[Group/Charter] Mt. Ginzan Onsen + Zao Snow Monsters + Fox Village: Exclusive Small Group Day Trip (From Sendai)

Overall, the itinerary is quite recommended. This trip used a 9-seater vehicle, and there were a total of 6 people carpooling that day, so the seating space was comfortable. The driver was punctual for pick-up and drop-off, was friendly and polite, and the driving was stable, which made people feel at ease. The stay at the Fox Village was about an hour, which was plenty of time to fully visit the park and browse the gift shop. It should be noted that even in winter, there will still be some odors in the park due to animal excrement and the foxes themselves, so travelers who are sensitive to odors may need to pay special attention. The Silver Mine Onsen itinerary time was from 13:00 to 16:45, which was quite ample. Travelers can bring their own towels to soak their feet, or buy them at nearby stores. On that day, due to heavy snowfall and low temperature, coupled with the large crowds, it took more waiting time to take pictures, and it was a pity that we couldn't actually soak our feet, but the overall stay time was still sufficient. In addition, the group members generally adhered to the meeting and itinerary times, and returned early to the bus pick-up and drop-off area (Taisho Roman Museum) in Ginzan Onsen. Finally, with everyone's consent, we returned early. Overall, the atmosphere of the trip was good, and it was a pleasant trip.

Driver Xiao Lu drives very steadily and is punctual! Although we didn't depart until 09:07 because a member of the group couldn't find the way, we still arrived at Zao Fox Village on time. We arrived at Ginzan Onsen at 12:45, earlier than the scheduled time of 13:30, giving us plenty of time to shop and soak our feet. There were also very few tourists at this time on Monday, allowing us to take many beautiful photos. On the return trip, we even arrived back at Sendai Station an hour early, which was great!! However, many shops and restaurants in Ginzan Onsen were already closed, and the number of tourists increased when they opened at 15:00. We strolled around until 16:45, just in time to see the scenery of Ginzan Onsen at dusk (it starts to get dark at 16:00 in winter), which was very beautiful! Because there were only a few people in the group, we were transported in a small van, which allowed us to get off at the nearest parking lot to Ginzan Onsen, without having to take a shuttle bus or walk a long distance. In conclusion, the trip was great and highly recommended!!

We had some initial difficulty finding the meeting point indicated by the app: Sendai Station is truly labyrinthine, and the signs aren't as clear as in Tokyo. Also, the driver wasn't exactly at the indicated meeting point, but in the parking lot in front, among the thousands of parked cars. If you don't know how to get around well, it's difficult to orient yourself, and you risk missing the tour due to this small misunderstanding. Aside from that, the trip was very pleasant, and our driver's driving was fast and optimal. Even though he didn't speak English, with the help of a translation app, we understood each other without any problems.

I was very satisfied with today's full-day trip. Thank you to the driver, Wang Tao, for the pick-up and drop-off and for the great conversation in Chinese. Today was a good day, and we arrived safely and smoothly at Zao Fox Village. The hundreds of foxes were very cute. Next was Ginzan Onsen. The snow has mostly melted, but there's still a little bit of snow, and the scenery is beautiful. Three hours was plenty, and the timing of the shuttle bus was just right, very smooth. Heading home now.

Arriving at the summit of Mount Zao and seeing the "Snow Monster" was super lucky. It was -12 degrees Celsius, and the snowstorm was a first for me. Although my mouth was full of snow and frozen, it was so breathtakingly beautiful, making it well worth the trip. When I arrived at Ginzan Onsen, I also happened to encounter heavy snow and the illumination event, creating a snowy, romantic atmosphere that will be unforgettable. There were so many tourists at the attractions that day, and the waiting time for the cable car and bus was extremely long, but the driver was very patient and waited. Despite the heavy snow, he drove carefully and safely transported us. I also met new friends on the tour and we took care of each other. I'm grateful for this travel experience.

Great driver, he's kind. Easy to find the meet up location in the morning and convenient drop off place. Highly recommend this if you want a hassle-free day trip and doesn't drive. *TAKE NOTE* the Zao Ropeway line is NOT guaranteed- by the time we arrived there it was around 10am but the queue is 120 mins! Our regrouping time was at 1:30pm to head onto the next location (ginzan onsen) Is it worth taking the risk? IDK. So better think twice.

great experience 🥰My trip to Ginzan Onsen was such a wonderful and unforgettable experience. The town looked like something out of an old Japanese movie, with beautiful traditional buildings, a small river flowing through the center, and soft lights glowing at night. Walking around there felt peaceful and magical, especially when the snow made everything look even more stunning.

This is basically a “shared car ride”. Driver drives you to the 2 sites and you tour them yourself. Driver sent a text of the pick up location a day before, which is a road across Sendai Bus Terminal. First stop was Mt Zao. You need to buy your own ropeway tickets. If you buy online in advance, you could get the Fast Pass but if you miss the selected timing, then just continue with the queue. Next stop was Ginzan Onsen. The car pick up timing was 4:30pm so we still could see Ginzan Onsen lighted up, which was around 4pm in winter. Pls wear snow spikes as the roads in Ginzan are very icy and slippery. Saw many people fell down. The duration for each location and the driver’s driving are ok. Glad I booked the car as I saved time from navigating to them on my own. I didn’t choose to add Fox Village as it would be too rushed (it is kind of in opposite direction).

All as expected. We were driven to Fox Village where we had plenty of time to visit and then we moved to Ginzan Onsen - here we parked 5 minutes away from the onsen and changed to a bus that took us and brought us back. Had more than 3h available to visit Ginzan Onsen but we felt 2h was more than enough. Beautiful landscapes across the road

The driver was very punctual, which was a relief. The car was spacious and comfortable. It's a shame that tickets weren't included; otherwise, it would have been absolutely perfect. Overall, it was still great!