First visit
Temple loop
Kamakura Station start
- Great Buddha300 yen
- Hasedera400 yen
- By Enoden5 minutes to Hase
Tick-off list
Kamakura day trip itinerary, hour by hour
6 things to tick off
For your Kamakura day
Tick things off as you go; this phone or computer remembers them.
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Hold my placeTemples open at different hours and close at different hours, so the order of your day matters more than the number of stops. Here is a plan that follows the clocks.
Editorial team, kamakuradaytrip.quest · Updated November 1, 2026 · A 6-minute read
Quick answer
- StartKita-Kamakura at 8:30, when Engakuji and Kenchoji open.1,2
- MiddleTsurugaoka Hachimangu and Komachi Street around Kamakura Station.3,4
- AfternoonEnoden to Hase for the Great Buddha and Hasedera.5,6
- FinishEnoshima, 23 minutes further by Enoden.7
- Easy modeOne bus day does five stops with temple tickets included.
How long a Kamakura itinerary needs
Be honest about the time before you draw a route. The Japan National Tourism Organization says a visit to the Kamakura area can easily fill up a whole day, and it strongly recommends overnight stays.8 The ride from Tokyo takes about an hour each way, which leaves you most of the day on the ground.9
The clock that really limits you is the temples' closing time. Kotoku-in is open 8:00 to 17:00 from October to March and until 17:30 from April to September, with entry up to 15 minutes before closing.10 Hasedera is stricter in winter, opening at 8:00 and taking its last visitors at 16:30 from July to March.11
So the Kamakura itinerary below puts the places with the shortest windows in the early or middle part of the day, and leaves the open-air or late-closing places for the end. If you arrive after noon, drop the northern temples and keep the Great Buddha and the sea. If you arrive very early, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is the one place that already welcomes visitors, since its royal gate opens at 6:00.12
Opening times
Sights, hours and time on a bus day
| Sight | Opens | Adult fee | Bus day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engakuji | 8:30 | 500 yen | Skipped |
| Kenchoji | 8:30 | 500 yen | Skipped |
| Tsurugaoka | Gate 6:00 | Hall 200 yen | 1 hr |
| Kotoku-in | 8:00 | 300 yen | 30 min |
| Hasedera | 8:00 | 400 yen | 50 min |
| Hokokuji | 9:00 | 400 yen | Skipped |
Opening times and fees from the Kamakura City Tourist Association; the last column is the time each stop is given on this site's bus day.1,2,12,29,10,26,11,27,20,21
Morning: the Zen temples of Kita-Kamakura
Start at Kita-Kamakura Station, one stop before Kamakura on the JR line.15 Engakuji is a 1-minute walk away, opens at 8:30 from March to November, and charges 500 yen for adults.16,1,17 Engakuji and Kenchoji belong to the group called the Kamakura Gozan, the Five Mountains of Kamakura, famous Zen Buddhist temples that are great for walking.18 Allow a calm pace between them, because the walk is half the pleasure.
Kenchoji is next, about 15 minutes on foot from the same station toward Kamakura.13 It charges 500 yen for adults and ranks first among Kamakura's Five Great Zen Temples.2,19 Together they make a quiet start, in the one part of the day when the lanes are least crowded.
If bamboo is on your list, Hokokuji, the Bamboo Temple, opens at 9:00 and charges 400 yen, but it is a 35-minute walk from Kamakura Station, so only add it if you have time.20,21,22 Matcha tea with dried sweets in the bamboo garden costs 600 yen on top of the fee.23 In June, Meigetsuin nearer Kita-Kamakura is the hydrangea stop, 10 minutes on foot from the station.24,25
Entry fees
Adult admission in yen
Midday: Tsurugaoka Hachimangu and Komachi Street
From Kita-Kamakura it is one stop to Kamakura Station, the center of any Kamakura itinerary. Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is a 10-minute walk from the east exit, and its royal gate is open from 6:00 in the morning until 8:00 in the evening, which makes it easy to fit in at any hour.3,12
The shrine is the heart of the city. Minamoto no Yoritomo, who founded the Kamakura Shogunate, moved it to its present site in 1180.31 The Treasure Hall charges 200 yen for adults if you want to go in.29
Komachi Street runs parallel to the avenue from the east exit toward the shrine, and it is a 2-minute walk from the station.32,4 This is the place to stop for lunch. Our bus day gives the shrine 1 hour and the street 1 hour, which is a good rule of thumb for the same order on your own.
Decision helper
Which Kamakura day suits you?
Match the plan to your time and interests
If I love Zen gardens
Start in Kita-Kamakura
Kenchoji ranks first among Kamakura's Five Great Zen Temples.19
If I want the Great Buddha and the sea
Enoden to Hase, then Enoshima
If I come in June
Add Meigetsuin or Hasedera
Hydrangeas run early June to early July.30
If I do not want to plan
Take the bus day
Hase-dera and Kotoku-in tickets are included.
