Kamakura · Day Tour
Japan's capital for a century and a half, and it was run by soldiers.
From
¥30,000 per person
approx. US$190
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Instant confirmation
A private Kamakura tour with a local guide. The Great Buddha at Kotoku-in, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, the bamboo grove at Hokoku-ji and the food stalls of Komachi Street are the usual candidates, along with the quieter temples in the valleys behind them. The route is decided with you.
For about a century and a half from 1185, Kamakura and not Kyoto was where Japan was governed, and it was governed by a military class rather than a court. That is why the temples here feel different — Zen arrived under this government, and the austerity was the point. Your guide sets out how the city worked before you start looking at it.
The bronze at Kotoku-in has sat outdoors since the fifteenth century, when the hall that covered it was destroyed. It was never rebuilt, and the statue is better for it. It is close to eight hundred years old and you can go inside it.
Hokoku-ji has a grove of around two thousand bamboo stems and a tea house at the back of it. Most people who have seen photographs of a bamboo forest are thinking of Arashiyama in Kyoto, which is packed. This one is not, and there is somewhere to sit.
Kamakura is a bowl of hills with temples hidden in the folds — a shrine reached through a cave where people wash money, walking trails between valleys, coastal views. This is where a private guide earns their keep, because none of it is on the standard route.
Meet your guide at the station.
The shrine at the centre of the old capital.
The Great Buddha.
The bamboo grove and the tea house.
Street food and small shops, or the hidden valleys instead.
Kamakura Station, Kanagawa. Your guide will contact you on WhatsApp beforehand to agree the plan.
The price covers your private English-speaking guide. Entry fees, transport and meals are paid as you go, and by convention you also cover your guide's. Bring cash.
Yes. Kamakura is around an hour from central Tokyo and most guests come out for the day.
Yes. The coast is a short ride on the Enoden line and works well in the afternoon. Say so when you book.
Different rather than better. Kamakura's temples are Zen, austere and far less crowded, and you can walk between several of them in a morning.
Several kilometres, with hills. Tell your guide if you would prefer a flatter route.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time. Bookings are confirmed instantly.
