Sendai & Matsushima Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Guide

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1. 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 min

2. 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 min

3. 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 min

4. ****Closed for long-term renovation from August 31, 2026, through the end of March 2029********* 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.

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5. 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.

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6. 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 min

7. 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 min

8. 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 min

9. 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 min

10. 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 min

11. 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 min

12. 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 min

Afbestilling

Gratis afbestilling indtil 24 timer før oplevelsen starter, med fuld refusion.

Anmeldelser

Bedømmelserne kommer fra 25 anmeldelser, som vores bookingpartner har indsamlet. Det er de rejsendes egne ord, i den rækkefølge de blev skrevet — aldrig omrokeret for at pynte på oplevelsen.

Her vises anmeldelser skrevet på engelsk.

• 1What happens if your ship cannot dock due to weather.

  Had to hit one star to make this survey advance. We were unable to go on tour. The ship couldn’t dock due to waves being too high to tender. And we couldn’t contact the tour guide as we had no cell or phone service until this morning.

  JACQUE_Moktober 2026via Viator

• 5Sanichi the great tour guide of Sendai

  We met Sanichi at the Sendai station in the morning and jumped on a bus to Rinnoji for our first stop. Sanichi was very friendly and his English was excellent. He knew the area very well and was able to tell us about the local history as well as details about each sight we visited. He was very flexible and accommodated us in every way. We did lots of walking and he led the way much of the time. I highly recommend Sanichi as a tour guide for any English speakers who want to see the great sights of Sendai. A+

  L9686AOpeterajuli 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Fantastic half-day in Matsushima

  We had a wonderful half day tour with our friendly and knowledgeable guide, Riko. She was so accommodating, adjusting the tour to our fitness level and interests. We started at the beautiful Fukuurabashi bridge, touring the island, then we went to observe the Zuiganji temple caves. Riko had so much information about the sites’ histories and the different impact of weather and natural disasters. It was an excellent experience and if you are fortunate enough to get Riko, she is an outstanding guide with perfect English.

  Michelle Sjuni 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Fun Day in the bay!

  Be ready to walk briskly to make the ferry boat! Our guide Riko-san was wonderful and her local knowledge was very informative.

  Nate_Kmaj 2026via Viator

• 5Riko-san is the best guide!

  I originally booked with TripAdvisor, but cancelled it in order to get a longer tour--8 hours instead of 6. Riko-san was our guide, and she was very knowledgeable about the Sendai/Matsushima area and the attractions we visited. She was also flexible with times and at the end of a long day she even shared the location of her favorite sushi restaurant! Riko-san also helped us locate a guide for our izakaya tour. She went above and beyond the definition of service. We'd love to book with her and her izakaya friend, Mai, again!

  Tanakainmauiapril 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5GO WITH "RIKO" FROM JAPAN GUIDE AGENCY

  This is our first time to Japan, and it can be very confusing but we went with Riko from Japan Guide Agency, and this made this the easiest day possible. We came from North Carolina to Tokyo and now our adventure starts in Sendai after our visit in Tokyo. We wanted a guide to help us navigate this area and we were lucky enough to be assigned "Riko" for the half day. The moment we met her my wife and I were thrilled to be spending a day with her. She speaks wonderful English and with my horrible hearing, I could hear her clearly which makes it so enjoyable. I normally cannot hear soft Japanese voices but she made it so easy for us to hear and understand. We spent the day with her and yes we were tired at the end but it was so worth it to stick it out all day. One of the best things about Riko is; she meets you at your hotel and returns you to your hotel when you are so tired you cannot possibly take another step. Another amazing thing about Riko is she knows the trains and knows how to get the client moved around quickly and efficiently. We had no idea where to go to get the right trains but Riko make it smooth as possible. It was raining all day but we pushed through and that caused all the tourists to not be at the stops we were going to. It was like the shut down the area for us. Since it was raining, Riko would call taxi's for us and they came almost immediately. Riko is a wealth of information and we even met some of her friends along the way. If you are going to book a tour with this firm, ASK FOR RIKO, I know you will have a great day.

  NHDBuildermarts 2026via Tripadvisor

Godt at vide

How it compares in Sendai

• Its from-price is 29% below the median of the 58 experiences we list in Sendai.
• It is shorter than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 2 of 58.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Sendai

Sendai is Tohoku's largest city, a green city of tree-lined avenues, samurai history, grilled beef tongue and the pine islets of Matsushima.

Sendai, in Miyagi Prefecture, was founded in 1601 by the samurai lord Date Masamune, and is known as the City of Trees for the zelkova-lined avenues of Jozenji-dori and Aoba-dori. The ruins of Aoba Castle on a hill above the river have a mounted statue of Masamune and a view over the city, and his mausoleum, Zuihoden, stands among cedars on another hill, its halls in ornate gold and black lacquer.

Top-ranked sights in Sendai: Zuihoden Mausoleum.

See all 58 experiences in Sendai