Kamakura Highlights with Local Expert - from Tokyo
One day fun excursion to Kamakura, a small, coastal city just one hour south of Tokyo. Sometimes called the Kyoto of Eastern Japan, Kamakura offers numerous temples, shrines and other historical monuments as well as beautiful beach and forestry hills. Refer to this model plan, and I will customize your tour based on your tastes and requests. Count on me, Kamakura specialist!
Itinerary
This itinerary can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Send me a message with your requests!
Meeting Point
At your hotel or at any convenient spot for you in central Tokyo area
Your hotel or any place of your convenience in metropolitan Tokyo area
- meet and start the excursion
Kamakura station
- take enoden street car or taxi
Great Buddha of Kamakura
- a large bronze statue of Amida Buddha in Kotokuin temple
Hasedera temple
- a lovely Buddhist temple called as Kamakura's Western Pure Land full of seasonal flowers, famous for its eleven-headed statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy
Enoden ride
- fun street car ride along the seashore * we could walk to Gokurakuji temple before that
local restaurant for lunch
- based on your request
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine
Kamakura's most important Shinto shrine originally found in the late 11th century walking along Dankazura path, the street I used to walk to my junior high school in teens
Engakuji or Kenchoji temple
- the site Zen Buddhism started in Japan in the 14th century and where thousands of monks have trained
- the precincts are large and beautiful in every season perfectly maintained by the monks
Kitakamakura station
- You will find some other lovely ancient Zen temples when you walk to the station.
* We could extend the tour for Yokohama (China town and Minato Mirai area) for a couple of hours based on your request and our discussion
Tokyo station or any place of your convenience
- the end of the tour
Ending Point
At Tokyo station or any place of your convenience
Want to personalize this tour?
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This tour can be customized to meet your needs and preferences. Click below to send me a message with your requests.
Inclusions & Exclusions
■ guide fee
■ hotel pick-up (in Tokyo metropolitan area)
■ transportation fee (you and guide): about 3000 yen/each in total, e.g. ① JR round trip between Tokyo and Kamakura(about 2,000 yen/adult) ②Enoden and local bus, etc.
■ lunch
■ admission fee: e.g. Great Buddha (300 yen/adult), Kenchoji temple (500 yen/adult), Hasedera temple (400 yen/adult), etc.
Tour Important Information
■ Please wear comfortable shoes and outfits for walking.
■ It takes about one hour from Tokyo area to Kamakura, so it is recommended to start the tour at 8:00 am (or even earlier.)
■ I'm usually flexible to put 1 or 2 extra hours and make the tour longer or to add Yokohama visit on the way back. Please consult me if you want even on the tour date.
It's my personal story, but I moved from a large city Nagoya to Kamakura with my family when I was 10 years old. Despite a little girl, I instantly noticed how historically interesting the town was and loved the milder climate there. It also surprised me there were so many atmospheric narrow winding streets and slopes. It was the best site for kids to have a little adventure! Since then, I have been walking around the city of Kamakura with friends, family, or even by myself. I know every corner of the city and its seasonal beauties. So, let me know your interests and tastes, and I will make the best itinerary for you.
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
About Tour Guide Tomoko H.
Hi everyone! Hearty welcome to Japan.
I’m Tomoko.
I am an English-speaking licensed tour guide, and a registered nurse as well.
“Fun Discovering Experience Walking like a Local!” – F-D-E-W-L!
That’s what I suggest.
【Experiences】
My work history is as follows.
1) high school teacher ---12 years
2) nurse--8 years + 2 years as operational manager for Kamakura city vaccination team (during COVID period)
3) tourism related jobs such as tour conducting, guiding, and backyard supporting---10 years
As a tour conductor, I’ve visited about 20 foreign countries (possibly yours?) as well as countless number of towns and villages in Japan.
I’ve enjoyed these jobs while being a mother.
Through these experiences with lots of people from different backgrounds, I've found it a great pleasure to share the joy of learning and experiencing something new!
【Guiding Areas】
<Basic> Tokyo, Kamakura, Hakone, Fuji, Yokohama, Nikko, and other neighboring areas from Tokyo
I’m a specialist in Tokyo and Kamakura as I have lived and enjoyed walking a lot in those cities for decades. To be honest, even after all my years here, I still enjoy exploring like a tourist as Tokyo is such an enormous city with great diversity and is constantly changing.
Kamakura is a historical small city with nice beaches and hills and lots of hidden spots of beauty. Almost every time I go out, I feel I’m still making new discoveries. That’s why I cannot stop exploring.
