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

How far is Kyoto from Kanazawa?

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

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

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

What types of trains operate the route Kyoto to Kanazawa?

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

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

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.

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.

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 Kyoto to Kanazawa depart?

Limited Express trains depart from Kyoto Station located in Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto.

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 Kyoto to Kanazawa?

There is no direct train running between Kyoto and Kanazawa.

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

Where do trains from Kyoto to Kanazawa arrive?

Trains on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line arrive at Kanazawa Station located in Kanazawa, Ishikawa.

What types of buses operate the route Kyoto to Kanazawa?

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

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 Kyoto to Kanazawa depart?

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

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

Where do buses from Kyoto to Kanazawa arrive?

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

Where to travel next from Kanazawa?

From Kanazawa, you can go by train to Tokyo and Nagano on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, or go to Osaka and Kyoto on Limited Express.