Miyagi Prefecture
Highlights of Sendai and Matsushima 1-day Private Tour
A private guided tour to experience the scenic and cultural highlights of Sendai and Matsushima all in one day. Begin the day with a train ride along the coast to Matsushima, to stroll the highlights of the historic seaside district and take a first-class cruise on Matsushima Bay. After Matsushima, transportation for the remainder of the tour is by private charter vehicle. The tour ends with drop-off at Sendai Station, or any hotel in the central Sendai area.
Convenient, no? Read about the tour highlights below!
Tour Nuts & Bolts
What's included
- English-speaking guide
- Exclusive access to Goza room of Kanrantei
- First-class cruise on Matsushima Bay
- Admission to all attractions included in tour
- Matcha tea and sweets set
- Lunch
- Train fare from Sendai to Matsushima
- Private charter vehicle service from Matsushima throughout remainder of tour
Price (tax included)
- 3 or more or more: ¥50,000 per person
- 2 people: ¥62,000 per person
- 1 person: ¥110,000
Availability
Year-round
Meeting location
Sendai Station West Exit
Important notes
Tour is subject to availability.
Please contact us at least 3 weeks in advance of your desired date to accommodate for schedules of local guides and providers who will lead your tour and experiences.
Please carefully read through the cancellation policy before sending a request through the booking form.
Tour Highlights & Itinerary
Exclusive experience at Kanrantei teahouse
Kanrantei is a historic teahouse overlooking Matsushima Bay. Enjoy exclusive access to the Goza room of Kanrantei, historically reserved solely for family members and honored guests of the ruling samurai clan. Gaze at the dazzling, gold leaf-adorned floor-to-ceiling wall paintings of the Goza as you savor matcha tea accompanied by wagashi sweets.
Entsuin Temple
At Entsuin, take in the tranquil beauty of the temple’s karesansui rock garden, bamboo grove, and mirror-like pond. The temple’s history is also fascinating—a temple founded in 1647 to honor a gifted young samurai in line to become the ruler of the Sendai Domain, but who passed away at the age of 19 under mysterious circumstances. He rests in a mausoleum vibrantly adorned with Western-inspired images of roses and crosses—but when these images came to be regarded as symbols of treason under Japan’s policy of isolationism, the hall of this young fallen samurai was sealed off. It remained sealed for centuries, until Japan’s period of isolation came to an end.
A delicious local lunch
Enjoy lunch at a casual local restaurant serving top-quality fare. Options include:
- All-you-can-eat Matsushima oysters at an oyster shack (winter only)
- Sushi or maguro tuna kaisendon seafood rice bowl at a seafood restaurant
- Wood-fired pizza at an Italian pizzeria
First-class Matsushima Bay cruise
Take in the iconic scenery of Matsushima Bay. Dotted with more than two hundred rocky, pine-clad islets, it is counted among the Three Views of Japan. From the first-class cabin and open-air deck of a sightseeing ship, enjoy not only panoramic, but also up-close views of the islets.
Zuihoden samurai mausoleum
Nestled in a towering grove of cedars next to the meandering Hirose River lies Zuihoden Mausoleum, where samurai warlord Date Masamune and his descendants are laid to rest. Its ornateness is historically accurate—Momomaya architecture restored to resemble what it looked like upon its original completion in 1637.
Site of Sendai Castle
Perched upon the diminuitive-yet-steep Mount Aoba, Sendai Castle was the stronghold of the Date clan from 1601 until the fall of the shogunate. Though the castle was razed as a result of World War II, the site has been designated a National Historic Site and the castle’s stone foundations have been rebuilt, offiering present-day visitors commanding views of the city below. The site is also home to the iconic statue of samurai warlord Date Masamune on horseback, a symbol of Sendai.
Itinerary
- 8:40 AM Meet guide at Sendai Station
- 8:56–9:37 AM Train ride to Matsushima
- 10:00–10:45 AM Tea and sweets in Goza room of Kanrantei
- 11:00–11:30 AM Entsuin Temple visit
- 11:45 AM–12:45 PM Lunch
- 1:00–2:00 PM First-class cuise on Matsushima Bay
- 3:00–4:00 PM Zuihoden visit
- 4:15–4:45 PM Sendai Castle Site visit
- 5:00 PM Tour ends at Sendai Station or hotel in central Sendai
Booking Inquiries
You can send a booking inquiry for this tour from the form below. After receiving your inquiry, we will confirm the availability with our partners and send you a booking confirmation email at least 3 days before your desired date.
Please note this form does not guarantee availability on your desired date. After receiving your inquiry, a confirmation email will be sent.
Cancellation Policy
8 or more business days before date of tour
No charge
7 business days to 4 business days before date of tour
20% of total price
3 business days to 2 business days before date of tour
50% of total price
From 1 business day before date of tour
100% of total price
