Kamakura Highlights: Great Buddha, Temples & Backstreets
Joined 2025
This highlight tour of Kamakura lets you experience both its historical roots and modern-day charm all at once. We’ll visit not only the city’s most famous landmarks, but also walk through narrow backstreets filled with everyday life, giving you a well-rounded experience of Kamakura’s history, Buddhist culture, shopping, scenery, and local lifestyle — all in one compact and memorable journey.
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
Kamakura Station (Flexible: Your Hotel or Preferred Location)
- I'm based on the Miura Peninsula, so meeting at a nearby station allows us to start the tour at a time that suits you best. However, if the timing works, I'm also happy to meet you at your hotel or preferred location in Tokyo, Yokohama, Kamakura, or other areas. Just send me a message in advance so we can coordinate the details.
Kamakura Museum of History and Culture
A beautifully designed museum that introduces the city’s samurai past and temple culture in a modern setting.
Komachi Street
A lively shopping alley filled with local snacks, handmade crafts, and great people-watching. We’ll enjoy some shopping and local street food, and when you find a spot that appeals to you, we’ll take a break for an early lunch. Please let me know if there’s something specific you’d like to try.
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
Kamakura’s iconic shrine, dedicated to the samurai protector deity. It will be great for learning Shinto basics and taking beautiful photos. If you have an interest in Buddhist statues, we can make a stop at the nearby museum as well.
Getting to Hase Area: By Enoden Train or a Scenic Walk
To reach Hase Area, we can either take the charming Enoden train, a small 2-car train that winds its way through residential neighborhoods, or walk through the backstreets on foot. The Enoden is a fun and nostalgic ride, but it can be quite crowded with other tourists. If the weather is nice and you enjoy exploring new places on foot, we can instead take a 2-kilometer walk through quiet local streets between traditional houses. It takes about 30 minutes at a relaxed pace. If you're feeling energetic, the walk is a great way to experience the local atmosphere. We can decide together on the day!
Kotoku-in Temple (Great Buddha)
One of Japan’s most famous landmarks—the massive bronze Kamakura Daibutsu (Great Buddha of Kamakura)—sits calmly under the open sky. This statue, Japan’s second tallest seated Buddha, stands 37 feet 5 inches (11.4 meters) tall. Cast in 1252, it was originally housed inside a large wooden hall. However, that hall was destroyed by natural disasters over time. Since the late 15th century, the Buddha has stood out in the open air, making it a truly unique and impressive sight.
Hase-dera Temple
Walk to nearby Hase-dera, one of the prettiest temples in Kamakura. It is famous for its golden eleven-headed statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, which stands 30 feet 2 inches (9.18 meters) tall.
Known as the “Temple of Flowers,” Hase-dera boasts beautiful seasonal blooms throughout the year and features many charming smiling Jizo statues in the precincts, making it very photogenic. It is especially popular during the hydrangea season.
Tea Break (Flexible)
We can take a break at a café in the Hase area, depending on your preference.
Local Bus Ride
We’ll take a local bus to return to Kamakura Station.
Ending Point
Kamakura Station
Want to personalize this tour?
This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
- Tour Guiding
- Japanese/English Interpreting
- Any entrance or admission fees
- Meals or drinks you order at lunch, dinner, or cafés
- Transportation costs to/from Kamakura and within Kamakura
*The one-way fare from Tokyo Station to Kamakura Station on the Yokosuka Line is 950 yen. If you choose to ride in the Green Car (first-class seat), it costs an additional 1,000 yen per person one way. So, if you take the Green Car for both directions, the total cost will be 3,900 yen per person. I recommend using the Green Car for a more comfortable and relaxing journey. I will support you with the travel route and purchasing Green Car tickets, so if you have any concerns, please feel free to message me in advance.
Tour Important Information
*Some of the temples and shrines in the standard itinerary have stairs or uneven paths, so they might not be suitable for wheelchairs or strollers.
If you need step-free access, just let me know in advance. I’ll be happy to adjust the route and itinerary to make it easier for you.
*Please let me know in advance if you have any food allergies or other dietary restrictions.
Since weekends tend to be crowded with Japanese tourists, I recommend booking your tour on a weekday. I am available on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Also, please note that the Kamakura Museum of History and Culture is closed on Sundays. If you book your tour on a Sunday, we will visit other sites instead of the museum.
Important message from the supplier
I’m available on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. However, the best day and time for the tour may vary depending on the destination. I’d be happy to adjust the schedule based on your interests and preferences, so please feel free to contact me to communicate.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Joined 2025
About Tour Guide Nahomi O.
Hello! I’m a local guide based in the Miura Peninsula, a beautiful coastal area just south of Tokyo. I’ve been living here for nearly 10 years, surrounded by the sea, fields, and a peaceful way of life.
The Miura Peninsula has many unique towns. Kamakura is an old capital where Japan’s first samurai government began. Yokosuka has long been a base for the Japanese Navy, and today it is a special mix of American and Japanese naval cultures. Misaki & Jogashima (Miura City) is a quiet fishing and farming town, very different from busy Tokyo. Hayama is a beautiful town with a summer house of the Japanese Imperial Family.
Through my tours, I want to show not only the famous places but also everyday life in Japan—especially how people live in small towns outside the big city. I hope you can feel the calm, kindness, and beauty of local life.
I’d love to show you the slower, more local side of Japan.
Let’s explore together!
$150/ per group
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