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The wooden Sanmon gate of Engakuji in Kita-Kamakura
The bronze Great Buddha of Kamakura seated in the open air at Kotoku-in
A red arched bridge over a ravine on Enoshima
Temple buildings of Hasedera on the wooded slope above Kamakura
Cherry trees in bloom over the raised Dankazura approach to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu

Things to do in Kamakura: 8 experiences

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Photo: redlegsfan21, CC BY-SA 2.0

Kotoku-in, Hase, Kamakura

Step inside the Great Buddha of Kamakura at Kotoku-in

Check dates and prices

Photo: 663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0

Enoshima, Fujisawa

Ride the Enoden to Enoshima for its caves, shrines and lighthouse

Check dates and prices

Photo: lumoplank, CC0

Hasedera, Hase, Kamakura

Climb Hasedera to its eleven-headed Kannon and the view of the bay

Check dates and prices

Photo: 663highland, CC BY-SA 4.0

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Kamakura

Walk the shogun's approach to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu

Photo: Urashimataro, Public domain

Kamakura was the seat of Japan's first shogunate from the late 12th century, and the samurai rulers filled its wooded hills with Zen temples and shrines. Today it is an hour from Tokyo, between the sea and the hills, and makes the classic day trip. This page covers the Great Buddha and Hasedera in Hase, the shogun's shrine of Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, the great Zen temples of Kita-Kamakura, the bamboo of Hokokuji, a ridge walk to the coin-washing shrine and the island of Enoshima.

8 things to do in Kamakura

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The bronze Great Buddha of Kamakura seated in the open air at Kotoku-in

Step inside the Great Buddha of Kamakura at Kotoku-in

Kotoku-in, Hase, Kamakura

30 to 45 minutesGo alone or with a tour

A bronze Amida Buddha 11.4 m tall, sitting outdoors since storms and a tsunami took its hall, that you can step inside.

Check dates and pricesGreat Buddha, temples and shrines guided tour
Been there?
Temple buildings of Hasedera on the wooded slope above Kamakura

Climb Hasedera to its eleven-headed Kannon and the view of the bay

Hasedera, Hase, Kamakura

About 1 hourGo alone or with a tour

A hillside temple whose 9.18 m gilded Kannon is one of Japan's largest wooden statues, with a terrace over Kamakura's coast.

Check dates and pricesHalf-day Kamakura walk from Shinjuku
Been there?
Cherry trees in bloom over the raised Dankazura approach to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu

Walk the shogun's approach to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Kamakura

About 1 hourFree

Kamakura's main shrine, moved here by the first shogun in 1180, at the end of an avenue from the sea through the city centre.

Been there?
Stone stairs climbing to the Sanmon gate of Engakuji among trees

Climb into the forested Zen temple of Engakuji in Kita-Kamakura

Engakuji, Kita-Kamakura

1 to 1.5 hoursNo booking needed

A great Zen temple founded after the Mongol invasions to honour the dead of both sides, one step from Kita-Kamakura Station.

Been there?
The great wooden Sanmon gate of Kenchoji

Climb behind Kenchoji to the Hansobo lookout

Kenchoji, Kita-Kamakura

1.5 to 2 hours with the climbNo booking needed

Kamakura's oldest Zen temple, with a painted dragon ceiling and a forest stair to a view of Fuji on clear days.

Been there?
Tall green bamboo stalks in the grove behind Hokokuji

Drink matcha in the bamboo grove of Hokokuji

Hokokuji, Jomyoji, Kamakura

About 1 hourNo booking needed

A small Zen temple in the eastern hills with over 2,000 bamboo stalks behind its hall and a teahouse looking into them.

Been there?
A visitor washing banknotes at the spring of Zeniarai Benten

Hike the Daibutsu trail and wash your coins at Zeniarai Benten

Daibutsu Hiking Course and Zeniarai Benten, Kamakura

60 to 90 minutes of walkingFree

A wooded ridge path from Kita-Kamakura to the Great Buddha, passing the shrine where money washed in the spring is said to double.

Been there?
A red arched bridge over a ravine on Enoshima

Ride the Enoden to Enoshima for its caves, shrines and lighthouse

Enoshima, Fujisawa

Half a dayGo alone or with a tour

A forested island joined to the coast by a bridge, with shrines to Benten, sea caves and a lighthouse tower.

Check dates and pricesKamakura and Enoshima day with an Enoden ride
Been there?

Traveller picks

Hidden gems suggested by travellers. We check each one before it goes up; the words are theirs, not ours.

No traveller picks for Kamakura yet. Know a place most visitors miss?

Plan your trip

  • Getting there

    The JR Yokosuka Line runs directly from Tokyo Station to Kamakura in just under an hour, and the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line from Shinjuku in about an hour; both cost ¥1,040 one way. Odakyu's Enoshima Kamakura Free Pass is cheaper, with the return from Shinjuku and unlimited Enoden rides, but takes almost twice as long.

  • Getting around

    Kita-Kamakura, one stop before Kamakura on the JR line, has Engakuji and Kenchoji. From Kamakura Station, the Enoden, a small streetcar-like train, runs to Hase, for the Great Buddha and Hasedera, and on to Enoshima. Hiking trails through the hills link many temples in 30 to 90 minutes.

  • How many days

    In must30's view, one full day covers Kita-Kamakura, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu and Hase, walking the Daibutsu trail in between. Add a second day, or a long afternoon, for Hokokuji and Enoshima.

  • When to go

    Autumn colour reaches the temples late, around early December at Engakuji and in the Shishimai Valley on the Tenen trail. Enoshima's beaches are packed in July and August. Walk the hill trails only in dry weather.

Questions travellers ask

Can you go inside the Great Buddha?

Yes. On top of the ¥300 admission to Kotoku-in, ¥50 lets you step inside the hollow bronze statue.

Is Kamakura a good day trip from Tokyo?

Yes. JR trains reach Kamakura from Tokyo or Shinjuku in about an hour for ¥1,040 one way, and one day covers the main temples, the Great Buddha and a hill walk. Enoshima fits in if you skip something or start early.

How hard are the Kamakura hiking trails?

Short but rough. Most take 30 to 90 minutes, but they are unpaved and narrow and steep in places. Walk them only in dry weather and in good shoes.

Is the Enoshima 1-Day ticket worth it?

Usually, if you plan to see most of the island. For ¥1,100 it covers the Samuel Cocking Garden, the Sea Candle tower, the Iwaya Caves and the escalators up the hill.

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