Shiogama to Matsushima by boat
Follow this route8 stops, the clock and the map ↓
Also fits this call: Beside the port (about 2.5h) · Matsushima by train (about 5h)
Photo: Adobe Stock / LicensedThe short answer
The port has not published Riviera's berth in Sendai–Shiogama for 29 Apr.
Sendai–Shiogama in one glance
Matsushima: Godaido, the bay and Zuiganji
Some 260 pine-topped islets in a shallow bay, counted as one of Japan’s three classic views since the 17th century.
Shiogama Shrine
The head shrine of the region, up 202 stone steps on a hill over the harbour, with a vermilion gate and a view of the bay.
Gyutan in Sendai
Thick-cut beef tongue grilled over charcoal, with barley rice and oxtail soup: Sendai’s own dish since the late 1940s.Cut to the 29 Apr call
What fits your 10 hours
Off the ship and back
The berth, the way into town and back in Sendai–Shiogama
Book before you sail
Every guided day in Sendai–ShiogamaThree more guided days that fit 10 hours
Each takes no more than the 29 Apr call leaves you. Booked through Viator; there is no tour desk at the pier.
Fits your 29 Apr callPrivate4.8★ · 26Sendai & Matsushima Customized Half-Day Tour with Licensed Guide
A private four-hour walk with a government-licensed guide, choosing two or three sights in Sendai or Matsushima.
US$107 each · US$214 for twoHotel pickup; ask about the pierneeds a 7-hour callfits 100% of calls hereFree cancellation 24h aheadWhy it is here
Fits your 29 Apr callPrivate5.0★ · 12Full Armor Suit-up & 30-Min Castle Grounds Stroll
Full samurai armour and 30 minutes to walk the Sendai Castle grounds in it.
US$32 each · US$64 for twoTaxi ~35 min from the shipneeds a 5-hour callfits 100% of calls hereFree cancellation 24h aheadWhy it is here
Fits your 29 Apr callPrivate5.0★ · 22Matsushima Private Guided Tour
US$106 each · US$212 for twoTaxi ~30 min from the shipneeds a 10-hour callfits 58% of calls hereFree cancellation 24h aheadWhy it is hereTours are booked through Viator (a Tripadvisor company). If you book, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never decides what we recommend.
On your own
All ten, rankedMore of Sendai–Shiogama within 10 hours
Each one is a round trip from the gangway that fits the usable hours of this call.
Sendai Umino-Mori Aquarium
A large modern aquarium beside the port, built around the Sanriku coast’s own sea, with a dolphin and sea-lion show.
Castle hill and Zuihoden
Date Masamune, one-eyed founder of Sendai, on horseback over the city from the castle hill, and his gilded mausoleum in the cedars nearby.Days that fit Riviera’s call
Rainy-day plan10 hours ashore: the days that fit
Cut to the 29 Apr call. The half hour to get off and the hour before all-aboard are already kept free.
Swipe sideways for the other days →
Needs a 4.5-hour callabout 2.5hfamilyeasy
Beside the port
For short calls: the aquarium and the outlet mall, both minutes from the berth.
- 0:00Taxi to the Umino-Mori Aquarium
- 0:25The aquarium
- 1:35Walk to Mitsui Outlet Park
- 1:50Lunch or a browse
- + 2 more stops on the full route
Taxis ~¥2,000–3,000 per car
Open in Google Maps, in 3 parts
Needs a 7-hour callabout 5hviewshistory
Matsushima by train
For anyone: the pine islands, a bay boat and Zuiganji, twenty minutes by train.
- 0:00Taxi to JR Nakanosakae (~10 min)
- 0:15Senseki Line to Matsushima-Kaigan (20 min)
- 1:05Godaido, over the red bridge
- 1:25A fifty-minute boat among the islands
- + 4 more stops on the full route
Taxis ~¥3,000 per car + train ¥253 each way
Open in Google Maps, in 6 parts
- 1Your ship → JR Nakanosakaeby taxi
- 2JR Nakanosakae → JR Matsushima-Kaigantrain or bus
- 3JR Matsushima-Kaigan → Godaido → Matsushima sightseeing pieron foot
- 4Matsushima sightseeing pier → Zuiganji → Matsushima town, lunchon foot
- 5Matsushima town, lunch → JR Nakanosakaetrain or bus
- 6JR Nakanosakae → Back to the shiptrain or bus
Needs an 8-hour callabout 6hfoodviews
Shiogama to Matsushima by boat
For long calls: a tuna bowl at the market, the Basho boat, then the temples.
