Sendai Yamagata Ginzan Onsen Full-Day Tour
- At Risshaku-ji Temple, which has a history of thousands of years, climbing the 1015 stone steps can bring blessings and relieve worries, and the view of the mountains from Godaido Hall is breathtaking.
- Tendo Onsen is the city of shogi. You can not only watch the carving of shogi pieces, but also experience shogi-themed foot baths for free to heal your mind and body.
- At the roadside station, you can taste Tendo's specialty French pear desserts and feel the sweet taste of the fruit kingdom.
- Ginzan Onsen retains the romantic atmosphere of the Taisho era and is the prototype of the bathhouse in Hayao Miyazaki's animation "Spirited Away".
- Strolling along the banks of the Ginzan River, the snow scene and gas lamps are intertwined, as if walking into an old Japanese movie scene.
- The hot spring town is full of gourmet food and souvenir shops, where you can walk and eat and enjoy the local charm of Yamagata.
What to expect
Yamagata Secret One-Day Tour: Cut off your worries and encounter the romance of hot springs
From climbing the 1015 stone steps of the path of asceticism to strolling through the dreamy Ginzan Onsen, this one-day trip to Yamagata will completely purify your body and mind.
- First stop [Hojusan, Yamadera (Risshaku-ji Temple)] This ancient Tendai宗 temple is known as an energy sacred place for “severing bad relationships and forging good relationships.” As you slowly climb the stone steps, each step seems to shed a worry. Matsuo Basho left a famous line here, “The sound of cicadas seeps into the rocks,” which shows its ethereal and serene nature. Don’t miss the “Godai-do Hall” built on the cliff. The moment you look out at the distant mountains, it is definitely worth the hour-long climb!
- Second stop [Michi-no-Eki Tendo Onsen] This is a paradise for shogi fans and a secret base for foodies. Watch a live carving demonstration of shogi pieces up close and feel the charm of a century-old craft. You can also feast on Tendo’s special La France pear desserts at “Tento La France Factory” ~ If you are tired of walking, soak your feet in the shogi-themed foot bath “Koma no Yu” for a full sense of healing.
- Final stop [Ginzan Onsen - Holy Land for Four Seasons] Step into the Notoya, the model for the “Spirited Away” scene, and feel like you’ve stepped into a time travel. The Taisho-era romantic wooden inn, the gas lamps on both sides of the Ginzan River, and the light snowflakes create a beautiful picture. The town is small, but every step is amazing: free foot baths, cute wooden doll souvenirs, and curry bread and rich tofu to eat while walking, full of Japanese happiness.
- Whether it's spiritual purification, traditional craft experience, or a romantic stroll through the world of animation, Yamagata can help you meet a purer version of yourself.
Reviews
This is an off-the-beaten-path tour. Our group of three plus two people from Hong Kong made for a total of five, just enough to start the tour. It was a significant part of our trip to the Tohoku region. Our tour leader and driver, Mr. Chen (also the owner of the travel agency), was great at communicating. Despite heavy rain and road work that day, everything went smoothly. Yamadera Temple is an important temple not only in Yamagata Prefecture but also in the entire Tohoku region. Climbing the stairs, you can feel its extraordinary atmosphere. It's not as high as I imagined, so the climb was relatively easy. We arrived at Ginzan Onsen during a heavy rain. After walking around, we went to a restaurant to rest and take shelter from the rain. The service and the quality of the drinks were not as good as in other regions, which is something that can happen in tourist attractions anywhere, where the standards can vary.
There are tours available, saving you the trouble of driving in unfamiliar areas or enduring long journeys. The mountain temple scenery is fantastic, and climbing to the top offers a breathtaking panoramic view. The shops near Tendo Onsen offer many local agricultural products that are great for shopping, and Ginzan Onsen is very photogenic. Our driver, Mr. Chang, provided excellent and friendly service and also gave helpful explanations. This was a wonderful trip.
1. The entire itinerary's timing was just right. 2. Thank you to driver Qingxin for providing us with safe, stable, and comfortable driving service. Thank you for your hard work!
Even though it was a group tour, the time spent at Yamadera Temple, Tendo, and Ginzan was ample.
The tour guide was very thoughtful! We were picked up and dropped off at our hotel, and the nine-seater van was full. The timing was perfectly managed, and the guide even gave us a brief introduction to the sights. It's a shame it rained the whole time we were there, which made it a bit more challenging! Even so, we still felt that overall, it was a great one-day trip! Not tiring at all! Highly recommend it to everyone.
this tour is truly the most amazing during my trip. the scenery and view of Yamadera temple was spectacular and the best I have witnessed in Japan trip so far. guide was informative and helpful. truly recommended
We'd like to thank our driver and tour guide for picking us up at the hotel. The driver was friendly and polite, and managed the tour schedule perfectly, so we never felt rushed. Risshakuji Temple was serene and beautiful, and Ginzan Onsen was charming and historic. We highly recommend this day trip to anyone interested in visiting these places.
Misrepresentation. The trip was smooth and well organised. Li was punctual, polite, and always made sure we had the necessary information on how much time we had at each stop and when/where to meet up...except that's not a tour. A tour is a directed group activity where a guide shows you around each stop and talks about the points of interest. If you're just driving on a fixed itinerary and giving everyone basic directions and free time at each destination, you should just call it a group/shared transportation service.
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