Kamakura Historical Walking Tour with the Great Buddha
Description
Join a tour by MagicalTrip, proud winner of the Tripadvisor Best of the Best Award. Each experience is led by a MagicalTrip Certified Guide, professionally trained and carefully selected to ensure quality and authenticity. Begin your journey with a peaceful walk through Kamakura, visiting a shrine famous for its many torii gates and fox statues. Along the way, a local guide will share cultural insights into the relationship between foxes and shrines, Shinto beliefs, and proper shrine etiquette. Continue to a unique cave temple, where you’ll learn about the tradition of washing money for good fortune. Next, enjoy a 30–40 minute forest hike, surrounded by nature and varied terrain, leading to the iconic Great Buddha of Kamakura, an impressive monument with over 800 years of history. Conclude the experience at a temple-run restaurant, where you’ll enjoy local specialties such as udon and vegetable curry.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Start Kamakura Walking Tour
Enjoy walking around Kamakura's laid back local areas and beautiful nature
Venture through Kamakura's historical shrines and temples
Meet the Great Buddha of Kamakura. A must-see on your sightseeing tour of Kamakura is the Great Buddha of Kamakura at Kotoku-in Temple. It has been enshrined on the grounds of Kamakura for over 750 years, and is the only national treasure in Kamakura designated as a Buddhist statue
Check out Hasedera Temple, with it's beautiful scenic views of the coastline and hidden little cave. It is said to have been founded in 736 during the Nara period, and it is one of Kamakura's oldest temples, having been designated as a temple for imperial prayers during the reign of Emperor Shomu. The main object of worship is a statue of the eleven-faced Kannon. It is called “Kamakura's Western Pure Land of Sukhavati”, where flowers never cease to bloom throughout the four seasons, and the colors of the flowers and trees soothe the hearts of visitors.
Learn Japanese culture and history Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Yukinoshita, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture. It is also called Kamakura Hachimangu. It was founded in the latter half of the 11th century as the guardian deity of the Minamoto clan. Since then, it has become the guardian deity of the Kamakura samurai. Today, among the Hachimangu shrines throughout Japan, it is well known in the Kanto region as the shrine associated with Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate.
Enjoy sampling Japanese snacks and street foods on the Komachi shopping street From the East Exit of JR Kamakura Station, this street runs parallel to Wakamiya-Oji Street to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, and you can enjoy a wide range of shopping, eating and drinking, from traditional souvenir shops to fashion goods and restaurants.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please wear suitable hiking clothes and shoes because the hiking trail is slippery on some parts
- Routes are subject to change if hiking trails are unusable due to weather conditions
- In case of rain, we use train to see the Great Buddha statue instead of using hiking trail
- Please bring water and towel because it's around 5 km walking & hiking tour (Hiking trail is about 2.5km)
- Because most Japanese restaurants are not fully ready for providing vegetarian menus, choices of vegetarian foods in our tour is available but limited.
- Out of respect for other guests and to ensure the best tour for everyone, we must start the tour on time.
- The itinerary for this tour includes some locations that are not accessible by a wheelchair or stroller.
- Please note that we are unable to guarantee allergy-free or cater to dietary restrictions as the food is prepared in kitchens that do not belong to MagicalTrip. Additionally, there may be instances where substitutions are not possible at certain stops; however, we will make every effort to compensate at different stops throughout the tour.
- Japan's climate has become more extreme, with summer highs of 40°C (110°F) and winter lows of -5°C (20°F). Please prepare accordingly for the tour.
Reviews(165)
It was a very nice experience even it was very hot. Our guide Mark was very kind and patient. He explained everything in detail and gave us also some insight into Japan in general.
Thank you for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you had a great experience with Mark. We truly appreciate your warm feedback and hope to welcome you again on your next visit to Japan!
Ken was very knowledgeable and gave good context and history on each of the individual shrines we visited. He also explained the differences in the shrines versus the Buddhist temples... in this case the Kotoku-in ( great buddha ) temple in the center of Kamakura. He also treated us to some Japanese snacks, including Macha soft serve and various snacks including dongo ( skewered mochi with sweet teriyaki ).
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear you enjoyed exploring Kamakura with Ken and learning about the history and differences between the shrines and temples. We're also glad you enjoyed the delicious Japanese snacks along the way! We'll be sure to share your kind words with Ken. We hope to welcome you again on another MagicalTrip tour in the future!
More incredible history magnificent temples and shrines that Japan not surprisingly keeps incredibly well , thank you to Mark our guide his knowledge combined withe his global experiences made the tour even more special;
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed discovering Japan’s incredible history, magnificent temples, and beautiful shrines. We're especially grateful for your kind words about Mark. His knowledge, combined with his global experiences and unique perspective, helps create a deeper and more meaningful experience for our guests. We’ll be sure to share your appreciation with him. Thank you for joining us, and we hope to welcome you back again for more unforgettable moments in Japan!
Very lovely guides, kind thoughtful, fun and very informative. Had a lovely peaceful day seeing some beautiful sights. Highly recommend
Thank you so much for your kind review! We're delighted to hear that you had such a lovely and peaceful day with our guides. It's wonderful to know you enjoyed the beautiful sights and found your guides to be kind, thoughtful, fun, and informative. Thank you for your recommendation. We truly appreciate it and hope to welcome you on another MagicalTrip experience the next time you visit Japan!
We had kaz, he was brilliant , every thing was explained, he took time as my wife had a sour leg,we stopped regularly for water , he also took time too get to now us, Kas 10 out 10
Thank you so much for your kind review! We’re delighted to hear that you had a great experience with Kaz. It’s wonderful to know he took the time to make sure everyone was comfortable, especially by adjusting the pace, taking regular water breaks, and caring for your wife’s sore leg. We also love hearing that he took the time to get to know you both—creating a personal and thoughtful experience is something we truly value. Thank you for your 10/10 rating and for choosing MagicTrip. We hope to welcome you again for another great experience in the future!
Ken was a wonderful guide! We had a great time with him and wonderful conversations. He knew the best spots to eat too. He also helped us find a local knife shop!
I had a wonderful experience with Yosh as our guide in Kamakura. He was incredibly kind, friendly, and knowledgeable, sharing fascinating information about the area’s history, culture, and landmarks throughout the tour. What really stood out was how much he went above and beyond to make sure everyone had a great experience. He was patient, attentive, happy to answer questions, and offered helpful local insights that made the day even more special. If you’re visiting Kamakura and looking for a guide who is informative, professional, and genuinely cares about his guests, I highly recommend Yosh. He made our visit memorable, and we truly appreciated all of his efforts.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful and wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear you had such a memorable experience in Kamakura with Yosh. It’s wonderful to know that his knowledge, kindness, and attention to detail helped make your day so special. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with Yosh — he will truly appreciate them. Thank you again for your recommendation, and we hope to welcome you again in Japan!
Me and my two kids (in their 20s) took the tour of Kamakura with Ken today. It was fantastic! We saw so many shrines and temples, and Ken provided lots of information that helped us understand what we were looking at. Highly recommend!
Ken was amazing! Very knowledgeable, professional, & polite. Wonderful tour! Highly recommend!
Amazing experience with Ken!! Ken is so knowledgeable and so detail oriented. He went above and beyond!!!
