Perfect day trip with very friendly tour guide Mitsuko! We saw all the main sights and would recommend also for solo travellers
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- Entrance fees to temples (Hase-dera & Kōtoku-in)
- All Fees and Taxes
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- English/Chinese-speaking guide (commentary in both languages may be provided on the same bus)
Excludes
- Lunch
Departure & Return
Departure Point
- Shinjuku Post Office Meet at 8:20AM (Departure at 8:30AM) 5-mins walk form Shinjuku Station West Exit 8 Google map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/1E8h4Gv2ESYNheUc6 Please wait along the wall and avoid entering the building.
Return
- Shinjuku is the only available drop-off point. The tour concludes here, and please note that the bus will not return to Ikebukuro.
Itinerary
Begin your journey at Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine, Kamakura's premier shrine and spiritual heart. As you pass through the grand torii gate, you'll find a serene landscape featuring tranquil ponds with koi, elegant bridges, and beautifully landscaped gardens. Take time to explore the main hall, Honden, and the various smaller shrines, each reflecting Japan’s rich cultural heritage. Afterward, enjoy a leisurely stroll down Komachi Street, a bustling shopping district full of local charm. This vibrant area is perfect for lunch, offering fresh seafood, traditional snacks, and unique souvenirs. Immerse yourself in the lively atmosphere and savor the flavors of Kamakura.
The shrine is located on a small hill to the west of the main Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine. The oldest shrine pavilion on the grounds dates from the Muromachi period, and is surrounded by red flags dedicated by many people wishing for prosperous business.
Shirahata Shrine is located next to Yanagihara Pond, just east of Wakamiya Shrine. Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147–1199), the founder of both the Kamakura shogunate (warrior-led government) and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, and his son Sanetomo (1192–1219), the third Kamakura shogun are enshrined at the shrine.
Kamakura's "Komachi Street" is a must-visit! This bustling shopping street leading to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is packed with unique snacks, Kamakura-exclusive souvenirs, and exquisite handmade crafts. Enjoy eating and shopping while soaking up Kamakura's distinctive energy and charm—endless treasure-hunting fun awaits!
Visit Hase-dera Temple, renowned for its famous eleven-headed statue of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy. This impressive wooden statue is one of the largest of its kind in Japan, nestled within beautifully landscaped gardens. From the temple grounds, you can also enjoy panoramic views of Kamakura.
Kōtoku-in Temple in Kamakura — Home to Japan's National Treasure, the Great Buddha of Kamakura! This majestic bronze Amida Buddha has sat serenely under the open sky for centuries, exuding awe-inspiring grandeur. Experience its immense scale up close—you can even enter the statue (tainai haikan) and explore the hidden interior of this iconic Buddha!
The final stop on the tour is Enoshima, a charming island situated west of Kamakura. On clear days, you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views of Mt. Fuji in the distance. Discover the island’s picturesque shrines, such as the Enoshima Shrine, which is nestled within lush greenery and offers a serene atmosphere. Enjoy the sweeping ocean views from various vantage points around the island, and take time to explore the quaint streets and coastal paths. Relax in the tranquil surroundings, making Enoshima the perfect, scenic conclusion to your journey.
A narrow shopping street located after the bronze Torii (Japanese shrine gate) Many souvenir shops and restaurants in the area welcome tourists daily.
Perched on the enchanting Enoshima Island, this historic shrine complex is dedicated to Benzaiten, the goddess of music, wealth, and wisdom. Wander through its three shrines (Hetsu-no-miya, Nakatsu-no-miya, Okutsu-no-miya) connected by picturesque paths, offering stunning ocean views and lush greenery.
The observatory lighthouse in Enoshima's Samuel Cocking Garden was reopened after renovations on April 29, 2003. With a height of 59.8m (119.6m above sea level), its innovative construction has become familiar as a new symbol of Enoshima. Mt. Fuji and the Tanzawa mountains are visible from the observation deck, with the 360 degree panorama making for a truly spectacular view.
Zeniarai Benten Shrine is a popular shrine in western Kamakura, which people visit to wash their money (zeniarai means "coin washing"). It is said that money washed in the shrine's spring, will double.
The museum was established in response to the lessons learned from the 1923 Taisho Kanto Earthquake, which destroyed many temples and shrines in Kamakura and the surrounding area, and resulted in the loss of valuable cultural properties.
The Kamakura Museum of Literature was built in 1936 (Showa 11) as the former Kamakura villa of Maeda Marquis family. You can view the rooms reminiscent of the past, with marble fireplaces and stained glass, as well as the important resources inside from related authors such as Yasunari Kawabata. In the garden filled with greenery, some 250 shrubs of roses bloom in Spring and Autumn. This building is the model for the villa in Yukio Mishima’s novel, “Spring Snow”.
