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Exciting Kamakura - One Day Tour from Tokyo

Recommended by 98% of travelers
Tokyo, Japan
Great choice
10+ bookings last month.
  • 8 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
  • Pickup offered
  • Group discounts
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9
·
· Herbert_H ·
Jan 2026
Great Trip with an experienced guide, liked the town, history and Temple and Shrine. Very nice small Temple. (Beautiful) Was a good day. Thanks
· Lilia_Y ·
Apr 2025
Excellent tour and explanation. Akira Kamada (the guide) give us a great explanation and we finished all the points in perfect time. He takes care about the group, also if someone like me has allergies about the food, he looks for a restaurant where you can eat.

Overview

Kamakura was the former capital of Japan between the 12th and the 14th century. Its abundance of temples and historical sights can make it a tricky task for a visitor with limited time to shortlist where to go. Save research time, and explore the city’s best bits in a day with a guide. Enjoy commentary along the way as you explore multiple temples, and a shrine, including Hase-dera Temple, Hokokuji Temple, and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine.
  • Forget the guidebook and learn about Kamakura from a guide
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off ensures a hassle-free day
  • A private tour gives you direct access to your guide for questions
  • Go to a shortlist of the city’s best temples, including Kotoku-in

What's Included

  • Professional guide
  • Private tour
  • Meeting in the hotel lobby
  • Your transportation cost about 2720 JPY per person
    ¥2,720.00 per person
  • Entrance fee - Kotoku-in (Great Buddha of Kamakura)
    ¥300.00 per person
  • Entrance fee - Hokokuji Temple (Takedera Temple)
    ¥400.00 per person
  • Entrance fee - Hase-dera Temple
    ¥400.00 per person

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

At your hotel lobby in Tokyo. Hotel meeting and parting ensures a hassle-free day

Operating hours
.9:00 am

Itinerary

1

Kotoku-in - Great Buddha of Kamakura

1 hour Admission Ticket Not Included

2

Hasedera Temple

1 hour Admission Ticket Not Included

3

Hokoku-ji Temple

1 hour Admission Ticket Not Included

4

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine

1 hour Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 2 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
  • Infant seats available
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.9
based on 43 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Highly recommended

Justin_G, Mar 2026
I had a wonderful day with Kono-san. He was very knowledgeable and even took pictures of me with a real camera that he sent to me after the tour. I would highly recommend this tour

Beautiful day in Kamakura

Amanda_Y, Mar 2026
We had a wonderful day in Kamakura with Kono. He took us to the most beautiful sites and navigated everything seamlessly! Highly recommend!

Scenic Kamakura

Michael_S, Mar 2026
The trip to Kamakura provides insight into the spiritual culture of Japan. Our guide Hideaki Murayama was enthusiastic in ensuring we understood various subtleties concerning the shrines that would have otherwise been lost to us. He also introduced us to Okonomiyaki, a style of lunch we would normally not have been aware of.

Good day Trip

Herbert_H, Jan 2026
Great Trip with an experienced guide, liked the town, history and Temple and Shrine. Very nice small Temple. (Beautiful) Was a good day. Thanks

Wonderful Day in Kamakura

Elizabeth_P, May 2025
Kono san was an excellent guide and Kamakura is a wonderful place to visit. The area is by the ocean and there is so much to see and explore. I wish we had more time to spend in Kamakura but the sights we got to see were stunning, especially the Giant Buddha! Kono san met us at our hotel in Tokyo and navigated us to and from Kamakura which was really helpful and saved us time trying to figure out train transfers and bus transportation once we arrived in Kamakura. We would highly recommend this tour! We would suggest that additional time in Kamakura be added to the tour to see more sights! We greatly appreciated Kono san’s efforts to ensure we had a wonderful day!

Kamakura day trip

CZARINA_A, May 2025
It was a very good experience. We learned a lot. Our guide Mura-san was very knowledgeable and accomodating. Well recommended tour! :)

Great Tokyo experience

May_D, Apr 2025
Our tour guide came right on time at the hotel. Yoshi is very kind and knowledgeable , guided us for the transportation and it was a good experience since it was our first time in Tokyo and train ride was a challenge.

Great Day Trip From Tokyo

Jonathan_G, Apr 2025
Yumiko was a fantastic guide—she helped us navigate the trains to Kamakura and then took us to all the best parts of the city. She explained the history behind the sites and took fantastic pictures of us as well. We couldn’t have had such a great day without her. Highly recommended!!

A true guide

Jake_G, Apr 2025
We visited 10 cities over two weeks in Japan, and this trip was easily one of the best. Our tour guide, Akira—a local and native Japanese—was incredibly professional, knowledgeable, patient yet softly regimented, and truly embodied what it means to be a guide.

