This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 8:30 Meet at Hotel Metropolitan Sendai East
- 8:40~8:55 Travel to Sendai Castle Ruins by taxi
- 8:55@Sendai Castle Ruins
- 9:20~9:45 Travel to JR Aoba-dori Station by taxi
- 9:56 ~10:37 Travel to Matsushimakaigan Station by JR
- 11:00@Matsushima Sightseeing Boat
- 12:00@Godaido
- 12:10 Lunch@Nihachiya
- 13:10@Zuiganji Temple
- 14:00@Entsuin (prayer bead making experience)
- 14:30 Disband at Entsuin
Can You Do a Private Day Trip Covering Both Sendai and Matsushima? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were a family visiting from North America. Like many visitors, they were eager to experience as much as possible within the time available. They were a very energetic group who had already explored the Sendai morning market and a discount store before our meeting. We started about ten minutes late, which made me a little nervous. According to the pre-arranged itinerary, they wanted to visit the Sendai Castle ruins first. Since the loop bus had not yet started running for the day, we had planned to take a taxi, and they mentioned it would be nice to have a minivan type that could seat five. Taking a chance, we went to the taxi stand at the west exit and found a free large minivan-type taxi waiting. The guests shouted "Lucky!" and we were able to travel to the Sendai Castle ruins together without splitting into separate taxis. Thanks to the driver's consideration, instead of waiting in a paid parking lot, he circled around and came to pick us up at the drop-off area when we were ready. It was good that the guests could keep their expenses down. This time we combined Sendai and Matsushima, so travel time was long and the itinerary was demanding, but since the guests wanted to see Sendai Castle before Matsushima, I tried to arrange things as efficiently as possible. They requested first-class seats on the sightseeing boat. Thanks to the arrangement of the boat operator I usually use, they were given another free upgrade, which delighted the guests. During the cruise, we passed close by the Urato Islands and there were several questions, so since I happened to have a map of the Urato Islands from a recent tour I guided for another company, I gave it to them, and they looked at it with great interest. As they were traveling with children, they seemed interested in stories such as the island's elementary school. For lunch, since some of the guests wanted cooked food and others preferred raw, we went to a restaurant they had chosen in advance. They ordered raw oysters and a sashimi set, a meat udon, and shared tempura sets, and added steamed clams in sake. They also enjoyed a large freshwater clam miso soup. After Zuiganji Temple, at the request of the children, we decided to do the prayer bead making experience at Entsuin Temple. We had planned to see the temple first and then go to the bead making before parting ways, but the temple staff said the bead making was crowded and asked us to come now. When we went to the venue, the accompanying adults were not making beads, so it was to be just the children, but the temple staff said children could not participate alone and asked that the interpreter and one adult stay with them. Since there was no room for two adults, they asked for just one, so one of the guests joined in while the other waited outside looking at the garden. The children carefully threaded the strings and made their beads while receiving instructions. When they finished, it was time to wrap up, and they said, "We'll look at the garden ourselves from here. After that, we'd also like to do the coloring at the kokeshi workshop," so I handed them a paper with directions for the way back along with a map, and we parted ways.
Click here for more details: Sendai & Matsushima Customized Tour in 1 Day with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Aoba-dori～Matsushimakaigan | 440JPY |
| Total | 440JPY | ||
Hello! I’m Riko, your local guide. During the week, I work at a local university, but on weekends, I love to guide visitors like you. This year(2024) marks my 6th year as a guide, and I’m thrilled to continue sharing the beauty of Japan with you.
I’m a certified Sake Navigator, so I have a wealth of knowledge about Japanese sake. Additionally, I’m well-versed in the gourmet scene of Sendai, Shiogama, and Matsushima, allowing me to tailor your tour to your culinary preferences!
I look forward to creating a memorable tour experience for you, full of fun and lasting memories of Japan. Thanks for choosing me as your guide!
May 10, 2026
Nate_K
Viator review: Sendai / Matsushima Half-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Fun Day in the bay!
Be ready to walk briskly…
May 10, 2026
Nate_K
Viator review: Sendai / Matsushima Half-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Fun 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.
Apr 30, 2026
Tanakainmaui
Tripadvisor review: Sendai / Matsushima Half-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Riko-san is the best guide!
I originally booked with TripAdvisor,…
Apr 30, 2026
Tanakainmaui
Tripadvisor review: Sendai / Matsushima Half-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Riko-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!
Mar 31, 2026
NHDBuilder
Tripadvisor review: Sendai / Matsushima Half-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
GO WITH “RIKO” FROM JAPAN GUIDE AGENCY
This is our…
Mar 31, 2026
NHDBuilder
Tripadvisor review: Sendai / Matsushima Half-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
GO 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.
Oct 3, 2025
P
Peggy_M
This was a great tour with Riko
Viator review: Sendai / Matsushima Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Riko was…
Oct 3, 2025
P
Peggy_M
This was a great tour with Riko
Viator review: Sendai / Matsushima Full-Day Private Tour with Government-Licensed Guide
Riko was our guide for the full-day tour. After we selected the sites we wanted to visit, Riko provided us with a detailed itinerary. Her communication throughout the planning process was clear and thorough, including explanations of the expected admission fees and transportation costs for the day. Our itinerary included visits to Entsu-in Temple, a scenic cruise on Matsushima Bay, and a tour of Zuigan-ji Temple. Riko accompanied us on both the train and ferry, which made it easy for us to relax and fully enjoy each sight without worrying about logistics or directions. In addition to guiding us through the main attractions, Riko went above and beyond by arranging for us to have lunch at a vegan restaurant in Sendai. This thoughtful addition was not part of the original tour, yet it greatly enhanced our overall experience.