Akane
I’ll be sightseeing/hiking in Kamikochi/Matsumoto area this summer. And after that, I'd like to go see Kanazawa before heading back to Tokyo on the Shinkansen. What’s the cheapest way to get to Kanazawa?
Akane
By bus is the cheapest and fastest way to get from Matsumoto to Kanazawa. But it’s going to take about 4.5 hours and you need to transfer buses. You’ll need to get on the bus from Matsumoto to Takayama. Then change buses there for the one bound for Kanazawa. If you have time you should sightsee in Takayama and at Shirakawago, it's a beautiful place. You'll need to make a reservation for both buses through the websites below.
https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/highwaybus/matsumoto.pdf
https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/highwaybus/shirakawago.pdf