I would take you to some neighboring areas like Hakone, Yokohama, Nikko, and Mt. Fuji area (Lake Kawaguchiko), etc.
<Based on Requests > *if my transportation & accommodation are covered
Nagoya, Kyoto, Nagano(Nagano city, Snow Monkey park, Kisoji trail, etc.), Hida (Takayama, Shirakawa-go), Kanazawa, Oita, Yamagata, Akita, etc.
My original family is from Nagoya, so I know their culture and even their language(dialect) well. Later in my life, I have lived in Oita, Kyushu(far south west of Tokyo) for nearly 10 years and traveled a lot in Kyushu. I love traveling Tohoku, the northern Japan area, too. I’ve planned and enjoyed visiting many of those local areas in the north, too. So, I could share those experiences with you even while having tours in Tokyo or online.
【Personality and others】
- I love meeting people, listening and talking to them.
- I'm friendly and caring, I hope:)
- I love nature and enjoy hiking and skiing.
- I love seasonal flowers and good local food.
- You will see a lot about Japanese culture, nature, and lifestyle with me.
What has made you decide to come to Japan, by the way? Is it its scenic beauties, exotic culture, history, food, anime, or what else? Is it your business that has brought (or will bring) you here? Let me have a clue and customize your tour. I will make the best tour suggestion for you.
Why don’t you contact me now? I’m looking forward to seeing you soon!
Thank you! Arigato-gozaimas!
Reviews
David N.
“Tokomo was wonderful”
Tomoko was a fabulous introduction to Tokyo and how to get around in this big complicated city. She met me at my hotel and we traveled by train to the Imperial Garden in the morning and then in the afternoon she introduced me to Sumo! Sumo was totally new to me and I had wanted to learn more. She arranged tickets to see an afternoon of matches leading to a national championship. She knows all about Sumo and the matches were a perfect introduction to this lesser known aspect of Japanese culture. I should have had more days with her.
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Tomoko H.
Thank you for taking the time to write a review while travelling, David. I love sumo as you noticed, and I go to even Osaka and Nagoya when I get tickets; although this time I ended up involving you for nearly the half of the day’s tour, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Thank you very much for sending me so many photographs of ukiyo-e depicting sumo. I was also delighted that you visited the Tokyo National Museum the following day and were able to rediscover and gain a deeper understanding of the traditions and joys of sumo. Tomorrow is the tournament's final day. Well, I wonder which of the two wrestlers with three losses will win the title. I'm planning to cheer them on on the telly. If the timing’s right, why don’t you have a look at NHK’s sumo broadcasts too? Thank you again!- Tomoko
Adam L.
“Tomoko - 10/10 Experience in Tokyo”
I hired Tomoko to lead my parents on a guided day tour of Tokyo. From the start, Tomoko was very easy to communicate with and made sure that the day trip itinerary was perfectly suited to my parents physical abilities and general interests. After spending two weeks in Japan, my parents still say that their day with Tomoko was their favourite part of the trip. I would definitely hire Tomoko again!
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Tomoko H.
Adam, thank you for the wonderful review. This is the 200th review I’ve received on this site—a real milestone! I’m so glad your parents enjoyed their two-week cruise and returned home safely. Since you love Japan and have visited several times yourself, I could tell from your very first inquiry how much you wanted your parents to enjoy Japan too. At first, I suggested a standard itinerary, but since you took the time to carefully explain each of your parents’ hobbies, interests, and their plans afterward—and considering it’s the hot season—I thought about how to plan the first day so they could really enjoy themselves. Anat’s idea to end the day by seeing the beautiful goldfish exhibition in Ginza was brilliant, and all three of us really enjoyed it. It would be nice if we could have coffee or tea together the next time you visit Japan. Please give my regards to your parents. - Tomoko
Marianna K.
“Great day in Hokone”
We really enjoyed our day in Hakone with Tomoko. She was very knowledgeable and made the tour interesting both for adults and the teens. We had a great time spending the day with her.
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Tomoko H.
Marianna, thank you for your kind review. You had done such thorough research and preparation for your family that I was delighted to be of some help. It was lovely to meet you in Hakone-Yumoto and enjoy a fun day out sightseeing in Hakone with your family of seven all the way to Gora. As it was the day of the fireworks display, it was quite interesting to see food stalls set up along the shores of Lake Ashi—which your children enjoyed a lot. Next time you visit, I’d love to take you to an art museum you’re interested in. Please give my regards to your family :)- Tomoko
$420/ per group
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