When we went to Japan in March on our trip with Go Ahead, we had the option of having a full free day in Tokyo or we could go on a guided day trip to Kamakura.

We opted to go to Kamakura!

While we would have loved to have more time in Tokyo, I’m hopeful we’ll return to Japan again in the future and I feel confident we’d be able to figure out Tokyo on our own.

We wanted to maximize our sightseeing so we decided to book the excursion out to Kamakura – plus the friends we were traveling with wanted to go as well, so it was settled!

The day trip was an add-on to our tour and was $135 per person. I felt this was worth the cost as that covered our train tickets, a local guide, a visit to the temples and sightseeing, and a lunch.

A day trip to Kamakura from Tokyo

We left our hotel in the Asakusa neighborhood around 8 a.m. and took the local train for a bit before switching to a commuter-style line out to Kamakura.

It was an hour train ride from Tokyo to Kamakura. We then had to get on the Enoden railway line, which was like a little tram or streetcar to get to the area with the temples. We met our local guide for the day and then we set off to see the coastal town.

First up was a visit to the Kamakura Hasedera temple. It was about a five minute walk from the Hase Station and entry is about ¥400 ($2.60 USD).

At the Kamakura Hasedera temple we saw the moving Jizo-do Hall that houses the small statues to honor the lives of lost children. The statues of the Jizo Bodhisattva helps the souls of these children reach paradise. On our walk around the grounds, we also saw the statue in honor of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, and a Buddha statue.

The grounds also included beautiful gardens and a neat cave (Benten-kutsu), that had tons of sculptures of Benten, a goddess of feminine beauty and wealth.

The temple offers a stunning view of the coastline and we got very lucky the weather in Kamakura was a complete 180 of our weather in Tokyo. It was sunny and warm and it was a beautiful day to be out and about visiting the temples and shrines.

Then it was time for our included sit-down lunch featuring a variety of traditional Japanese dishes, like pickled vegetables, prawns, tofu, soup, and noodles. If we didn’t have an included lunch, it didn’t seem like it would be a challenge to find a great spot for lunch, and there were plenty of shops and vendors selling sweets and treats everywhere.

Next up was a visit to the main attraction: the Great Buddha.

The statue was built more than seven centuries ago and because it is so large, it was cast in 30 separate stages. In 1960, some repairs were made to the statue to ensure the head was reinforced and sturdy, and a stainless steel plate was added to protect it from earthquakes.

We had plenty of time to get souvenirs, snap pictures, and even go inside the statue!

We then walked along a trail that should have been full of bloom cherry blossom trees, but sadly it was not. But, we did get to visit the beautiful Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine!

The shrine was originally built in 1063, but located on a different site and was dedicated to the deity of samurai and war, Hachiman. The shrine moved to its current location in 1191. 

We were supposed to have free time in Kamakura for some shopping or snacking, but unfortunately there was an emergency on the train tracks so we had to head back int Tokyo ASAP before schedule changes impacted our ability to get back to the city.

We took the train back to Tokyo and got into the city around 5 p.m. and then made our way to the Akihabara area to see enough anime, cat cafes, and toy vending machines to last us a lifetime!

Overall we’re really glad we opted to do the Kamakura day trip from Tokyo! It was neat to see these temples and see the Great Buddha up close and personal (real personal by going inside of it)!

I do wish we’d had that time at the end of the day to check out some souvenir shops or check out the fun themed cafes, but we still got our money’s worth from this day trip.

What other day trips from Tokyo have you done or been recommended to check out? Share yours in the comments below!