Noto Full Day Driving Tour: Private Car, Award-Winning Guide

Rice paddies on steep slopes, a salt farm using 500-year-old technique, and a drive across compacted sand beach

A full-day private driving tour of the Noto Peninsula near Kanazawa with an award-winning driver-guide in English or Japanese. You stop at Wajima Morning Market to see fresh fish and local crafts, walk among Senmaida's 2,000 layered rice paddies facing the sea, visit the Okunoto Salt Farm Village where salt is still made using the traditional Agehama technique, see the restored 5-meter wooden Buddha at Myojoji Temple, and drive 8 km across Chirihama Beach's compacted sand. Pickup is included. The tour runs nine hours and stops for food and drinks at your choice of restaurants.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Noto Peninsula's Highlights

• Visit Wajima Morning Market
• See Senmaida rice paddies
• Tour Okunoto Salt Farm Village
• Visit Myojoji Temple
• Drive along Chirihama Beach

The experience

The day starts at Wajima Morning Market, where stalls line the streets with fresh fish from the port, vegetables from nearby farms, and traditional crafts. More than a thousand years of history fill this avenue, and the energy there sets the pace for what comes next. From there, the route heads to Senmaida, where 2,000 rice paddies climb the steep slopes of Koushuzan Mountain in a geometric pattern across 1.2 hectares. In spring and summer, the evening sun reflects off the flooded paddies and the sea behind them, which is why photographers come here.

The Okunoto Salt Farm Village in Suzu is the only place in Japan still using the Agehama technique, a method unchanged for about 500 years. Workers spread clay on bedrock, then sand on top of the hardened clay, and the salt forms naturally from seawater: rich in minerals and made without modern machinery. After that, you visit Myojoji Temple, the head temple of the Nichiren Sect in the Hokuriku region, where a wooden statue of Shakamuni Buddha stands 5 meters tall. The statue was restored recently to remove centuries of alterations and return it to its original appearance.

The final stretch is the Chirihama Beach driveway, an 8 km road running from Imahama Beach across compacted sand. The sand here is a quarter the size of ordinary beach sand, so fine and tightly packed that it's firm enough to drive on. The private car and guide stay with you throughout, and you choose where to stop for lunch and drinks along the way.

What’s included

• All fees and taxes.
• air-conditioned private vehicle.
• pickup from your hotel or meeting point.
• an award-winning driver-guide in English or Japanese.
• stops at Wajima Morning Market, Senmaida rice paddies, Okunoto Salt Farm Village, Myojoji Temple, and Chirihama Beach driveway.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to2d before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Japanese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 48 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPets welcome

Operated by Kanazawa Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to explore the Noto Peninsula in a private car with a guide rather than on a group bus. The award-winning driver-guide tailors the pace to your interests, and you stop for meals wherever you choose along the route.

Traveler reviews

4.88★★★★★★★★★★

8 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Japanese.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Wajima Morning Market like when we arrive?

Wajima Morning Market fills with stalls selling fresh fish brought in from the port, vegetables from nearby farms, traditional arts and crafts, and dry provisions. The market has operated for more than a thousand years, and the energy and activity start early in the morning.

Can we actually drive on Chirihama Beach?

Yes. Chirihama Beach is an 8 km driveway made of tightly compacted fine sand that is firm enough for vehicles. The sand particles are about a quarter the size of ordinary beach sand, which is what makes the surface stable for driving.

What makes the Okunoto Salt Farm Village different from other salt producers?

The Okunoto Salt Farm Village is the only facility in Japan still using the traditional Agehama technique for salt production, a method that has been used for about 500 years. Salt is made by spreading clay on bedrock, then sand on top, and letting seawater create salt naturally without modern machinery.

Is lunch included in the tour?

Lunch is not included, but the tour stops at restaurants and food vendors where you can choose what and where to eat and drink at your own pace.