Kamakura, the birthplace of Zen Buddhism, is a beautiful residential area dotted with zen temples. The Great Buddha is another highlight. The Pacific Ocean’s gentle breeze adds to the tranquil atmosphere.
We’ll find the most suitable mix of destinations to match your interests and physical exertion level. (See the ITINERARY)
A walking tour is good value for money (H1)! We’ll get to experience 5 temples and shrines!
For a more leisurely pace, a bus and a taxi are best.
See you in Kamakura!
Check out what we are going to do.
Feel free to personalize this offer.
Your Central Tokyo or Yokohama hotel OR JR Kita Kamakura Station.
Savor a cup of matcha green tea while enjoying the serene sight of the bamboo forest.
Entrance: 200 JPY / person, 500 JPY matcha
Largest Shinto shrine in the Kamakura area.
Lunch and shopping
Most popular sightseeing spot in this area.
Entrance = 300 JPY / person
Japanese garden; statue of Buddha with 11 heads; a unique cave shrine.
Entrance = 400 JPY / person
Vegetarian cafe in the temple grounds.
The spring water in this cave is said to energize money and multiply it.
Red torii gates line the path to this small shrine on the side of the mountain.
About 1,000 miniature ceramic foxes are on the shrine grounds. Can you find them all?
Both the temple bell and Shari-den Hall are national treasures. Excellent view of Mt. Fuji from the hilltop on nice winter days.
Entrance = 300 JPY / person
Small rustic temple with statues of Amida, Shaka, and Miroku Buddhas. Shaka is the main Buddha flanked by two minor Buddhas.
Entrance = 200 JPY / person
An observation deck in the hills behind the temple grounds has breathtaking views of Kamakura City and Mt. Fuji on clear days. It’s about a 15-min walk from the main hall.
Entrance = 500 JPY / person
Well-known for seasonal flowers and fall foliage on the temple grounds.
Entrance = 500 JPY / person
Advanced booking recommended. Lunch starts at 2,500 JPY per person.
Starts at Kita Kamakura (North Kamakura). Walking path to N2, W3, W4, W1, & W2. (5km walk with some uphill walking)
*N1 and N4 are additional options.
40-min train ride from Kamakura
Train fare = 390 JPY / person
Part of Enoshima & Kamakura tour on my tour page.
NOT INCLUDED in this tour.
10:00 - Meet at your hotel in Tokyo
11:00 - (N1) Engaku-ji Temple
13:30 - (W1) Great Buddha
14:30 - (W2) Hasedera Temple
16:00 - Tour ends at JR Kamakura Station
JR Kamakura Station or at a pre-agreed place (in Tokyo and Yokohama)
KONNICHIWA!
For a 6-hour tour, please select two to thee destinations from the Highlights section.
WHY TAKE THIS TOUR?
We can modify it to suit your preferred level of physical exertion.
For example, if you feel like walking, we'll go on a walking tour. We can visit 5 temples by hiking.
Want to visit as many temples as possible? We can take a taxi in order to see more places.
ANYTHING ELSE?
We can also take a tour of Tokyo, Yokohama, Enoshima and Hakone. Hakone has the best view of Mt. Fuji in the winter.
Do you want to experience authentic Japanese culture? A home visit and sushi-making package is perfect for you!
My goal is to make your stay in Japan quite enjoyable.
See you in Tokyo!
ARIGATO!
SAMPLE TOUR 1 (6hrs)
10:00 Meet at your hotel in Tokyo
11:30 W2: Hase dera temple and lunch
13:30 W1: Great Buddha
14:30 JR Kamakura station
16:00 Ends at your hotel in Tokyo
SAMPLE TOUR 2 (8hrs)
10:00 Meet at your hotel in Tokyo
11:30 N1: Engakuji (Zen temple)
13:00 C3: Komachi Street (lunch)
14:30 W3: Money-washing shrine
16:00 W1: Great Buddha
17:00 Kamakura Station
18:00 Ends at Yokohama Chinatown
Guide fee
The following are PAID IN CASH on the day/s of the tour.
= Transportation (you & guide) = approx. 2,000++JPY/person (Tokyo round trip)
= Guide transportation to meet-up place (given to guide on tour date):
. . . = 1,000JPY for Central Tokyo
. . . = 1,500JPY for Kamakura Station
. . . = 1,600JPY for Haneda Airport
= Lunch / food / drinks (you & guide)
= Entrance fee (you & guide) = Guide has a pass for most temples.