- 0:00Taxi to Shiogama Seafood Wholesale Market (~20 min)
- 0:25Build your own tuna bowl
- 1:30Taxi to Marine Gate Shiogama (~5 min)
- 2:00The Basho boat to Matsushima
- + 4 more stops on the full route
Three taxis ~¥6,500–7,000 per car + train ¥253 each + boat ¥1,500 each (about ¥10,000 for two)
Open in Google Maps, in 6 parts
- 1Your ship → Shiogama Seafood Marketby taxi
- 2Shiogama Seafood Market → Marine Gate Shiogamaon foot
- 3Marine Gate Shiogama → Basho boat, Matsushima piertrain or bus
- 4Basho boat, Matsushima pier → Godaido, then Zuiganji → JR Matsushima-Kaiganon foot
- 5JR Matsushima-Kaigan → JR Nakanosakaeby taxi
- 6JR Nakanosakae → Back to the shiptrain or bus
Your 29 Apr call on one page
Riviera in Sendai–Shiogama: the day sheet
Thu, 29 Apr 2027, 07:00–19:00 (12 h in port). Off the ship from 07:30, back at the gangway by 17:30. Print it or save it before you lose the ship's Wi-Fi.
At the pier, before you set off
The terminalNo building. Tents for the welcome team and customs, a taxi waiting area and a bus waiting area; the quay is closed to walkers.
Cash and ATMsNo cash machine on the quay. Nearest: FamilyMart 60 m from JR Nakanosakae, 7-Eleven 140 m from JR Tagajo; carry ¥10,000–15,000 per person.
Steps and slopesShiogama Shrine is 202 steps; Zuiganji's main hall is not wheelchair-accessible, its treasure museum is; the aquarium, 10 minutes by taxi, is indoors.
Weather ashore · a usual April day in Sendai–Shiogama
16° / 6°C60° / 43°F
Rain on about 8 days in 30 — the rain-day plan if the day turns wet
A layer for the evening
The forecast for Thu 29 Apr appears here from Fri 23 Apr.
Normals 1991–2020: Japan Meteorological Agency, Sendai station · The official figures →
Add to calendar
Every Riviera call at Sendai–Shiogama
1 call listed, Apr 2027. The pattern, and the plan for each kind of day
Every upcoming call keeps the same hours, 07:00–19:00: plan one day and repeat it.
Thu 29 Apr2027In port: 07:00–19:00usable: ~10 hberth: —Full day
Usable hours follow the one rule: off the ship 30 minutes after arrival, all-aboard 30 minutes before departure, back at the gangway an hour before that. Overnight calls count the longest stretch ashore between 08:00 and 21:00 (the night is not touring time). Dates and times from the cruise line’s published itinerary; the port has not listed these calls yet; the daily programme has the final word.
Thu 29 Apr
07:00–19:00 · about 10 usable hours · gangway by 17:30
About 10 usable hours, back at the gangway by 17:30: the port's full timed day fits, and so does a guided day that returns in time.
The guided day for these callsDay Tour from Sendai Matsushima Bay Scenic HighlightsSmall groupfrom US$171 per person · max 15 · fits 1 of 1 full-day call · open on 1 of the 1 checkedWhy it is here, and the clockTour opening days from the operators' live schedules on Viator, checked 14 Nov; a date can close as seats sell.
Quick answers
Riviera at Sendai–Shiogama
Where does Riviera dock in Sendai–Shiogama?
The port has not published Riviera's berth in Sendai–Shiogama for 29 Apr; ships here normally use Takamatsu Wharf No.2 (or Nakano Wharf No.1), Sendai port district. Berths can be reassigned on busy days; the daily programme has the final word.
How long is Riviera in Sendai–Shiogama?
Thu, 29 Apr 2027: 07:00–19:00 (12 h in port). Off the ship 30 minutes after arrival, all-aboard 30 minutes before departure, back at the gangway an hour before that: plan for about 10 usable hours on the call of Thu, 29 Apr 2027, back at the gangway by 17:30.
What can you do in Sendai–Shiogama with 10 hours from Riviera?
3 of the port's timed days fit the call of Thu, 29 Apr 2027: Beside the port (about 2.5h), Matsushima by train (about 5h), Shiogama to Matsushima by boat (about 6h). 3 guided days fit the call.
What is the weather like in Sendai–Shiogama in April?
On a usual April day Sendai–Shiogama reaches about 16 °C (60 °F), with a low of about 6 °C (43 °F); rain (1 mm or more) falls on about 8 days in 30. These are the Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991–2020 normals for Sendai. From 7 days before the call, this page shows the forecast for the day itself.
Checked · Visited in person · Takumi Yamada
Dates and times from the cruise line’s published itinerary; the port has not listed these calls yet. Schedules change; your ship's daily programme has the final word.