This tour has two starting points, the first being Kanazawa Station. Your guide will meet you in front of the Information Centre near the Shinkansen Ticket Gates. From there, we will hop on the shinkansen to the second starting point of the tour.
The tour’s second start point is Kurobe-Unazuki Onsen Station, where your guide will meet you in front of the ticket gates at 9:00 am. Once we have left the inside of the station building, we will walk to Shin-Kurobe Station, which takes about 3 minutes.
Next we will hop on the local train to Unazuki Onsen Station. It’s a short ride so enjoy the Japanese countryside as we make our way into the mountains. This onsen area was founded just over a hundred years ago and even today it is recognised as having the clearest onsen spring water in all of Japan. The architecture of the town reflects the 1920’s Taisho period, a time of significant mixing of western and Japanese styles.
Head on a walk out of the town to get some nice views of the town itself. Admire one of the red bridges and the beautiful valley. Embark on a 20-30-minute walk to see the stunning valley from all different angles. There are also certain times when the train runs across the bridge and we will wait at one of the observation decks to get pictures.
When we get back to the town centre it’ll be time for lunch. There isn’t a designated lunch time for this tour so please eat before the train arrives. There are plenty of options in and around the station so feel free to ask your guide for recommendations.
After lunch, hop on the trolley train to the deep inner parts of Kurobe Gorge. Enjoy the breathtaking views as you feel the air rush through the train car. This is a long ride so make sure to dress for the weather. There is a roof on the carriage, but it is not 100% effective.
The train will take about an hour and forty minutes in total, including one stop where you can get off and walk around shortly. The train is on a shortened route currently, running between only Unazuki and Nekomata Station. Even now you can still see the deepest gorge in Japan, beautiful waterfalls, lakes and other interesting sights throughout.
The long spectacular train ride will eventually come to an end and next we will walk around the town. There is time for you to explore and get a feel for the onsen town’s covered foot baths.
A Buddha statue where you pour onsen water over the part of him that you want to be healed is also fun to try out. At the far end of Unazuki Onsen is the Omokage Observation Deck , an unusually shaped lookout. You can see the town and valley from a different angle with the nice river running right below.
At the end of your tour, head over to Unazuki Onsen Station and hop on a train to Kurobe-Unazuki Onsen Station. This is the official end of the tour so we will say our goodbyes and get ready for our trips back.
