Kamakura Private Car Tour: Customized Sites with Guide

Six hours, three or four temples of your choice, one guide who knows them all.

A private car tour of Kamakura with a licensed local guide in English, lasting six hours and visiting 3-4 sites you select from temples, shrines and the Great Buddha. The guide's entry fees to listed attractions are included. You choose the vehicle size (regular car for two or van for up to seven) and which temples suit your interests, so the day shapes around what matters to you.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Great Buddha of Kamakura1h
2. Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine15m
3. Engaku-ji Temple15m

Explore Kamakura's temples and shrines

• Visit Hasedera Temple
• See the Great Buddha at Kotokuin Temple
• Tour Kenchoji Temple
• Walk through Hokokuji Temple bamboo grove
• Visit Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
• Explore Enoshima Island and shrines
• Visit Engakuji Temple
• See Meigetsuin Temple hydrangeas
• Walk hiking trail at Ankokuronji Temple
• Visit Zeniarai Benten Shrine
• Tour Jomyoji Temple and teahouse
• Visit Zuisenji Temple and rock garden
• Visit Myohonji Temple and hiking trail
• Tour Jochiji Temple
• Visit Tokeiji Temple
• See Jufukuji Temple pathway
• Visit Eisho-ji Temple bamboo grove
• Stop by Komachi shopping street

The experience

You pick the sites and the guide adapts the route. The tour runs six hours in a private vehicle (a regular car for two passengers or a van for up to seven) with a government-licensed guide who speaks English and knows Kamakura's history. The Great Buddha at Kotokuin Temple (11.4 meters tall, a bronze Amida Buddha) anchors most itineraries, but you might instead spend time at Engaku-ji or Kenchoji, two of Kamakura's five great Zen temples; at Hasedera, where an 9.18-meter wooden statue of Kannon sits in the main hall; or at Hokokuji, where a bamboo grove with over 2000 stalks surrounds a tea house serving matcha. Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, dedicated to the patron god of samurai, draws many visitors. The guide's entry fees to any sites on the itinerary are covered.

The route adjusts for traffic, and the stops depend on what you want to see and how long you linger. Komachi shopping street (where locals and tourists browse together) often fits in as a final stop. The street is known for Hatosabure, dove-shaped biscuits. Some temples have small tea houses where you can sit with a view. Others have hiking trails through wooded hills or rock gardens designed by famous Zen masters. The guide knows which sites suit a morning pace and which reward a slower afternoon.

Pickup is included. Wheelchair-accessible vehicles are available, and the tour suits all fitness levels. If you need a car seat or booster seat for children, contact the operator directly: rear-facing seats are not available. Entrance fees to attractions, lunch and personal expenses are separate.

What’s included

• Private vehicle (regular car for up to two or van for up to seven passengers).
• customizable itinerary of 3-4 sites selected from temples, shrines and the Great Buddha.
• licensed local guide speaking English.
• guide's entry fees to listed attractions.
• hotel or location pickup.

Options for this experience

2 options

Van (up to 7 passengers)Up to 7 per booking · Guide in English · 10 departure times: the first at 08:30, the last at 13:00Van (up to 7 passengers), includes pickup

Standard car (up to 2 passengers)Up to 2 per booking · Guide in English · 10 departure times: the first at 08:30, the last at 13:00Standard car (up to 2 passengers), pickup is included

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day10 departure times: the first at 08:30, the last at 13:00

Book up to2d before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (6 to 11 years): free · Infant (under 6): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 27 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Japan Guide Agency

Is this one for you?Choose the van if your group is three or more, so everyone travels together without splitting across vehicles. Pick the regular car for two if you want a more intimate pace with the guide. Either way, the six-hour window and your choice of sites mean you set the rhythm: linger at a temple garden or move through several shrines, depending on what draws you.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 11 years): free; Infant (under 6): free.

What is the Great Buddha of Kamakura, and where do I see it?

The Great Buddha is an 11.4-meter-tall bronze statue of Amida Buddha standing on the grounds of Kotokuin Temple. It has been the second-tallest bronze Buddha statue in Japan since its creation, surpassed only by the statue in Nara's Todaiji Temple. Most tours include a stop here.

Can I choose which temples and shrines to visit, or is the itinerary fixed?

You choose 3-4 sites from the itinerary list, which includes the Great Buddha, Engaku-ji Temple, Kenchoji Temple, Hasedera, Hokokuji Temple with its bamboo grove, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, and several others. The guide builds the route around your selections.

What is Hokokuji Temple known for?

Hokokuji is best known for a small bamboo grove behind the main hall with over 2000 dark green stalks. Narrow pathways lead through the bamboo to a tea house where you can sit and enjoy matcha tea for a small fee while looking into the grove. The temple also has shallow caves carved into the hillsides behind it.

Does the tour include lunch or meals?

Lunch and meals are not included in the tour price. Some temples have tea houses where you can purchase matcha or tea for a small fee, and Komachi shopping street has local food options, but these are separate expenses.

Is the guide's entry fee to the temples included?

Yes, the guide's entry fees to sites listed in the itinerary are included. Your own entrance fees to attractions are separate and paid on the day.

Can I book this tour for a group larger than two people?

Yes. A regular car seats up to two passengers, and a van seats up to seven. You choose the vehicle size at checkout. Multiple tour groups cannot be combined into one booking.