Kencho-ji to Engaku-ji, Kamakura: free self-guided walking tour
Quick answer. A free self-guided walking tour from Kencho-ji to Engaku-ji in Kamakura: 3 stops, about 1.7 km, about 25 minutes of walking plus about 18 minutes of listening. Start at Kencho-ji, founded in 1253 by the regent Hojo Tokiyori and the Chinese monk Rankei Doryu, first of Kamakura’s Five Great Zen Temples. Walk north to Tokei-ji, a nunnery founded in 1285 where, for about six hundred years, a wife could be freed from her marriage after two years of service; it closes at 4:30 pm, at 4 pm from October to March. Finish at Engaku-ji, founded in 1282 for the dead of the Mongol invasions, beside Kita-Kamakura Station.
- Stops:
- 3
- Distance:
- about 1.7 km
- Walking:
- about 25 min
- Listening:
- about 18 min
Two ways to do this walk
Kamakura with Mappu
Walk Mode, in the free Mappu app
It knows where you are, tells you about everything you pass between the stops, answers your questions and keeps you on the route. Your phone stays in your pocket.
A 2-hour live walk, €4.99.
50 credits from the Starter pack. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Self-guided audio walk. No guide accompanies you. Not affiliated with the sites.
Free: the audio guides
Listen to each stop’s audio guide in your browser and find your own way between the stops.
Walking directions in Google MapsKencho-ji to Engaku-ji, Kamakura: how long does the walk take?
About 43 minutes in all: about 25 minutes on foot over about 1.7 km, plus about 18 minutes of audio at the 3 stops. Time inside the sites is extra.
Kencho-ji to Engaku-ji, Kamakura: in what order should you visit the stops?
Follow the stops in this order: Kencho-ji, Tokei-ji, and Engaku-ji. The longest stretch between two stops is about 1.2 km, about 16 min on foot.
Route and map
Indicative route. While you walk, watch where you're going, mind the traffic and follow local signs and rules. The map is an aid, not a safety guide. Terms
Follow Mappu’s map: the route runs along the streets from stop to stop, and the stories keep playing as you walk.
To get to the first stop, or if you’re far from the route, Google Maps has walking directions through every stop.
Stop 1
Japan’s oldest Zen training monastery, founded in 1253 by the regent Hojo Tokiyori and the Chinese monk Rankei Doryu, first of Kamakura’s Five Mountains.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Tokei-ji · about 1.2 km, about 16 min on foot
Stop 2
A Zen nunnery founded in 1285 where, for about six centuries, a wife who reached its gate could be freed from her marriage after two years of service.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Engaku-ji · about 0.5 km, about 7 min on foot
Stop 3
Second of Kamakura’s Five Mountains, founded in 1282 by Hojo Tokimune for the dead of the Mongol invasions, with the largest temple bell in the Kanto region.
about 6 min of audio
The stop stories are AI-generated audio guides and can contain mistakes. Check opening hours and tickets on the official sites.
Planning a trip to Kamakura?
Get your plan
Mappu sketches your days free in the chat, no account needed. Then take the full plan with you:
- Weekend trip, €9.99: Your day-by-day plan plus 2 live walks
- Save your trip’s free guides on your phone in the Mappu app: they play with no signal
Before you go
- Check opening hours, tickets and access on each site’s official page before you go.
- Distances and times are estimates: the walking route between stops, from OpenStreetMap, at 4.5 km/h. Your route on the street may differ.
More walking tours in Kamakura
Route checked by Mappu on October 31, 2026. Stop descriptions come from each place’s published Mappu audio guide. Mappu is a Fenutech product.