Ehime in 4 days: day trips to Uchiko and Ozu or one night in Ozu?
Spend three nights in Matsuyama and visit Uchiko and Ozu on separate days if you prefer one accommodation. For an Ozu overnight stay, spend two nights in Matsuyama, then move via Uchiko. The overnight route visits Ozu Castle on the final day before returning to Matsuyama.
Choose a 4 days, 3 nights itinerary
Separate day trips to Uchiko and Ozu
Spend three nights in Okaido to visit both towns without changing accommodation. Make separate day trips to Uchiko’s historic streets and Ozu Castle, travelling by train from JR Matsuyama Station on both days.
Separate day trips to Uchiko and Ozu →4 days, 3 nightsTravel via Uchiko for one night in Ozu
Choose two nights in Matsuyama and one in Ozu to rest in Ozu after the castle and hot springs. Move via Uchiko on day 3, then visit Ozu Castle and return to Matsuyama on your final day. Choose the Uchiko stop only if you can walk with light luggage.
Travel via Uchiko for one night in Ozu →Separate day trips to Uchiko and Ozu
Spend three nights in Okaido to visit both towns without changing accommodation. Make separate day trips to Uchiko’s historic streets and Ozu Castle, travelling by train from JR Matsuyama Station on both days.
Day 1: visit Matsuyama Castle from Okaido
Spend three nights in Matsuyama, with a separate day trip each to Uchiko and Ozu. Both days include return train trips from JR Matsuyama Station.
- Matsuyama Airport or JR Matsuyama Station → Okaido stop
From JR Matsuyama Station, take city tram 5 towards Dogo Onsen and get off at Okaido. From the airport, check that your limousine bus leaves after your actual arrival and stops at Okaido. Not every airport departure goes there. Arrival-day transport is excluded from the sightseeing subtotal.
City tram timetableAirport limousine routes, fares and timetable for 1–24 October 2026Reaching the lower station
- Okaido stop → Shinonomeguchi lower ropeway station
Walk from Okaido tram stop to the Shinonomeguchi lower ropeway station. The official estimate is about 5 minutes.
- Shinonomeguchi lower ropeway station → Upper station and keep ticket office
Buy an adult return ticket for ¥520 at the lower station and take the ropeway. From the upper station, walk through the honmaru grounds to the keep ticket office. The operator’s roughly 30-minute estimate from the lower station’s first floor to the ticket office excludes time inside the keep.
- Keep ticket office → Matsuyama Castle keep
Adult keep admission is ¥520, separate from the return ropeway ticket. Usual hours are 09:00–17:00, with last admission 30 minutes before closing. Hours differ in August and December–January; check the closing time for your date before entering.
- Matsuyama Castle keep → Lower ropeway station and Okaido shopping street
After your visit, return to the upper boarding point and take the ropeway down. Walk from the lower station towards Okaido for a meal or rest.
Keep admission and a return ropeway ride are charged separately. Walking only through the honmaru grounds does not require keep admission. Before moving the visit to day 2, rearrange your planned attractions, transport and admission deadlines.
Day 2: walk Uchiko’s historic streets and return to Matsuyama
After breakfast at your accommodation, take city tram 5 from Okaido towards JR Matsuyama Station.
- Okaido accommodation → JR Uchiko Station
Take tram 5 from Okaido to the stop outside JR Matsuyama Station, then walk to the JR station and transfer to a train stopping at Uchiko. Matsuyama-shi Station is not a JR station. Check your arrival time and return service for your date. Walking to the tram stop, transfers, JR ticket purchases and reaching the platform are additional to train travel time. A limited express requires a separate non-reserved limited express charge as well as the basic fare.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page 2Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationFare tableMatsuyama StationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu Station
- JR Uchiko Station → Uchiko historic streets
The tourism association gives roughly 1 km or a 15-minute walk from Uchiko Station to the historic area’s southern entrance. Explore old buildings and lanes, then have lunch. Allow 1–2 hours for the streets and area around Uchiko-za, or about 3 hours with a meal or café stop, as the association recommends. Uchiko-za’s interior is closed for construction and excluded. Check opening days and admission for additional preserved houses together with your return train.
Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationTourism association closure noticeUchiko Town dressing-room opening notice
- Uchiko historic streets → Okaido accommodation
Walk back from the southern entrance to Uchiko Station and choose a Matsuyama-bound departure for your date. Finish your meal in time for the 15-minute station walk and boarding buffer. Check the train’s arrival in Matsuyama for the same date. Get off at JR Matsuyama Station and walk to the tram stop outside. Take tram 5 towards Dogo Onsen, get off at Okaido and return to your accommodation. Plan dinner nearby.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page 2Uchiko Tourism Association visitor information
Day 3: walk from Iyo-Ozu Station to Ozu Castle
As on the previous day, take tram 5 from Okaido to the stop outside JR Matsuyama Station.
