How to Get to Ginzan Onsen from Sendai

Route Options at a Glance

The table compares the public routes from Sendai by total journey time and number of changes. Times come from the access guides linked under this section. Ask for fares at the ticket counter when you buy.

Which Route Should You Pick?

Pick the express bus if you want the shortest ride and can commit to its schedule. Pick the train if you want to control your own timing and avoid a full express bus. Either way, the deciding factor is the local bus between Oishida and Ginzan Onsen.

It runs 5 to 10 times a day, so check its timetable before you leave Sendai Station.

Step by Step

Start at Sendai Station and board the Yamako Bus Limited Express 48 Liner bound for Shinjo. The ride takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes to the Oishida area. At Oishida, change to the local bus that climbs the valley to Ginzan Onsen.

The 48 Liner is a limited-stop service, so a seat reservation is worth arranging, especially on weekends and in the autumn leaf season. The local bus from Oishida to Ginzan Onsen runs 5 to 10 times a day, and the return bus from Ginzan Onsen to Oishida runs on the same limited schedule, so note the last return departure when you arrive.

Buying the Ticket

Buy the 48 Liner ticket from Yamako Bus at Sendai Station and ask the counter for the fare to the Oishida area. The ride is about 1 hour and 45 minutes, so a reserved seat is worth having on weekends and in the autumn leaf season. Note the time of the last local bus back from Ginzan Onsen before you set off, since only 5 to 10 run a day.

The Three Legs

Leg one is the JR Senzan Line from Sendai Station, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Leg two is the JR Ou Main Line, 45 minutes to JR Oishida Station. Leg three is the local bus from Oishida up the valley to the onsen street.

Both train lines run about once an hour. The local bus runs 5 to 10 times a day, so it is the leg to plan around. Buy the train tickets at Sendai Station.

Why Choose the Train?

The train route wins when the express bus is sold out or when you want to leave early or return late. The local bus is the bottleneck in both directions, so the longer train ride costs little if you plan around the bus anyway. A route through Sendai Airport also exists: a local train, a highway bus that runs 6 to 9 times a day and the local bus, about 2 hours 35 minutes.

It only makes sense if you start near the airport.

A Bus-Driven Day Trip Schedule

Work backwards from the last return bus from Ginzan Onsen to Oishida, one of only 5 to 10 daily departures. A workable shape for the day looks like this:

1. Leave Sendai Station in the morning on the 48 Liner express bus, about 1 hour and 45 minutes, or an early Senzan Line train. 2. Aim to reach Oishida by late morning so you catch a midday local bus up the valley. 3. Spend three to four hours in town. Soak your feet at the free Warashiyu foot bath, open 6:00-22:00, or bathe at Shirogane-yu for $3.18 (¥500). 4. Take an afternoon or early evening bus back down to Oishida, then the train or express bus to Sendai.

If you miss the last local bus, a taxi from Oishida is the fallback, so treat the bus times as hard deadlines.

Stay Overnight or Go the Same Day?

An overnight stay lets you see the gas-lit street after dark and removes all bus-timetable pressure. If you only have one day in Sendai, the day trip above still works. A guided option is the other way: the Ginzan Onsen, Zao Ropeway and Okama Crater Tour with Lunch runs 11 hours for $164 per person with free cancellation 24 hours ahead.

The Ginzan Onsen stop is listed as an extra fee on that tour.

The Winter Car Restriction and Shuttle

The winter car restriction runs from 19 December to 7 March and can be extended if snowfall requires. Day visitors park at Taisho Roman-kan and ride a reserved shuttle. Walking from Taisho Roman-kan is forbidden in winter. Guests with an accommodation booking are exempt with proof.

The shuttle leaves Taisho Roman-kan at :00, :20 and :40, first 9:00 and last 18:00. Return shuttles leave Ginzan Onsen at :10, :30 and :50, first 9:10 and last 19:30. Primary school children and younger ride free up to the number of adults in the group.

The Ginzan Onsen Association sets the round-trip fare by departure time, as the table shows. Advance booking adds a $1.05 (¥165) system fee per booking. Advance sales for 9:00-14:00 departures open on 1 November at 9:00 Japan time and close at 17:00 the day before you ride.

Outside the Restriction Period

Outside the winter restriction there is no shuttle, so ask about parking when you arrive. To skip winter driving entirely, the Zao Snow Monsters Private Tour from Sendai covers the mountain roads for you. For more cold-season ideas, read Sendai day trips in winter.

What You Get on Arrival

Ginzan Onsen is a single valley street of wooden ryokan along a river, lit by gas lamps after dark. The Warashiyu foot bath in the centre of the street is free and open 6:00-22:00 all year. Shirogane-yu, the public bath, costs $3.18 (¥500) for adults and $1.27 (¥200) for children. Ginkodo, the old silver-mine site, is about 15 minutes' walk from town, but the city of Obanazawa lists it as closed for safety checks, so ask before walking up.

The honest trade-off is transport. With no station and a local bus that runs 5 to 10 times a day, the journey takes effort from Sendai.

Combine It With a Second Stop

Because the travel time is long, many travellers pair the town with another sight. Guided days do this well: the Yamadera and Ginzan Onsen Tour From Sendai adds the cliffside temple, the Naruko Gorge Tour: H.I.S. Bus to Naruko and Ginzan Onsen adds the gorge, and the Zao Fox Village Tour from Sendai adds the foxes. You can also browse all day trips from Sendai to compare.

From Tokyo

Take the JR Shinkansen Tsubasa toward Yamagata and change to the local bus for the final stretch. The whole journey takes about 3 hours 50 minutes, and the Tsubasa runs about once every two hours. If you fly into Yamagata Airport, a direct airport bus takes 1 hour 15 minutes.

A shared taxi takes about 1 hour and must be reserved by 17:00 the day before.

From Yamagata and Other Cities

From Yamagata city, trains on the JR Ou Main Line run toward Oishida and connect with the same local bus, which runs 5 to 10 times a day. From Osaka and other western cities, take a Shinkansen to Tokyo or a flight to Yamagata Airport, then one of the routes above.