Kamakura in 3 days

Japan's samurai capital, now a seaside temple town an hour from Tokyo. Best time to visit: April-May, October-November. Average daily budget: $60 to $180 USD.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: Komachi-dori, The covered shopping street from the station, packed with street food and craft shops.

Morning: Kotoku-in Great Buddha. Stand under the 1252 bronze Amida and pay 50 yen to step inside it.

Afternoon: Explore Komachi-dori, The covered shopping street from the station, packed with street food and craft shops.

Evening: Hokokuji bamboo grove. Drink matcha at the teahouse surrounded by 2,000 stalks of moso bamboo.

Eat: Shirasu-don, tiny whitebait from Sagami Bay served raw or boiled over rice

Day 2, Go deeper

Base: Hase, Great Buddha and Hasedera temple, the busiest corner and closest to the beach.

Morning: Daibutsu hiking trail. Walk the 3km wooded ridge from Kita-Kamakura down to the Great Buddha.

Afternoon: Explore Hase, Great Buddha and Hasedera temple, the busiest corner and closest to the beach.

Evening: Enoden line to Enoshima. Ride the old tram as it squeezes between houses and runs beside the sea.

Eat: Kamakura vegetables in a shojin ryori temple lunch

Day 3, Hidden side

Base: Kita-Kamakura, Quieter northern valley with Engakuji and Kenchoji, the great Zen monasteries.

Morning: Zeniarai Benten shrine, where you wash your money in the cave spring for luck. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Kita-Kamakura, Quieter northern valley with Engakuji and Kenchoji, the great Zen monasteries.

Evening: Sugimotodera, the oldest temple in Kamakura, mossy and almost always empty. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Purple sweet potato soft serve on Komachi-dori

Hidden gems

Zeniarai Benten shrine, where you wash your money in the cave spring for luck
Sugimotodera, the oldest temple in Kamakura, mossy and almost always empty
Jomyoji's teahouse garden, a dry landscape you can sit with alone
Meigetsuin in June, when the hydrangeas turn the whole compound blue

Getting around

The JR Yokosuka line reaches Kamakura from Tokyo Station in 55 minutes for about 950 yen. Within town the Enoden tram links Kamakura, Hase and Enoshima; a one-day Enoden pass costs 800 yen. Central temples are walkable, and rental bikes near the station at 1,600 yen a day beat the crowded buses on weekends.

Safety

Kamakura is extremely safe, with the main risks being heat exhaustion on summer hikes and slippery trail sections after rain. Trails close after heavy storms. The Enoden and Komachi-dori are jammed on weekends and during hydrangea season, so go midweek. Rip currents at Yuigahama are real, so swim near lifeguard towers.

Kamakura in 5 days | Kamakura in 7 days | Full Kamakura guide