What airport should I arrive to?

For the Kanazawa Gap Year Program, you should arrive to the Narita (Tokyo) International Airport where you will connect to a domestic flight* to Komatsu (Kanazawa) Airport. If you have booked an arrival transfer, you will be picked up by a driver and taken to your homestay accommodation in Kanazawa.

When should I arrive and when should I depart?

You should plan to arrive on a Saturday or Sunday. For flights from the US/Canada this means leaving the US/Canada on Friday for a Saturday arrival and on Saturday for a Sunday arrival. In order to make your flight connection* please arrange to arrive at the Narita International Airport no later than 5:00 PM.

You should plan to depart on a Saturday. In order to make your flight connection* please arrange to depart Narita International Airport no earlier than 1:00 PM.

*Flight connection details are as follows:

• Narita (Tokyo) Airport to Komatsu (Kanazawa) Airport: ANA 3119 dep: 19:30 (7:30 PM); arr: 20:45 (8:45 PM)
• Komatsu (Kanazawa) Airport to Narita (Tokyo) Airport: ANA 3118 dep: 8:30 AM; arr: 9:40 AM

Arrival or departure outside of these hours/days will result in extra costs and must be pre-approved by our office. 

What if I'm not comfortable making an overseas flight connection at an international airport?

This program is intended for the mature teen or young adult who is comfortable with a large amount of independence and has had some previous overseas travel experience. If you are not comfortable travelling on your own in Japan, you and your parents may find the level of independence for this particular program to be too much.

There may be other students travelling to Kanazawa on the same day as you and, if so, we can connect you via e-mail through our Travel Buddies system. We cannot guarantee this, however, so we ask that you be willing and prepared to travel alone.

Can I fly as an Unaccompanied Minor?

This program does not support student travelling as an Unaccompanied Minor. If you do not feel comfortable flying without this status we advise against enrolling in a gap year program.

If I want to make my own travel arrangements can you recommend any good travel sites?

There are some great sites out there!  In addition to www.expedia.com, www.expedia.ca, www.travelocity.com and www.travelocity.ca a few of our favorites include www.kayak.com, where you can compare different fares and then book directly through the website offering the best price and www.farecast.com, where you can compare fares and get a forecast of the best time to buy your ticket based on whether or not fares are predicted to go up or down.

Please note: The Kanazawa Gap Year Program starts on a Sunday and ends on a Saturday.  You should plan to arrive/depart on these days. We cannot guarantee accommodation availability for arrivals before Sunday or departures after Saturday. Please call us toll-free on 1 888 386 1411 if you are having trouble getting flights for the required days/times. 

Once you have your booking confirmed, be sure to provide us with your travel plans so we can inform the school!

Questions about getting to Kanazawa? Call us toll-free on 1 888 386 1411