Q: I work for a travel agency. Can you arrange a guide for us?
A:Our association does not arrange guides. For work inquiries, please contact each member directly from their profile section.
Q: How soon should I book a guide?
A: It is recommended that you make a reservation as soon as possible after your itinerary is confirmed. Even six (6) months is not too early to book a guide especially for cherry blossom (April) or foliage (November) seasons.
Q: How much is the cancellation charge?
A: Standard rates are 30% of the guide fee for within two weeks of the reservation, 50% for within one week, and 100% for notice given on the day or the day before your tour.
Q: What is included in the guiding fee?
A: The guiding fee covers guiding services only. Anything other than guiding services such as the guide’s transportation to/from the venue, transportation during the tour, admission fees*, meals and accommodation are at the customer’s expense. (*Many facilities exempt guides from admission fees.)
Q: How long does it take from Kanazawa to key destinations?
A: Please see below for transit times between Kanazawa and key destinations.
Tokyo: 2 hours 30 minutes by JR Hokuriku Shinkansen bullet train.
Kyoto: Approximately 2 hours by Shinkansen bullet train and JR limited express train.
Shirakawa-go and Takayama: Highway buses are available with required seat reservations. Although booking is needed, chauffeured cars allow flexibility of both time and route and can accommodate stopping in at Gokayama. Either way, all our members can provide guide services throughout the tour to those destinations.
Wajima: The transit time to Wajima is 1 hour 50 minutes by a chauffeured car with advanced booking.
Q: What is the best way to get around Kanazawa City?
A: Since most of the attractions are located in the central Kanazawa area, you can enjoy the city on foot. ONE DAY PASS ticket is also available which makes you easier to explore with unlimited rides of local buses ( 800 yen for adult). The taxi fare will be 1,000 – 2,000 yen between the attractions in the central Kanazawa.
Q: What cultural activities can I enjoy in Kanazawa?
A: There is a variety of traditional and cultural experiences you can enjoy such as making gold leaf goods, painting on Kutani porcelain, wearing a kimono, Kaga Yuzen dyeing, and wagashi making. Most of these require a reservation.
Q: Can I see geisha in Kanazawa?
A: There are seasonal geisha events in Kanazawa which you can book online, or you can ask luxury ryokan style inns or ryotei restaurants to arrange a party with geisha for you.
Q: What are the features and differences between National Government Licensed Guide Interpreters who are the members of your organization(National Licensed Interpreter-guide Net Kanazawa--LINK) and Kanazawa Visitors Hosts administered by Kanazawa City??
A: Kanazawa Visitors Hosts was established in the spring of 2017. Their accredited area is mainly Kanazawa City. Applicants for this certificate must have at least a pre-first grade certificate of STEP(Test in Practical English Proficiency) or a minimum TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) score of 730.
LINK was established in 2012, and all the members hold national guide licenses. We can provide services all over Japan in several languages. To obtain this certification as a guide interpreter in English, an applicant has to have either the first-grade certificate of STEP or a TOEIC score of 900 or higher.
