Full Day Tour to Kurobe Gorge and Unazuki Onsen from Kanazawa

Overview

Available languages

English

8 hours

Mobile ticket

In the Northern Japanese Alps lies a small beautiful onsen town sitting at the entrance of an even more amazing sight, Japanese deepest V-shaped gorge, Kurobe Gorge. On this tour you can experience the great natural beauty of Japan with the small town feel of a popular onsen resort. Your local guide will show you foot baths and healing buddhas, ride on the trolley train across spectacular gorges and finally walk in nature with onsen water rivers. City and scenery, bridges and buddhas, trolley trains and scenic walks, fully enjoy a lesser traveled part of Japan in Unazuki Onsen and the Kurobe Gorge!

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby

Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

All listed events, activities, and experiences are subject to availability. Please note that while certain tour options may appear bookable through our platforms, this does not guarantee that every experience can be carried out as scheduled in the tour itinerary. Many activities require direct confirmation with our partner venues, and availability may vary based on the date and other factors. Should any part of your ordered itinerary require adjustment or deviation from the original schedule, or if a specific experience is unavailable, we will contact you promptly to discuss suitable alternatives or amendments.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What‘s Included

All other possible transportation related costs

English speaking guide

Trolley train tickets to and from Unazuki Onsen Station and Nekomata Station

Lunch

What To Expect

Unazuki Onsen

Travel by private bus from Kanazawa to Unazuki Onsen station. This town's architecture is similar to how it was when it was started as an onsen resort town 100 years ago. We will have a short walk through the old hiking route to the Kurobe Dam. On the way, we will get a taste of the scenery that lies in store for us on the trolley train and learn a bit more about the history of the area! After that, we'll have some free time in the town and an early lunch. Your guide will show you some restaurants in the area.

2 hours • Admission Not Applicable

Kurobe Gorge

Meet up at Unazuki Onsen Station to get ready for the trolley train. There are no shops or restaurants once we get on the train, so feel free to bring some snacks and drinks with you to enjoy as we go. On the way, we'll see Kurobe Dam, a bridge for monkeys to cross the river, a statue of a buddha made to protect travellers and arrive at Nekomata Station. Due to the January 1, 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, the full route of the Kurobe Gorge Trolley Train is currently undergoing repairs, expected to reopen fully in 2026. Around 60% of the route is open, ending at Nekomata, which has been converted into a temporary rest area. The area is still worth a visit, though! Many of the main sights are within the visible section and the area is one of the most beautiful Japan has to offer.

2 hours • Admission Included

Options

Join from Kanazawa Station

Reviews

4.88

17 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

A breathtaking day -so pleased we booked ! Couldn’t have wished for anything more !
Maree E,
Nov 6, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
An amazing day with Garrett - the day was perfect from start to finish. Picked up in a luxury vehicle, guided all day by the kindness of our driver and Garrett who was very well informed and provided such an interesting and fun experience for us all. The scenery was breathtaking! Highly recommend - we are all smiling tonight -thank you !
Perfect Tour Guide - take this tour!!
lucyhE4745EV,
Nov 5, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Such a fantastic tour, would reccomend this to everyone. Garrett was the perfect guide to take us on the Kurobe Gorge Railway and to see the incredible autumn leaves at Shomyo Falls. Other highlights were getting to soak our feet in the onsen baths and trying to the local delicacy, 'black ramen'. I was a solo traveller but I felt at home with the group, also a great fit for groups and duos.
Amazing day trip to Kurobe gorge and Unazuki onsen town
wilslisa,
Nov 2, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Excellent day tour of Kurobe gorge and Unazuki Onsen town. Amazing views on the trolley train. Explored the town during our free time and enjoyed the foot bath. Daniel was a great tour guide!
Great Tour of Kurobe Gorge
JeffreyDLT,
Oct 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Mike was an awesome guide showing me and the tour group around unazuki onsen and getting us on the trolley to ride through Kurobe gorge. Very friendly and fun to chat with, and of course the gorge itself was amazing. The tour was delayed due to construction slowing down the bus from picking me up at the station, but Snow Monkey Resorts kept me up to date with emails and a missed (my fault) phone call, so even when things weren’t perfect it was handled well.
A simply wonderful experience
briangQ4724YC,
Oct 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This was a spectacular day tour. Our guide, Mike, was very helpful, welcoming, fun and knowledgeable. I would highly recommend this tour. And if Mike’s your guide you will have a most enjoyable day!
Gorgeous day, with an outstandingly knowledgeable guide.
Explorer04989430057,
Oct 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
It was a dam gorgeous day 😄. The tour had some incredible views with a guide so knowledgeable that he could answer questions ranging from the history of Kabuki to Hadrian's Wall (yes the one in Scotland). Garrett's ability to not only add context and history to the Gorge and Dam but also to fill any down time with endless information about Japan and beyond was incredible. Another guest (non intentionally... I think) made it his mission to dig out every single fact in Garrett's head, and I have a feeling he didn't manage to even get close. If you're looking for some gorgeous views in a picturesque village and valley, with an incredibly skilled guide, give this tour a go.
Daniel made it very easy
kylek135,
Sep 25, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Our guide Daniel gave us an excellent experience at Kurobe Gorge. He pointed out a few hidden (but publicly accessible) areas we would have never found on our own. Kurobe Gorge is not an easy place to get to, so the transportation help this tour provides will save you a lot of time and potential headaches. The Kurobe Gorge and trolley train themselves are amazing to experience for the best of Japan's natural scenic beauty.
Too long
LillaMe1103,
Jul 15, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00
Our 2 guides were amazing - courteous, knowledgeable and fun. The tour however is far too long for what it offers. Without travel, you could easily do the whole thing in 2.5 hours (half day tour).
Last min favorite
D8678HXmichaelh,
Jul 14, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
I booked this at the last min available, and it was so with it. Amazing things to see. While the train ride can get very life in some places, it's so with it. Gorgeous views the whole time
Spectacular Day Trip to Kurobe Gorge!
judycA1484YB,
Jun 29, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
This was a spectacular day trip from Kanazawa on 15 May 2025, which showed off the beauty of Kurobe Gorge. We had a small group of myself, a friendly couple from Australia, and our personable guide, Garrett, who is also a manager at Snow Monkey Resorts Tours. Garrett was very knowledgeable about the area we traveled in, and he provided historical context to what we were viewing. I liked his stories, too, especially of the two-tailed cat mythology. This trip was my first experience traveling on trains in Japan, for which we went on three trains. The last one through the gorge was a trolley train open on the sides, which provided unobstructed views and lots of refreshing air. We had some time to explore Unazuki Onsen and get a quick lunch before getting on the trolley train. It was a warm day, so I enjoyed the cooler air as the trolley got on its way. Garrett was on the look-out for snow monkeys, but alas, they were not within our sights. However, we did see the snow monkey bridge that they can use to cross the river. Kurobe Gorge is stunning, and it would be even more spectacular in the fall when the leaves change color. We made a stop at Nekomata Station at the end of the line to view the river and to hear more about the two-tailed cat mythology. Everyone we met was very friendly. The staff at Nekomata Station waved at us as we left to go back to Unazuki Onsen Station. We had some extra time to explore more of the town and to soak our feet in one of the feet onsens. It was very hot, even at the "coolest" part! Soon enough, we were on our way back to Kanazawa. I loved this day trip!