Buddha, Bamboo & Zen - Bespoke Kamakura Private Walking Tours
Buddha, Bamboo & Zen is an all-day bespoke walking tour designed exclusively for you and your family/friends. Stroll around at your own leisurely pace, stopping whenever you feel like it. Visit the Great Buddha of Kamakura, the Bamboo Temple (enjoy some green tea) and a famous Shinto shrine. Our guide is conscious of guests being templed out. We can call it a day whenever you are satisfied.
Share your own itinerary with us & we'll tailor a day walk for your group or hand over the reins to us and we'll guide you around our favourite spots.
See some man-made caves called yagura.
Step back in time and learn about samurai history and zen, while enjoying the Spartan charm and understated elegance of the rustic temples.
Escape the Tokyo megalopolis for a day and restore your equilibrium in this charming coastal town.
A charismatic native English-speaking (Australian) local guide will make you feel at ease.
Options
Buddha, Bamboo & Zen - bespoke Kamakura private walking tours
What's included in Buddha, Bamboo & Zen - Bespoke Kamakura Private Walking Tours
(Subject to Option Inclusions)Itinerary
Kotoku-in (Great Buddha of Kamakura)
The tour begins with a visit to Kotoku-in, a Buddhist temple. You will see the majestic Great Buddha of Kamakura, an iconic bronze statue. The 13.35 metre statue was originally carved in wood and then cast in bronze during the 13th century. For a small fee (50 yen), you can enter the interior of this statue. General admission is 300 yen, child admission (for ages 6-12) is 150 yen and there is no charge for children under 6 years old.
Hasedera Temple
See the stunning 9.18m tall “Eleven-headed Kannon” wooden statue carved 1,304 years ago in 721AD. Enjoy the beautiful gardens with a large variety of flowers blooming throughout the year. The hydrangea path in June is gorgeous - with more than 40 kinds of hydrangea flowers dotting the hills. Enjoy a scenic view of the sea and town of Kamakura. Check out the thousand jizo statues standing in long rows. Explore a small cave and enjoy the statue of Benzaiten and her followers chiseled out of the rock walls.
Hokoku-ji Temple Bamboo Grove
Hokoku-ji is a Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple founded in 1334 and is affectionately called the "Bamboo Temple". The highlight of a visit to this temple is undoubtedly the 2,000 moso bamboo plants. For a small fee (¥600), you can sip authentic matcha green tea in a teahouse that overlooks a stunningly beautiful bamboo grove. If you listen carefully, you'll be able to hear the wind whispering between the bamboo. Seasonal flowers, moss gardens, bonzai and statues can be appreciated throughout the temple grounds.
Inclusions
- Guiding services
- Temple admission fees are excluded & must be paid by each guest separately (approx. 2,000 yen)
- All food/drinks (matcha green tea), snacks, lunch, etc are excluded & must be paid by each guest separately.
- Buses & trains
- Kotoku-in (Great Buddha of Kamakura)
- Hokoku-ji Temple Bamboo Grove
- Hasedera
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please note that I have allocated two hours travel time to access the various attractions on foot, train and bus and also to include rest and food/drink breaks.
- We recommend that each guest bring 2,000 yen to cover temple admission fees & transportation. Some extra cash for food & drinks is also recommended.
Meet
Pickup and Dropoff
You will make your own way to the meeting points
Meeting / End Points
- Your guide will be waiting for you outside the East Exit of Kamakura train station. He will be standing in front of the Kamakura Tourist Information Centre and holding up a placard with 'Buddha, Bamboo & Zen' on it.
