What other travelers are saying about Kanazawa Castle
Kanazawa Castle is worth a visit for the gardens alone and belongs on every must-visit bucket list.
Kanazawa Castle impresses with its huge, extensive grounds with beautiful gardens that make you feel like you're standing in the middle of a postcard. Unfortunately, all that remains of the castle itself are the walls and towers, but these have been authentically restored and don't detract from the feeling of being in medieval Japan. In general, the castle is in excellent condition and you can tell how much effort and love has been put into its upkeep. The bridge to the west gate, for example, has been completely rebuilt and now also has a wheelchair-accessible entrance.
The Kanazawa Castle Park is beautiful both in the day and during the night illumination events so I would even recommend going twice! It's a nice stroll, super open and wide, and it is free to enter the grounds. Would also recommend paying the admission fee to get into the main castle to learn about the history and architecture.
The park, a historical castle ground, boasts well-preserved historical buildings like the Ishikawa Gate.
Our visit was on a cloudy day, we found the park relatively uncrowded between 10-11am allowing for ample opportunities to sit and admire the picturesque scenery and take some great photos.
Visited one night in early April to view the cherry blossom illumination. The castle and the garden views were stunning - we hit just the right time to see them. I got some really cool photos. There was a decent number of people, but it was still pretty magical.
Kanazawa Castle is a great place to visit. Many of the buildings have been extensively restored. You can explore the grounds on foot and even enter many of the buildings and watchtowers. A combined ticket for the castle and park costs 500 yen. It can be paid for conveniently by credit card.
