1-Day Tour from Kanazawa: Eiheiji Zen Temple, Dinosaur Kingdom, Echizen Great Buddha & Japan's Tallest Pagoda

Long overlooked by most visitors to Japan, Fukui Prefecture became far easier to reach with the opening of the Hokuriku Shinkansen in 2024. Venture further into the region, though, and you'll still find sides of Fukui that remain refreshingly untouched. On this tour, you will visit some of Fukui's remote highlights in just a single day.

Highlights

• Walk the covered corridors of Daihonzan Eiheiji, a mountainside temple founded more than 780 years ago and now one of the two head temples of Sōtō Zen Buddhism
• Explore the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, a world-leading collection of animatronics, real fossils, and exhibits spanning the ancient world
• Stand before the Echizen Great Buddha (17m): the tallest indoor seated Buddha in Japan
• Ascend Japan's tallest five-story pagoda (75m) for sweeping views over Katsuyama

***December - February: Due to operating hours at certain venues, we will switch the order of the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum and Echizen Great Buddha for the itinerary. We will still be able to visit all locations!***

Review

Description

Guests starting from Kanazawa Station will meet their guide at 8:00 A.M. in front of the Information Center near the Shinkansen Ticket Gates. You'll have the opportunity to put your belongings in a coin locker at the station if you'd like to travel light for the day, but are welcome to leave your belongings on the tour bus. From there, we board the tour bus and head south to Fukui Prefecture.

We soon arrive at Daihonzan Eiheiji. Founded in 1244 by Zen master Dōgen, Eiheiji remains one of the two head temples of Sōtō Zen Buddhism, and the complex still functions as a working monastery today where you may see monks going about their daily practice as you walk the covered wooden corridors connecting the temple's many halls. Towering cedar trees, some centuries old, line the grounds, and your guide will walk you through the temple's history and significance in Japanese Buddhism.

You will also be able to bask in the ancient architecture of the complex. Eiheiji's layout follows the shichidō garan, the seven essential halls that define a major Zen temple. The oldest structure is the Sanmon, or main gate, dating back to 1749. Another key hall is the Sōdō, where monks perform zazen meditation, eat, and sleep in the same small space. At the complex's highest point stands the Hattō, where the abbot delivers sermons and daily services are held. Just beside it is the Jōyōden, the mausoleum enshrining Zen master Dōgen himself, where a plaque bearing the hall's name was personally written by Emperor Meiji in 1902 to mark the temple's standing at the very top of Sōtō Zen.

Afterward, we'll break for lunch in Eiheiji's monzenmachi, the temple's traditional approach street lined with small restaurants serving soba and other local specialties. Feel free to ask your guide for recommendations.

From here, we drive around 35 minutes to the Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum in Katsuyama that is ranked among the top three dinosaur museums in the world and is the reason Fukui is known as Japan's "Dinosaur Kingdom." Your guide will walk you through the museum's highlights, then leave you free to explore at your own pace: full skeletal reconstructions, real fossils, and hands-on exhibits covering everything from excavation techniques to the prehistoric ecosystems of ancient Japan.

Our final stop, Echizen Daibutsu, is a 10-minute drive away. The Buddha statue there is taller than the Great Buddhas of both Nara and Kamakura, and is flanked by more than 1,281 smaller statues lining the hall's walls. The grandness of the hall is breathtaking, and despite its size, it's quiet enough for a moment of peaceful self-reflection.Also within the temple complex is the Kuryūden, or "Nine Dragon Hall," home to a reproduction of the Kyūryūheki, a Nine-Dragon Wall relief from Beijing's Beihai Park. In Chinese tradition, dragons symbolize imperial power and good fortune, and walls like this one historically stood guarding the entrances to significant spaces. Its placement here is a deliberate nod to the Kuzuryū River or the "Nine-Headed Dragon River" which flows right through this valley. Lastly, we will visit Japan's tallest five-story pagoda. The 75-meter building is climbable, with an elevator up to a viewpoint offering a beautiful view out over Katsuyama City.

Time your visit right (April through November), and you'll catch the daily Sea of Clouds Special Viewing, a dramatic mist installation that fills the temple courtyard, held from 4:00–5:00 PM.

After enjoying an afternoon in the valley of giants, we will make our way back to the city. We should arrive back at Kanazawa by 18:30, welcoming a solemn evening after experiencing today's sights. If you have any questions about what to do in Kanazawa, such as activities or food recommendations, don't hesitate to ask your guide!

Meetup Points

KANAZAWA STATION @ 8:00

The meetup point is outside of the Shinkansen ticket gates in front of the information center. If you are heading out from the gates, look forward and to the right and you will see sumo wrestlers cutouts lined up. This is where we will be meeting. For those coming from outside the station, you will find this sign immediately inside of the East Entrance of Kanazawa Station. You may wait nearby there until the tour begins at 8:00 A.M. Be sure to look for the guide wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag.

Notes

Tour Availability Disclaimer

All listed events, activities, and experiences are subject to availability. Please note that while certain tour options may appear bookable through our platforms, this does not guarantee that every experience can be carried out as scheduled in the tour itinerary. Many activities require direct confirmation with our partner venues, and availability may vary based on the date and other factors. Should any part of your ordered itinerary require adjustment or deviation from the original schedule, or if a specific experience is unavailable, we will contact you promptly to discuss suitable alternatives or amendments.

Included

• Transportation to and from Eiheiji, Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum, and Echizen Great Buddha
• English-speaking guide
• Entry fee at Eiheiji Temple
• Entry fee at Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum
• Entry fee at Echizen Great Buddha

Excluded

• Lunch
• Accommodation

Other Information

• In winter, the temperatures will be below 10℃ at the high , and in the morning and evening may be close to or below 0℃. Please wear warm clothing and footwear appropriate for snowy and cold conditions. There may also be snow and ice on the road/sidewalk, and so you should take care to not slip by preparing the correct shoes for such conditions.
• There will be free time along the way for guests to enjoy the locations at their own pace. However, please make sure that you are at the respective meetup points at the time stated by your guide. If you get lost or need assistance, feel free to call the number which is listed on your tour pass, and our staff will assist you immediately.
• Seasonal note: Sea of Clouds viewing runs April - November only, weather permitting. On dates outside this window or in poor weather, guests will still visit the Great Buddha and pagoda, but the mist display will not run.