Day Trip from Kanazawa to the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Gokayama” – Explore by World Heritage Bus –
After enjoying the sights of Kanazawa, why not take a day trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Gokayama?
Although once part of the same Kaga Domain as Kanazawa, the remote mountain region of Gokayama has preserved its own distinctive culture. Together with Shirakawa-go, its gassho-style villages are registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This is a journey from the castle town of Kanazawa to a peaceful mountain valley where Japan’s traditional rural scenery still remains.
Here we introduce a recommended itinerary using the World Heritage Bus.
※For more travel options including tours to Gokayama and Shirakawa-go, please check our “Activities Pages” page.
※The official “Hokuriku–Hida–Shinshu Three-Star Road” website also features model routes including Gokayama and Shirakawa-go.
Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen Tsurugi 702 to "Shin-Takaoka" Station（approx. 15 min)
※Alternatively, take the IR Ishikawa Railway from Kanazawa to Takaoka Station (approx. 45 min) and board the World Heritage Bus from there.
Get off at "Ainokura-guchi" bus stop.
Ainokura Gassho-zukuri Village
UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site
Ainokura is one of the three gassho-style villages registered as a World Heritage Site.
The village spreads across a long plateau set slightly above the Shogawa River. Around 20 gassho-style houses remain, many dating from the late Edo to the Meiji period, and the oldest are believed to have been built in the 17th century. The village is still inhabited today.
Ainokura, Suganuma, and Shirakawa-go were jointly registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.
【Ainokura Folk Museum】
Hours: 8:30–17:00
Admission: adults: 300 yen, elementary and junior high school students: 150 yen.
Get off at "Kaminashi" bus stop.
The Murakami Residence (National Important Cultural Property)
Gassho-zukuri houses with an architectural style dating back about 400 years.
The Murakami Residence is the largest gassho-style house in Gokayama and is designated as a National Important Cultural Property.
It preserves many rare architectural features showing the transition from samurai-style residences of the Sengoku period to the more refined shoin-style. It is considered unique even on a national scale.
【Gokayama Tourist Information Center (Kaminashi)】
Located across the street from Kaminashi Bus Stop.
Pick up maps and receive explanations about the area—very helpful for first-time visitors.
You can also request to watch a live performance of the traditional Kokiriko Dance.
Get off at Suganuma.
Suganuma Gassho-Zukuri Village
UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site
Suganuma is a small mountain village along the Shogawa River, with nine gassho-style houses surrounded by peaceful rural scenery. Traditional storehouses, forested areas preserved as “snow-bearing forests,” and historic grasslands contribute to the village’s timeless atmosphere—walking here feels like stepping back in time.
From the Suganuma World Heritage Viewpoint, you can enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the village.
Ainokura, Suganuma, and Shirakawa-go were registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on December, 1995.
【Shōshō-no-Yakata (Saltpeter Museum)】
Gokayama today is a tranquil landscape, but it was once a major production center for saltpeter—the key ingredient in gunpowder. The Kaga Domain secretly manufactured it here. Exhibits explain this fascinating history.