Excellent tour and explanation

Lilia_Y, Apr 2025
Excellent tour and explanation. Akira Kamada (the guide) give us a great explanation and we finished all the points in perfect time. He takes care about the group, also if someone like me has allergies about the food, he looks for a restaurant where you can eat.

5 stars

Nay_A, Apr 2025
First time in Japan and also meant to be for our wedding anniversary, such an amazing experience in Karmarkura. We had our private tour, Mr Kono San, I recommend him because he was so patient with us, and took us around Kamakura places and explained the traditions of Japanese culture. Also helped us to booked for a JR pass at Tokyo station. He was so kind. Thank you Kono San ❤️🙇

Memorable day with Expert Akira

Donna_B, Apr 2025
Punctual hotel pickup by pleasant, organized courteous, professional guide Akira. This gentleman is an effective communicator and outstanding knowledge expert. I learned so much from Akira. His positive personality added to the day and he proved to be an amazingly helpful problem solver with his recommendations for my travel to Kyoto. Spending a day with a trustworthy highest level of knowledge expert was a comfortable experience and I am grateful Akira was my guide. He made a positive difference and I highly recommend Akira and this tour.

Wonderful destination if your guide is fluent in your language.

Karen_L, Apr 2025
Wonderful destination, but the language barrier with our guide dampened what could’ve been a wonderful experience.

Excellent experience with Akira!

David_M, Mar 2025
Was exactly what we wanted! Our guide, Akira met us promptly at our hotel lobby in Tokyo. Had a typed itinerary ready to go! Helped navigate the trains to Kamakura. Once we arrived toured and visited several sites. Akira was awesome as he gave detailed information about each sites history and significance. This made the visits much more enjoyable for us being English speaking. Akira helped pick a great lunch spot in around the main train station. After lunch additional touring and then return to Tokyo. Again, Akira made this day trip a highlight of our Japan visit!

Our guide really knew the...

Laura_H, Mar 2025
Our guide really knew the areas of Kamakura! Excellent tour and really informative. Akira Kamala took us to a great place for lunch.

Kamakura with Yoshi

Megan_N, Feb 2025
Yoshi guided us personally through a jam packed day tour without rushing us and ensured we hit all the highlights, including a delicious lunch, while remaining on schedule. We had a beautiful day in Kamakura and Yoshi's knowledge and guidance enhanced this experience.

Wonderful day

Alison_O, Feb 2025
This was an excellent tour with lots to see in the Kamakura area. Know that you will log a lot of steps, and ride multiple trains from Tokyo. We are grateful to our guide, Kono-San, who was very knowledgeable about the area and the history. His English was great and he is a good communicator. We could not have navigated the visit without him. Thank you!

It was a fantastic...

Dale_T, Jan 2025
It was a fantastic contrast between the bustle of Tokyo and the tranquility of Kamakura. We absolutely loved it! Our guide Yumi was superb. A lovely lady who looked after us so well. 😊👏❤️

Great visit, not so great guide

Alejandra_W, Jun 2024
If you like visiting temples and shrines, with the history attached to them, this is another must -see. Because it was June, we also had the opportunity to see the hydrangeas in full bloom in Hase-dera - such an amazing display! The enormous bronze Buddha at Kotoku-in is impressive and you can walk inside it (not good for claustrophobics). Same for the lotus and the carps at Tsurugaoka - just great peaceful, natural places. The only con was our guide - he seemed very set on his ways, with a prepared narrative, that didn’t take into account that we had learned some information in our prior week in Japan, nor allowed any questions that went beyond what he was prepared to talk about. On several occasions, he would simply walk ahead of us, without indicating where he was going or what he was doing, at times much too fast for us, not checking if we were still with him until he was far ahead. Perhaps the issue was a language barrier, or a cultural one, but it did sour our experience and it made us feel like he would rather be somewhere else. A shame, as we’ve had multiple tours with Viator and have never experienced something similar. We ended getting off the train at an earlier station on our return to Tokyo, just to decompress.

Too guide

Paul_N, Jun 2024
We had a great day and would not have been able to have seen so much on our own. Very friendly and knowledgeable guide.

Great side trip from Tokyo

Marie_Q, Jun 2024
A private tour of Kamakura with a professional guide as Akira provided an enriching and detailed experience of this historic city. Akira pickup us at the hotel in Tokyo and helped us navigate to Kamakura and the sights smmothely. He possed deep knowledge of Kamakura’s history, culture and landmark. Akira offered insights into the significance of sites like the Great Buddha’s.

Response from Host, Jun 2024

Dear Marie-san I got a message from Fulfilling to the effect that your rating to my guide was 5. I’m very happy to hear that. I will do my best for tour guides assigned to me. By the way, I hope that your daughter could recover from stomachache. I hope that you were travelling with your nice family continuously. Thanks and best regards, Akira

A Great Tour of Kamakura by Yumi

Timothy_K, May 2024
Our tour guide, Yumi, did a fantastic job showing us around Kamakura and the various shrines and temples in the area. She was knowledgeable about the history of Japan, how the emperors and shogun shaped the culture of Japan, and any questions we had. Plus she gave a great recommendation for noodles for lunch. Thank you!