- Okaido accommodation → JR Iyo-Ozu Station
Take tram 5 from Okaido to the stop outside JR Matsuyama Station and walk to the JR station. Choose a limited express stopping at Iyo-Ozu via Uchiko. Trains via Iyo-Nagahama can also reach Iyo-Ozu, but the fare example below is for a non-reserved limited express via Uchiko. Even on an Uwajima-bound train, check the timetable for your date to confirm the Iyo-Ozu stop. JR’s fare table lists ¥1,080 basic fare plus ¥760 non-reserved limited express charge, or ¥1,840 one way for adults from Matsuyama to Iyo-Ozu.
Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationFare tableMatsuyama StationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu Station
- JR Iyo-Ozu Station → Ozu Castle
The official walk from Iyo-Ozu Station to Ozu Castle is about 30 minutes. Follow the old Ozu road through Tokiwamachi shopping street and across the Hijikawa River. Leave time for the walk and ticket purchase. Castle hours are 09:00–17:00, tickets are sold until 16:30 and adult admission is ¥550. Afterwards, have lunch somewhere open or take a short riverside walk, then return to the station for your train. Check service intervals and fares separately if using the loop bus; the basic cost assumes walking between station and castle.
- Ozu Castle → Okaido accommodation
Choose a Matsuyama-bound train at Iyo-Ozu Station. Allow 30 minutes to walk back after the castle and lunch. If your visit runs late, check the next train in the timetable. At JR Matsuyama Station, take tram 5 towards Dogo Onsen and return to your Okaido accommodation.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page 2Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationIyo-Ozu StationUchiko Station
Day 4: bathe at Dogo Onsen and depart
- Okaido accommodation → Dogo Onsen Honkan
Take tram 3 from Okaido towards Dogo Onsen, get off at the terminus and walk along Haikara-dori to Honkan. Choose the Kami-no-Yu bath-only option for ¥700 per adult. It operates 06:00–23:00, with reception until 22:30, a 60-minute limit and no advance reservations. Other options have different prices.
Bathing options, prices and reservation conditionsCity tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page 2Official walking map of Dogo Onsen Station, shopping street and Honkan
- Dogo Onsen Honkan → Okaido stop
After bathing, return to Dogo Onsen Station and take tram 3 towards Matsuyama-shi, getting off at Okaido. Have a meal or rest in the shopping area, then choose the airport or JR departure route below. Move bathing to another day if you depart in the morning.
Included costs: Facilities ¥2,290 + return limited express to Uchiko ¥3,220 + return limited express to Ozu ¥3,680 + six tram rides: ¥1,500 cash or ¥1,380 with an IC card
Separate costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, luggage storage, separately used transport between accommodation, stops, stations and attractions, arrival-day transport, airport limousine buses, taxis and additional transport are separate. Paid houses and museums in Uchiko are excluded. Recalculate JR costs for local trains, reserved seats or a pass.
This amount covers separate return trips from Matsuyama to Uchiko and Ozu on different days. Non-reserved JR limited express fares are ¥3,220 return to Uchiko and ¥3,680 return to Iyo-Ozu via Uchiko. Six trams cover return Okaido–JR station trips on both days and the final-day return Dogo Onsen trip. Staying in the same accommodation still requires both JR return journeys and all six tram rides.
Castle fees and hoursBathing options, prices and reservation conditionsApril 2026 fare table, page 2Boarding and payment methodsFare tableOzu City castle information
Travel via Uchiko for one night in Ozu
Choose two nights in Matsuyama and one in Ozu to rest in Ozu after the castle and hot springs. Move via Uchiko on day 3, then visit Ozu Castle and return to Matsuyama on your final day. Choose the Uchiko stop only if you can walk with light luggage.
Day 1: visit Matsuyama Castle
Spend two nights in Matsuyama, then move to Ozu for one night. Leave time to return to JR Matsuyama Station after visiting Ozu Castle on your final day.
- Matsuyama Airport or JR Matsuyama Station → Okaido stop
From JR Matsuyama Station, take city tram 5 towards Dogo Onsen and get off at Okaido. From the airport, check that your limousine bus leaves after your actual arrival and stops at Okaido. Not every airport departure goes there. Arrival-day transport is excluded from the sightseeing subtotal.
