Planning a trip to Japan’s vibrant northeast? Sendai, the capital of Miyagi Prefecture and “City of Trees,” offers a fantastic blend of history and modernity. Our comprehensive guide simplifies your logistics! Learn the fastest and easiest ways to reach Sendai from anywhere in Japan, and discover the most efficient public transportation methods to navigate effortlessly between all the city’s top attractions.
How to Get to Sendai and Navigate Its Best Spots to Visit
How to Get to Sendai
As one of the main transportation hubs in the Tōhoku region, there are a couple of ways to get to Sendai.
- By Airplane
- You can fly to Sendai Airport (仙台空港). This is the best method if you plan to visit Sendai from regions other than Tokyo and northeastern Japan.
- From Sendai Airport to the city, it will be just around a 30-minute journey on bus or train.
- By JR Train
- From Tokyo, the bullet train will transport you to Sendai in just over 2 hours.
- By Bus
- You can also take an express bus from the main cities in Eastern part of Japan to Sendai.
Tip: If you plan to take a bullet train from Tokyo, refer to our article on The Best Seats on the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Hokkaidō for which side of the train has better view!
The JR Passes That Covers Sendai
Below is a list of JR passes covering Sendai and other regions. Please keep in mind that depending on your itinerary, a JR pass may or may not be worthwhile for your trip. Refer to HERE for ways of how to determine if a JR Pass is worth it for your trip.
- JR Pass (7-Day, 14-Day, or 21-Day)
- JR EAST PASS（Tohoku area）/ 5 Days
- JR East-South Hokkaido Rail Pass (6 Days)
How to Travel Between Sendai’s Attractions
Like all the main cities in Japan, in addition to JR trains, Sendai has a city subway, a sightseeing bus line, and local bus companies connecting you to the attractions in the city. You can also rent out one of the community bicycles, Date Bike!
Date Bike (ダテバイク)
The shared bike service in Sendai City is called Date Bike. Several bicycle ports are set up for you to rent and return the bicycle, making it more convenient for everyone.
Note that an account is required to rent the Date Bikes. For more information, please refer to the official website HERE. You can translate the webpage by changing the language settings at the top right-hand side.
Sendai Sightseeing City Loop Bus: Loople Sendai (るーぷる仙台)
Loople Sendai is a one-way circular sightseeing bus departing from Sendai Station. The service stops at many of the famous attractions, such as Sendai Castle Ruins and Zuihōden Temple (瑞鳳殿).
Remember to purchase one of the One-Day Passes to save some money if you plan on boarding the bus more than two times.
For more information, please refer to Loople Sendai’s website HERE.
Sendai Subway (仙台市地下鉄)
The Sendai Subway is operated by the Sendai City Transportation Bureau and consists of two lines, the north-south Namboku Line (南北線) and the east-west Tōzai Line (東西線).
Tips:
☛ The One-Day Subway Pass is cheaper on weekends and public holidays.
☛ One-Day Pass for both Loople Sendai and Sendai Subway are available.
☛ If you do purchase one of the passes, remember to check out the attractions where you can get a discount by showing the pass!
Sendai’s Local Buses (路線バス)
Besides the Loople Sendai, other buses serving Sendai City are operated by the two companies below:
- Sendai City Bus (仙台市営バス) in green color
- Miyagi Kōtsū (宮城交通) in red color
The One-Day Sendai Area Pass and Two-Day Sendai Marugoto Pass (仙台まるごとパス」)
The One-Day Pass for Loople Sendai and Sendai Subway won’t give you access to local buses. So if you plan to travel to attractions further away from the city center, consider purchasing the One-Day Sendai Area Pass or a Two-Day Sendai Marugoto Pass!
For more information about the passes, please refer to the official website HERE.
Important: The One-Day Sendai Area Pass can only be purchased by tourists with a short-term 90-Day visa.
Discover the Attractions in Sendai
You might not be aware of it, but Sendai, the Tōhoku region‘s biggest city, receives more than 20 million tourists each year!
So if you want to find out how Sendai managed to attract so many people to visit it, refer to our article on Sendai, which is filled with historical, cultural, and natural attractions (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ.