Response from Host, Jun 2024

Dear Timothy and family I am very happy to receive your compliments. It was my pleasure to show you around. I am glad you liked the beautiful hydrangea and delicious noodles in Kamakura. Best regards, Yumiko Sano

Amazing! Yumiko was wonderful!

Valerie_B, May 2024
Yumiko was the most charming, helpful and knowledgeable guide. We really enjoyed our day with her and would highly recommend this tour to everyone. If you want a day trip from Tokyo - this is one to do and request Yumiko. I believe she also does tours in Tokyo city.

Worth going to

Nicola_M, Apr 2024
Great to have a guide to help us navigate buses to each site. Kono Sun was lovely but his English a bit limited and he walks very fast.

Beautiful Kamakura!

Teresa_M, Apr 2024
Today’s adventure had us travel 1 hour to Kamakura, which a coastal town in Kanagawa. We saw the Great Buddha Statue and climbed to the Hasedera Temple built in 1333. We then went to Hokokuji Temple and the bamboo forest. We ended the day at the most magical tea house. We had a wonderful day in Kamakura! It is a beautiful city with cute shops and streets filled with stunning cherry blossoms. Our guide Yoshi met us at the hotel and he was delightful. Very knowledgeable and so kind. He made sure we stopped to get my daughters goshuincho book signed at each stop. There is a very pretty music box store where you can make your own music box. Had I known I would have made time for this! Next time as we all agreed it was a stunning city. Thank you Yoshi for a wonderful day!

Amazing and highly recommended!!!

Marzia_C, Mar 2024
Our trip was perfect! Our guide Kono-san has been very professional, on time and speaking a good English. He took us to several points in Kamakura to explore the beauty of this town, not just the great Buddha, but many shrines and gardens as well, that we wouldn't have found if we had gone by ourselves. The guide picked us up from the hotel, helped us charging our Pasmo cards to take the train and showed us the way. It has been VERY helpful to have someone explaining what do do and where to go. Moreover, he also helped us finding a place where to eat gluten free, since one of our group members is coeliac. Thank you so much, Kono-san, we feel very lucky for having had you as a guide. This trip is ABSOLUTELY recommended!!!!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Marzia-san, Thank you for joining our tour! Also thank you for the great comments. Unfortunately it was raining but we are VERY happy to hear you enjoyed the tour. How about Shinjuku night? I noticed 3D Cat for the first time. Best Regards, Kono.

Visiting Kamakura With Yoshio

Jeffrey_W, Mar 2024
I visited Tokyo with my wife, sister and brother-in-law. Our guide Yoshio met us at our hotel, and after a short briefing, off we went! It was great to navigate Tokyo Central Station, travel on the train and use local buses in Kamakura, with no worries of losing our way. Visiting Kamakura with Yoshio was like strolling through an old friend’s home town. He was very knowledgeable, with a down to earth delivery of the facts, intermingled with lots of personal stories. We enjoyed the sights and history very much, but my wife and I agreed that meeting Kappa was the best part of the tour. We had an excellent day!

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Dear Jeffrey Thank you very much for your generous Words of praise. That means a lot to me. I feel very happy and embarassed and want to hide somewhere. Anyway It’s been a great honor for me to be able to attend your wonderful family as a guide in Kamakura. I’ll never forget your compliment for the rest of my life Please give my best regards to everyone. I hope you continue to have a good journey . Yoshio

Perfect day in Kamakura with blue skies

Mohsin_N, Feb 2024
Had a great day with an excellent guide, who was very knowledgeable, and was able to give me a good history of all the temples in Kamakura

Wonderful Kamakura tour

Caitlin_D, Feb 2024
We had a wonderful tour in Kamakura. Our tour guide, Hideaki Murayama, met us at our hotel. He was extremely kind, professional, and knowledgeable. We had a fantastic tour of the big Buddha, Hase-Dera temple, Houkoku-Ji Temple, and Hachimangu Shrine. We went to lunch at a small local restaurant in Kamakura and got to try okonomiyaki. Lunch was delicious and so different than anything else we have had so far in Toyko. We highly recommend this tour and our fantastic tour guide.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Thank you very much for your review. We are very glad to know that you enjoyed the tour even on a snowy day.

Peaceful Kamakura

MariaAntonia_H, Feb 2024
The place. Peaceful, quant, zen like . We really enjoyed Kamakura and the rote back. We felt lucky with our guide Yumiko who was attentive and flexible. We enjoyed her company.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Dear Maria & friends, I am so glad you liked my tour. I had a great time walking with you too. Please come to Japan again. I would like to show more of Japan! Best regards, Yumiko Sano

From $140.89

per person

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 33 days in advance.

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