Kamakura Highlights with Local Expert - from Tokyo
One day fun excursion to Kamakura, a small, coastal city just one hour south of Tokyo. Sometimes called the Kyoto of Eastern Japan, Kamakura offers numerous temples, shrines and other historical monuments as well as beautiful beach and forestry hills. Refer to this model plan, and I will customize your tour based on your tastes and requests. Count on me, Kamakura specialist!
Tomoko H.
Meeting Point
At your hotel or at any convenient spot for you in central Tokyo area
Your hotel or any place of your convenience in metropolitan Tokyo area
- meet and start the excursion
Kamakura station
- take enoden street car or taxi
Great Buddha of Kamakura
- a large bronze statue of Amida Buddha in Kotokuin temple
Hasedera temple
- a lovely Buddhist temple called as Kamakura's Western Pure Land full of seasonal flowers, famous for its eleven-headed statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy
Enoden ride
- fun street car ride along the seashore * we could walk to Gokurakuji temple before that
local restaurant for lunch
- based on your request
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine
Kamakura's most important Shinto shrine originally found in the late 11th century walking along Dankazura path, the street I used to walk to my junior high school in teens
Engakuji or Kenchoji temple
- the site Zen Buddhism started in Japan in the 14th century and where thousands of monks have trained
- the precincts are large and beautiful in every season perfectly maintained by the monks
Kitakamakura station
- You will find some other lovely ancient Zen temples when you walk to the station.
* We could extend the tour for Yokohama (China town and Minato Mirai area) for a couple of hours based on your request and our discussion
Tokyo station or any place of your convenience
- the end of the tour
Ending Point
At Tokyo station or any place of your convenience
Want to personalize this tour?
- Our tours can be customized according to your needs and preferences
- Click below to tell us what you are looking for:
Inclusions & Exclusions
■ guide fee
■ hotel pick-up (in Tokyo metropolitan area)
■ transportation fee (you and guide): about 3000 yen/each in total, e.g. ① JR round trip between Tokyo and Kamakura(about 2,000 yen/adult) ②Enoden and local bus, etc.
■ lunch
■ admission fee: e.g. Great Buddha (300 yen/adult), Kenchoji temple (500 yen/adult), Hasedera temple (400 yen/adult), etc.
Important Information
■ Please wear comfortable shoes and outfits for walking.
■ It takes about one hour from Tokyo area to Kamakura, so it is recommended to start the tour at 8:00 am (or even earlier.)
■ I'm usually flexible to put 1 or 2 extra hours and make the tour longer or to add Yokohama visit on the way back. Please consult me if you want even on the tour date.
It's my personal story, but I moved from a large city Nagoya to Kamakura with my family when I was 10 years old. Despite a little girl, I instantly noticed how historically interesting the town was and loved the milder climate there. It also surprised me there were so many atmospheric narrow winding streets and slopes. It was the best site for kids to have a little adventure! Since then, I have been walking around the city of Kamakura with friends, family, or even by myself. I know every corner of the city and its seasonal beauties. So, let me know your interests and tastes, and I will make the best itinerary for you.
Cancellation Policy
- Free cancellation - 8 days prior to meeting time
- 50% Refund - 3 to 7 days prior to meeting time
- No Refund - Within 2 day(s) prior to meeting time
Reviews
Rachel F.
“ Five stars aren't enough for Tomoko! ”
Our family is about to board our flight back to the US but we couldn't wait to submit our highest review for Tomoko, our exceptional guide! We were lucky enough to have her give us three full days of private touring in Tokyo. Tomoko is fluent in English, having earned degrees abroad, but has lived in Japan her whole life so that she has the perfect balance of eastern and western sensibilities. Her knowledge of Tokyo's history, culture, religion, art and architecture are only matched by the unbelievable enthusiasm she brings to sharing it. Whether she was taking us through historical sites (like the Imperial Palace; the Meiji Jingu Shrine or Sensoji Temple ), to can't miss attractions (like Tokyo Skytree, Shibuya crossing, Tsukiji or Ueno Park), to interesting museums (like Team Lab Borderless) or to different parts of the city (like the Yanaka Nezu District or Harajuko) or to the best spots for lunch and matcha ice cream - she was not only educating us but bringing her special joy to every moment! She was exceptional from our very first email communication- answering all of our questions; reserving tickets in advance; and offering tips and updates before we even arrived. Thanks to Tomoko, our experience in Tokyo was something we will remember forever. We are extraordinarily grateful to her and now consider her a friend with whom we will keep in touch. We have been fortunate to travel the world and guides don't come any finer than Tomoko! Infinite stars!!!!
Tomoko H.
