Kamakura is one of the most popular places for tourist because of its long history and many scenic spots . I will take you to 4 most popular places among foreigners which are Hohkoku-ji, Tsurugaoka-Hachiman-gu, Koh-Toku-In(Big Budda), and Hase-dera. But if you have any specific place wish to visit, please let me know. I will make a plan for you. We will take bus, train and walking in this tour.
Kamakura station
This is a JR line station and start point of Kamakura sightseeing.
This temple is very famous for nice bamboo grove. You will appreciate quietness and experience very different feeling from atmosphere in this temple
This shrine was built about end of 12th century as a landmark of Kamakura and still is. To reach to the main building, you have to climb steps to entrance of main building. And from in front of the gate of the building, you can have great view of Kamakura. Also, in the precinct, there are garden, ponds, horse training truck, and museums. This is the place you should not miss in Kamakura.
This street is very popular among travelers because there are many souvenir shops and restaurants along to this street. This is an ideal place to purchase presents. Also, we will take lunch here.
Koh-toku- in is a name of temple where a Big Buddah is. This Big Buddah was built about 650yeas ago but there is no documents left which tells about why and who built it. But if you stare at the face of this Big Buddah, probably you feel calm and comfortable mind.
This temple is famous for flowers all around a year. Also, it has nice garden with a pond. If you like flowers, you should not miss this place.
End of today's tour
Kamakura station
Kamakura was political center of Japan about 800years ago. Due to this fact, Kamakura has mixed atmosphere of old and current .Visitors can enjoy this town from his/her own interest. If you like history, yes you will find some new things and deepen your knowledge. If you like shopping, you can find unique items. If you like eating, yes you can find fantastic food. If you like to enjoy flowers, Kamakura is one of the best places to enjoy. You can see different flowers in every season.
4 places I chose have different taste and tourists can enjoy different atmosphere and essence of Japanese culture. Hohkoku-ji is a small temple but it is famous for bamboo grave and no other places can give quiet and fantastic feeling. Tsurugaoka-Hachiman-gu is the symbol of Kamakura. Everybody visit here to pray for good fortune. Also it has historical buildings and garden. Then we will take lunch. After Lunch the first place to visit is Koh-Toku-In which is a temple with Big Buddha . Everybody takes pictures with Big Buddha for good memory. And the last place is Hase-Dera which is famous for flowers and you can enjoy different flowers in all seasons. Also, this temple has a observation deck to see coast of Kamakura. You can see nice view and breeze good air.
It takes about 1 hour from central Tokyo. And visitors can enjoy totally different world.
Guide fee
Transportation cost from my home to the meeting point
All transportation fee
Lunch, entrance fee.
Total transportation fee will be ¥2620/person which includes round trip from Tokyo to Kamakura.
Entrance fee is total¥700/person
Kamakura was built about 800 years ago and the first government let by warriors was found. It has long history and unique atmosphere. Those things attract many people from all over the world. By knowing history of Kamakura, we can enjoy Kamakura much more.
Because of popularity of this town, sometimes we see big crowds in some popular places. Therefore, time management is not easy in high season and weekend.
Also, location of some temples and shrines are in mountain area. It means there are a lot of slopes and stairs Hohkoku-ji and Koh-Toku-In is flat. So anybody can visit and enjoy. But Tsurugaoka-Hachiman-gu and Hase-dera have a lot of stairs. Especially Hase-Dera is not good for guests with difficulty in walking.
Hiro is an excellent tour guide! He designed a fantastic day trip visit to Hakone for our family of 8 and was highly communicative and organized both leading up to our tour date, as well as during our visit to Hakone. We got very lucky with stunning views of Mt. Fuji and appreciated Hiro's historical knowledge and Japanese cultural insights. I highly recommend booking your private tour with Hiro.
We loved our day with Hiroshi! He allowed us to plan a very specific itinerary of the 2 things we wanted to do in Hakone: Hike Mt. Kintoki and visit the Hakone Open Air museum. This required navigating and timing the trains and buses perfectly, which he easily did for us. Hiking with him was safe and fun and he shared great stories. Lunch at the top was a treat and resting our tired feet in the hot springs at the museum was an unexpected highlight. It was a stress free day in Hakone and we would love to travel with Hiroshi again.
Thank you for your comment and I had great time with your family. I am waiting for another chance to guide you.
My wife and I had a great time wish Hiroshi. We did not have much time in Tokyo and having Hiroshi as a guide was a must. We had a chance to visit many places and most important learn about the culture and Japan history. Hiroshi was a 5 star guide! Also fun and great companion.
Dear Andre Thank you for your evaluation of my tour. I enjoyed being with you and your wife. I am glad to find you had fun with me and explanation about Japanese history and culture. I think you have many reasons to visit Japan again and I wish to show you many other places in Japan. Hiroshi
We had the best day trekking through Hakone with Hiroshi! He was funny, engaging, and very knowledgeable. He was well-prepared and we appreciated the time he spent customizing our day to meet our needs. We were sad to say our goodbyes! We highly recommend booking a tour with Hiroshi, you will not be disappointed!
Dear Anne Thank you for your good review about our tour in Hakone and I am glad by knowing you satisfied with me. I hope I can be your guide again. And next time, let go to Kintoki-san.