Home > Tours > Halal Tour > Half-Day Kamakura Highlights Tour (Muslim & Vegetarian Friendly)
Enjoy beautiful heritage and culture in the ancient capital of Kamakura - day trip from Tokyo!
Nestled in between green hills and blue ocean, Kamakura is a popular spot for day trippers from Tokyo. More than 800 years ago when the samurai were the ruling class of Japan, Kamakura prospered. Shogun of the area Minamoto no Yoritomo built up the town, aiming to make Kamakura the hub of Japan. These days many Buddhist temples and zen spots still remain.
① Meet up at JR Kamakura Station (9:00)
The tour will start from Kamakura Station, from where we go to Jōmyō-ji by bus.
② Jomyoji Temple (9:30-10:10)
Zen philosophy will be explored at this peaceful temple. You can enjoy a beautiful pebbled garden and enjoy listening to the birds and nature in peace as Jomyoji is slightly off the beaten path.
③Hokokuji Temple (10:15-11:00)
Hokokuji is most famous for a stunning bamboo forest of over 2000 trees, reminiscent of Arashiyama in Kyoto. Make your way through narrow paths in the bamboo forest to a teahouse where you will enjoy refreshing green tea.
④ Lunch at Kajiya (11:30-12:15)
After the Hokoku temple visit, we return to Kamakura Station by bus and have lunch at a restaurant located along Komachi. They serve seafood and tempura bowls using halal sauces. The menu also contained grilled fish and various other foods which the guide can explain to you. Here anyone, whether Muslim, vegetarian or vegan can find something delicious.
⑤ Tsurugaoka Hachimangu (12:35-13:20)
Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine is the biggest and most impressive shrine in the area and is known widely as the guardian deity of the warrior (samurai). At the shrine of Yukari Yoritomo you learn about the Kamakura shogunate during Japan's first samurai regime. Around the approach at Genpei pond in the spring you can find stunning cherry blossoms in full bloom. There is also a very impressive as well as festive display of traditional samurai known as "Yabusame (Horseback archery)." The area is said to be spiritually strong, and a large ginkgo tree that fell due to strong winds now has elongating shoots. This has gained popularity as a symbol of regeneration. Under the savvy of your guide, enjoy to your heart's content the ancient capital of Kamakura.
⑥ Komachi Street (13:25-13:55)
Komachi Street is a vibrant shopping street filled with trendy boutiques, cute cafes and lots of souvenirs. Explore the street and all the alleys alongside it which contain hidden quirky shops and historic buildings.
For our Muslim guests, there is the option to pray at Itohiko.
⑦ End the tour at JR Kamakura Station (14:00)
· Beautiful dry landscaped garden Jōmyō-ji
· Enjoy Hokoku temple surrounded by a fantastic bamboo forest, including a "tea experience"
· A delicious seafood lunch at “Blacksmith”
· Kamakura's largest and most impressive Shinto shrine Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine
· Shopping at Komachi street for unique Kamakura souvenirs
・For a limited time in August and September, a watermelon splitting experience in Yuigahama can be arranged. If you wish to experience this, please give notice at least one day in advance. An additional ¥1,000 will be charged per person.
・Tour duration can be extended at a rate of ¥3,000 per group, per hour, payable in cash.
| Price | From ¥10,000 / person ¥10,000 for 2 adults or more |
|---|---|
| Duration | 5 hours (approx.) |
| Hours of availability | 9:00-14:00 |
| Inclusions | ・Professional Guide (English) |
| Exclusions | · Food & drinks |
| Participants | 1-8 people |
JR Kamakura station, east exit.
Falia（Indonesia）★★★★★
Great Kamakura trip
I was coming to Japan for business trip and decided to extend for some trip in Japan. I am glad i found Omakase through internet and since the start i contacted them, the response was very good and helpful. I was recommended to have Kamakura trip and the itinerary was designed customize to meet my need. The tour guide, Yu-san is a super nice lady. She explain all the places and history in interesting way. I made some request adjustment to change one place and she was so accomodative. I really enjoyed the trip. And the lunch reservation was done by Takeshi san at Moslem restaurant which served halal food. The restaurant name is Kajiya. The taste of the lunch is yummy, I choose chicken teriyaki set. And surprisingly the gentleman from the restaurant gave me BonCabe since he asked where I came from. BonCabe is chily powder made in Indonesia.. so my lunch was so great.. and actually this restaurant always full not only with moslem but local Japanese too. I saw many young japanese during my lunch. I did not have to queue because Takeshi san already made reservation for me...yeaay...So overall this trip is a great experience for me..exceeding my expectation. Yu san also very patience took picture of me
Nancy（United States）★★★★★
Day Tour of Kamakura
I am writing to give my full fledged recommendation of our tour of Kamakura with Yu, our local Japanese tour guide.
She was exceptionally organized and was sweet enough to draw and color in a map of Kamakura for my kids and I. My son has a lot of dietary restrictions and she went out of her way to do research on restaurants that could accommodate him.
She was knowledgeable and gave us information and historical background on all the sites we went to visit. She was also flexible to change our schedule around at the last minute when we told her that there were other sites we would like to visit.
She pulled out origami paper and did origami for my kids while we waited for the train to take us back to Tokyo as well. I couldn’t have asked for a nicer more knowledgeable person.
I highly recommend this tour and you don’t have to be Muslim to do this tour.
And definitely ask for Yu.
Rainer（Germany）★★★★★
The 2. Kyoto
We had a half day guided tour in Kamakura. Our guide Norika was very friendly to us and she speeks really good English. We learned a lot about Japanese culture and traditions. We were invited to a short tea ceremonie which was very interesting for us. In Kamakura are so many temples and shrines. It would take 3 or 4 days to visit them all. We had a good lunch in a vegetarian restaurant in the pretty nice shopping road of the town. Very impressive for us was the big Buddha statue. Kanazawa is very close to Tokyo, you can reach it by train in about 30 minutes.
Eyad（USA）★★★★★
Amazing tour with Yoko
Yoko was our tour guide and she did a fantastic job. We saw all he highlights of Kamakura and everything was explained very well. We had just come from Tokyo and were looking to get out of the hustle and bustle of the place, so this was the perfect day trip. We were well cared for and Yoko knew what places were okay to eat for Muslims who wanted to eat halal or non-pork/non meat food. 10/10 and I recommend this tour to anyone coming to Kamakura in a small group.
Kirsten Marie Baluyot（USA）★★★★★
Awesome half day walking tour in Kamakura
We booked a trip the day before due to the rainy weather in Japan and took our chances. Luckily the day was mostly dry but very cold and cloudy. Our tour guide Teiko was amazing! Very sweet, kind, and nice to talk to. It was nice to have our own private tour guide for my family and I of 5 adults. It made it more personal. Teiko was always making sure we were ok and provided us with some disposable warmers. She even brought and offered an extra scarf! We got to know more about the temples and proper etiquette when visiting. We also got to know a little more about her personally during our lunch. I highly recommend taking this tour and if you can get it with Teiko! This is a great tour to go outside of Tokyo is you don’t have time to visit Osaka or Kyoto and want to see more than the busy life of Tokyo.
Nitasya（Singapore）★★★★★
Kamakura was lovely!
A quaint village outside of Tokyo, we had a nice time visiting and taking in the sights. Great shopping street as well!