If I arrive late
Keep Hase and Enoshima
Kotoku-in closes at 17:00 or 17:30.10
Afternoon: the Great Buddha and Hasedera
From Kamakura Station, ride the Enoden to Hase. It takes 5 minutes and costs 200 yen for an adult.5 The Great Buddha at Kotoku-in is a 7-minute walk from Hase Station.6
Admission is 300 yen for adults, plus 50 yen if you want to climb inside the statue, which is viewable from 8:00 to 16:30 with entry until 16:20.26,33,34 Our bus day allows 30 minutes here, which is enough for the statue and a lap around it. The Great Buddha is 13.35 m tall including its platform and sits in the open air.35,36
Hasedera is a 5-minute walk from Hase Station, charges 400 yen for adults and has a lookout platform over the city and the ocean.27,37 The bus day gives it 50 minutes. In the hydrangea season, early June to early July, it is one of the places to be, so allow more time then.30
The Kamakura day, stop by stop
An hour-by-hour plan for Kamakura
Early
Kita-Kamakura
Engakuji opens at 8:30, Kenchoji is a 15-minute walk on.1,13
Late morning
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu
A 10-minute walk from the east exit of Kamakura Station.3
Lunch
Komachi Street
2 minutes from the station; the bus day gives it 1 hour.4
Early afternoon
Great Buddha
Mid afternoon
Hasedera
Last entry 16:30 from July to March; the bus day allows 50 minutes.11
Evening
Enoshima
Evening: ending on Enoshima
From Kamakura Station the Enoden reaches Enoshima Station in 23 minutes for 260 yen, so it is easy to treat the island as the end of the day rather than a separate trip.7 The Enoden's nearest stations for the island and its aquarium are on that stretch.38
Odakyu describes the Enoshima Sea Candle, a symbol of Shonan, as a perfect spot for views of Enoshima at sunset, and says that on clear days you might even see Mount Fuji.14,39 Enoshima Shrine is one of Japan's three great shrines dedicated to Benzaiten.40
Allow time. Our bus day gives Enoshima 2 hours, the longest stop of the day, and lists the Sea Candle and the Iwaya Cave as optional with an extra fee. A good rule is to leave the Sea Candle for last if the sky is clear, so the sunset view closes the day.
Video
Discover the magic of Kamakura: the perfect day trip from Tokyo
Tokyo Cheapo on YouTube · YouTube stays silent until you press play.
A visit to the Kamakura area can easily fill up a whole day with the amount of sights to see. Overnight stays are strongly recommended.
The same day on one bus tour
If you would rather not manage a map, a bus tour covers the same ground. This site's tour is a 9.5-hour day from Tokyo with the stops Tsurugaoka Hachimangu 1 hour, Komachi Street 1 hour, Hase-dera 50 minutes, Kotoku-in 30 minutes and Enoshima 2 hours. It starts from $51, with a rating of 4.53 from 1,638 reviews.
Hase-dera and Kotoku-in tickets are included, along with an air-conditioned vehicle and an English and Chinese speaking guide. Meeting is at 7:40 AM in Ikebukuro or 8:20 AM in Shinjuku, and the only drop-off is the Shinjuku area.
Bring cash for lunch and for the optional Enoshima extras, since some places do not accept cards. A guest who wants to leave the group midway tells the guide beforehand and fills in a departure form.
FAQ
Asked often, answered briefly.
How many hours do you need in Kamakura?
A whole day.
The tourist office says the area can easily fill a day and recommends staying overnight.8
What is the best order for the temples?
When does the Great Buddha close?
At 17:00 or 17:30.
Kotoku-in closes at 17:30 from April to September and 17:00 from October to March.10
How long should I spend at each stop?
Use the bus day as a guide.
It gives 1 hour at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, 30 minutes at Kotoku-in and 2 hours at Enoshima.
Can I do Kamakura and Enoshima in one day?
Yes.
The Enoden takes 23 minutes from Kamakura Station to Enoshima Station.7
Is there a day pass for the whole route?
Where does the bus day start?
Ikebukuro or Shinjuku.
Meeting is at 7:40 AM in Ikebukuro or 8:20 AM in Shinjuku.
Sources
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Engakuji Temple ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Kenchoji Temple ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Komachi Street ↩
- Enoshima Electric Railway · Access ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Kotokuin Temple (Great Buddha) ↩
- Enoshima Electric Railway · Access ↩
- Japan National Tourism Organization · Kamakura ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Getting to Kamakura ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Kotokuin Temple (Great Buddha) ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Hasedera Temple ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Kenchoji Temple ↩
- Odakyu Electric Railway · Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · JR (Transportation) ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Engakuji Temple ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Engakuji Temple ↩
- Japan National Tourism Organization · Kamakura ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Kenchoji Temple ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Hokokuji Temple ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Hokokuji Temple ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Hokokuji Temple ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Hokokuji Temple ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Meigetsuin Temple ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Meigetsuin Temple ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Kotokuin Temple (Great Buddha) ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Hasedera Temple ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Meigetsuin Temple ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine ↩
- Odakyu Electric Railway · Enoshima and Kamakura ↩
- Japan National Tourism Organization · Kamakura ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Komachi Street ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Kotokuin Temple (Great Buddha) ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Kotokuin Temple (Great Buddha) ↩
- Kotoku-in · An Overview of the Great Buddha ↩
- Kotoku-in · Kotoku-in ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Hasedera Temple ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Enoshima Electric Railway ↩
- Odakyu Electric Railway · Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass ↩
- Odakyu Electric Railway · Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Seasons in Kamakura
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Seasons in Kamakura
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Seasons in Kamakura
- Odakyu Electric Railway · Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass ↩
- Odakyu Electric Railway · Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass ↩
- Kamakura City Tourist Association · Unlimited Ride Transit Passes