• Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine - This shrine is dedicated to Hachiman, the patron deity of the Minamoto clan and samurai in general. The enshrined deities include the deified spirits of the ancient Emperor Ojin, identified with Hachiman, Hime-gami, and Empress Jingu.

• Kotoku-in (Great Buddha of Kamakura) - The Great Buddha of Kamakura (鎌倉大仏, Kamakura Daibutsu) is a bronze statue of Amida Buddha located at Kotokuin Temple. Standing at 11.4 meters, it is the second tallest bronze Buddha statue in Japan, only surpassed by the statue in Nara’s Todaiji Temple and some newer creations.

• Hase-dera Temple - Hasedera (長谷寺) is a Jodo sect temple, renowned for its eleven-headed statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. The 9.18-meter-tall, gilded wooden statue is one of Japan’s largest wooden sculptures and can be admired in the temple’s main building, the Kannon-do Hall.

• Hokokuji Temple (Takedera Temple) - Hokokuji Temple is famous for its beautiful, small bamboo grove behind the main hall, featuring over 2000 dark green bamboo stalks. Narrow paths lead through the bamboo to a tea house where, for a small fee, visitors can enjoy matcha tea while taking in the bamboo grove views. Behind the temple are shallow caves believed to hold the ashes of some later Ashikaga lords.

• Kamakura Hiking Trails - Kamakura is bordered by the ocean to the south and wooded hills in other directions. Scenic hiking trails traverse these hills, connecting various atmospheric temples, offering a delightful way to explore Kamakura’s sights. Many trails are short, typically taking 30 to 90 minutes, allowing visitors to enjoy both nature and cultural attractions.

• Enoshima Island - Just a short train ride west of Kamakura, Enoshima (江の島) is a charming tourist island off the coast, connected to the mainland by a bridge. The island features a shrine, park, observation tower, and caves, with views of Mount Fuji on clear days.

Enoshima is divided into a yacht harbor accessible by motorized traffic and a forested hill, which can only be explored on foot (and paid escalators) and contains most attractions. Several shrine buildings, collectively known as Enoshima Shrine, are dedicated to Benten, a popular goddess of good fortune, wealth, music, and knowledge. Benten is believed to have created Enoshima after subduing a five-headed dragon that terrorized the area.

• Engaku-ji Temple - Engakuji (円覚寺) is a leading Zen temple in Eastern Japan and the second of Kamakura’s five great Zen temples. Founded by the ruling regent Hojo Tokimune in 1282, a year after the second Mongol invasion attempt was repelled, the temple was established to honor fallen Japanese and Mongolian soldiers.

Engakuji is nestled in the forested hills of Kita-Kamakura. The first main structure encountered is the Sanmon main gate, dating from 1783. Behind it stands the main hall, the Butsuden, displaying a wooden statue of the Shaka Buddha. The Butsuden was rebuilt in 1964 after the previous building was lost in an earthquake.

• Kencho-ji Temple - Kenchoji (建長寺, Kenchōji) is the foremost of Kamakura’s five great Zen temples. The oldest Zen temple in Kamakura, Kenchoji was founded by the ruling regent Hojo Tokiyori in 1253 during the Kencho Era, after which it was named. Its first head priest was Rankei Doryu, a Zen priest from China.

Although smaller than in its prime, Kenchoji still comprises numerous temple buildings and subtemples, stretching from the entrance gate at the valley’s base far into the forested hills. After passing through the Sanmon main gate, visitors will see Kenchoji’s temple bell (Bonsho), a designated national treasure, on their right.

• Zeniarai Benten Shrine - Zeniarai Benten Shrine (銭洗弁天) is a popular shrine in western Kamakura, where people visit to wash their money (zeniarai means “coin washing”). It is believed that money washed in the shrine’s spring will double.

Minamoto Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura government, ordered the shrine’s construction after a god appeared in his dream, advising him to build the shrine to bring peace to the country. As the dream occurred on the day of the snake, in the month of the snake of the year of the snake, the shrine was later also dedicated to Benten, a Buddhist goddess associated with snakes.

• Meigetsuin (Hydrangea Temple) - Meigetsuin Temple (明月院) is a Rinzai Zen Sect temple founded in 1160 in Kamakura. Known as Ajisaidera (“Hydrangea Temple”) due to the abundance of hydrangeas blooming on the temple grounds during the rainy season in June. 95% of the hydrangeas are of the Hime Ajisai (“Princess Hydrangea”) variety, named for their pretty blue colors.

The temple was originally a repose built by a son in memory of his father who died in the power struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans in the late Heian Period. It later became part of a larger temple complex called Zenkoji, which was abolished during anti-Buddhist movements soon after the Meiji Restoration, leaving only Meigetsuin as an individual temple today.

• Ankokuronji Temple - Ankokuronji (安国論寺) is one of several temples of the Nichiren sect of Japanese Buddhism along the hills in the southeast of Kamakura. Nichiren himself founded Ankokuronji around 1253 when he first came to Kamakura, and he is said to have lived at the temple for several years.

