About this tour
When Jake from our BugBitten team took this tour, we discovered a genuinely peaceful escape from Tokyo's sprawl — just an hour away via the Odakyu Line. The day strings together Oyama Afuri Shrine (reached by a short cable car journey), a historic pilgrimage town, and Hinata Yakushi Temple, a forest-set complex with over a thousand years of Buddhist heritage tucked into Kanagawa. We walked stone paths, ate ramen in a converted lodging house, and spotted Important Cultural Property statues inside the temple's treasury. Six hours total, and the mix of spiritual sites and natural setting felt genuinely unhurried.
Highlights
- Cable car ascent to shrine with views across Kanagawa's rolling terrain
- Ramen lunch served in an old pilgrim's lodging — atmospheric and filling
- Important Cultural Property Buddhist statues in Hinata Yakushi's treasury hall
- Forest sanctuary feeling at 1,200-year-old temple amid tall timber
- Stone stairways and paths avoid crowds you'd hit in central Tokyo
- Guided walk through historic streets where pilgrims and samurai once travelled
- Relaxed pacing means time to actually absorb the spiritual sites
What to expect
Jake's day started at Isehara Station, where the group caught a local bus to Mount Oyama's base. The six-minute cable car ride up to Oyama Afuri Shrine set the tone — steep but smooth, views opening out as you climbed. The shrine itself is compact and active; you'll see working priests and locals making offerings. It's not a museum piece, which gives it real presence.
After descending, the group wandered the old pilgrim town on foot — narrow lanes, traditional shopfronts, low-key. Lunch ramen came at a restaurant actually built inside a converted lodging house, which is a nice touch. The afternoon bus ride to Hinata Yakushi Temple planted us in genuine forest — the kind of quiet that feels rare near Tokyo. The temple treasury requires paid admission and is worth the time; the statues are museum-quality but in their original spiritual context. Walking here is uneven (stone, slopes, stairs), so pace is genuinely relaxed. You're not being rushed through checkboxes.
What travellers say
- Genuine spiritual sites, not theme-park versions of temples and shrines
- Cable car takes the grind out of reaching the shrine
- Lunch inside a historic pilgrim's lodging adds texture and story
- Forest temple setting feels remote despite proximity to Tokyo
- Mix of walking, transport, and sitting breaks the day naturally
- Important Cultural Property artworks in their original context
- Uneven stone paths and stairs throughout — needs solid walking shoes
- Not suitable for spinal injuries, pregnancy, or poor cardiovascular health
- Cable car and transport pass bought separately — easy to overlook cost
- Peak days can draw school groups and local pilgrim crowds
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
This tour genuinely delivers what it promises — spiritual sites without the tourist machinery, natural setting, and a guide who knows the history. It suits anyone wanting to step out of Tokyo for a day without overexerting. The cable car does the heavy lifting so you're not scrambling up a mountain. Lunch is included and decent.
Walking is constant and involves uneven stone paths, slopes, and stairs; this isn't flat. Not recommended if you have spinal issues, are pregnant, or have cardiovascular concerns. Early morning start suits some better than others. The Tanzawa-Oyama Freepass (cable car, train, bus included) isn't built into the price — you buy it separately at a vending machine. Lunch doesn't include a hot drink, which Jake noted on a cool day. Peak times (weekends, Japanese holidays) can draw pilgrims and school groups. Bring solid walking shoes, layers, and a small pack. Group size and exact meeting time confirm with the operator.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.