Thank you for your brilliant review, Rachel! Just as you felt, I was confident from our preliminary message exchanges that I would have a wonderful time sharing with you and your family. When I first met your son Julius at the hotel, I was very happy to see how much he was looking forward to the trip. I was surprised and pleased by his enthusiasm as he asked me many questions and tried to get an overview of Japanese history. I really appreciate and enjoyed the three days before and after your stay in Kansai. Your research, enthusiasm and networking skills are excellent. I also appreciate the opportunity to learn about the culture of your family community. I am honored to be added as one of your friends and I definitely look forward to seeing you again. Arigato-gozaimashita. Matane, Rachel, Stephen, and Julius! -Tomoko:)
Naomi F.
“ Our perfect guide for our fist day in tokyo ”
We were so lucky to have Tomoko introduce our family to Tokyo. She met us at our rental apartment and showed us how to navigate the train system and took us the various destinations around Tokyo. She shared her knowledge of each area and made sure we took pictures to memorialize our adventures.
Tomoko H.
Thank you for your prompt review with positive comments, Naomi. I really enjoyed sharing time with you, three-generation family. I was surprised to see your mother walking smiling and not showing any fatigue despite the heat and jet lag. Also, I enjoyed chatting with her in Japanese. Sincerely hoping you all will have a great time during your further stay in Japan. - Tomoko
Amit T.
“ Fantastic and one of the best guides ”
As soon as we met Tomoko she almost became family and it was so comfortable to talk to her and figure out things. We spend the whole day with her and she was really good. She had everything figured out. Even though it was raining and weather was bad, she made sure we all saw everything and had a great time. Thank you Tomoko again…..
Tomoko H.
Thank you, Amit, for such a lovely review. After enjoying Owakudani, we had many challenges that day, including the breakdown of the ropeway and rain at Kawaguchiko, but our desire to enjoy ourselves prevailed! Conversation with your lovely smart girl was a real pleasure, and the constant kind smile of your wife also made the trip even more enjoyable. Thank you again for finding me out and working with me. My best regards to you, Seher, and Meera!- Tomoko
Tisha T.
“ Excellent Kamakura/Enoshima tour with Tomoko ”
We met as strangers but left as family! From our first contact to touring with Tomoko, she was accommodating, flexible, informative, and ready to answer our many questions. She put together a great itinerary with our special requests for our personalized tour. She was very attentive to our wants and needs. Upon arrival at our hotel, we were warmly welcomed and instantly became friends. Tomoko is an excellent English speaking tour guide who taught us about the culture and history of Kamakura/Enoshima. She is warm, friendly, patient, engaging, and well-organized. We accomplished a lot in our one-day walking tour going to 2 temples and 1 shrine in Kamakura and 1 shrine on Enoshima Island. She recommended the perfect places to shop for omiyage/snacks. Lunch on Enoshima Island was AMAZING! Due to the hot humid weather and crowds during hydrangea season, she adjusted our itinerary to make it a more enjoyable day. Tomoko is also a great photographer/videographer and knows the best spots to take wonderful pictures/videos. At the end of our day, she recommended returning back on the train in the green car-reserved seats. It was a great suggestion! Even though we did not want the day to end, it was nice to relax and take a nap in comfort after a fabulous day of sightseeing. We highly recommend booking a tour with Tomoko! Tomoko-Thank you again! You’re a remarkable tour guide. You’ve become a cherished friend and part of our ohana (family) during our travels. The laughter, shared stories, and the sense of adventure you infused into our private tour created bonds that will linger in our memories for a lifetime. Your dedication to your craft and the genuine connections we made during this unforgettable adventure made it an exceptional tour. We feel so very fortunate to have met you, and we look forward to crossing paths again in the near future in Japan & in Hawaii. Aloha ‘Oe (Farewell) A Hui Hou Kakou- (Until we meet again)! Tisha, Keith, Robyn, Milton
Tomoko H.
Wow! Thank you so much, Tisha, for taking your time to write such a grand descriptive review for me. I was very motivated because you did a lot of research beforehand about my hometown, Kamakura, and each of you made individual requests. It was a very satisfying day for me, too, especially because at the end we were able to complete our dragon mission on Enoshima! We had to walk to Sasuke Inari in a sweat because we couldn't catch a cab, we were surrounded by groups of students here and there, and there were times when what was supposed to be a foodie tour almost became a fasting tour, but that made the late lunch at Enoshima even more delicious! Mahalo for the wonderful souvenirs and lots of smiles from Hawaii. I am also very much looking forward to seeing you all again, Tisha, Keith, Robyn, and Milton. またね、Matane! (See you soon!) - Tomoko