Do you want to go a little outside of Tokyo and enjoy a little bit more of Japan? If you have an extra day and want to enjoy a little bit more of Japan, without having to travel very far from Tokyo, consider going to Kanagawa Prefecture. In Kanagawa Prefecture, there is a stunning small city called Kamakura. Here, you can enjoy more of Japanese charms.
If you don’t know how to go to Kamakura from Tokyo and what to do in Kamakura, don’t worry. With so much information on the internet, including this article, it will only take a few minutes for you to get the answer to that.
In this article, I am going to introduce you to a small yet beautiful city called Kamakura, how to travel to Kamakura from Tokyo, places to go in Kamakura, day tour options to Kamakura, and more recommendations.
Kamakura is a city located in the southern part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It is one of the most popular cities in Kanagawa Prefecture visited by tourists as a day-trip because of its close distance from Tokyo. It’s located on about 50 km (31 miles) south-southwest of Tokyo.
It’s a city of the Great Buddha, many old temples and shrines which are in harmony with nature, and tales of Samurai because it is the first city in Japan to have had a government controlled by the samurai. It is surrounded by ocean and mountains, packed with many other traditional Japanese charms.
How to travel to Kamakura from Tokyo?
Here are some efficient ways to go to Kanagawa from some major places in Tokyo.
Tokyo station to Kamakura
(around 1-hour train ride- total cost: ¥920)
- Take the Yokosuka Line (dark blue colored) from Tokyo Station, and get off at Kamakura Station.
Shinjuku station to Kamakura
(around 1-hour train ride- total cost: ¥920)
- Take the Shonan-Shinjuku Line (red colored) from Shinjuku Station, and get off at Kamakura Station.
Narita Airport Terminal 2 to Kamakura
(around 2 h 15 m train ride- total cost: ¥3770)
- Take the Narita Express from Narita Airport Terminal 2·3 to Shinagawa Station.
- At Yokohama station, switch to Yokosuka Line (dark blue colored) and get off at Kamakura Station.
Haneda Airport Terminal 2 to Kamakura
(around 1 hour 30 min bus ride- total cost：¥1370)
- Take the Haneda-Airport Limousine Bus to Kamakura Station East Gate, then walk 8 (600m) min to Kamakura.
(around 1-hour train ride- total cost: ¥820)
- Take Keikyu-Kuko Line (red colored) from Haneda Airport Domestic Terminal Station to Yokohama station. Don’t get off even if the train changes the line by itself to Keikyu Line.
- At Yokohama station, switch to Yokosuka Line (dark blue colored) and get off at Kamakura Station.
Akihabara Station to Kamakura
(around 1h train ride- total cost: ¥920)
- Take the Keihintohoku Line (light blue/tosca colored) from Akihabara station and get off at Shimbashi Station.
- At Shimbashi Station, switch line to Yokosuka Line (dark blue colored) and get off at Kamakura Station.
Shibuya station to Kamakura
(around 1-hour train ride- total cost: ¥920)
-Take the JR Yamanote Line (green colored) to Shinagawa Station.
- At Shinagawa Station, switch line to Yokosuka Line (dark blue colored), and get off at Kamakura Station.
Where to go in Kamakura?
Temples
Kamakura most famous spots to visit are its temples. The temples are stunning and hold a deep history that makes it so interesting for tourists. Here are some famous temples you should visit while in Kamakura.
- Hase-dera temple
A Buddhist temple in Kamakura, constructed on the mountainside with views of both the ocean and city. There are more than 2,500 hydrangea trees and flowers in this temple. The “Hydrangea Path” of Hasedera Temple is a must visit place in Kamakura in the rainy season (June and July).
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Address |
3-11-2 Hase, Kamakura, Kanagawa JAPAN (map) |
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Phone |
0467-22-6300 |
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Business hours |
March-September 8:00 am- 5:00 pm October-February 8:00am- 4:30 pm |
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Price |
¥300 for adults/ ¥100 yen for children age 12 and under |
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Website |
- Tokei-ji Temple
A temple where built by a woman for women. It is a temple where women take refuge during the feudal times when women were not allowed to divorce. It is surrounded by lush greenery, and has been given three stars in the Michelin Green Guide.
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Address |
1367 Yamanouchi, Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture 247-0062 (map) |
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Phone |
0467-33-5100 |
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Business hours |
April to September: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm |
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Price |
200¥ for adults / ¥100 for junior high and elementary school students |
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Website |
- Kotoku-in (Great Buddha of Kamakura)
This is one of the best sightseeing spots in Kamakura. The large Buddha at Kotoku-in is a must visit attraction while in Kamakura. The colossal statue and its surrounding grounds have been designated as National Historic Site. One of the appealing aspects of the statue is that you are able to enter the statue and observe the interior.
