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!
At your hotel or at any convenient spot for you in central Tokyo area
- meet and start the excursion
- take enoden street car or taxi
- a large bronze statue of Amida Buddha in Kotokuin 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
- fun street car ride along the seashore * we could walk to Gokurakuji temple before that
- based on your request
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
- 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
- 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
- the end of the tour
At Tokyo station or any place of your convenience
■ 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.
■ 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.
★ Travel insurance is not included in our tours. I would recommend you take out your own travel insurance just in case of any unexpected accident, loss, or damaging others' property. You can find the counter of a few insurance companies at the airport when you arrive.
★ Free pick-up service to your hotel is only in Tokyo metropolitan area, in 23 wards. For other places, the extra charge will be added depending on the distance and the time necessary.
★ For the evening tour, some extra charge(25%) might be added depending on the time.
☆I could start our tour from early in the morning like 7 or 7:30 if you prefer. For details, please contact me before booking.
※The pictures of my previous guests on my web-page are posted only after securing their consent.
“Professional, Knowledgeable, & Accommodating ”
Tomoko is professional, knowledgeable, and accommodating. She was a pleasure to spend the day with. We had so much fun, she connected with my family right from the start. There was a hiccup with one of our reservations, she straightened things out, and we made it into our Team Labs digital art experience. Tomoko also gave us a little history of all the places we visited and took our pictures as well. We had no problems communicating with her; via text, email, and in person. She always responded and we are fortunate to have found her. Thank you Tomoko!
Tomoko H.
(160 reviews)Thank you for your heartwarming and positive review. When you found out while shopping for knives in Kappabashi that tickets for TeamLab had not been purchased properly, we both thought, "Oh my God!" I must confess that I wasn't sure if I could sort it out, but I was so glad that the fact that you had been looking forward to trying to get tickets for over a month was well explained and documented so that we could enjoy the experience together. I think our vibes were passed on to them, don't you think so? Thank you for the beautiful day. I really enjoyed the time with all your family, Lyn and Larry:)
“Tour in Tokyo with Tomoko”
Tomoko was an excellent tour guide! She was efficient in planning our itinerary and was accommodating when we requested to make changes. We were very fortunate to have her show us around Tokyo. She is so pleasant, personable, knowledgeable and helpful. We learned a lot about the city as well as it's past history. My wife and I could not have asked for a better guide. We really enjoyed ourselves and highly recommend her. Thanks so much Tomoko, you have provided us with great memories! Joyce and Steve
Tomoko H.
(160 reviews)I too feel very fortunate to be able to share this truly enjoyable day today with you, Joyce and Steve. After cold, rainy and windy weather yesterday, it was a truly spring-like day today, and the long-awaited cherry blossoms have started to bloom little by little. I am sure there will be more blooms during the few days you are in Tokyo. Please enjoy them and take good pictures to share with your family and friends. I hope to see you again next time you plan to visit Hiroshima, the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, or Kyushu.
“Tomoko felt like a friend by the end of the day”
We came on a family holiday to Japan and only had a few days to spend there. The culture is so different to what we are used to and we were somewhat trepidatious about hiring a guide. We need not have worried for a second. Tomoko has her own family and really paid attention in making sure everyone had a good time. For the kids she helped us find the best toy shops and cat cafe's and for the adults she brought us to a really cool sushi place. Tomoko has travelled a lot herself and our shared passion for seeing new things meant we finished the day swapping stories of places had we had gone to over a beer together. Even though we only had a day together, I felt as though we had made a new friend by the end of it. Such a wonderful person. I really can't recommend her enough. Whatever your preferences, I believe Tomoko will help you get the most from your trip.
Tomoko H.
(160 reviews)Hi James, I know you had a busy time during your trip and for a few weeks after you returned home. So, thank you for taking the time to write such a heartwarming review. It has been almost a month since then, but I clearly remember that fun Sunday with you all. Starting from a cafe with cute cats and cat lovers to a special toy store in Akihabara, I feel like Max and Zoe took me to a whole new world. Please tell them I thank them. It was quite helpful at the first planning stage that you and Priscilla told me what would make the kids happy. They knew that their parents thought of their joy and satisfaction first, so they too enjoyed watching the adults have fun at the sushi restaurant. I really enjoyed our talks in that evening. Thank you again:)