Kamakura
Save30 hand-picked places in 10 lists. Tick the categories you want to see on the map.
Only have a day? See 2 ready-made day plans ↓Show on the map
Tips
10 places on the map
Top 10
- 1
Monumental 13th-century bronze Buddha
- Tip: Go early
2 tips
- You can enter the statue for a small fee
- Combine with Hase-dera
📷 Photos
- 2
Kamakura's grand shrine at the end of Wakamiya Avenue
3 tips
- Walk the Dankazura approach
- Lotus pond in summer
- Free entry
📷 Photos
- 3
Hillside temple with an 9-metre Kannon and sea views
3 tips
- Hydrangeas bloom in June
- Cave shrine inside
- Allow 90 minutes
📷 Photos
- 4
Oldest Zen training temple in Kamakura
3 tips
- Quiet gardens
- Walk up to Hansobo for views
- Combine with Engaku-ji
📷 Photos
- 5
Zen temple complex beside Kita-Kamakura station
3 tips
- Climb the hillside
- Tea at the temple cafe
- Autumn colours
📷 Photos
- 6
Island with shrines, caves and sea views
3 tips
- Take the Enoden train
- Climb to the lighthouse
- Seafood along the way
📷 Photos
- 7
Busy shopping street of snacks and souvenirs
3 tips
- Try matcha sweets and croquettes
- Avoid weekend afternoons
- Close to the station
📷 Photos
- 8
Zen temple with a serene bamboo grove
3 tips
- Matcha is served in the grove
- Bus from the station
- Allow an hour
📷 Photos
- 9
Cave shrine where coins are washed for luck
3 tips
- Bring coins or notes
- Candle and incense available
- Short hike from the station
📷 Photos
- 10
Hydrangea temple with the round window
- Tip: Go early
2 tips
- Very busy in June
- Closed to view from outside only
📷 Photos
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Before you go: Kamakura tips
Transportation
- Ride the Enoden line: The small Enoshima Electric Railway links Kamakura station with Hase, the Great Buddha and Enoshima, running along the coast past Shichirigahama beach.
- Tap an IC card: Suica and Pasmo cards work on JR trains from Tokyo, the Enoden and local buses, saving time at ticket machines when hopping between Kamakura sights.
- Rent a bicycle with care: Bikes are handy for temple-hopping between Kita-Kamakura and Hase, but streets are narrow and crowded, so ride slowly and park only in designated spots.
Security
- Stay off the tracks at Kamakurakokomae: The crossing made famous by Slam Dunk draws crowds of photographers; keep to the pavement, watch for trains and do not block traffic.
- Guard your snacks from kites: Black kites over the beaches and Komachi-dori swoop down to snatch food from hands, so eat indoors or under cover rather than in the open.
- Know the tsunami routes: As a coastal city, Kamakura has tsunami evacuation signs near Yuigahama and the beaches; note the nearest higher ground if you spend the day by the sea.
Saving
- Get an Enoshima-Kamakura pass: The Odakyu Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass covers the Enoden and travel from Tokyo, saving money if you combine Kamakura with a visit to Enoshima.
- Fill up on shirasu: Shirasu-don, a rice bowl topped with tiny whitebait caught off Shonan, is an affordable and very local lunch at small restaurants near the station.
- Visit free shrines: Tsurugaoka Hachimangu and many smaller shrines are free to enter, so balance them with paid temples like Hase-dera and Kotoku-in.
Weather/Clothing
- Expect humid summers: July and August are hot and humid, so pack breathable clothing, a hat and a water bottle for the stairs and hilly hiking trails between temples.
- Pack rain gear in June: The tsuyu rainy season brings frequent showers in June, which is also peak hydrangea season, so bring a compact umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Bring layers for winter: Winters are mild and often sunny but chilly by the sea and in shaded temple grounds, so wear a warm jacket and layers for long days outdoors.
Cultural
- Follow temple etiquette: Bow at shrine gates, purify your hands at the chozuya water basin and keep your voice low, especially at Zen temples like Engaku-ji and Kencho-ji.
- Do not eat while walking: Kamakura asks visitors not to eat while walking on busy Komachi-dori, so stand by the shop where you bought street food until you finish.
- See the Great Buddha: The bronze Daibutsu at Kotoku-in has sat in the open air since a 15th-century tsunami washed away its hall; for a small fee you can step inside the statue.
Local Hacks
- Hike the Daibutsu trail: The forest trail from Kita-Kamakura to the Great Buddha passes Zeniarai Benten shrine, where visitors wash coins for luck, and avoids street crowds.
- Sip matcha in a bamboo grove: Hokokuji temple has a tranquil bamboo grove with a small tea house serving matcha, a peaceful break from the busier temples near the station.
- See hydrangeas early: Meigetsu-in and Hase-dera are famous for June hydrangeas and can have long queues, so arrive at opening time on a weekday for the best experience.
1-day itineraries in Kamakura
Only have a day? Each one keeps you in one area, from morning to late afternoon, with lunch nearby.
Day 1 of 2
Meigetsu-in and around
🕘 9:30–17:45📍 6 stops
- 1Meigetsu-in
- 2Engaku-ji
- 3Jochi-ji
- 4Komachi-dori
- 5Tsurugaoka Hachimangu
- and 1 more
Day 2 of 2
Kotoku-in (Great Buddha) and around
🕘 9:30–14:15📍 4 stops
- 1Kotoku-in (Great Buddha)
- 2Hase-dera Temple
- 3Yuigahama Beach
- 4Kamakura Museum of Literature