Ehime in five days: one base or two Ozu nights?
Stay four nights in Matsuyama for separate castle, bath, Uchiko and Ozu days, or move after two Matsuyama nights for two in Ozu. Ozu courses move via Uchiko, then visit the historic streets and riverside on one day and the castle on another. For a final morning departure, move the castle earlier or omit it.
Choose an itinerary for 5 days / 4 nights
Four Matsuyama nights and two town day trips
Stay four nights in Matsuyama for city walks, castle, baths and both towns from the same accommodation. Visit Uchiko and Ozu on separate days; choose final-day bathing according to departure time.
Four Matsuyama nights and two town day trips →5 days / 4 nightsTwo Ozu nights to reduce return journeys
Stay two Matsuyama nights then two Ozu nights for leisurely historic-street and riverside walks. Move via Uchiko, then visit Ozu's streets and castle on separate days. Return to JR Matsuyama on the final day.
Two Ozu nights to reduce return journeys →Four Matsuyama nights and two town day trips
Stay four nights in Matsuyama for city walks, castle, baths and both towns from the same accommodation. Visit Uchiko and Ozu on separate days; choose final-day bathing according to departure time.
Day one: arrive in Okaido for meals and walks
Stay four Matsuyama nights, dividing castle, Dogo, Uchiko and Ozu across days. Keep the same accommodation and make separate JR day trips to both towns.
- Matsuyama Airport or JR Matsuyama Station → Okaido tram stop
Not every airport bus goes to Okaido; check its stops. For JR arrival, take Dogo-bound city tram 5 from outside JR Matsuyama to Okaido. JR Matsuyama and Matsuyama City stations differ. Recorded adult airport–Okaido fares are JPY 1,200 cash or JPY 1,180 nationwide IC, excluded from sightseeing subtotals. Choose a service after actual luggage collection and any immigration formalities.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page twoAirport limousine routes, fares and 1–24 October 2026 timetableMatsuyama Airport bus guide
- Okaido shopping street → Okaido meals, walks and the same accommodation
Choose an open Okaido shop for a meal, walk nearby and return to accommodation. For a late arrival, shorten the walk and rest. Castle and bath visits start tomorrow.
Day two: Matsuyama Castle and return to accommodation
Walk from Okaido accommodation to Shinonomeguchi ropeway station.
- Okaido tram stop → Shinonomeguchi lower ropeway station
Walk from Okaido tram stop to the Shinonomeguchi lower ropeway station, officially about five minutes.
- Shinonomeguchi lower ropeway station → Upper station and keep ticket office
Buy an adult JPY 520 return ticket at the lower station and take the ropeway. From the upper station, walk through Honmaru to the keep ticket office. The operator's roughly 30-minute journey from lower-station Level 1 to the ticket office excludes keep-interior viewing.
- Keep ticket office → Matsuyama Castle keep
Adult keep admission is JPY 520, separate from the return ropeway. Usual viewing hours are 09:00–17:00, with admission ending 30 minutes before closing. August and December–January hours differ; check your date's cutoff before entering.
- Matsuyama Castle keep → Lower ropeway station and Okaido shopping street
After viewing, return to the upper boarding point and take the ropeway down. Walk towards Okaido for a meal or rest.
Lower-station accessCastle fees and hoursStairs and viewing guidance
Day three: historic Uchiko and return to the same accommodation
Take JR Matsuyama-bound tram 5 from Okaido.
- Okaido accommodation → JR Uchiko Station
Take tram 5 to JR Matsuyama and enter the station. Change to a train stopping at Uchiko. Separate unreserved limited express tickets cost base JPY 850 + supplement JPY 760 = JPY 1,610 one way, or JPY 3,220 for two matching one-way fares. Check dated arrival and return services together. Accommodation walks, tram and JR waits and ticketing are extra to train riding time.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page twoUchiko tourism visitor guidanceFare tableMatsuyama StationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu Station
- JR Uchiko Station → Historic Uchiko streets
Walk about one kilometre (a 15-minute walk) from Uchiko to the southern historic-district entrance. Explore old streets and Uchiko-Za's exterior, then eat at an open restaurant. Tourism guidance suggests one to two hours for walks or about three with meals. The theatre interior is closed for works, so interior viewing and admission are excluded. Check closures and separate fees for extra houses and museums.
Uchiko tourism visitor guidanceTourism-association closure guidance
- Historic Uchiko streets → Okaido accommodation
Walk back to Uchiko, take a Matsuyama train, then Dogo-bound tram 5 from outside JR to Okaido. Plan meals with station walking and boarding time to avoid missing the train. Check actual return and last services for your date.
