[Kamakura]Day trip from TOKYO!Best Spot Best Route!

In this article, we present to you the best spots with the best route for one-day trip to KAMAKURA.

It includes

• Tsurugaoka hachi man gu
• Hase Temple
• Great Budda ( Daibutsu )
• Enoshima Train ( Eno-den)
• Enoshima
• Oofuna Kan-non
• Shonan hanging type Mono Rail
• Wagashi-making experience at Temari

Hope you finds it useful!

Overview

Total time: 13hours

Suppose you are staying in a major area in Tokyo like Shibuya, Shinjuku, or Roppongi. In this plan, you leave your hotel at 9 am and can return at 10 or 11 pm. 

Cost: around 6000 yen

It costs around 6000 yen per person, excluding meals and snacks.  Local stores and ticket offices might not accept credit cards. Carrying extra cash would be a good idea.

Total walking distance: 7 km(4.5 miles) 

The entire walkway is primarily flat. 

But there are stairs at shrines and temples.  And the sidewalk is very narrow. Please be aware of traffic. 

How to get to Kamakura

 From Tokyo’s major area to Kamakura , it is about one hour trip by train.

From Shibuya & Shinjuku

You take JR Sho-nan-Shinjuku line. It goes to Kamakura directly.

From Roppongi

You need to take Hibiya line to Ebisu station, then change to JR Sho-nan Shinjuku line. 

From Tokyo station

You need to take JR Yokosuka Line.

TIME TABLE

Here you see the rough timetable of the entire trip. And you can see which attractions will require a ticket.

＊ need ticket at door ＊＊ need reservation in advance

1:Arraive at Kamakura station

Arriving at Kamakura station, let’s have a 15 min walk to Tsurugaoka Hachiman goo shrine.

“Dankazura” is the approach path to the shrine, lined with cheery trees on both sides. 

You can enjoy beautiful cherry blossoms in late  March. 

2 :Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu

Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu is an over 800-year-old shrine located in the heart of Kamakura. 

Feel the spirit of ancient samurai, and enjoy peaceful and gorgeous views. 

You also could encounter a wedding or other traditional ceremonies in classical costumes. 

Don’t miss the treasure hall. The exhibit features a collection of national treasures and other ancient sacred artifacts in the shrine.

3: Komachi Dori

Leaving Tsurugaoka Hachiman-goo, take a fun walk through Komachi Dori street to return to Kamakura station.  You have a wide variety of street foods you can eat while walking.  There are some cozy restaurants and cafes where you can sit and enjoy your meal.

4: Hase Station

Once you return to Kamakura station, take the Enoshima railway, called Enno-den, to Ha-se station.  Eno-den is a tiny train running through Kamakura residential area and along the beautiful coastline.  Please enjoy the scene from the window.

5:Temari (Wagashi making lesson)

Temari is a Wagashi shop. Wagashi are traditional Japanese sweets.  You can have a lesson on making wagashi here for 2900 yen. 

Just 10 min walk from Hase station brings you to Temari. 

The instructor will show you how to make seasonal wagashi.  Then you try your own. You can make 3 Wagashi.  After the lesson, you can taste your creation with matcha tea for additional 500 yen. 

The shop will provide all the ingredients and tools. Just relax and have fun with this very cultural experience! 

6:Hase dera Temple

After having wagashi and tea, let’s have 15 min walk to Hasedera temple. 

The temple is known for Eleven-Faced Kan-non.  But it is more than that.  A large variety of flowers bloom throughout the year.  Additionally, the scenic view from the observation deck on the upper ground is one of the most picturesque spots in Kamakura. 

7:Great Buddha

  Next is a well-known Great Buddha, 10 min away from Hasedera Temple.
The statue is 11.3 meters tall and weighs 121 tons.  It is a bronze statue of Ahmi-da Buddha and is the second biggest to Todaiji’s Great Buddha in Nara.  It used to get inside the Great Buddha but is closed temporarily due to COVID-19. 

8:Take Eno-den for Enoshima Station

  Let’s return to Ha-se station and take Eno-den again for Enoshima station.  Don’t forget to put your eyes on your left. You will find a beautiful coastline. The view from the window between Inamura-gasaki and Koshi-goe is remarkable.  Especially, Kamakura-Kohkoh-Mae station is famous for its excellent photo spot where you can shoot the Enno-den train with a beautiful ocean on the back.  Stopping by to take some photos could be an excellent addition to your trip. 

9:Shonan Beach

  Arriving at Enoshima station, let’s take a walk along the Shonan beach and chill out. Or you can sit on the beach and relax. You could see majestic Mt.Fuji over the ocean if the weather permits.  There are excellent dinner restaurants, and some offer an ocean view and outside seating. 

10:Shonan Enoshima Station to Ofuna station

  After enjoying your dinner, it’s time to get back to Tokyo.  It would help if you took Sho-nan Monorail.  But this is the last highlight.

Sho-nan  Monorail is hanging monorail type.  It doesn’t run on a rail. It runs midair hanging on a rail!

You Take it from Sho-nan Enoshima Station to Ofuna Station.  Then change to JR line. 

At the Ofuna station , you will find great Kan-non on your left. Don’t forget to pray to her.

For Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ebisu, take Sho-nan Shinjuku Line.  For Tokyo station, Ueno-Tokyo Line is the fastest. 

Ticketing for Shurine and Temples

Kamakura is a tourist-friendly city. Most of the famous temples and shrines are welcoming walk-ins. Make sure you bring some coins, just in case you want to buy some Omamori (lucky charms) or try Omikuji (fortune slips).

Ticketing for Wagashi Lesson

Wagashi lesson requires booking in advance.  You can go to their reservation page from here.

Wagashi lesson @ temari

Lesson is open 10:00- or 14:00- on every Wednesday,Friday Saturday and Sunday.

The lesson in English is available, and you need to arrange it by phone call. 

Thank you for reading

I hope this article offers some inspiration for your day trip from Tokyo. 

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Happy travel!