Matsushima Tours by Car from Sendai

Side by side

Both tours include the driver and vehicle from Yamaguchi Motors and free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Admission fees, meals and any boat ticket are extra unless agreed when you customize. You confirm the stops directly with the operator before the day.

A working order for the stops

Start with the 50 minute Matsushima Island Sightseeing Boat Niohmaru Course while energy is high. Then visit Zuiganji Temple, the most important Zen temple in the region, and Entsuin Temple with its gardens. The Kanrantei Tea House serves matcha with a view of the bay. Cross the vermilion Togetsu Bridge to Oshima Island, free to enter and a 20 to 30 minute loop past rock caves said to number 108. If time allows, drive 5 minutes to Saigyo Modoshi no Matsu Park, where the viewing platform frames the islands, or up to the Ogidani lookout for the whole bay and autumn leaves. Note the Panorama Line road is closed in winter.

For a serious food stop, Matsukama Sohonten lets you grill Sasa Kamaboko, a Miyagi fish cake, yourself in 6 to 7 minutes. Travellers who would rather skip driving can compare the Matsushima Walking Tour: Bay Walk and Temple Discovery or the Matsushima Private Tour with a National Licensed Guide.

Driving and parking in Matsushima

Driving from Sendai took approximately 35 minutes one way excluding traffic. There are many large parking lots on the outskirts of Matsushima and some near the temples and shrines. The Namiuchihama car park sits near the Togetsu Bridge to Oshima. Parking at the Ogidani lookout holds only a few cars, so go early.

From Sendai Airport the trip is about 40 minutes by car. A car also opens up the wider region. The official national itinerary pairs Matsushima Bay with Sendai and Akiu Onsen, and the Sendai Marugoto Pass model course covers Matsushima, Akiu Onsen and Yamadera from Sendai. A private car day is the simplest way to attempt that combination.

Train, car or tour

The JR Senseki Line runs from Sendai Station to Matsushima Kaigan Station in about 40 minutes. The JR Tohoku Line reaches Matsushima Station in about 25 minutes, though that station is a 20 minute walk from the tourist centre.

A Matsushima tour by car from Sendai suits families, older travellers and anyone short on time. The driver handles the road and the parking while you spend the whole 8 hours sightseeing. If you prefer rail and a guided boat, the Matsushima Bay Cruise Tour from Sendai: Full Day, Cruise Included covers the same water without a car.

Cruise and tour prices

Booked tours from Sendai that cover the bay and a boat cruise are listed from $168 per person on an 8 hour small group departure. The car tours on this page run from $1,301 per group up to 6 for 8 hours with a driver. Entrance fees for temples and the tea house are additional to any tour price.

Who each tour suits

Zuiganji Temple admission is 700 JPY for adults and it is the region's most important Zen temple, so the Matsushima Bay & Zuiganji Customizable Tour suits first time visitors. Godaido Temple stands on the waterfront near the pier. Entsuin Temple, 300 JPY, adds gardens and history.

The Matsushima Oyster Season Customizable Tour suits travellers in oyster season who would rather spend their hours eating than temple hopping. Groups of up to 6 share the $1,301 price, so four or more people make either tour better value per head than per person tickets. Solo travellers and couples may find the walking and cruise options cheaper. The Kazuyoshi Nagashima Matsushima Oyster Tour is a focused alternative for food lovers.

Why Matsushima works as a drive

The bay holds 260 pine-covered islands and in 2013 became the first bay in Japan accepted into the Most Beautiful Bays in the World association. You get water views, two temples, a tea house, a boat cruise and grilled fish cake stops, all within a few minutes of parking.

To go further, the Sendai Marugoto Pass model course covers Matsushima, Akiu Onsen and Yamadera from Sendai. The national itinerary also pairs Matsushima Bay with Sendai shopping and Akiu Onsen. A customizable car tour is the easiest way to attempt that full loop in one day. Return to the matsushima bay tours homepage to see every departure.

When the train beats the car

Matsushima-Kaigan Station puts you within walking distance of all five stops on the official course. If you travel light and outside peak season, the train plus a 1,500 JPY boat ticket is simple and cheap.

The car wins when you carry children or older relatives, visit in winter, want the Saigyo Modoshi no Matsu Park and Ogidani lookouts, or plan to add Akiu Onsen or Yamadera. That is exactly the gap the two 8 hour car tours fill, with a driver from Yamaguchi Motors and free cancellation up to 24 hours before.