Kamakura Day Trip from Tokyo

Part of our guide: Best Day Trips from Tokyo (with Kids): Times, Costs, Passes

Quick answer

Kamakura is an easy day trip from Tokyo. The JR line from Tokyo Station reaches Kamakura in about 53 minutes with no change, and from Shinjuku in about 58 minutes on Zushi-bound trains.
The classic route is Kita-Kamakura, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Komachi-dori, the Great Buddha, Hasedera and the Enoden train to Enoshima.
Main fees: the Great Buddha ¥300 (children 6 to 12 ¥150, under 6 free), Hasedera ¥400 (primary school ¥200). Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is free and its gates are open 6:00 to 20:00.
The Enoden takes 5 minutes from Kamakura to Hase (¥200) and 23 minutes to Enoshima (¥260). The Noriorikun day pass is ¥800 (child ¥400); the Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass from Shinjuku is ¥1,640 (child ¥430).
With young children, go on a weekday, avoid Golden Week and June, and pick the Great Buddha, one temple and the sea rather than six stops.

Is Kamakura Worth a Day Trip from Tokyo?

Yes. Kamakura is the closest of the classic day trips: about an hour by train, with the Great Buddha, old Zen temples, a shopping street of snacks and the sea all in one small town. In the 12th and 13th centuries it was the seat of Japan's first samurai government, which is why so many temples and shrines sit so close together.

For families it works because the distances are short. Most of the day is a 10-minute walk or a 5-minute ride on the Enoden, the small coastal train. What makes the day go wrong is not the distance but the crowds on weekends and the steps at some temples.

I plan private days out of Tokyo for families, and this guide is what I check before building a Kamakura day. For how it compares with Mt. Fuji, Hakone and Nikko, see our guide to the best day trips from Tokyo.

How to Get to Kamakura from Tokyo

The direct JR train from Tokyo Station is the simplest way: about 53 minutes to Kamakura with no change. From Shinjuku, Zushi-bound trains on the JR line take about 58 minutes, also direct.

Route	From	Time to Kamakura	Best for
JR Yokosuka Line	Tokyo Station, Shinagawa	About 53 min from Tokyo Station	Most visitors
JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line	Shinjuku, Shibuya	About 58 min (Zushi-bound trains)	Hotels in west Tokyo
Odakyu Line + Enoden	Shinjuku	About 1 hr 30 min via Fujisawa	The Freepass, starting at Enoshima
Private car	Your hotel	Depends on traffic	Families with small children

Check the destination board. Not every train on the Shonan-Shinjuku Line goes to Kamakura. Some head for Odawara instead and split off before Kamakura.

Kita-Kamakura is the stop before Kamakura on the JR Yokosuka Line. If you want to start the day at the Zen temples, get off there.

IC cards. Suica and PASMO work on JR and on the Enoden, so you do not need paper tickets. Our guide to IC cards in Japan explains how to get one.

Passes: Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass or Noriorikun?

For most families coming from Tokyo Station, an IC card is enough; the passes pay off only in particular cases.

Pass	Price (adult / child)	Covers	Worth it if
Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass	¥1,640 / ¥430 from Shinjuku	Odakyu return from Shinjuku, unlimited Enoden and Odakyu in the area	You start from Shinjuku and do Enoshima too
Noriorikun	¥800 / ¥400	Unlimited Enoden for one day	You get on and off the Enoden three or more times

The Freepass does not cover JR, so it does not work for the direct train from Tokyo Station. The Romancecar limited express needs a separate ticket on top. The Noriorikun is sold at the ticket machines at every Enoden station and also gives small discounts at Hasedera, the Enoshima Sea Candle and the aquarium.

Children on the Enoden. Children aged 6 to 12 pay the child fare. Children aged 1 to 5 ride free, up to two per paying passenger, and babies under 1 are free.

Kamakura Day Trip Itinerary: The Classic Route

The classic one-day route runs from north to south: Kita-Kamakura, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Komachi-dori, the Great Buddha, Hasedera, then the Enoden along the coast to Enoshima. Start by 9:00; most temples close between 16:00 and 17:30.

