Kamakura & Enoshima 1-Day Bus Tour : From Tokyo
Description
Escape the fast-paced life of Tokyo and journey to Kamakura, the ancient capital of Japan and home of the Samurai. This tour offers history, culture, and natural beauty, all in one day. Begin your tour at Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine, Kamakura's most significant Shinto shrine and the spiritual heart of the city. Next, stroll down Komachi Street, a bustling shopping avenue brimming with local charm. Savor delicious local seafood, sample traditional snacks, and pick up souvenirs. Continue to Hase-dera Temple. The temple houses an impressive eleven-headed statue of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy. Then, visit Kotoku-in Temple to see the Great Buddha of Kamakura, the iconic symbol of the city. This immense bronze statue stands over 11 meters tall. Conclude your tour with a visit to Enoshima, a small island. Explore its shrines, enjoy the panoramic ocean views, and relax in the tranquil surroundings, making it the perfect end to your journey.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Begin your journey at Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine, Kamakura's premier shrine and spiritual heart. As you pass through the grand torii gate, you'll find a serene landscape featuring tranquil ponds with koi, elegant bridges, and beautifully landscaped gardens. Take time to explore the main hall, Honden, and the various smaller shrines, each reflecting Japan’s rich cultural heritage. Afterward, enjoy a leisurely stroll down Komachi Street, a bustling shopping district full of local charm. This vibrant area is perfect for lunch, offering fresh seafood, traditional snacks, and unique souvenirs. Immerse yourself in the lively atmosphere and savor the flavors of Kamakura.
The shrine is located on a small hill to the west of the main Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine. The oldest shrine pavilion on the grounds dates from the Muromachi period, and is surrounded by red flags dedicated by many people wishing for prosperous business.
Shirahata Shrine is located next to Yanagihara Pond, just east of Wakamiya Shrine. Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147–1199), the founder of both the Kamakura shogunate (warrior-led government) and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, and his son Sanetomo (1192–1219), the third Kamakura shogun are enshrined at the shrine.
Kamakura's "Komachi Street" is a must-visit! This bustling shopping street leading to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is packed with unique snacks, Kamakura-exclusive souvenirs, and exquisite handmade crafts. Enjoy eating and shopping while soaking up Kamakura's distinctive energy and charm—endless treasure-hunting fun awaits!
Visit Hase-dera Temple, renowned for its famous eleven-headed statue of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy. This impressive wooden statue is one of the largest of its kind in Japan, nestled within beautifully landscaped gardens. From the temple grounds, you can also enjoy panoramic views of Kamakura.
Kōtoku-in Temple in Kamakura — Home to Japan's National Treasure, the Great Buddha of Kamakura! This majestic bronze Amida Buddha has sat serenely under the open sky for centuries, exuding awe-inspiring grandeur. Experience its immense scale up close—you can even enter the statue (tainai haikan) and explore the hidden interior of this iconic Buddha!
The final stop on the tour is Enoshima, a charming island situated west of Kamakura. On clear days, you’ll be rewarded with breathtaking views of Mt. Fuji in the distance. Discover the island’s picturesque shrines, such as the Enoshima Shrine, which is nestled within lush greenery and offers a serene atmosphere. Enjoy the sweeping ocean views from various vantage points around the island, and take time to explore the quaint streets and coastal paths. Relax in the tranquil surroundings, making Enoshima the perfect, scenic conclusion to your journey.
A narrow shopping street located after the bronze Torii (Japanese shrine gate) Many souvenir shops and restaurants in the area welcome tourists daily.
Perched on the enchanting Enoshima Island, this historic shrine complex is dedicated to Benzaiten, the goddess of music, wealth, and wisdom. Wander through its three shrines (Hetsu-no-miya, Nakatsu-no-miya, Okutsu-no-miya) connected by picturesque paths, offering stunning ocean views and lush greenery.
The observatory lighthouse in Enoshima's Samuel Cocking Garden was reopened after renovations on April 29, 2003. With a height of 59.8m (119.6m above sea level), its innovative construction has become familiar as a new symbol of Enoshima. Mt. Fuji and the Tanzawa mountains are visible from the observation deck, with the 360 degree panorama making for a truly spectacular view.
Zeniarai Benten Shrine is a popular shrine in western Kamakura, which people visit to wash their money (zeniarai means "coin washing"). It is said that money washed in the shrine's spring, will double.
The museum was established in response to the lessons learned from the 1923 Taisho Kanto Earthquake, which destroyed many temples and shrines in Kamakura and the surrounding area, and resulted in the loss of valuable cultural properties.
