A winter route in Yamagata where you climb snowy Yamadera, stay at gas-lamp-lit Ginzan Onsen, and see the Zao snow monsters (frost-covered trees) the next day. It packs Yamagata's winter highlights into two days by JR and bus.
Get off at Yamadera Station on the JR Senzan Line and walk up snowy Yamadera, then head to Ginzan Onsen from Oishida Station on the Yamagata Shinkansen.
From the Godaido hall at the top of the stone steps, look down on the snow-covered mountain scenery. It takes some effort, so go in the morning.
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When you arrive in the hot spring town, stroll past the wooden inns along the snowy river while it is still light.
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Soak in your inn's hot spring, then go back out after dark. The view of the hot spring town with its gas lamps lit is a treat reserved for overnight guests.
View guide →Return from Oishida Station to Yamagata Station, tour Bunshokan, then take a bus to Zao Onsen.
The former prefectural office building in the city center, close to Yamagata Station. You can stop by before catching the bus to Zao.
Official site ↗
Take the Zao Ropeway up to the summit station and see the snow monsters under the daytime blue sky. The ropeway can stop due to weather, so check the guide before you go.
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After coming down, warm up in the milky white sulfur spring at a public bathhouse, then take the bus back to Yamagata Station.
View guide →Sample itineraries from day trips to 5 days, by region and season. Every stop links to its guide, and you can save any itinerary as your own trip plan and rearrange it day by day.
🗺 Day tripTohoku ・ 3 stops
A day trip from Tokyo to Sendai by shinkansen, using the Tozai subway line and the JR Senseki Line to visit a zoo, Zuihoden and an aquarium. A combination that works for both families with children and history lovers.
🗺 5 days, 4 nightsSummerTohoku ・ 15 stops ・ August
A route that visits Tohoku's summer festivals, held one after another in August, covering one city a day from Morioka to Sendai. For five days, you repeat the same rhythm: see the city's sights by day and the festival by night.
Check prices, opening hours and access on each stop’s guide and official website. Seasonal events and peak seasons vary from year to year.
