Is half-day sufficient to tour Kamakura?

I'm planning to bring my family (total of 8 pax) to visit Kamakura for half a day (afternoon). Just wondering if it will be sufficient and worthwhile (transport cost and time)?

We are not expecting to visit every temples, just wanted to explore some parts and visit perhaps a few temples and the large buddha statue.

Our current plan is to take the Yokosuka Line from Tokyo Station to Kamakura Station at about 1-2pm and stay there for 2-3 hours.

Thank you.

From Tokyo to kamakura :
For myself, i will buy JR nonbiri holiday suica pass 1 day = 2670 yen
So 4 person =2670 @4=10680 yen

It is almost a two hour round trip so personally I do not feel it is worth it to stay for only two hours. If you have plans in the morning and evening such that you can not afford to stretch to four or five hours I would not bother personally. With that being said three hours would be sufficient to see the Buddha statue, one or two temples, and do a very limited amount of exploration. But I do not think it is worth the effort and time personally.

There is so much to see that I wouldn�ft recommend it - but if that�fs the only time you have, you could do: Kamakura station - take a train and then walk to the big Buddha - stop over at Hase-dera Temple - get back to Kamakura station - take a walk through the streets with small shops to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine, then get back to Kamakura station, in half a day.

There are some nice trails you could enjoy at a leisurely pace, but for that you'd need more time. (Please check Japan Guide�fs page on Kamakura for a suggested full-day itinerary.) Also you�fd miss the zen temples such as Kencho-ji Temple and Engaku-ji (near Kita-Kamakura station), but this would require a somewhat long walk. And I don�ft know what your big family�fs interests may be.

If all members of your group are adults who are interested in historical and traditional aspects (meaning without children who might get bored quickly in an old city), I would recommend staying longer there. In my opinion, 2 or 3 hours are too short to thoroughly explore Kamakura and may feel rushed.

Our current plan is to take the Yokosuka Line from Tokyo Station to Kamakura Station at about 1-2pm and stay there for 2-3 hours.

Hasedera last entry at 16:30 and the great Buddha at 16:45.. So if you only start at 14:00 in Tokyo you�fd be roughly at 15:20 at Hasedera then have maybe 40 min to visit the rush over to the great Buddha to get into the grounds on time (Buddha interior closes even earlier). The Hachimangu closes much later.

Overall I agree with PPs that half a day in Kamakura seems insufficient. However, if you reduce to where you want to go to less places it can be doable.

If you just want a memorable temple why not try Shibamata in Tokyo?

Yes, with that time budget you would miss Enoshima which to me is the best part

Not enough time. Don't bother and do something closer.

Ordinarily, I too would like to spend more than just a few hours in Kamakura, and so if I only have a few hours of free time, I' usually save it for another day.

That said, I live in Yokohama, about 20 minutes by train from Kamakura, so for me "saving it for another day" means going the next weekend. If you're visiting from overseas, and not sure when/if you'll be back in Japan again, then I'd probably go, even if only for a few hours. With three hours, you've got enough time to see the Great Buddha, and at least one or two of the other major sights (Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Hasedera Temple, Zeniaraibenten), all of which are very cool and have a different vibe than you'll find at temples/shrines in bigger cities like Tokyo. Seeing the Great Buddha, I know, is a travel bucket list item for a lot of people, and I'd definitely recommend seeing it if you have the chance.

On a side note, Kamakura is sort of a unique travel destination in that it works best as a day trip (most of the sightseeing attractions close at sundown, most restaurants and other travel amenities aren't open very late, and there aren't a lot of hotels), but its attractions are spread out enough that it's logistically difficult to see them all in one day. In my opinion, that makes Kamakura the sort of place where you're always going to have some things left over on your wanted-to-see list, so personally I'd go and see what I can, even with only a few hours.

People in Tokyo often do half-day group trips to Kamakura. College classes, hobby groups and relative groups are typical examples.

In fact, dragging around a group of 8 for more than 3 hours can be quite stressful. Plan well, be sure you make reservations if you're having tea or meals, and you'd be fine. At least, that's how I see it from experiences of myself and family. Yes, 2-3 hours is short, but it's just long enough to be able to say, "I experienced Kamakura."

My biggest concern, however, is whether you have someone experienced in leading a group of 8. Perhaps you should consider hiring a tour guide (professional or a goodwill one) or simply join some kind of a local bus tour. In Kamakura, you have to know your way while making sure every member is following you all through the narrow pavements and vast temples. You'd also want to visit a beach, because that's the one thing different from Kyoto.

And most importantly, it would be best if you do it on a weekday, because Saturdays and Sundays tend to attract too many tourists.

Different people have different travel styles. If you are one of the people who likes to travel at a fast pace (not really typical for a self-guided group of 8 travelers) and prefers quick visits of seeing just 1-2 highlights vs. slow-paced, in-depth visits, then it is possible.

As mentioned, the trip from Tokyo takes about an hour one way, and most spots close around 4pm. So, if you arrive around noon, you have enough time for a couple of spots.

If for just 2 hours, then no, don't even try it. Three is a little better, but I'd still say to go somewhere else instead unless your heart is set on it and you just don't see yourself going back to Japan in the foreseeable future.
If you still want to try it, there are 3 main sights - the Kotokuin Great Buddha, Hasedera Temple, and the Tsurugaoka Shrine. With one very big honorable mention to the Hokokuji Temple with its really nice bamboo garden. Kotokuin you can be done with in just 20-30 minutes tops (be sure to go inside the stature as well). The other 2 you can get through in 45-60 minutes each if you don't linger and your pace is normally fairly brisk. Kotokuin & Hasedera are not far from each other, but Tsurugaoka is much closer to Kamakura Stn.
https://goo.gl/QSBdAq

If you want to put in more time, there are several other good places worth visiting there. A full day is much more preferable, and actually there are enough sights in Kamakura to fill up 2 days, or even more if you want to do some hiking there.
If you decide it's not worth going to Kamakura this time, Yokohama is much closer and also has a number of good places.

I would not travel with a family of 8 to Kamakura for just 2 hours. The sites in Kamakura are somewhat spread out, but even if you choose only nearby sites, you'll only really be able to see 1 or 2 (maybe 3) places in that amount of time. Having 8 people will also likely slow you down depending on the ages and interests of each person.

Where do you want to visit in Kamakura during those 2 hours?