Kamakura Half Day Walking Tour with Kotokuin Great Buddha

This tour was my favorite part of visiting Japan. I cannot speak highly enough of Noriko and her warm personality, thoughtful commentary, and knowledgeable guidance. She crafted the tour based on our interests and her expertise; weather interfered slightly with our original plan but she was flexible in finding other great ways to fill the day (even making last minute arrangements for a tea ceremony). Be prepared to pay small amounts for bus/train fare based on what you choose, what is open, and how walkable the day is. She took us to the major landmarks (complete with helpful and insightful explanations) but also to areas off the beaten path that we would never have found (or understood) on our own. She led the tour as if we were guests visiting her hometown, as opposed to tourists trying to check off sightseeing stops. This tour made me want to visit Kamakura again simply because of how enjoyable it was to be there and spend time learning from Noriko.

We booked this tour because it's was combining a decent walk with visiting variuous sports around Kamakura. As based on our research (which might be wrong of course) the walking paths around the town are usually not signposted in English, we decided to look for a guided tour instead of something self-organized. The weather was pretty bad raining pretty much the whole day. Therefore the tour was changed a liitle e.g. by going by train and bus to the first spot instead of walking there. In the end there was no real walking experience, apart from going along the streets of Kamakura from spot to spot. I guess because of the weather that was a feasible decision and we were totally OK with it. We obviously can't really judge about how the actual walking experience would have been on a day with good weather.

Excellent tour many shires, temples, giant Buddha and very knowledgeable guide name Famiko.The history of Kamakura is wonderful the atmosphere is very good and the guide from beginning to end excellend.

My tour through Kamakura with Yoko was brilliant! The destination was beautiful, serene and spiritual - just what I was hoping from my trip to Japan! The temples and shrines nestled amongst the diverse and extensive gardens and greenery are just magnificent. It's a bustling place yet so calm. Yoko was very knowledgable and informative and I was fascinated by the history and beauty of the places we visited upon our walk. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting this beautiful part of Japan!

This tour went way above my expectations. Beautiful sights, cultural experience, hiking, food, etc: it was a great way to spend a day in Kamakura. Yoko was a delightful guide and provided us with cultural insights and historical details that you would not get if you go on your own.

Our tour consisted of the Hokokuji temple, Great Buddha in Kotoku-in, and Hasedera Temple. The Hokokuji temple has beautiful bamboo garden. We were impressed with the height of the Great Buddha 13 meters. The Hase temple has colorful hydrangeas and peaceful Zen gardens. We highly recommend this tour due to the beautiful sights and the excellent customer service pf the tour coordinator Takeshi and tour guides Shijuko and Yu. Takeshi was very thoughtful and responsive to my email correspondences prior to my arrival to Tokyo and during my stay at Tokyo. Takeshi noticed that there were some elders in our group and suggested alternative itinerary to minimize walking. He also assigned 2 guides so that one guide can attend to two elders and the other guide to the rest of the group. Takeshi also informed me prior to the tour that due to the rain and the slipperiness of the mountain road, he suggested that we skipped 2 shrines on the mountain. Shijuko and Yu were very considerate and knowledgeable. They explained the histories of the attractions well. Shizuko even brought extra umbrellas and lent to us so that we can covered ourselves from the hot summer sun. Shizuko and Yu accompanied us to the train stations from Kamakura to make sure that we would not get lost. In addition, they informed us about various transportation methods to the shopping centers and attractions in Kamakura and Tokyo. Overall, we really appreciated the care and attention of Takeshi, Shijuko, and Yu.

This walking tour is for the hardy walker - more a mountainous hike than walk. Since there were only 3 in our group the guide was able to slow down the pace in the mountains. The temples and landmarks were scenic, the Great Buddha- huge, walk through the historic shopping street nice and a pleasant relaxing lunch with the guide was overall a good worthwhile tour.

Our Kamakura Walking Tour was a personalized tour for our family. Our tour guide, Yu, was very knowledgeable and fun. We really enjoyed the hiking and shrines. She took us to a fantastic restaurant at the top of a hill...only 165 steps to climb. We finished the tour at the beach. We highly recommend this walking tour of Kamakura.

Excellent tour of Kamakura! We took this tour with our two small children. Yoko, our guide, was very knowledgeable about the history of the city and its temples and shrines, as well as Japanese customs. She was also very helpful and understanding with regard to the needs of our children. We highly recommend this tour for anyone visiting Kamakura, which should be a stop on any itinerary of Japan. It is a beautiful city with many great attractions, including but not limited to the Great Buddha.

Our tour guide, Naho was excellent. She spoke english well, had extensive knowledge of the temples visited and the areas we walked through, provided excellent instructions on the etiquette when visiting temples, and found a great restaurant for lunch that was reasonably priced. Most of all, she was sincere in ensuring we had a memorable tour taking extra time to answer all of our questions and taking us to Kamakura station. Naho provided us a memorable tour of Kamakura that we will always cherish.