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Address |
4-2-28 Hase, Kamakura 248-0016, Kanagawa Prefecture (map) |
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Phone |
0467－22－0703 |
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Business hours |
●April–September |
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Price |
¥200 for adults and students age 13 and above Additional 20 yen per person |
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Website |
- Hokoku-ji Temple
A temple established 700 years ago, with a breathtaking view of lush and beautiful bamboo grove. Here, you can enjoy a tea ceremony while enjoying the forest view, and participate in Zen meditation held every Sunday at 7:30 am.
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Address |
2-7-4 Jomyoji, Kamakura-shi, Kanagawa (map) |
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Phone |
0467-22-0762 |
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Business hours |
Everyday ( 09:00 AM- 04:00 PM ) |
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Price |
¥200 for adults *with matcha tea 500 yen |
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Website |
Wait, there's more:
Other spots in Kamakura
Although the most popular spots are the temples, Kamakura still offers other attractions that are still must-visit places.
- Enoshima Electric Railway (Enoden)
This is a popular local train line connecting famous tourist spots like Enoshima Aquarium, Enoshima Shrine, Enoshima Iwaya Caves, Enoshima Escar, and many others.
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Address |
1-12 Onarimachi, Kamakura, Kanagawa (map) |
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Phone |
+81 466-24-2713 |
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Business hours |
5:00 am- midnight |
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Website |
- Kamakura Komachi-dori
This is a popular street in Kamakura, attracting not only local residents but also tourists. You can go past the landmark of the Red Torii Gate, and find the street filled with shops and cafes. Through this street, you can also head to the Hachiman-gu Shrine.
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Address |
Komachi, Kamakura 248-0006, Kanagawa Prefecture (map) |
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Phone |
+81 598-59-1630 |
- Shichirigahama Beach
A beach in Kamakura from where you can enjoy a clear view of both Mount Fuji and Enoshima the same time. The sands from this beach which are rich in iron allowed Kamakura to become a florid center for the production of swords and knives.
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Address |
Shichirigahama, Kamakura 248-0026, Kanagawa Prefecture (map) |
|
Phone |
+81 3-3336-0549 |
Day tours to Kamakura from Tokyo
If you don’t feel like traveling around Kamakura by yourself, or looking for an enhanced and deeper experience while traveling to Kamakura, don’t worry. There are many great day tour options for Kamakura. It’s way more convenient as you don’t have to plan your itinerary yourself and you are even guided by a professional. You don't have to figure out the transport from Tokyo to Kamakura because your guide will help you with that.
Look, the thing is…
There are many places on the web that offer day tours to Kamakura, but you never know whether they are a trustworthy and good website or not. That’s why I’m recommending you GoWithGuide. The website is trustworthy, offering many different day trip options to Kamakura. You can also customize the tour itinerary according to your preferences.
Not only the website offers day tours to Kamakura, it also offers many different qualified tour guides you can hire to make your trip more interesting and meaningful.
Recommended day tours
If you are looking for a better experience in Kamakura, not only visiting the places but also learning with the insights given by your private tour guide, and also a more convenient travel to Kamakura from Hakone, here are some recommended day tours in Kamakura.
Not in any specific order, but my first recommendation is the Kamakura tour à la carte tour, where you can visit some major places in Kamakura like mentioned above, including the Great Buddha Kotoku-in and the Hokoku-ji temple.
Other recommendations are the Kamakura, one day tour, and the Kamakura 1-Day Tour, Through these day tours, you can also visit the major places in Kamakura including the Hase-dera Temple and Great Buddha Kotoku-in.
From the tours mentioned above, they also provide set itinerary suggestions which you can follow or customize according to your preferences.
Wait, there's more:
There are still many great day tour options to Kamakura from Tokyo, you can click here to see more.
By joining private tours, you won’t ever get bored or run out of things to do in Kamakura. The guides can also give you insights on the spots you visit and let you have an enhanced trip.
If you are not looking for private tours but private guides in Kamakura, you can click here. For tours or private guide options for other areas in Japan, you can click here.
I hope this article helps provide useful information for your trip to Kamakura, including how to go to Kamakura from some major places in Tokyo, where are the must-visit spots in Kamakura, options for day tours to Kamakura from Tokyo, and more recommendation for a great Kamakura trip. I hope you have a great time in Kamakura!