Kyoto to Kanazawa train cost

Last checked 2026-10-24

Fare

Kyoto to Kanazawa costs ¥7,720 (about US$49) one way for an adult in a reserved ordinary seat in the regular season, on the Thunderbird + Shinkansen listed by the source. Peak and off-peak dates, a non-reserved seat or a Green Car change the price.

Source: JR fare table for Hokuriku Shinkansen plus Thunderbird, Kanazawa to Kyoto via Tsuruga (unofficial reference site). Last checked 2026-10-24. Fares are based on JR fares effective 14 March 2026 where the source states it. We do not list journey times on this page because we have not sourced them.

Route and train

Since the Hokuriku Shinkansen reached Tsuruga in March 2024, the trip is the Thunderbird limited express from Kyoto to Tsuruga, then the Shinkansen to Kanazawa. Both are covered by the JR Pass.

Does the JR Pass cover it?

No Nozomi or Mizuho trains run on this route, so the JR Pass covers it with no extra ticket.

Is a JR Pass worth it for this trip?

A round trip (¥15,440) is about 31% of a 7 day JR Pass (¥50,000). On its own this route will not justify a pass; single tickets are cheaper unless the rest of your week involves several long trips.

Open this route in the location planner

The planner link starts with 2 days in Kyoto, 2 in Kanazawa and a day back in Kyoto. Change the days or add stops to see your own total.

Local JR lines

In Kanazawa, visitors mostly get around by subway, tram or bus rather than JR, so the location planner counts no local JR spend there. Those are not covered by the JR Pass.

Local fare sources: JR East fare revision pamphlet (fares from 14 March 2026); MLIT approval of JR West Kansai urban-area fares; Ekitan JR West fares; JR West trunk-line fare table (unofficial reference site).

Related routes

Prices change. Confirm with the operator before booking.