= Peak season premium per group = 1,000JPY extra
. . . Spring : Mar 20 to Apr 30
. . . Autumn : Sep 25 to Nov 10
Thank you T-Chan (Toshi-San) for an amazing day in Tokyo. I was a solo traveler with one day in Tokyo. T-Chan made it a truly unforgettable day. My day with Toshi started when she picked me up promptly at my Shinjuku hotel. She then took me to experience TeamLab Planets - a spectacular body immersive digital arts experience - in Odaiba. Along the way, we rode the fully automated train and she showed me different sights along the train line. Second stop was the Onsen in Odaiba. This was a most unique experience I wouldn’t have been able to manage without T-Chan with me. We enjoyed the onsen, the shops and the bath. It felt like a relaxing afternoon with a good friend. Next, T-Chan showed me the shops in Odaiba, where we walked around and she helped me find the items I was looking for. T-Chan knew where to shop and was willing to adjust the schedule to accommodate my interests. I was truly happy with my shopping purchases. Then we proceeded to Shinjuku where she showed me the interesting sights and places unique to the area. She gave me more information for the rest of my stay, before we parted ways. My day with T-chan was unhurried but filled with memorable sights and experiences. I only had a day with her in Tokyo but the memories will last me a lifetime. Thank you very much T-Chan for everything. I highly recommend Toshi-San. She is efficient, articulate and accommodating. She will work with you to make the best of your time in Japan.
Thank you Karyna-chan! So delighted to hear you had a relaxing layover. I felt like you were one of my old friends, too. We, Japanese, have the Onsen culture. Even in the heart of Tokyo, we could soak in the natural hot spring. Amazing, isn’t it? As we are both dog-person, exploring pet stores was so fun! I hope your dogs will love the kimono costumes which you bought for them. How did you like sake? We sampled 5 varieties. I liked the sparkling sake the best. There are more trendy spots in Tokyo. Let’s go to Shibuya next time! Hope to see you again.
We had a wonderful tour with Toshi today. It was very interesting, informative and entertaining! Toshi modified our tour to add in all of our requested inclusions and the tour flowed easily. I really appreciated her encouragement to join in the Kawaii Monster Show and this was an absolute highlight! Toshi also gave us lots of information on what to do for our remaining time in Tokyo and she pointed out lots of things during our time, that you would miss not being a local. I highly recommend Toshi as a guide and this was a great experience for our family. Thank you Toshi x
Arigato, Annette! Harajuku was fun, wasn't it? So glad we managed to hit all the spots you wanted. We felt as if we were surrounded by an explosion of color and ultimate cuteness at Kawaii Monster Café. So glad to hear you enjoyed dancing on the giant pink cake! You now have quite a collection of memories: dog café, the rainbow-colored food, the cosplay store, the dazzling display of products in the stores, the surreal mirror escalator, etc. (I can stare at this all day long!) Ukiyoe museum was very impressive, wasn’t it? They change the exhibit every two months. You need to come back and check other collections. Enjoy the rest of your Tokyo stay! Hope to see you again soon!
We spent a fabulous day with T-Chan! She was organised, knowledgeable, polite, expert and caring. She took us to the places we were interested in but enhanced our itinerary further with other suggestions and places. We fit a lot in the day but didn’t feel overly rushed. Our relatively young children also enjoyed the day very much which can be challenging. T-Chan even provided us with summary notes at the end of the day of everything we had seen. Really great! Thank you so much T-Chan!
Thank you, K-chan! So delighted to know that all of you enjoyed our tour. I did, too. We were so lucky that we were able to take group photos with two sumo wrestlers in Ryogoku! The atmosphere in Asakusa was still quite festive with its New Year decor. The highlight of the tour was Harajuku. The girls really liked the store and said “I want to buy everything here!” It was hard to leave as there were so many cute stuff, wasn’t it? Next time, let’s take a Purikura photo together! Hope to see you again.
Thank you so much Toshi for accomodating our large group during very busy times. You went out of your way to help us organise the bookings with our JR passes & then it was down to the fun stuff. We thoroughly enjoyed your tour & appreciated the maps you gave us at the end to help us. Your suggestions you emailed to us after our tour as to other activities the kids might enjoy and what train line to use when we returned to a different area of Tokyo were also greatly appreciated. You went above & beyond so thank you ?
Thank you, Wendy! I'm so pleased to hear my travel tips helped you. It was fun to see all of you enjoy our tour! The weather was very cooperative that day. The Meiji Jingu Shrine grounds was so serene that we totally forgot we were in the center of a big city. Don’t you think so? Harajuku has been my favorite place since I was a teenager. One day is not enough to check out all trendy stores. Did you go to Kabukicho at night? It’s quite different compared to what we saw in the morning. Please come back so we can explore more of Tokyo together. A different season is also good. Hope to see you again!