From Kanazawa: Natadera, Craft Village and Geisha Show

Discover the charm of Yamanaka Onsen on a guided tour from Kanazawa. Visit Natadera Temple, try your hand at local crafts, and enjoy a geisha performance with a chance to dance.
Start your tour at Kanazawa Station, where your guide will meet you in front of the Information Center near the Shinkansen Ticket Gates. Board the bus and ride about an hour through the countryside of the Hokuriku Region to Natadera Temple.

Explore the temple, which dates back to the year 717 and has been known for its scenic beauty for hundreds of years. The temple practices an interesting mix of Buddhism and nature worship, so the gardens have become renowned as a place of healing.

At the back of the garden lies the oldest part of the temple. The main shrine, designated as an Important Cultural Property, is carved out of a small cave. People believed that by passing through these caves, their spirits were cleansed.

Next, drive a short way to your next destination: Yunokuni-no-Mori craft village. This area offers a wonderful selection of different experiences making local crafts.

Inside the craft village, your guide will explain more about each of the experiences on offer. Depending on the activities that pique your interests, you will have enough time to do two or three experiences before leaving the park.

Before splitting up, try your hands at Kaga Yuzen. This traditional art dates back to more than 500 years ago. Decorate your own item - such as a handkerchief, lunch box wrap or placemats - using Kaga Yuzen techniques. When you're finished designing, you literally paint onto the fabric. There are a wide variety of designs available, and the colours of the paints beautifully blend onto the material. If you'd like, you can also sign your name on the fabric. When it's all done, the staff will iron it to finish it off, then you can keep it forever!

Once you've finished your Kaga Yuzen, you are free to explore the park. There are a couple of restaurants to get lunch and 23 other experiences on offer. From gold leaf decorating, glass blowing, sandblasting and ceramics to making cookies, lacquerware and even your own incense, there are a host of things to choose from!

Once you meet back up, leave the park and head for the main attraction of the tour: the geisha performance. The bus will head to Yamanaka Onsen, a quiet town tucked away in the mountains.

Take a short walk through some of the village's sights. There are also some shops you may wish to browse. If you tried your hand at lacquerware in the craft village, compare your work to the masters' on display in the shops - you may have discovered untapped talent!

Be back at the venue in time for the show. Geisha will perform a variety of traditional dances and songs local to the region. Being able to see the geisha up close is a really magical experience. You can tell they have practiced years to do each movement perfectly.

For the final dance of the show, the geisha will invite audience members onto the stage to do Goshugi no Mai, the dance of celebration.

After a long day exploring the region, get back on the bus and start your journey back to Kanazawa.

To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.

This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.