Uchiko tourism visitor guidanceUchiko StationMatsuyama StationCity tram timetable
Day four: walk from Iyo-Ozu to Ozu Castle
As yesterday, take tram 5 from Okaido to JR Matsuyama.
- Okaido accommodation → JR Iyo-Ozu Station
Take tram 5 to JR Matsuyama and enter the station. Choose a limited express stopping at Iyo-Ozu via Uchiko. Do not apply these stop and fare examples to Iyo-Nagahama services. Adult unreserved fares via Uchiko are base JPY 1,080 + supplement JPY 760 = JPY 1,840 one way, or JPY 3,680 return under matching conditions.
- JR Iyo-Ozu Station → Ozu Castle entrance
Official guidance gives about 30 minutes' walk from Iyo-Ozu to Ozu Castle. Follow the old Ozu road through Tokiwamachi shops and across the Hijikawa bridge. Leave time to walk back to the station.
Official Ehime tourism informationOzu Castle admission and walking
- Ozu Castle → Okaido accommodation
Ozu Castle opens 09:00–17:00, ticket sales until 16:30, adult admission JPY 550. After viewing, eat or walk the riverside, leaving the 30-minute station walk and boarding time. Choose an actual dated Matsuyama service and fit viewing and meals around it. Replacing walks with loop buses needs separate operating-day, frequency and fare checks. Back at JR Matsuyama, take Dogo-bound tram 5 to Okaido accommodation.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page twoUchiko tourism visitor guidanceOzu City castle guideOzu Castle accessIyo-Ozu StationUchiko Station
Day five: Dogo bath before departure
- Okaido accommodation → Dogo Onsen Honkan
Take Dogo-bound tram 3 from Okaido to the terminus, then walk Haikara Street to Honkan. Kami-no-Yu bath-only admission is JPY 700 for adults, with 06:00–23:00 operation, reception until 22:30 and 60-minute use without reservations. Station walking and queues are extra to tram time. Other lounge courses change fees and reception conditions.
Bath courses, fees and booking conditionsCity tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page twoOfficial Dogo station, shopping street and Honkan walking map
- Dogo Onsen Honkan → Okaido tram stop
After bathing, return to Dogo Onsen Station and take Matsuyama City Station-bound tram 3 to Okaido. Eat or rest in the shopping street, then choose the airport or JR route below for your departure. For a morning departure, move bathing to another day.
Included items: Facilities JPY 2,290 + return Uchiko limited express JPY 3,220 + return Ozu limited express JPY 3,680 + six trams: cash JPY 1,500 / IC JPY 1,380
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, luggage storage, separate travel between accommodation and stops, stations or facilities, arrival transport, airport limousines, taxis and extra journeys cost more. Paid Uchiko houses and museums are excluded. Recalculate JR costs for regular trains, reserved seats or passes.
This covers separate Matsuyama–Uchiko and Matsuyama–Ozu round trips by unreserved limited express. Six trams cover Okaido–JR returns on both days and Okaido–Dogo on the final day. Six cash fares total JPY 1,500; six nationwide IC fares JPY 1,380. Keeping the same accommodation still requires both rail round trips.
Castle fees and hoursBath courses, fees and booking conditionsApril 2026 fare table, page twoBoarding and payment methodsFare tableOzu City castle guide
Two Ozu nights to reduce return journeys
Stay two Matsuyama nights then two Ozu nights for leisurely historic-street and riverside walks. Move via Uchiko, then visit Ozu's streets and castle on separate days. Return to JR Matsuyama on the final day.
Day one: arrive in Okaido and visit Matsuyama Castle
Stay two nights in Matsuyama, then two in Ozu. Walk historic streets and riverside on day four and visit the castle on the final day.
- Matsuyama Airport or JR Matsuyama Station → Okaido tram stop
For JR arrival, take Dogo-bound city tram 5 from outside JR Matsuyama to Okaido. From the airport, check a limousine after your actual arrival that stops at Okaido. Not every airport bus goes here. Arrival transport is excluded from sightseeing subtotals.
City tram timetableAirport limousine routes, fares and 1–24 October 2026 timetableLower-station access
- Okaido tram stop → Shinonomeguchi lower ropeway station
Walk from Okaido tram stop to the Shinonomeguchi lower ropeway station, officially about five minutes.