Time	Stop	Getting there
09:00	Engaku-ji, Kita-Kamakura	1 minute from Kita-Kamakura Station
10:15	Tsurugaoka Hachimangu	One stop on JR to Kamakura, then a 10-minute walk
11:15	Komachi-dori and lunch	The street runs from Kamakura Station toward the shrine
13:00	The Great Buddha (Kotoku-in)	Enoden to Hase (5 min), then a 7-minute walk
14:00	Hasedera	5 minutes' walk from Hase Station
15:15	Enoshima	Enoden from Hase, under 20 minutes
17:00	Back to Tokyo	Odakyu from Katase-Enoshima, or Enoden back to Kamakura for JR

With children under about 6, I would drop Kita-Kamakura and start at Kamakura Station. That gives a lighter day: the shrine, Komachi-dori, the Great Buddha and the sea.

In Kamakura I have seen Komachi-dori, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Hasedera and the Great Buddha. Go to the sea as well; that side is beautiful. The food is good too, and I recommend eating there.
Mihiro Ono, founder of Japan Trails

The Main Temples and Shrines

Kamakura has dozens of temples; for one day, these four are the ones most families choose. They are places of worship, so keep voices low inside the halls, and follow the signs where photos are not allowed.

1. The Great Buddha (Kotoku-in)

The bronze Great Buddha, cast in the 13th century, has sat in the open air since its hall was lost centuries ago. It is the stop children remember, because of its size and because you can step inside the statue.

Fee: ¥300 adults, ¥150 children 6 to 12, under 6 free. Going inside the statue is ¥50 more
Hours: 8:00 to 17:30 from April to September, 8:00 to 17:00 from October to March. The inside of the statue closes at 16:30
Facilities: one wheelchair-accessible restroom; the temple has a barrier-free route on its grounds map. No parking

2. Hasedera

Hasedera is a temple on a hillside above the sea, dedicated to an eleven-faced Kannon. The lower garden has a pond and Benten-kutsu, a small cave with figures carved into the rock walls. The main hall and the view terrace are up stone stairs.

Fee: ¥400 adults, ¥200 primary school children
Hours: 8:00 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30); 8:00 to 17:30 from April to June
With children: the cave is low and dim, so hold small hands inside. The climb to the main hall is the part to plan for with a stroller

3. Tsurugaoka Hachimangu

The main Shinto shrine of Kamakura, at the top of the town's central avenue. It is free to enter, and the gates are open from 6:00 to 20:00 all year, which makes it the easiest stop to move around in the day. The main hall stands at the top of a long stone staircase; the ponds and the lower grounds are flat.

4. Engaku-ji (Kita-Kamakura)

One of Kamakura's great Zen temples, a minute from Kita-Kamakura Station. The grounds rise slowly through cedar trees from the gate.

Fee: ¥500 adults, ¥200 primary and junior high school children
Hours: 8:30 to 16:30 (to 16:00 from December to February)

Komachi-dori and What to Eat

Komachi-dori is the shopping street from Kamakura Station toward Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, lined with sweet shops, snack stands and small restaurants. It is where most families eat lunch and buy treats.

Snacks children tend to like: dango on a stick, soft-serve ice cream, rice crackers grilled while you wait, and small sweet cakes. Kamakura is also known for shirasu, tiny whitebait served on rice; it is a local speciality, but not every child will try it.

Eating as you walk. Kamakura City has a manners ordinance that asks visitors not to eat while walking in narrow or crowded places, because of complaints about ice cream on clothes and dango sticks. Eating outside is not banned. Step to the side, or eat at the shop, when the street is full.

Lunch. Restaurants on and around Komachi-dori fill up from about 11:30 at weekends. Eat early, or plan lunch near Hase or on Enoshima instead.

For lunch, I have used cafés along the coast.
Mihiro Ono, founder of Japan Trails

Enoshima: Add the Island to Your Day

Enoshima is a small island joined to the shore by a bridge, at the western end of the Enoden. Adding it turns the day into temples in the morning and the sea in the afternoon, which suits children well.

Enoshima Aquarium: a 10-minute walk from Enoshima Station. The easiest stop with a stroller and a good rainy-day plan
Enoshima Sea Candle: the lighthouse lookout tower at the top of the island, a 25-minute walk from Enoshima Station. Tower ¥800, child ¥400. The garden around it is free in the daytime
Enoshima Escar: a set of outdoor escalators up the island's hill. All three sections are ¥500, child ¥250. The Sea Candle set (garden, tower and Escar) is ¥1,100, child ¥550
Iwaya Caves: sea caves on the far side of the island, reached by steps down and back up. Best for children who can walk well

The island is steep. If the children are tired, the aquarium and the beach by the bridge are enough.

