Sendai: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Sendai is a city of 1.1 million people in Japan (Miyagi), 53 m (174 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Sendai Airport (SDJ), 15 km (9 mi) from the centre. It has a dozen or more railway stations on record, including Aoba-dōri Station. Our booking partner lists 143 places to stay.
Key facts
Daylight in Sendai runs from about 9 h 33 min a day in late December to 14 h 53 min in late June (computed for 38.27° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Sendai is served by 2 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Sendai Airport (SDJ), 15 km (9 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 9,842 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft. The alternatives are Yamagata Airport (GAJ, 46 km).
Flights to Sendai: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Aoba-dōri Station, Minami-Sendai Station, Nagamachi Station, Miyaginohara Station, Nakanosakae Station, Rikuzen-Takasago Station. Trains to Sendai
Buses to Sendai · Driving and car hire
Where to stay
Our booking partner lists 143 places to stay in Sendai. Of the 137 with a star rating, the largest group is 3-star (80), and 2 are five-star. Across 86 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8 out of 10. Guests have left 125,673 reviews in total.
Hotels in Sendai: the full picture, and book
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Tokyo, 305 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Yokohama, 333 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Kawasaki, 322 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Saitama, 283 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Chiba, 304 km — flights · trains
- Niigata, 164 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Ōta, 318 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Aihara, 327 km — flights · trains
- Sagamihara, 333 km — flights
- Kawaguchi, 292 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Minsk, Riverside, Rennes, Dallas, Changchun, Tainan, Tokushima, Acapulco de Juárez, Gwangju, Taketa, Nakano, Uwajima, Shiraoi.
Common questions
Which airport serves Sendai?
Sendai Airport (SDJ), 15 km (9 mi) from the centre, plus 1 other airport with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Sendai?
About 1.1 million people live in Sendai, across 786 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Sendai in?
Asia/Tokyo, currently UTC+9.
What currency is used in Sendai?
The Yen (JPY). Traffic drives on the left.
How many hotels are there in Sendai?
Our booking partner lists 143 places to stay in Sendai, bookable on this site.
Which cities are near Sendai?
Tokyo (305 km), Yokohama (333 km), Kawasaki (322 km), Saitama (283 km), Chiba (304 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.