City tram timetableAirport limousine routes, fares and timetable for 1–24 October 2026Reaching the lower station
- Okaido stop and accommodation → Shinonomeguchi lower station and keep ticket office
Official estimates are about 5 minutes from near Okaido stop to the Shinonomeguchi ropeway station and about 30 minutes by ropeway and on foot from the lower station’s first floor to the keep ticket office.
- Keep ticket office → Matsuyama Castle keep
Usual keep hours are 09:00–17:00, with last entry at 16:30; seasonal hours differ.
- Matsuyama Castle and lower ropeway station → Okaido accommodation
Take the ropeway down, eat in Okaido and return to your accommodation. The ¥520 keep fee does not apply if you skip the interior. If day 1 is too short for the visit, swap it with a city activity on another day.
Day 2: bathe at Dogo Onsen and return to Matsuyama
Take city tram 3 from Okaido towards Dogo Onsen and get off at Dogo Onsen Station.
- Okaido stop → Dogo Onsen Station
Take tram 3 towards Dogo Onsen and get off at the terminus. Allow additional time for the walk to Honkan and on-site waiting.
- Dogo Onsen Station and Haikara-dori → Dogo Onsen Honkan
Walk along Haikara-dori to Honkan and use the Kami-no-Yu bath-only option: ¥700 for adults, 06:00–23:00, reception until 22:30 and a 60-minute limit. Advance reservations are not accepted for this option.
Bathing options, prices and reservation conditionsOfficial walking map of Dogo Onsen Station, shopping street and Honkan
- Dogo Onsen Honkan and Dogo Onsen Station → Okaido accommodation
After bathing, choose an open shop or restaurant in the shopping area for a meal or rest. Take tram 3 from Dogo Onsen Station towards Matsuyama-shi, return to Okaido and spend a second night in the same accommodation.
Day 3: move to your Ozu accommodation via Uchiko
Today you change accommodation from Matsuyama to Ozu via Uchiko. Storage for large luggage in Uchiko is unconfirmed, so choose this route only if you can walk with light luggage. Otherwise, use the direct Iyo-Ozu route below.
- Okaido accommodation → JR Uchiko Station
Take city tram 5 from Okaido towards JR Matsuyama Station. Matsuyama-shi Station is a different station. At JR Matsuyama, choose a limited express stopping at Uchiko. The adult non-reserved example is ¥850 basic fare plus ¥760 limited express charge, or ¥1,610 one way.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page 2Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationFare tableMatsuyama StationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu Station
- JR Uchiko Station → Uchiko historic streets
Walk roughly 1 km or 15 minutes from Uchiko Station to the historic area’s southern entrance. Explore old buildings and lanes, then have lunch. The tourism association recommends 1–2 hours for walking or about 3 hours with a meal. Uchiko-za’s main building is closed for construction, so the interior is excluded.
Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationTourism association closure noticeUchiko Town dressing-room opening noticeTabirian location and general opening hoursTourism association fiscal 2024 activity reportRakutabi sales suspension notice
- Uchiko historic streets → JR Uchiko Station
After walking and lunch, retrace your route to Uchiko Station. Add ticket purchases and boarding time to the roughly 15-minute walk from the southern entrance, then choose an Iyo-Ozu-bound train for your date.
- JR Uchiko Station platform → JR train stopping at Iyo-Ozu
Choose a train stopping at Iyo-Ozu on your actual travel date. The separately purchased non-reserved limited express example is ¥330 basic fare plus ¥450 limited express charge, or ¥780. This amount does not apply to local trains, reserved seats or passes.
- JR train to Iyo-Ozu Station → Outside JR Iyo-Ozu Station
Get off at Iyo-Ozu and leave the station. Plan the route to your Ozu accommodation using its booked address, then have dinner and rest nearby.
Stopping to walk in Uchiko requires two segments: Matsuyama–Uchiko and Uchiko–Iyo-Ozu. Skipping the visit requires one Matsuyama–Iyo-Ozu segment. Look up trains and stops for your actual date.
Day 4: visit Ozu Castle and depart
- Central Ozu → Ozu Castle
Ozu Castle operates 09:00–17:00, with ticket sales until 16:30 and adult admission of ¥550. The official station-to-castle walk is about 30 minutes. Follow the old Ozu road through Tokiwamachi shopping street and across the Hijikawa bridge. Move the castle to an earlier sightseeing day if your final-day departure is early.
