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~4h with Kenroku-en金沢城公園

Kanazawa Castle Park

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View of Shissei-en towards the main gate of Kanazawa Castle, Kanazawa

View of the enclosed area of Hashizume-mon, Kanazawa Castle, Kanazawa

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Kanazawa Castle ParkPhoto: Benh LIEU SONG from Torcy, France / CC BY-SA 2.0

Tap a photo to see it large. 7 photographs, every one credited.

Round trip

4 hr

From the ship and back

Fits

a 6-hour call or longer

Margin already counted

Getting there

Bus 04 + Loop Bus ~70 min, or taxi 15–20 min

¥310

Booking

Just turn up

Nothing to reserve

Checked against official sources · updated 6 November 2026 · Takumi Yamada

Why we send people here

The Maeda lords’ restored fortress — lead-tiled roofs that, legend says, could be melted into bullets in a siege. Free lawns, and the gate pairs naturally with Kenroku-en.

Why it earns the hours

Park free; Hishi-yagura, Gojukken Nagaya and Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki-yagura ¥320 to visit — people aged 65 and over enter free with proof of age (passport or driving licence)..
On a 4–6h ashore call our verdict is "Tight" — doable as the single stop, with the castle lawns and one building, if you leave by the 15:00 bus.

Before you count on it

Park 8:00–17:00 from 16 Oct to end Feb (7:00–18:00 from 1 Mar to 15 Oct); buildings 9:00–16:30, last entry 16:00 — open all year, no closing days. the park shortens to 8:00–17:00 from 16 october to end of february..
4 hr door to door needs a 6-hour call: a 2–3 hour stop cannot hold it. Pick something closer instead.

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The story

Why Kanazawa Castle Park is famous

The Maeda were the richest clan in Japan after the Tokugawa, and this was their seat from 1583. The castle burned repeatedly; the Ishikawa-mon gate of 1788 survives, and the turrets beside it were rebuilt in 2001 by traditional carpentry. Legend says the lead roof tiles could be melted into shot in a siege.

Kanazawa Castle was the residence of the Maeda family, the lords of Kaga, and the prefecture's own site calls it a 'museum of stone walls'. The lawns and walls are free to walk, and the gates and turrets (the Ishikawa-mon, Hashizume-mon and others) give the park a proper castle outline. It is one of the few places in the city where you can walk without paying and still see something substantial.

The paid part is a single ticket for three restored buildings: Hishi-yagura, Gojukken Nagaya and Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki-yagura, ¥320 for adults. Entry is free for those aged 65 and over with proof of age. The buildings are open 9:00 to 16:30, last entry at 16:00, every day of the year.

The catch is that this is a park, not an interior. If you do not like walking and stairs, or do not care for stone walls and wooden reconstructed turrets, you will want the garden next door more. Most people link it with Kenroku-en, and the two share an administration; the two together make the real half-day.

Before you go

Things worth knowing

Take the Loop Bus to 'Kenrokuen Garden / Kanazawa Castle Park' (both loops stop there); the Loop Bus accepts Suica-type cards.
Over-65s enter the paid buildings free with proof of age. Adults pay ¥320, children 6–17 ¥100.
From 16 October to the end of February the park opens at 8:00 and closes at 17:00.
Kenroku-en also charges adults ¥320 (65+ free). If you are under 65 and want both, a ¥500 combined ticket covers Kenroku-en and the castle buildings.

Where it is

Kanazawa Castle Park and your ship

Both pins on one map, so the distance is a fact rather than a feeling.

The arithmetic

Where the 4 hr goes

Counted from the moment you step off the gangway, about 30 minutes after the ship arrives. The hour before all-aboard is not in this bar; it is already set aside.

Out1 hr 10 minBus 04 + Loop Bus ~70 min, or taxi 15–20 min

There1 hr 40 minWhat you came for

Back1 hr 10 minTo the gangway

70 minutes each way is the measured figure for bus 04 + loop bus ~70 min, or taxi 15–20 min, not the optimistic one. If your ship is late, cut the 1 hr 40 min in the middle. Never cut the hour at the end.

Asked about Kanazawa Castle Park

Questions people send us

Is Kanazawa Castle Park free?

The park itself is free. Three restored buildings (Hishi-yagura, Gojukken Nagaya and Hashizume-mon Tsuzuki-yagura) charge adults ¥320, children aged 6 to 17 ¥100, and are free for those aged 65 and over with proof of age.

What are Kanazawa Castle Park's opening hours?

The park runs 8:00–17:00 from 16 October to the end of February and 7:00–18:00 from 1 March to 15 October, with no closing days. The paid buildings open 9:00 to 16:30 with last entry at 16:00.

How do I get from the cruise terminal to Kanazawa Castle Park?

Take bus 04 from the Kanazawa Port Cruise Terminal to Kanazawa Station (about 25–35 minutes), then the Loop Bus from the East Gate to 'Kenrokuen Garden / Kanazawa Castle Park' (¥220). Allow about 75 minutes in all.

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