Kamakura with Kids: Strollers, Toilets and Ages

Kamakura works for all ages, but plan on a stroller for flat streets and a carrier for the temples with stairs.

Place	With a stroller
Komachi-dori	Possible, but slow when the street is full
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu	Lower grounds and ponds are flat; the main hall is up a long staircase
The Great Buddha	Yes; the temple marks a barrier-free route
Hasedera	Lower garden only; the main hall is up stone stairs
Enoshima	The bridge and the lower street, yes; the top of the island, carry

Enoden stations. Kamakura, Hase and Enoshima stations have step-free access from the platform to the street, multi-purpose restrooms and coin lockers. Hase Station is small and crowded; fold the stroller before the train comes if you can.

Toilets and baby rooms. The Enoden stations above and Kotoku-in have accessible toilets. I could not confirm nursing rooms at the temples on their official sites, so plan feeds before you set out from a station or a café.

By age.

Under 3: Tsurugaoka Hachimangu's lower grounds, the Great Buddha, the aquarium and the beach
4 to 8: add Hasedera's cave and the Enoden ride itself
9 and up: add Kita-Kamakura's temples, the Sea Candle and the Iwaya Caves

Best Time to Visit and the Hydrangea Season

The best times are spring and autumn on a weekday. June is famous for hydrangeas, especially at Hasedera and at the temples of Kita-Kamakura, but it is also the most crowded month after Golden Week.

Spring (March to May): cherry blossom in early April. Golden Week, from late April to early May, is the busiest week of the year
June: hydrangeas and the rainy season. In recent years Hasedera has asked visitors to its hydrangea path to buy a separate timed ticket; check the temple's site in May
Summer (July and August): beach season. Hot and humid; do the temples before 11:00
Autumn (October to early December): cooler, with autumn leaves at the temples from late November
Winter: quiet and clear. The best season for a calm day with small children

Crowds on the Enoden and How to Avoid Them

The Enoden is the bottleneck of a Kamakura day. On weekends, in Golden Week and in hydrangea season, the queue at Kamakura and Hase stations can run outside the station; Kamakura City's own reports note queues outside the station during the spring holidays.

Go on a weekday if you can
Ride the Enoden in the morning, from Kamakura toward Hase, before the midday rush
Walk or take a taxi for short hops instead of queuing
Come back from Enoshima by the Odakyu Line from Katase-Enoshima instead of the Enoden, if your pass allows

By private car. A car takes the Enoden queue out of the day, but parking near the sights is limited and the coast road is slow on weekends. On our private days the driver drops you at each stop and waits nearby. Kamakura is the same rate as our Hakone and Mt. Fuji days: US$990 for up to five guests for eight hours from your Tokyo hotel, with child seats. See our Mt. Fuji private tour for families for what the day includes, or ask us to plan a Kamakura day through our custom tours.

For other day trips, see our guides to Mt. Fuji and Hakone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is one day enough for Kamakura?

Yes, for the main sights. One day covers the Great Buddha, Hasedera, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu and Komachi-dori. Adding Enoshima makes a full day; with young children, choose Kita-Kamakura or Enoshima, not both.

How long does it take to get from Tokyo to Kamakura?

About 53 minutes from Tokyo Station on the JR Yokosuka Line, with no change. From Shinjuku, Zushi-bound JR trains take about 58 minutes.

Can you use a Suica card in Kamakura?

Yes. Suica and PASMO work on JR and on the Enoden. You only need a pass if you plan many Enoden rides or are starting from Shinjuku on the Odakyu Line.

How much does it cost to see the Great Buddha?

¥300 for adults and ¥150 for children aged 6 to 12. Children under 6 are free. Going inside the statue is ¥50 more.

Is Kamakura good for kids?

Yes. The Great Buddha, the Enoden train, the aquarium and the beach all work for young children. Plan a carrier for Hasedera's stairs and the top of Enoshima.

Are Kamakura and Enoshima worth doing in one day?

Yes, if you start by 9:00. Enoshima is 23 minutes from Kamakura on the Enoden. With toddlers, keep the island to the aquarium and the beach.