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Reviews
We were never picked up , we send them the proof too , they never called us or text her to see where were we. There were other companies standing there with there group name and flags but this company never came
It was informative and interesting. Our guide was very personable and helpful. The trip has varied places to visit.
We had a wonderful guide. She was so informative and happy and enjoyable. The tour was well planned. Enjoyed it very much. Imichko was fabulous. Very knowledgeable at the end of the trip she gave us a printout of Japanese words to help us in our journey in Japan. The best Tours person I have ever had.
Easy going tour. There are only 4 stops for this tour: 1) Hachimangu shrine / Komachi street 2) Kannon (Goddess of mercy) temple 3) Giant bronze Buddha 4) Enoshima island I personally would have liked it to have more activities. Maybe add a tram ride, take a picture at Kamakurakoko Mae station (made famous by the anime: Slam dunk) Even a walk by the sea side would be nice.
The schedule time at each stop is right. The tour guide is knowledgeable and very friendly. She is very responsive to all questions asked and is flexible
Had a great trip with Yuki as our excellent guide, bus comfortable and well organised. We had brilliantvweather and managed to see everything on time. Its a long day but worth it unless you have a lot more time to travel over more days. A great guide is always a bonus. Thanks Yuki
It was a packed day with a great tour guide. Having a bus and ticketing taken care of took a lot of hassle away.
Driver and tour guides are very nice, very informative and knowledgeable, explained everything about the journey. Our tour guide Ms Yuki is a very special lady, she is very friendly and funny so that her customers didn’t feel bored throughout the trip. I will definitely recommend this kind of trip to my friends and family.
Kamakura is beautiful— the Shire shrine, the giant Buddha, and the town. We really enjoyed it. We appreciated that the tour guide. Let us do things at our own pace.
It was a typical bus ride, but it lasted a lot longer than we anticipated. Traffic was horrendous on Saturday so it was a very long trip seats were uncomfortable, but we made it through the woman tour guide was cute.
Eric our tour guide was very knowledgeable, professional & accommodating. Would recommend his services. There were guests from different countries & he translated it to English, Chinese & Korean.
The tour was a long day of visiting a Shinto shrine and two Buddhist temples. There was also plenty of time included for shopping and going to a restaurant for lunch. Traffic was very bad returning to Tokyo at the end of the tour. Guide Yuki did a good job explaining the culture.
If you are not a seafood lover pick up dinner or a late lunch while in Kamakura. The only restaurants in Enoshima serve mostly fish dishes. Other than that it was a fun excursion filled with Temples and Shrines and seeing one of the largest Buddha's in Japan. Our tour guide Mitzi was wonderful and told some entertaining stories while on the bus going from location to location.
A comfortable bus tour with a knowledgeable guide..Yuki..lots of information and plenty to see and eat..wish we had more time to spend!
I’m sure it is usually a great tour. But apparently I went on a holiday. My trip went from 8:30am till 111:30 pm because of traffic. We skipped some places on list because it was running late.. Never saw Mount Fuji and it was dark outside towards the end so we had no view at Lake or Lawson.
Great day. Plan on a long day. Day trip was fantastic. Lots to do and see. Guide was great. Thank ypu Eric
Our tour guide was fantastic , we had a great time! . She was enthusiastic leading the group. Answered all my questions and provided additional information. Our driver drove very smoothly, I felt really safe.
It is a great all day tour. We really enjoyed it and found it great value for the price. Highly recommend it if you want to explore a town outside of Tokyo but you don’t want too spend too much time traveling. Our guide Alex was real good and friendly and made it a great experience. Arigató.
We had a great time. It was nice to see a smaller city than Tokyo. It felt more like traditional Japan instead of the busy Tokyo vibe. Our tour guide Yuki did a great job of explaining everything and helping us really enjoy our time.
The tour guide, Mits, was awesome. She made a really good tour excellent. Our driver delivered us safely, arigato Mr. Driver. I am grateful for the experience they provided.
I had a wonderful time on this tour, I met some nice people & the tour guide was very informative. Would do tour again!
Great locations. Miserable bus ride. Mediocre tour info. The destinations were great. The time spent was just right. The bus ride was pretty miserable and long. Train would have been much faster to get to Kamakura, but having a bus from site to site was nice. The tour guide was nice enough and kept on time. Was a bit tough to understand, and anxious. Would have liked deeper historical info. Seemed a bit like an elementary teacher.
There was nothing to complain about on this trip. Our guide was very nice and very accommodating. However, to describe this as a “tour” is a bit misleading. Our guide did not guide us through the sites: we were taken to the various sites and left to wander around without any guidance except a very brief description at the outset (which was hard to follow as our guide’s English was not great and he spoke very fast). We would have hoped for some education about the history and perhaps a bit of leading around the various sites before being left to wander. We might have been equally well served by taking taxis to the sites and using a guidebook.
