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Sendai / Matsushima Half-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Select Date and Travelers
Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance. Learn More
4 Hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: Japanese, English
Overview
This value-packed trip with a government-licensed and experienced multilingual tour guide is a fantastic and efficient way to explore Sendai and Matsushima!
Sendai is a city that sits at the doorstep of the nation’s more wild side. It’s a day trip from secluded mountain retreats, rugged coastlines, and remote islands. At the same time, it’s one of Japan’s most modern and sophisticated cities with a culinary scene that will challenge and surprise.
Let us know what you would like to experience and we will customize a four-hours tour that's best for you!
Note*1: Please select your must-see spots from a list in the tour information to create your customized itinerary.
Note*2: The National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter certification is issued by the Japanese government requires a good knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and history.
What's Included
- Meet up with guide on foot within designated area of Sendai
- Licensed Local English Speaking Guide
- Customizable Tour of your choice of 2-3 sites from 'What to expect' list
- Transportation fees, Entrance fees, Lunch, and Other personal expenses
- Private transportation
- You cannot combine multiple tour groups.
- Guide Entry fees are only covered for sights listed under What to Expect.
Meeting And Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
What To Expect
Zuihoden
Zuihoden is also known as the Mausoleum of Date Masamune who was the first lord of the Sendai Domain. He was also known for being a great architect and is known for having designed this building during the Momoyama Period. Zuihoden is a riot of gorgeous wood carvings and panels as well as some pretty art work and you can also go for a walk around the grounds. The paths are shaded by beautiful cedar trees which are also mean to be a symbol of the longevity of the Date family.
1 Minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Sendai Castle Guidance House
The Sendai Castle Ruins were the inspiration for a famous Japanese poem called ‘The moon over the desolate castle’ and this tells you all you need to know about their condition now. The ruins also do include a model of the original gate to give you a feel of how Sendai Castle would have looked in the days of old. There is also a small museum here that takes you through the history of the castle although don’t expect anything too grand as Sendai is not one of the cities in Japan that is best known for a complete or particularly impressive castle. If that is what you are looking for then there are plenty of other options in other cities.
1 Minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
SS30
If you want to get the best views in Sendai then you need to head to SS 30 Observation Lounge. This building is actually an office block so there is not much to check out here except for two observation decks on the 29th and 30th floors. These are free to visit and give you panoramic vistas across all of Sendai so try to come in the morning or the late afternoon when you will get the best photo opportunities from the decks.
1 Minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Chiteinomori Mueum
The Museum of the Forest of Depths of the Earth is dedicated to telling you the story of the stone age in Japan. On a visit here you can find out all how the Saki Stone Age would have looked in the days of old and learn more about the excavation of the Tomizawa Ruins. The museum has a huge number of galleries and if you want to know more about the 20,000 year Saki Stone Age then this is the best place to come.
1 Minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Kirin Beer Sendai Factory
Discover Kirin's special production methods and the secret of the delicious taste. You woll discover how to enjoy the KIRIN ICHIBAN brewery tour. *You need to make a reservation in advance, please ask your guide to book a tour.
1 Minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Matsushima Bay
Located half an hour outside of Sendai, Matsushima (松島) is famous for its bay, which is dotted by many pine clad islets and has been ranked one of Japan's three most scenic views for centuries. The small town is also known for Zuiganji, one of the Tohoku Region's most important Zen temples. Matsushima was hit by the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011, but escaped major damage thanks to its protected location inside the island dotted bay. Most tourist attractions, shops and hotels reopened within a few weeks or months of the earthquake.
1 Minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Zuiganji
Zuiganji (瑞巌寺) is one of the Tohoku Region's most famous and prominent Zen temples, and is well known for its beautifully gilded and painted sliding doors (fusuma). Zuiganji was originally founded in 828 as a temple of the Tendai sect, and was converted into a Zen temple during the Kamakura Period (1192-1333). After years of decline, Zuiganji was restored to prominence by the feudal lord Date Masamune who rebuilt it as his family temple in 1609.
1 Minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Fukuurajima
Fukuura Island (福浦島, Fukuurajima) is one of the few pine covered islands in Matsushima Bay that is accessible to the public. The island is reached via a 252 meter long, red painted bridge that costs 200 yen (round trip) to cross. The bridge was damaged by the tsunami of March 11, 2011 and had to undergo repair works.
1 Minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Entsu-in Temple
Entsuin Temple (円通院, Entsūin) was built in 1647 next to Matsushima's most important temple, Zuiganji Temple, to house the mausoleum of Date Mitsumune, the son of the ruling local feudal lord Date Terumune. The temple was built in mourning and is devoted to Kannon, the Buddhist goddess of mercy, as Mitsumune died an untimely death at the age of 19.
1 Minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Kanrantei
Kanrantei (観瀾亭) is a Momoyama-style tea house originally built in Kyoto by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who gave it to Date Masamune for his service. Date's son eventually moved it to its current location overlooking Matsushima Bay. Kanrantei means "place to view ripples on water", due to its beautiful view over the water and surrounding islands.
1 Minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Godaido
Godaido (五大堂, Godaidō) is a small temple hall on an islet just next to the pier. Due to its prominent location, it has become a symbol of Matsushima. Godaido was built in 807 and contains five statues which were enshrined by the same priest who founded nearby Zuiganji. The statues are displayed to the public only once every 33 years, and were last displayed in 2006.
1 Minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Matsushima Kaigan Ekimae V Information Center
Oshima Oshima (雄島) is a small, pine tree-covered island close to the pier of Matsushima. The island can be accessed over a short bridge free of charge and offers some pleasant, short walks. There are multiple small shrines and viewpoints dotted about the island. Oshima used to be a retreat for monks, and decorated meditation caves can still be found on the island. The bridge to Oshima was destroyed in the 2011 tsunami, but was rebuilt and reopened two years later.
1 Minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Sendai City Museum
Sendai City Museum was built in the Sannomaru enclosure on the site of the remains of Sendai castle for the purpose of preserving, exhibiting, and studying a set of materials (cultural assets) donated by the Date family of Sendai (One of the samurai families that has continued since the Kamakura Era.) . The museum houses a collection of documents from the Keicho mission to Europe—a national treasure that includes a portrait of Hasekura Tsunenaga that is also a national treasure as well as a registered UNESCO Memory of the World—and historical and artistic collections, mostly from the Edo period, that concern Sendai.
5 Minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- This is a walking tour. Pick up is on foot.
Operated by Japan Guide Agency
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
- Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
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