansen high-speed train between Kanazawa and Tsuruga connecting with the Thunderbird Limited Express train between Tsuruga and Kyoto.

Shinkansen trains carry Green Cars with business class seats and Ordinary Cars with standard class seats distributed in Reserved and Non-reserved. In total, the Shinkansen trains offer three passenger classes: Reserved Seat (Green Car), Reserved Seat (Ordinary Car) and Non-reserved Seat.

Limited Express trains carry Green Cars with business class seats and Ordinary Cars with standard class seats distributed in Reserved and Non-reserved. In total, the Limited Express trains offer three passenger classes: Reserved Seat (Green Car), Reserved Seat (Ordinary Car) and Non-reserved Seat.

Travellers with Discount Ticket, JR West Kansai-Hokuriku Area Pass (7-day), JR WEST All Area Pass (7-day), JR East Hokuriku Arch Pass (7-day) and JR Central Takayama-Hokuriku Pass (5-day) are allowed to take any seat available only in the Ordinary Cars designated as Non-reserved. Travellers who wish to travel in Reserved Seat must receive a reserved seat ticket from the ticket vending machine before boarding.

For more information about travelling by train, please read our Train Guide in Japan.

Where do trains from Kanazawa to Kyoto depart?

Trains on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line depart from Kanazawa Station located in Kanazawa, Ishikawa.

Passengers are requested to arrive at the station 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time to complete the boarding procedures or risk missing the train.

Is there a direct train from Kanazawa to Kyoto?

There is no direct train running between Kanazawa and Kyoto.

Passengers can travel from Kanazawa to Tsuruga on the Tsurugi service of the Hokuriku Shinkansen high-speed train, transfer at Tsuruga Station and continue travelling from Tsuruga to Kyoto on the Thunderbird Limited Express.

Where do trains from Kanazawa to Kyoto arrive?

Limited Express trains arrive at Kyoto Station located in Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto.

What types of buses operate the route Kanazawa to Kyoto?

There are two bus companies running the route Kanazawa to Kyoto.

Limon Bus operates single-deck coaches with seats for 30-40 passengers.

Kintetsu Bus operates single-deck coaches with seats for 30-40 passengers.

For more information about travelling by bus, please read our Bus Guide in Japan.

Where do buses from Kanazawa to Kyoto depart?

Most buses from Kanazawa to Kyoto depart from JR Kanazawa Station located in Kanazawa.

Passengers are requested to arrive at the point of departure at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time.

Where do buses from Kanazawa to Kyoto arrive?

Most buses from Kanazawa to Kyoto arrive at JR Kyoto Station located in Minami, Kyoto.

Where to travel next from Kyoto?

From Kyoto, you can go by train to Osaka and Nara on Express and Rapid trains, or go to Tokyo and Nagoya on the Tokaido Shinkansen, or go to Kobe, Himeji, Hiroshima and Fukuoka on the Sanyo Shinkansen.