Rowena S.

5 / 5

Oct 15, 2025

Private Car Tour – World Heritage Villages of Shirakawa-go & Gokayama

Oct 15, 2025

Kanazawa

8 hours

“5 out of 5 stars”

We had an absolutely wonderful day exploring Shirakawa-go and Gokayama with our brilliant guide, Richard Gray. Richard was kind, thoughtful, patient, and incredibly informative throughout the tour. He made sure to point out the best viewpoints and the most fascinating cultural highlights, allowing us to truly appreciate the beauty and heritage of the region. The pacing of the day was perfect — we never felt rushed and had plenty of time to take in each experience at a comfortable pace. We would highly recommend Richard to anyone looking for an excellent, engaging, and sympathetic English-speaking guide while staying in the Kanazawa area.

Richard G.

(2 reviews)

Thank you so much for your kind words. It was an absolute pleasure spending the day with you both. You were fantastic company and a real delight to talk with and get to know. I thoroughly enjoyed sharing the beauty and history of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama with you both, along with a few good laughs! I hope the rest of your travels in Japan are just as memorable. Safe journeys, and thank you again for a wonderful day!

“Above & Beyond”

This is actually a very easy review to write. The theme is clear and it's simply this... we found that Richard will go "above and beyond" to ensure that his guests have a wonderfully memorable tour of Kanazawa. Our tour was scheduled for our first full day in Kanazawa and we knew that we would have some time on our hands the day before as we took a morning Shinkansen from Tokyo. When we asked Richard about ideas for restaurants or activities that we might do on that prior day, he gave us a wealth of suggestions that beautifully dovetailed with the tour on the subsequent day. For our day together, highlights of our tour included Omicho Market, Kanazawa Castle, Kenrokuen Garden, and Myouryuji. All of these sites left a lasting impression on us, but probably none more so than Kenrokuen Garden. When one hears of the six features of this garden - spaciousness & seclusion, artifice & antiquity, and water-courses & panoramas - it feels quite abstract. Having now walked the gardens, these attributes become real and provide a sense unlike any other that we've experienced. Kenrokuen Garden is truly a magical site and the memory of that visit will remain with us for a long time to come. Myouryuji, which is also known as the "Ninja Temple", was also a surprise. On his own initiative, Richard found last minute reservations for this highly sought-after tour and gave us the option of experiencing it. We, of course, gladly accepted and had a chance to see an amazing piece of history in the form of a very unique Buddhist temple. That this unexpected addition pushed our time together beyond the planned "cut-off" didn't seem to matter a whit to Richard. He simply wanted us to enjoy a city that he greatly respects and loves. Intermingled with all our site visits was a chance to discuss with Richard what it is like living in Kanazawa. All told, it truly was like touring a city with a good friend who has as their highest priority the goal of making your visit as enjoyable as possible!

Richard G.

(2 reviews)

Thank you, Andrew and Lisa, for taking the time to share your experience and for your kind words. I had a wonderful time showing you around Kanazawa and getting to know you both. I genuinely felt sad when our tour came to an end, as it truly felt like I had made new friends. If you need any help or advice during the rest of your trip, please feel free to message me and I will gladly help if I can. I have sent you some of the photos we took via WhatsApp, and I hope you have received them. Wishing you a fantastic remainder of your stay in Japan! Warm regards, Richard