This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 9:30 Meet at hotel Departure (Explaining the return route from Minato Mirai to Kamakura)
- 10:30 From Kamakura Station to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
- 11:00-11:30 Visit Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
- 11:40-12:10 Move to Hokokuji Temple
- 12:20-13:00. Sightseeing at Hokokuji Temple
- 13:00-14:00 From Hokokuji Temple to Komachi Street, including lunch (window shopping along the way)
- 14:00-15:00 Great Buddha, Hasedera Temple sightseeing (Enoden)
- 15:00-15:30. From Hasedera to Kamakura Station (Enoden)
Title: What's a Private Kamakura Walking Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visiting Japan for the first time from North America, and had signed up for a Kamakura sightseeing tour before starting a cruise around various parts of Japan. When they first booked, they had requested a "Zen temple," so I asked why, but they said there was no special reason — they simply love flowers. Since Hokokuji Temple and the Great Buddha were part of their request, I focused on those, and additionally guided them to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine and Hasedera Temple. They had originally hoped to see cherry blossoms when they applied for the tour, but the dates were fully booked, so it ended up being this time of year. It was cold with chilly rain falling all day, but fortunately the cherry blossoms along the Dankazura approach had just begun to bloom at a perfect stage, and the guests seemed very pleased.
Click here for more details: Kamakura Zen Temples & Gardens Tour with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Minato Mirai～Kamakura | 549JPY |
| Section 2 | Train | Daigaku-mae～Jomyoji | 220JPY |
| Section 3 | Train | Jomyoji～Hachimangu-mae | 220JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | Kamakura～Hase | 200JPY |
| Section 5 | Train | Hase～Kamakura | 200JPY |
| Total | 1,389JPY | ||
Thank you for your entry in this tour. Nice to meet you in this mail.
Your tour guide Kappa is my nickname. Kappa is a traditional, imaginary creature who came into being in Japan over 300 years ago. She is good at swimming, like me, for I like swimming. I would like to make our tour operated smoothly as Kappa does when she swims in the river or pond. It is my pleasure to introduce many aspects in our tour, especially cooking, for it is my hobby and I went to the professional cooking and SAKE school, respectively. If you have any questions or requests about Japanese cooking, of course our tour, I am very delighted to answer to you anytime!
Jul 30, 2025
Michael_R
Customized Hakone tour
Viator review: Hakone 8 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide, Kappa-san, modified the typical Hakone tour…
Jul 30, 2025
Michael_R
Customized Hakone tour
Viator review: Hakone 8 hour Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Our guide, Kappa-san, modified the typical Hakone tour to accommodate our interests, and is very helpful and knowledgeable. Since the day was very hot (95°F / 35°C) we favored activities that were more shaded or cool, including a walk on a cedar-lined section of the old Tokaido path.
May 18, 2025
Leigh_M
Kappa, our guide met us…
Viator review: Kamakura 4hr Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
Kappa, our guide met us at the…
May 18, 2025
Leigh_M
Kappa, our guide met us…
Viator review: Kamakura 4hr Private Trip with Government-Licensed Guide
Kappa, our guide met us at the train station and took us all over Kamakura. We saw shrines, the big Buddha, gardens, and the Oceanside! Kappa shared a lot of history about Kamakura, and it was nice to have this background when we were exploring these incredible sites! Highly recommend!
May 4, 2025
panderhigs
Kappa A+ Guide!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Kappa was an amazing guide who created a thorough…
May 4, 2025
panderhigs
Kappa A+ Guide!
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Kappa was an amazing guide who created a thorough and thoughtful itinerary for us over
the course of 6 hours. We saw SO much in such a short time and would definitely
recommend her!
May 4, 2025
O9621SBscottp
Kappa is a wonderful tour guide
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
My wife and I were treated…
May 4, 2025
O9621SBscottp
Kappa is a wonderful tour guide
Tripadvisor review: Tokyo 6hr Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
My wife and I were treated to a wonderful walking tour of Tokyo with Kappa. Kappa was very accommodating in designing a tour specifically tailored to our interests. Kappa is a wealth of knowledge regarding the city history, temples and shrine, and Japanese art history. She is a lovely person too. I highly recommend Kappa if you want to learn about Tokyo