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!
JR Kita Kamakura Station.
Tokyo hotel meet-up is optional. If you want to meet-up and drop-off in Tokyo, the time you will spend in Kamakura will be about 3.5 hours. You need to extend the tour or cut one or two spots from the tour.
Both the temple bell and Shari-den Hall are national treasures. Excellent view of Mt. Fuji from the hilltop on nice winter days.
Entrance = 500 JPY / person
Largest Shinto shrine in the Kamakura area.
Kamakura-bori store (local art), lunch and shopping
Most popular sightseeing spot in this area.
Entrance = 300 JPY / person
Only time allows. In case our pace is slow, we are not able to visit.
A lot of stairs. Japanese garden; statue of Buddha with 11 heads; a unique cave shrine.
Entrance = 400 JPY / person
Vegetarian cafe in the temple grounds.
Visiting smaller shrines and temples which are not accessible by bus/train. 80% of the route is paved and flat. In case of rain, we will modify the route.
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
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?
Most popular sightseeing spot in this area.
Entrance = 300 JPY / person
Only time allows. In case our pace is slow, we are not able to visit.
A lot of stairs. Japanese garden; statue of Buddha with 11 heads; a unique cave shrine.
Entrance = 400 JPY / person
Vegetarian cafe in the temple grounds.
The tour will end at JR Fujisawa Station. We can get a fantastic view of the Pacific Ocean and Enoshima Island.
Train fare = 500JPY/person
Matcha green tea is served at a beautiful traditional room where we can appreciate a beautiful garden.
Entrance and Tea = 1,300JPY/ person
Savor a cup of matcha green tea while enjoying the serene sight of the bamboo forest.
Entrance: 300 JPY / person, 600 JPY matcha
Well-known for seasonal flowers and fall foliage on the temple grounds.
Entrance = 500 JPY / person
Part of Enoshima & Kamakura tour on my tour page.
NOT INCLUDED in this tour.
JR Kamakura Station or at a pre-agreed place (in Tokyo, Yokohama and Fujisawa)
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)
= Lunch / food / drinks (you & guide)
= Entrance fee (you & guide) = Guide has a pass for most temples.
=tour extension = 5,000JPY/hour
Multiple-day bookings are encouraged. I might have greater flexibility in opening closed slots in this case. Let's talk about it. Send me a message! :‑)
MORE INFO:
= We use public transportation (train, subway, bus and/or taxi) in my tours as it's the best way to see the city.
= Please book at least SIX HOURS PRIOR to a custom tour.5,000JPY/ hour
= The meet-up time marks the official start of the tour.
= Hotel pick-ups = only in Central Tokyo, Yokohama, and a few hotels in Kawasaki.
= Four-hour tours available = Tokyo, Harajuku & Shibuya, Odaiba, Shinjuku, Ueno, Yokohama, and antique flea market. Please check out the corresponding tour pages.
= HAKONE TOURS = Only available as an ADD-ON to a Tokyo tour (at least 4-hr Tokyo tour on a different day). 5,000JPY/hour
(1) Since some are located a little far from the train station, we would have to walk or take a bus/taxi. (2)JR Train fare (round trip from Tokyo) = approx. 2,000JPY. (3)The area is crowded on weekends, holidays, and the peak season (for cherry blossoms & fall foliage). (4) Only walking tours and H1 hiking tour are conducted during GW period (April.28 to May 5) to avoid the heavy holiday crowd.
Our experience with Toshi was amazing. We gave her a wish list of what places we would like to see while in Tokyo. Toshi made it happen! We have two boys, 13 and 11, and she catered to our kids and kept them entertained. Our 11 year old even asked Toshi for a hug at the end of the tour. Toshi was able to adjust our tour on the fly, catering to the things we saw and wanted to do. We got a front row seat on how to navigate the Tokyo’s complicated metro/subway/ train system which proved to be invaluable the rest of our trip. Our Tokyo trip was fantastic and memorable because of Toshi! We highly recommend her as your future tour guide.
Thank you, Karim! It was a pleasure to meet you and your family. I was impressed by how well your children behaved. They looked to be having fun while ordering sushi through a tablet. The sushi was so tasty, wasn’t it? And, your wife looked so gorgeous dressed in a Kimono with cherry blossoms in the background in Asakusa. There is more to see in Tokyo. Hope to see you again.
Toshi did an amazing job of showing us around the sites of Tokyo. She helped us feel comfortable even though it was our first time to Tokyo and we were feeling very overwhelmed with how busy it was. I fell ill the first evening of our tour and Toshi helped get us all home efficiently and fast. Thankyou for showing us the sites of Tokyo and being such a wonderful guide!
Thank you for your kind words, Sharon and Bruce! I'm delighted to hear everyone enjoyed our tour of places like Yoyogi park. The unexpected appearance of adorable hedgehogs was definitely a surprise. How did everyone feel about the TeamLab and Asakusa? Actually, there are more to see in Tokyo. Please come back. Hope to see you again. Anyway, I am glad that you are having a great time in Kyoto. This means you have fully recovered. Take care of yourselves.
Toshi is a wonderful guide. She is very knowledgeable and friendly. Toshi's English is very good. We had a lot of fun during our 7-hour walking Tokyo tour.
Thank you, Gary! It was fun to see you enjoy "My Tokyo"! We had two local delicacies in Asakusa--melon pan (sweet bun covered with cookie crust) and ningyo yaki (bite sized cake filled with sweet bean paste). Yummy! It's a good thing we were able to burn the calories by walking at the Imperial Palace grounds. It was an interesting contrast between the traditional (samurai castle gate) and the contemporary (high-rise office buildings). How was Shibuya? I hope you were able to take a lot of nice photos! Please come back soon! There's so much more I have to show you! Hope to see you again!
Our big family had an amazing experience with our guide who graciously accommodated everyone, of all ages, keeping the pace with our high energy and excitement and offering us a variety of experiences, from sight seeing to culinary. We felt very safe the whole time as she shared historic details but also lots of practical information. I will always cherish our memories together and I highly recommend Toshi, as being very friendly, happy and most helpful at all times.
Thank you for your kind words, Madalina! It’s good to hear I could help you a lot, and made your tour enjoyable. It was a great three days for me too--I felt like being the 8th member of your big family. We could see early blooming cherry blossoms in Odaiba. So pretty! We were so lucky to be at the right time to see fishmongers cut a big tuna with a long knife at Tsukiji Fish Market. I hope you will have a blast in the Tokyo Marathon. Hope to see you again!