• Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine - This shrine is dedicated to Hachiman, the patron deity of the Minamoto family and samurai. It enshrines the deified spirits of the ancient Emperor Ojin, identified with Hachiman, along with 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 is displayed 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 admiring the grove. Behind the temple are shallow caves believed to hold the ashes of some later Ashikaga lords.

• 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 regent Hojo Tokimune in 1282, a year after the second Mongol invasion was repelled, it honors fallen Japanese and Mongolian soldiers.

Engakuji is nestled in the forested hills of Kita-Kamakura. The first main structure is the Sanmon main gate, dating from 1783. Behind it is the main hall, the Butsuden, showcasing 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, it was founded by regent Hojo Tokiyori in 1253 during the Kencho Era. Its first head priest was Rankei Doryu, a Zen priest from China.

Though smaller than in its prime, Kenchoji still has many temple buildings and subtemples, stretching from the entrance gate at the valley’s bottom into the forested hills. After passing the Sanmon main gate, visitors see Kenchoji’s temple bell (Bonsho), a national treasure, on their right.

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

Minamoto Yoritomo, 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. The dream occurred on the day, month, and year of the snake, leading to the shrine’s dedication 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”), it features abundant hydrangea blooms during the rainy season in June. 95% of the hydrangea are the Hime Ajisai (“Princess Hydrangea”) variety, named for their pretty blue colors.

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

• Ankokuronji Temple - Ankokuronji (安国論寺) is one of several Nichiren sect temples in the southeastern hills of Kamakura. Founded by Nichiren around 1253 when he first arrived in Kamakura, he is said to have lived at the temple for several years.

Visitors can enjoy a short hiking trail through the wooded hills around the temple buildings, offering a nice view of Kamakura. Some trail passages are steep and should be explored with good walking shoes and in dry weather.

• Jomyo-ji Temple - Jomyoji Temple (浄妙寺, Jōmyōji) is a Zen temple in eastern Kamakura’s hills. Ranked fifth among Kamakura’s five great Zen temples, it was founded by the Ashikaga family and once comprised seven buildings and several pagodas. Over time, many structures were destroyed by fire, leaving only the historic main hall, reception hall, main gate, and warehouse.

The main hall, at the end of a garden, houses a statue of Shaka Nyorai, the historical Buddha. Jomyoji Temple also has a restored teahouse where visitors can enjoy tea for a small fee while viewing a dry garden. Behind the main hall is the temple’s spacious cemetery, with a path leading to a small western-style restaurant offering good views over Kamakura from its patio.

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

Founded by Muso Kokushi, a leading Zen master and renowned garden designer, Zuisenji is known 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, including numerous plum trees.

• Myohonji Temple - Myohonji (妙本寺, Myōhonji) is one of several Nichiren sect temples in Kamakura’s southeastern hills. Founded by Hiki Yoshimoto in 1260, it features a statue of Nichiren to the left of the main hall.

The temple connects via the Gionyama hiking trail to nearby temples and a shrine, leading through Kamakura’s wooded hills. It should be explored with good walking shoes and in dry weather due to some 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, with its head temple, Engakuji, just a few hundred meters away across the railway tracks.

Founded in 1283 by the ruling Hojo family after a son’s premature death, Jochiji was once a large complex with many buildings and subtemples. Now small and calm, its main hall, the Dongeden, displays a Buddhist trinity of the Amida Buddha, Shaka Buddha, and Miroku Buddha.

• 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, Engakuji, is just a few hundred meters away across the railway tracks.

Founded by the wife of regent Hojo Tokimune in 1285 after his early death, Tokeiji served as a shelter for women seeking divorce from abusive husbands until the end of the Edo Period. An official divorce could be obtained 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.

Established by Minamoto Yoritomo’s wife Masako after his death, its founding priest was Eisai, who introduced Zen Buddhism to Japan. Besides the often-photographed pathway leading to 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 is 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.

• Private transportation
• In-vehicle air conditioning
• Highway Fee
• Surcharges on fuel
• Licensed Local Guide
• 2-3 places to choose from the itinerary
• Parking fees

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

This is the ideal tour for travelers wanting to discover Kamakura’s highlights efficiently in a private vehicle accompanied by a government-licensed guide!

Take a breath of fresh sea air when you visit Kamakura. Kamakura’s temples and shrines are known for beautiful gardens. View the ocean from the highest points of the temples 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. After the temples and shrines, stop by the old Komachi shopping street. Locals and tourists alike flock here. Try some Hatosabure, dove shaped biscuits, while you are there. Kamakura has much to offer and we hope to guide you soon!

Note1: Please select 3-4 spots from a list in the tour information to create your customized itinerary.
Note2: The National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter certification is issued by the Japanese government requires a good knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and history.

• There are only a limited number of car seats and booster seats. Rear-facing car seats are not available. You must contact us directly if you need them.

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