Our guide was wonderful! So knowledgeable and she taught us a lot about temple/shrine etiquette. She was kind and was truly a joy to be with!
This day trip was very well organized. The meeting place was easy to find and the bus was comfortable. The guide, Eric, was very friendly and caring! The 3 places that we visited were amazing! I have some mobility issues, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the trip!! So even if you don’t have the stamina to go all the way up the staircases, I highly recommend this trip!!
The Kamakura bus tour is a great day trip from Tokyo. Although the schedule can feel a bit rushed, there was adequate time to visit the sites at each stop. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the history of each location and she did an excellent job representing the cultural significance of each site. She was very passionate about Japanese history and deeply respectful of each shrine and temple. It was a scorching humid day in July so the air conditioned bus was also welcomed.
Wonderful day trip from Tokyo! Loved seeing a different side of Japan and of course loved being by the ocean! This tour gave us so much free time to explore while also being provided with extensive information of each location!
Amazing price for this trip. Especially since we didn't have to make any of the arrangements. Just sit back and enjoy. Kamakura is such a spectacular area. We only wish we had more time.
Overall, this tour was good, but there were a few areas where it could have been even better. Kamakura is absolutely stunning, and Enoshima was a lovely place to visit. We really enjoyed having the opportunity to explore both locations, and they were definitely the highlights of the day. Our tour guide, Eric, was friendly and clearly very knowledgeable. We got the impression that he had lots of interesting facts and local insight to share. Unfortunately, we found him quite difficult to understand at times because he spoke very quickly. Slowing down a little would make it much easier for English-speaking visitors to follow along and appreciate everything he’s explaining. Overall, we’re glad we took the tour and enjoyed visiting these beautiful places. With a slightly slower pace during the commentary, it would have been an even better experience.
Excellent day tour. Beautiful sights! We enjoyed every stop. Highly recommend for people of all ages.
This is a full day of activity and sightseeing. The weather was perfect and so was our guide Yuki. Temples, shrines, Giant Buddha and Enoshima Island. Temple built in 736 unbelievable.
Mitz was the most amazing tour guide ever! She explained so much historical but also added in folklore knowledge as well. For the price especially this is such a great tour because you see so many places! Definitely recommend
The tour introduced interesting information about Japanese history and culture in addition to the tour sites. The guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. The sites were interesting and the experience is a good value for the price.
Our guide was friendly, professional and well informed. Would have liked mire commentary along the long drive to Kamakura. Perhaps drop Enoshima. Interesting but adds time to a ling day, especially the long drive back in heavy traffic. Need better info about bus parking location at each stop. Too easy to get lost coming back, although staff was as helpful as possible when this happened.
The guide shared some really interesting facts about the places we were visiting and was very friendly. We enjoyed our trip and the opportunity to choose where to go instead of being on a strict schedule.
Excellent English speaking skills! She kept us informed on what was on the itinerary and key points when visiting the destination! Very interesting and interactive!
Good to see different sights and to get out of Tokyo for a day. Wish there had been more description and/or history of what we were seeing. We had a little rainy weather due to a typhoon blowing in, so some places were closed on Enoshima. The drive back from
Well organised, Yuki was brilliant. I would do it again if I had the time. The selections of stops were well picked.
This was an amazing tour, our guide was very knowledgeable and was giving us all of the information we needed to understand the Japanese culture and landmarks.
Pan was very friendly and informative. Learnt a lot about Kamakura and Enoshima throughout the trip. It was organised well and had enough time at each location to freely explore without rushing. Highly recommend this tour if you're here for the first time 😁
This tour was great and even had to experience it in the pouring rain. Our guide was amazing and the tour was accurate to the description. The only thing I would adjust is less time at enoshima island at the end. I think 2 hours was too long. But loved the experience!
Very good experience. The driver was also very good, kind, and helpful and gave useful advice
Nice visit to various shrines, temples and monuments. Amazing giant Buddha. Souvenir shopping on Komachi Street.
It was amazing. Beautiful sights and the tour guide was absolutely lovely to talk to, and really engaged with us about the history’s of the locations. Would 100% book again
Great day out of Tokyo, four different sights. Loved Kamakura, beautiful temple then main Street with Tori gates all the way to the ocean. The Daibutsu Buddha is impressive & then we went to Enoshima island for a couple of hours to enjoy at our own pace. Great main Street, specialty & food places. Our guides were lovely & enthusiastic. Highly recommend this trip.
Good trip. Eric gave a good background story of each location
The guide for my tour was excellent and really gave a lot of detailed history to each place we visited.
Seeing the great Buddha was an awesome experience and every stop was worth it I do recommend it of course it will be a long day we left shinjuku at 8:30 am and we came back around 6:14 pm
Good Tour; added value for money, great guide and awesome bus driver. Takes you to the key spots. Comfy bus. Masa the guide was kind, knowledgeable and was caring.
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