- Ozu Castle → JR Iyo-Ozu Station
Retrace the route from Ozu Castle to Iyo-Ozu Station. Allow about 30 minutes for walking plus boarding time, then choose a Matsuyama-bound train for your date. Limited expresses via Uchiko and local trains via Iyo-Nagahama have different routes and fares.
- JR Iyo-Ozu Station → Your departure platform
For Matsuyama Airport, take a JR Matsuyama-bound train via Uchiko from Iyo-Ozu, then transfer to an airport limousine bus outside JR Matsuyama Station. The adult non-reserved limited express costs ¥1,080 basic fare plus ¥760 limited express charge, or ¥1,840 one way. The currently checked adult airport bus fare is ¥1,000 cash or ¥980 with a nationwide transit IC card. You must transfer from JR to a bus for the airport. Check your flight time against the castle visit, train wait, walk to the bus stop, bus journey and airport procedures. For another city, choose a separate train from Iyo-Ozu to that destination.
Airport limousine routes, fares and timetable for 1–24 October 2026Fare tableMatsuyama StationIyo-Ozu Station
Included costs: Facilities ¥2,290 + Matsuyama–Uchiko limited express ¥1,610 + Uchiko–Ozu limited express ¥780 + Ozu–Matsuyama limited express ¥1,840 + three trams: ¥750 cash or ¥690 with an IC card
Separate costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, luggage storage, separately used transport between accommodation, stops, stations and attractions, arrival-day transport, airport limousine buses, taxis and additional transport are separate. Paid houses and museums in Uchiko are excluded. Recalculate JR costs for local trains, reserved seats or a pass.
This amount applies when travelling via Uchiko to Ozu, then returning towards Matsuyama Airport on the final day. JR costs are ¥1,610 Matsuyama–Uchiko, ¥780 Uchiko–Iyo-Ozu and ¥1,840 Iyo-Ozu–Matsuyama, each travelled once. Three trams cover the Dogo Onsen return trip and one Okaido–JR station ride. The station-to-airport bus is separate. Skipping Uchiko or leaving Ozu for another city changes the JR segments and cost. Luggage storage is separate; availability and prices are unconfirmed.
Castle fees and hoursBathing options, prices and reservation conditionsApril 2026 fare table, page 2Boarding and payment methodsFare tableOzu City castle information
Questions before you go
Is the All Shikoku Rail Pass cheaper for Uchiko and Ozu?
With three Matsuyama nights and separate day trips, non-reserved JR limited express return fares are ¥3,220 to Uchiko and ¥3,680 to Ozu, totalling ¥6,900. After the 1 October 2026 changes, the adult All Shikoku Rail Pass costs ¥12,000 for three days or ¥20,000 for seven days. Four- and five-day sales have ended. These two ordinary-ticket return trips cost less than the three-day pass. Add any JR travel to other cities and compare its dates. The pass requires a foreign passport and Temporary Visitor status; it does not include Iyotetsu city trams, airport buses, castle admission or bathing. Pass changes checked 9 October 2026; JR fares checked 8 October 2026.
All Shikoku Rail Pass: official notice of changes from 1 October 2026Official All Shikoku Rail Pass informationFare table
Can I visit Uchiko and continue to Ozu the same day?
Allow about 3 hours for walking and a meal in Uchiko, plus roughly 15 minutes to walk to the station and boarding time, then choose an Iyo-Ozu-bound train. Stop in Uchiko on a move to Ozu only if you can walk with light luggage. With large luggage, go directly from Matsuyama to Iyo-Ozu and visit Uchiko another day or skip it. The direct alternative changes JR segments and cost.
Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu StationRakutabi sales suspension notice
Official sources and check dates
- Castle fees and hours ·
- Reaching the lower station ·
- Bathing options, prices and reservation conditions ·
- Uchiko Tourism Association visitor information ·
- Tourism association closure notice ·
- Uchiko Town dressing-room opening notice ·
- Ozu City castle information ·
- Fare table ·
- Matsuyama Station ·
- Uchiko Station ·
- Iyo-Ozu Station ·
- Getting to Ozu Castle ·
- Tabirian location and general opening hours ·
- Tourism association fiscal 2024 activity report ·
- Rakutabi sales suspension notice ·
- Airport limousine routes, fares and timetable for 1–24 October 2026 ·
- Matsuyama Airport bus information ·
- City tram timetable ·
- April 2026 fare table, page 2 ·
- Boarding and payment methods ·
- Official All Shikoku Rail Pass information ·
- Official walking map of Dogo Onsen Station, shopping street and Honkan ·
- All Shikoku Rail Pass: official notice of changes from 1 October 2026 ·