Kamakura and Enoshima Bus Tour from Tokyo

How the Listings Compare

Each row below comes from the operator's own listing, and anything the listing does not state is marked that way.

What Is in the $61

Four things are included: entrance to Hase-dera, entrance to Kotoku-in for the Great Buddha, all fees and taxes, and the air-conditioned bus with an English and Chinese speaking guide. The two temple tickets are the real content of this price. On their own, Hasedera charges 400 yen for adults and Kotoku-in charges 300 yen for adults, so the gate value of what is bundled is modest but real.

One warning on the guide: because both languages may be provided on the same bus, part of your commentary may be in Chinese. That is stated in the listing, not a guess.

• Hase-dera entrance fee
• Kotoku-in (Great Buddha) entrance fee
• All fees and taxes
• Air-conditioned bus and English/Chinese speaking guide

What You Pay on the Day

Lunch is the biggest extra. Nothing to eat or drink is included, and the listing points to Komachi Street for local seafood and snacks during the 120 minutes there. At Enoshima, the garden, observation tower, caves and escalators come as a combined ticket of 1,100 yen if you want them, and the Iwaya Caves cost 500 yen separately.

Gratuity is not mentioned in the listing either way.

The Fine Print That Costs People Money

The bus departs on time with no exceptions, and late arrival or showing up at the wrong meeting point means no refund even if you call ahead. The operator asks you to notify them at least 2 days before departure if you want to change meeting points, and asks you to arrive 10-15 minutes early. Another trap: one piece of luggage per person is allowed, but anything in the trunk is unreachable between stops, so keep valuables with you.

Cancel more than 24 hours out and you get everything back. Finally, with fewer than 10 bookings the tour can be canceled, and you would hear about it roughly 3 to 4 days before departure.

Where the $61 Sits in the Market

The closest rival is the Kamakura and Enoshima Day Trip from Tokyo with Enoden Train Ride at $78 for 10 hours. That one includes an Enoden train ride but not the Great Buddha admission, which costs 300 yen extra at the gate, and it departs from Tokyo Station or Shinjuku. This bus tour is $61 with two temple tickets bundled.

If you would rather spend more of the day around Mt Fuji and Hakone instead, the Mount Fuji, Kamakura Big Buddha and Lake Ashi Day Trip covers three regions in 11 hours from $59.50, though the Buddha ticket there only comes with the Full Tour options. The full price-comparison table of day tours from Tokyo lives on the day tours from Tokyo.

Meeting and Departure

Ikebukuro travellers meet at 7:40 am in front of GLOBAL RING CAFE in Ikebukuro West Gate Park, a 1-minute walk from Ikebukuro Station Central West Exit, and the bus rolls at 7:50 am. Shinjuku travellers meet at 8:20 am in front of Shinjuku Post Office, about a 5-minute walk from Shinjuku Station West Exit, departing 8:30 am. Look for the guide with a blue flag, and wait along the wall rather than entering the post office building.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu and Komachi Street, 120 Minutes

The first and longest Kamakura stop is the city's premier Shinto shrine, reached through a grand torii gate with ponds, koi and gardens on the approach. The listing also points out Shirahata Shrine on the grounds, where Minamoto no Yoritomo, founder of the Kamakura shogunate, and his son Sanetomo are enshrined. The two hours cover both the shrine and the stroll down Komachi Street, a shopping avenue lined with snacks, Kamakura souvenirs and handmade crafts.

This is your lunch window, so plan food here rather than hoping for time later.

Hase-dera, 50 Minutes

Back on the bus for the short hop to Hase-dera, home to an eleven-headed wooden statue of Kannon, one of the largest of its kind in Japan. Fifty minutes is enough for the statue and the garden terraces, which also give wide views over Kamakura and the coast.

Kotoku-in and the Great Buddha, 30 Minutes

Thirty minutes with the 11-metre bronze Amida Buddha, which has sat in the open air for centuries. The listing notes you can enter the statue's interior, the tainai-kankan, though that costs an extra 50 yen on site and closes at 16:30, earlier than the grounds. Half an hour is a photo stop, not a study visit.

Enoshima, 120 Minutes and the Ride Home

The last two hours go to Enoshima, a small island west of Kamakura with shrines, ocean views and, on clear days, Mt Fuji in the distance. After Enoshima the coach drives back to Tokyo, and there is only one drop-off, near Shinjuku Station West Exit. Ikebukuro guests must make their own way back from Shinjuku.

No return time is stated, and the listing warns delays back to the drop-off are possible.

If You Hate Early Starts and Long Days

A 7:40 am meeting in Ikebukuro or 8:20 am in Shinjuku, followed by 9-10 hours on the road, is a real commitment. The bus rides between Tokyo and Kamakura and out to Enoshima eat up a large share of the day. If that sounds like too much in one hit, a kamakura day trip from Tokyo on your own schedule lets you drop Enoshima and start later.

If You Need a Small Group or a Quiet Guide

Up to 49 people is a full coach, and commentary may alternate between English and Chinese on the same bus. Travellers who want a smaller group should look elsewhere. The Kamakura and Enoshima Day Trip from Tokyo with Enoden Train Ride is the closest same-route alternative, with a coach and train format instead.

If Accessibility or Luggage Is a Constraint

Wheelchair access is not stated in the listing, so assume you must check with the operator before booking. The listing says the day is suitable for all fitness levels. Infants 0 to 3 ride free on an adult's lap, but if you need a seat for a small child it is booked at the child price.

One suitcase per person fits the vehicle, and anything in the trunk cannot be reached between stops.

If You Want Hotel Pickup or a Door-to-door Day

There is none. You walk to Ikebukuro or Shinjuku, and everyone is dropped near Shinjuku Station West Exit only, so Ikebukuro guests end the day across town from where they started. Travellers who want pickup should consider a private option such as the Mt Fuji Full-Day Private Customizable Tour with Hotel Pickup instead, which collects you in Tokyo's 23 wards.

The DIY Route, Stop by Stop

From Tokyo Station the JR Yokosuka Line reaches Kamakura in just under an hour for 1,040 yen, or from Shinjuku the JR Shonan-Shinjuku Line takes about one hour for the same 1,040 yen, though only trains bound for Zushi run through and others require a change at Ofuna. Tsurugaoka Hachimangu is a 10 to 15 minute walk from Kamakura Station and opens 6:00 to 20:00. Komachi Street is on that same walk.

Hasedera, entry 400 yen, is a five-minute walk from Hase Station on the Enoden. The Enoden from Kamakura to Enoshima takes 25 minutes for 260 yen, with trains about every ten minutes.

Passes and the Honest Verdict

The Odakyu Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass from Shinjuku costs 1,640 yen for adults and covers the round trip to Fujisawa, unlimited Enoden rides and Odakyu travel to Enoshima. The standalone fares for this itinerary are 1,040 yen on the JR line, 260 yen on the Enoden and 400 and 300 yen for the two temple entries. The train genuinely makes this day easy.

What the tour earns its price for is convenience: no timetable management, one vehicle between all five stops and a guide handling the two temple tickets. If you want the region properly, with Hakone or the Fuji area added, that is a job for a 2 day trip from Tokyo rather than a single long day, and the free day trips from Tokyo by train guide covers the standalone version in detail.