The Kamakura Museum of Literature was built in 1936 (Showa 11) as the former Kamakura villa of Maeda Marquis family. You can view the rooms reminiscent of the past, with marble fireplaces and stained glass, as well as the important resources inside from related authors such as Yasunari Kawabata. In the garden filled with greenery, some 250 shrubs of roses bloom in Spring and Autumn. This building is the model for the villa in Yukio Mishima’s novel, “Spring Snow”.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Depending on the number of participants, commentary in English and Chinese might be provided on the same bus.
- Search for the guide holding a pale blue flag at the meeting point.
- Infants under 3 years old are free of charge without seat. If a seat is required, please book under the child's price.
- The tour schedule may change without prior notice due to weather, road traffic conditions, and other unforeseen reasons. (There might be delays in returning to the designated location.)
- This tour will depart regardless of weather or traffic conditions, unless you are notified otherwise by the local operator. Trip Advisor / Viator and your local tour operator will not be responsible for itinerary changes due to unforeseen circumstances.
- In case of late arrivals, regardless of contact prior to the departure time, refunds will not be granted. Contact us 24 hours before the departure for reschedule if there is any possibility of late arrival.
- The tour may be canceled if the minimum group size of 10 people is not reached. Customers will be notified approximately 3 to 4 days before the departure date in such cases.
- Please arrive 10 minutes before departure at your selected meeting point, as your assigned bus & guide will be based on that specific location. The guide has a list of participants for each bus & may not be able to accommodate guests who arrive at a different meeting point. Late arrival or arrival at the wrong location will result in missing the tour, & refunds won't be issued. If you'd like to change your meeting point or are unsure about the meeting point, pls notify us at least 2 days before departure for assistance.
- The bus will be departing on time (no exception).
- Please adhere to the scheduled time. We are unable to accommodate delays or wait for any reason. The tour will depart promptly as scheduled to respect all customers' time.
- In case of late arrivals / arrival at wrong location, regardless of contact prior to the departure time, refunds may not be granted. Contact us 24 hours before the departure for reschedule if there is any possibility of late arrival or to confirm the exact location.
- We recommend checking the right meet-up location beforehand to avoid getting lost. Provided location are the exact points of the meeting point on google maps. If you are confused about meeting points, message us beforehand for more details. No refund request will be accepted for arrivals at wrong location.
- Please adhere to the scheduled time. We are unable to accommodate delays or wait for any reason. The tour will depart promptly as scheduled to respect all customers' time.
- Please check the photo in the product page & scan the QR code for the meeting point reference.
- Contact number may be unavailable outside business hours (Mon–Fri, 9:30AM–6:30PM JST).
- Regarding luggage, we allow one piece of luggage per person during the excursion. Please also ensure that the luggage is manageable and fits comfortably within our vehicle. Please also be aware that any items stored in the trunk will not be accessible in between stops on the tour, so keep all valuables with you.
- There is only one drop-off point at the end of the tour : Near Shinjuku Station (West Exit)
- In general, we do not send out confirmation emails prior to departure. If you would like more information or need to clarify something, please contact us and we will send you the relevant details.
Reviews(259)
I had a wonderful time on this tour, I met some nice people & the tour guide was very informative. Would do tour again!
Dear valued customer, Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re delighted to hear that you had a great time exploring Kamakura and Enoshima, and that you enjoyed meeting new people along the way. It’s also lovely to know that you found our tour guide informative and helpful. We truly appreciate your kind words and would be very happy to welcome you again on another tour in the future! Best regards, VIP Japan Tours
Great locations. Miserable bus ride. Mediocre tour info. The destinations were great. The time spent was just right. The bus ride was pretty miserable and long. Train would have been much faster to get to Kamakura, but having a bus from site to site was nice. The tour guide was nice enough and kept on time. Was a bit tough to understand, and anxious. Would have liked deeper historical info. Seemed a bit like an elementary teacher.