- Shinonomeguchi lower ropeway station → Upper station and keep ticket office
Buy an adult JPY 520 return ticket at the lower station and take the ropeway. From the upper station, walk through Honmaru to the keep ticket office. The operator's roughly 30-minute journey from lower-station Level 1 to the ticket office excludes keep-interior viewing.
- Keep ticket office → Matsuyama Castle keep
Adult keep admission is JPY 520, separate from the return ropeway. Usual viewing hours are 09:00–17:00, with admission ending 30 minutes before closing. August and December–January hours differ; check your date's cutoff before entering.
- Matsuyama Castle keep → Lower ropeway station and Okaido shopping street
After viewing, return to the upper boarding point and take the ropeway down. Walk towards Okaido for a meal or rest.
Keep-interior viewing and return ropeways require separate fees. Honmaru-only walks need no keep admission. Moving the castle to day two requires rearranging that day's sights, transport and admission cutoffs.
Day two: Dogo and another Matsuyama night
Visit Dogo, then spend a second night at the same Okaido accommodation.
- Okaido accommodation and stop → Dogo Onsen Station
Walk to Okaido stop, take Dogo-bound tram 3 and get off at the terminus.
- Dogo Onsen Station and Haikara Street → Dogo Onsen Honkan
Walk Haikara Street to Honkan. Kami-no-Yu bath-only admission is JPY 700 for adults, with 06:00–23:00 operation, reception until 22:30 and 60-minute use without reservations. Allow post-tram walking and queues separately.
Bath courses, fees and booking conditionsOfficial Dogo station, shopping street and Honkan walking map
- Dogo Onsen Honkan and station → Okaido accommodation
After bathing, eat at an open place in the shopping street, then take Matsuyama City Station-bound tram 3 from Dogo to Okaido and the same accommodation. For an afternoon castle visit, check keep cutoff and final ropeway separately, recalculating the route and admission cost.
Day three: via Uchiko to Ozu accommodation
Move from Matsuyama to Ozu via Uchiko. Large-luggage storage in Uchiko is unconfirmed; choose this only with luggage light enough to carry on foot. Otherwise, use the direct Iyo-Ozu alternative below.
- Okaido accommodation → JR Uchiko Station
Take tram 5 from Okaido to JR Matsuyama and enter the station. Choose a train stopping at Uchiko. Separate unreserved limited express examples cost base JPY 850 + supplement JPY 760 = JPY 1,610 for adults travelling Matsuyama–Uchiko. Check actual dated arrival and leave tram-to-JR transfer and ticketing time.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page twoUchiko tourism visitor guidanceFare tableMatsuyama StationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu Station
- JR Uchiko Station → Historic Uchiko streets and Uchiko-Za exterior
Walk about one kilometre (a 15-minute walk) from Uchiko Station to the southern historic-district entrance. Explore old buildings and lanes, then eat lunch. Tourism guidance suggests one to two hours walking or about three with a meal. Uchiko-Za is closed for works; interior viewing is excluded.
Uchiko tourism visitor guidanceTourism-association closure guidance
- Historic Uchiko streets → JR Uchiko Station
After walking and lunch, retrace your route to Uchiko Station. Allow the 15-minute walk from the southern entrance plus time for ticketing and boarding, then choose your date's Iyo-Ozu service.
- JR Uchiko Station platform → JR train stopping at Iyo-Ozu
Choose a train stopping at Iyo-Ozu on your actual date. The section's unreserved limited express example is base JPY 330 + supplement JPY 450 = JPY 780. Regular trains, reserved seats or passes change costs.
- JR train towards Iyo-Ozu → Outside JR Iyo-Ozu Station
Alight at Iyo-Ozu and leave the station. Plan accommodation access using your booked address, with dinner and rests nearby.
Uchiko sightseeing uses two sections: Matsuyama–Uchiko and Uchiko–Iyo-Ozu. Skipping it uses one Matsuyama–Iyo-Ozu section. Check trains and stops for your actual date.
Day four: Ozu historic walks and return to the same accommodation
- Ozu accommodation → Ozu Machi-no-Eki Asamoya and historic streets
Find your accommodation-to-Asamoya route first. Ozu City describes the Kinan district around Asamoya as a walkable area linking old streets, Ohanahan Street, Ozu Red Brick Hall, riverside and castle. From Asamoya, explore Ohanahan Street and the Red Brick Hall exterior, eat lunch and walk towards the Hijikawa riverside before returning to the same accommodation. This itinerary covers exterior walks; check building-interior access and individual shop hours separately. Use your booked address for accommodation-to-Asamoya distance and travel time.
