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8 hours
Mobile ticket
A short distance outside of the city center of Kanazawa is Tsurugi, a small town often overlooked by tourists to the area. Tsurugi has 2,000 years of history as an important site for religious worship and two of the shrines in the city have been attested to being local centers since at least the 60s BC. The shrine approach to Shrayama-hime Shrine still maintains that mystical feel as you walk through the forested and moss covered stairs. Nearby is a gondola that takes you to the top of one of the local mountains and gives you a stunning view of the town beneath and as far as the Sea of Japan. The final stop of the day is to see the butterfly house with over 1,000 butterflies. The mix of history and nature so close to the city is epitome of what makes Japan so great.
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
The remaining 30 minutes is for the travel time.
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.
Kinkengu Shrine
Travel to Tsurugi. We will use the local trains to get out of the city and into the mountains. Arrive at Tsurugi and walk around the area near the station. Here you will see Kikengu Shrine and other traditional buildings. After getting a feel for the town, we will head out to the next spots. It is a nice walk near the river as we see the water systems and old train stations.
Shirayama Hime Shrine
After a short walk from seeing the water system we will arrive at the sando or ‘approach’ to the shrine. The often moss covered stairs that lead into more forest gives an almost mystical feel. The surviving records say that this shrine has existed in some form since the year 297, with the first building on Mt. Hakusan as early as 91 BC, and is the head shrine for all Shirayama shrines all over Japan. This shrine worships the god of the mountain Hakusan and is prayed to for clean and clear life-giving water. Feel the connection to history, tradition and the mountains. After leaving the shrine, you will be given time to have lunch in the area
Transportation to and from Tsurugi
English speaking guide
Gondola roundtrip ticket
Guided Tour at Kikengu Shrine, Shirayama-hime Shrine and all other locations
Entry fee at Ishikawa Prefecture Insect Museum (includes Butterfly House)
Lunch
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
1 review
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Explorer04989430057,Oct 13, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
The tour was incredible. Garrett was very knowledgeable and socialable. The shrine had a beautiful approach that pictures just don't do justice. The view from the top of the gondala was stunning. And even the butterflys were far more impressive then I expected. There were soo many! Garrett navigated the trip excellently and answered all my questions and then some. He adjusted the trip to accommodate my tastes (pastries :D) And by the end of trip it felt as if we were just two old friends hanging out. I'd highly recommend giving the tour a shot. Hopefully you get Garrett or a guide like him.



Operated by Snow Monkey Resorts Tours (Machinovate Japan Ltd.)