Dear valued customer, Thank you for sharing your experience! We're glad to hear you enjoyed the destinations and felt the amount of time at each stop was well balanced. We're sorry to hear that the bus ride felt long and uncomfortable. We understand that traveling by train can be a faster way to reach Kamakura, while our bus tour is designed to provide convenient transportation between multiple sightseeing locations throughout the day. We also appreciate your comments about the guide. We're happy to hear they kept the tour on schedule, and we'll certainly share your feedback regarding the clarity of the commentary and the desire for more in-depth historical information. Thank you for traveling with us, and we hope to welcome you again in the future. Best regards, VIP Japan Tours
There was nothing to complain about on this trip. Our guide was very nice and very accommodating. However, to describe this as a “tour” is a bit misleading. Our guide did not guide us through the sites: we were taken to the various sites and left to wander around without any guidance except a very brief description at the outset (which was hard to follow as our guide’s English was not great and he spoke very fast). We would have hoped for some education about the history and perhaps a bit of leading around the various sites before being left to wander. We might have been equally well served by taking taxis to the sites and using a guidebook.
Dear valued customer, Thank you for sharing your experience! We’re delighted to hear that your guide was very nice and accommodating. We understand your expectation of having more in-depth guided explanations and historical context at each location. Your feedback is valuable, and we will share it with our team as we continue to review how we present the tour description and improve the experience for future guests. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you again on another tour that better suits your preferred travel style. Best regards, VIP Japan Tours
Our guide was wonderful! So knowledgeable and she taught us a lot about temple/shrine etiquette. She was kind and was truly a joy to be with!
Dear valued customer, Thank you so much for your kind review! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed your Kamakura & Enoshima tour and that your guide made such a positive impression. It's wonderful to know that her knowledge and guidance on temple and shrine etiquette helped enrich your experience, and we're so glad her kindness made the day even more enjoyable. Thank you for traveling with us, and we hope to welcome you again in the future. Best regards, VIP Japan Tours
This day trip was very well organized. The meeting place was easy to find and the bus was comfortable. The guide, Eric, was very friendly and caring! The 3 places that we visited were amazing! I have some mobility issues, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the trip!! So even if you don’t have the stamina to go all the way up the staircases, I highly recommend this trip!!
Dear valued customer, Thank you for sharing your experience! We're delighted to hear you enjoyed the Kamakura & Enoshima tour and that our guide Eric's friendly and caring service made your experience even more enjoyable. We're especially glad you were able to enjoy the trip despite your mobility concerns. Thank you for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you on another tour soon! Best regards, VIP Japan Tours
The Kamakura bus tour is a great day trip from Tokyo. Although the schedule can feel a bit rushed, there was adequate time to visit the sites at each stop. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the history of each location and she did an excellent job representing the cultural significance of each site. She was very passionate about Japanese history and deeply respectful of each shrine and temple. It was a scorching humid day in July so the air conditioned bus was also welcomed.
Wonderful day trip from Tokyo! Loved seeing a different side of Japan and of course loved being by the ocean! This tour gave us so much free time to explore while also being provided with extensive information of each location!
Dear valued customer, Thank you for your lovely review! We're glad you enjoyed exploring a different side of Japan and spending time by the ocean. It's wonderful to hear that you appreciated the balance of informative guidance and free time to explore at your own pace. We appreciate your support and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back on another adventure in Japan. Best regards, VIP Japan Tours
Amazing price for this trip. Especially since we didn't have to make any of the arrangements. Just sit back and enjoy. Kamakura is such a spectacular area. We only wish we had more time.
Overall, this tour was good, but there were a few areas where it could have been even better. Kamakura is absolutely stunning, and Enoshima was a lovely place to visit. We really enjoyed having the opportunity to explore both locations, and they were definitely the highlights of the day. Our tour guide, Eric, was friendly and clearly very knowledgeable. We got the impression that he had lots of interesting facts and local insight to share. Unfortunately, we found him quite difficult to understand at times because he spoke very quickly. Slowing down a little would make it much easier for English-speaking visitors to follow along and appreciate everything he’s explaining. Overall, we’re glad we took the tour and enjoyed visiting these beautiful places. With a slightly slower pace during the commentary, it would have been an even better experience.
Dear valued customer, Thank you for sharing your experience! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed visiting Kamakura and Enoshima and that they were the highlights of your day. We're also pleased to know that you found Eric friendly and knowledgeable. We truly appreciate your constructive comments about the pace of his explanations. We'll be sure to share your feedback so it would be easier for all of our English-speaking guests to fully enjoy the stories and local insights. We hope to welcome you on another adventure in Japan soon! Best regards, VIP Japan Tours
Excellent day tour. Beautiful sights! We enjoyed every stop. Highly recommend for people of all ages.
Dear valued customer, Thank you for your kind review! We're delighted to hear you had a great day and enjoyed the beautiful sights and every stop along the tour. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we're so pleased the experience was enjoyable for travelers of all ages. We hope to see you again on another tour in the future! Best regards, VIP Japan Tours