Visitors can walk along a short hiking trail through the wooded hills around the temple buildings. A nice view of the city of Kamakura can be enjoyed along the way. Some of the trail’s passages are quite steep and should only be explored with good walking shoes and during dry weather.

• Jomyo-ji Temple - Jomyoji Temple (浄妙寺, Jōmyōji) is a Zen temple in the hills of eastern Kamakura. Ranked fifth among Kamakura’s five great Zen temples, Jomyoji was founded by the influential Ashikaga family and at its peak consisted of seven buildings and several pagodas. Over the centuries, however, many structures were destroyed by fire, and only its historic main hall, reception hall, main gate, and warehouse remain today. The main hall sits at the end of a garden and houses a statue of Shaka Nyorai, the historical Buddha.

Jomyoji Temple also has a restored teahouse where visitors can enjoy a cup of tea for a small fee while admiring the view of a lovely dry garden. On the hillside behind the main hall is the temple’s spacious cemetery, while a path leads up the hill to a small western-style restaurant. The restaurant is operated by the temple and offers good views over Kamakura from its patio.

• Zuisenji - Zuisenji (瑞泉寺) is a beautiful Zen temple in the far east of Kamakura, nestled in a narrow valley and surrounded by wooded hills. It is a branch temple of the Engakuji Temple.

Zuisenji was founded by Muso Kokushi, a leading Zen master of his time and one of Japan’s most famous garden designers. The temple is renowned for its pure Zen rock garden behind the main hall, designed by Muso himself. The temple also attracts visitors with its many flowers and blooming trees in other parts of the temple grounds, including a large number of plum trees.

• Myohonji Temple - Myohonji (妙本寺, Myōhonji) is one of several temples of the Nichiren sect of Japanese Buddhism along the southeastern hills of Kamakura. The temple was founded by Hiki Yoshimoto in 1260 and features a statue of Nichiren to the left of the main hall.

The temple is connected via the Gionyama hiking trail with some other nearby temples and a shrine. It leads through the wooded hills of Kamakura and should be explored only with good walking shoes and during dry weather, as there are a few steep and rough passages.

• Jochiji Temple - Jochiji (浄智寺, Jōchiji) is the fourth of Kamakura’s five great Zen temples. It is a branch temple of the Engakuji school of the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. Its head temple, the Engakuji Temple, stands just a few hundred meters away on the opposite side of the railway tracks.

Jochiji was founded in 1283 by members of the ruling Hojo family on the occasion of the premature death of a son. Once a large temple complex with many buildings and subtemples, Jochiji is now small and tranquil. In its main hall, the Dongeden, the temple’s main object of worship, a Buddhist trinity of the Amida Buddha, Shaka Buddha, and Miroku Buddha, is displayed.

• Tokeiji Temple - Tokeiji (東慶寺, Tōkeiji) is a small branch temple of the Engakuji school within the Rinzai sect of Zen Buddhism. Its head temple, the Engakuji Temple, stands just a few hundred meters away on the opposite side of the railway tracks.

Tokeiji was founded by the wife of the regent Hojo Tokimune in 1285 after Tokimune had died at a young age. Until the end of the Edo Period, the temple served as a refuge for women who suffered abuse by their husbands and sought a divorce. An official divorce could be attained by staying at the temple for three years.

• Jufukuji Temple - Jufukuji Temple (寿福寺) is the third of Kamakura’s five great Zen temples. It is a branch temple of the Rinzai sect’s Kenchoji school.

Jufukuji was established by the order of Minamoto Yoritomo’s wife Masako after her husband had passed away. Its founding priest was none other than Eisai, the man responsible for introducing Zen Buddhism into Japan. Besides the often-photographed pathway that leads towards the temple, Jufukuji is not open to the public.

• Eishoji Temple - Eisho-ji Temple (英勝寺) is the only surviving nunnery in Kamakura, located near Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. Founded in the early Edo period by a woman connected to the Tokugawa family, it’s known as a “flower temple” for its seasonal blooms.

Visitors can enjoy a peaceful bamboo grove and a graceful Amida Buddha statue said to be by the famous sculptor Unkei. The quiet atmosphere makes it a hidden gem worth visiting.

• Meet up with guide on foot within designated area of Kamakura
• Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
• Customizable Tour of your choice of 2-3 sites from ‘What to expect’ list

• Transportation fees, Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
• Private transportation
• You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
• Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under What to Expect.

Just south of Tokyo, lays the beautiful and historical Kamakura.

Kamakura’s temples and shrines are home to gardens that are beautiful in any season. You can view the ocean from the highest point of Hasedera temple and write your wish on an oyster shell. The over 11 meters tall Great Buddha is an icon of the area residing in Kotokuin Temple. Stop by the old Komachi shopping street and try some Hatosabure, dove shaped biscuits.

Each tour is customizable and private. Once you place a reservation, your personal guide will be in touch with you to tailor your trip to you. You can view 2 to 3 sights on this trip. If you wish to extend your time to see more, please contact us directly for extensions. Transportation time is included in the 4 hours.

We hope to guide you soon!

• This is a walking tour. Pick up is on foot.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.