Ozu City castle guideOzu Castle accessOzu City Asamoya and historic streets
- Ozu Machi-no-Eki Asamoya and historic streets → Ozu accommodation
Rain or walking difficulties can shorten the street route. Ozu Castle is scheduled for day five, but for an early departure, move it to day four during 09:00–17:00, checking the 16:30 ticket cutoff and accommodation access. To add a cruise, check separate operating and reservation conditions.
Day five: Ozu Castle before departure
- Ozu town → Ozu Castle
Ozu Castle opens 09:00–17:00, ticket sales until 16:30, adult admission JPY 550. The official Iyo-Ozu–castle walk is about 30 minutes via the old Ozu road, Tokiwamachi shops and Hijikawa bridge. For an early departure, move viewing earlier. Return unreserved Iyo-Ozu–JR Matsuyama limited express via Uchiko costs base JPY 1,080 + supplement JPY 760 = JPY 1,840 for adults.
Uchiko tourism visitor guidanceFare tableMatsuyama StationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu StationOzu City castle guideOzu Castle access
- Ozu Castle → JR Iyo-Ozu Station
Retrace your route from Ozu Castle to Iyo-Ozu Station. Allow the 30-minute walk plus boarding time, then choose your date's Matsuyama train. Limited expresses via Uchiko and regular trains via Iyo-Nagahama differ in route and fares.
- JR Iyo-Ozu Station → Your actual departure boarding point
For Matsuyama Airport, take a Matsuyama limited express via Uchiko from Iyo-Ozu. At JR Matsuyama, walk to the airport limousine stand and change buses. Recorded adult station–airport fares are JPY 1,000 cash or JPY 980 nationwide IC, with first-come boarding without reservations. Reaching the airport requires changing to the bus. For another city, choose its separate train; different destinations require checks of routes and fares.
Iyo-Ozu StationFare tableAirport limousine routes, fares and 1–24 October 2026 timetableMatsuyama Airport bus guide
For a morning flight, move Ozu Castle to the previous day or omit it. Leave JR, airport-bus and check-in time to fit departure.
Included items: Facilities JPY 2,290 + Matsuyama–Uchiko limited express JPY 1,610 + Uchiko–Ozu limited express JPY 780 + Ozu–Matsuyama limited express JPY 1,840 + three trams: cash JPY 750 / IC JPY 690
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, luggage storage, separate travel between accommodation and stops, stations or facilities, arrival transport, airport limousines, taxis and extra journeys cost more. Paid Uchiko houses and museums are excluded. Recalculate JR costs for regular trains, reserved seats or passes.
This assumes an Uchiko stop and two Ozu nights before returning towards Matsuyama Airport. JR sections are Matsuyama–Uchiko JPY 1,610, Uchiko–Iyo-Ozu JPY 780 and Iyo-Ozu–Matsuyama JPY 1,840, each once. Three trams cover Dogo return and Okaido–JR once. JR-station airport buses and Uchiko storage are extra. Omitting Uchiko or departing Ozu for another city changes sections and costs.
Castle fees and hoursBath courses, fees and booking conditionsApril 2026 fare table, page twoBoarding and payment methodsFare tableOzu City castle guide
Questions before departure
Can I travel directly from Ozu to Matsuyama Airport?
For train and bus travel, go from Iyo-Ozu to JR Matsuyama, then change to the airport limousine. Adult station–airport fares are JPY 1,000 cash or JPY 980 nationwide IC card or Mican app. Allow separately for JR fares and waits for trains and buses. These bus fares follow 1–24 October 2026 guidance; check new fares and timetables afterwards.
Airport limousine routes, fares and 1–24 October 2026 timetableIyo-Ozu Station
Official sources and check dates
- Castle fees and hours ·
- Lower-station access ·
- Stairs and viewing guidance ·
- Bath courses, fees and booking conditions ·
- Uchiko tourism visitor guidance ·
- Tourism-association closure guidance ·
- Official Ehime tourism information ·
- Ozu City castle guide ·
- Fare table ·
- Matsuyama Station ·
- Uchiko Station ·
- Iyo-Ozu Station ·
- Ozu Castle access ·
- Airport limousine routes, fares and 1–24 October 2026 timetable ·
- Matsuyama Airport bus guide ·
- City tram timetable ·
- April 2026 fare table, page two ·
- Boarding and payment methods ·
- Ozu Castle admission and walking ·
- Ozu City Asamoya and historic streets ·
- Official All Shikoku Rail Pass information ·
- Official Dogo station, shopping street and Honkan walking map ·
- Official All Shikoku Rail Pass October 2026 revision notice ·