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Kyoto to Kanazawa: price, time and JR Pass

The short answer

Budget about $49 (¥7,710) per person and about 2 h. It is both the cheapest option and the fastest. The Japan Rail Pass covers this whole trip.

Kyoto and Kanazawa are 261 km (162 miles) apart by road.

The only priced option

JR train

Thunderbird limited express

Kyoto → Tsuruga, reserved seat compulsory, then Tsuruga → Kanazawa

~$49 ¥7,710 · per person
about 2 h 45 min on the Thunderbird, 1 h on the bullet train, plus the change at Tsuruga
Japan Rail Pass: yes Covered by the Japan Rail Pass.
Who runs it
JR West as far as Tsuruga, then still JR (Hokuriku Shinkansen) The public rail network, six regional companies. The Japan Rail Pass is valid on their lines and on nothing else. Source
Which train
Thunderbird, then the Hokuriku Shinkansen Thunderbird: A limited express from Kyoto and Osaka to Tsuruga, fully reserved: this train has no unreserved cars at all. Included in the Japan Rail Pass. Source Kagayaki and Hakutaka: The two services between Tokyo and Kanazawa. The Kagayaki runs direct and is fully reserved; the Hakutaka stops more often and keeps unreserved cars. The pass covers both. Source

Since the Hokuriku Shinkansen was extended to Tsuruga in March 2024, there is no through service from Osaka or Kyoto to Kanazawa: you must change at Tsuruga between the Thunderbird, which is all reserved, and the bullet train. The whole journey stays covered by the Japan Rail Pass. A separate ticket for foreign visitors, the Hokuriku One-way Ticket, exists outside the normal fare at around $41 (¥6,500). Fare source

Last checked August 11, 2026. The dollar figure is worked out at the exchange rate of the site's last update and is never stored beside the yen.

A regional pass covers this trip

Less well known than the national Japan Rail Pass and often far cheaper, they are only valid inside their own area. These cover this trip end to end.

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We earn a commission on the Klook links below, and it costs you nothing extra. It does not change which pass we say covers your trip.

Hokuriku Arch Pass about $223 for 7 consecutive days ¥35,000 See this pass on Klook

This trip inside your whole itinerary

One trip on its own never tells you whether the Japan Rail Pass is worth it. That depends on every other leg of the journey, and on the regional passes, which are far cheaper and cover only their own area.

See what the passes cost

Where to sleep at either end: Kyoto, Kanazawa.