Ehime in 5 days: one base or two nights in Ozu?
Spend four nights in one Matsuyama accommodation, dividing the castle, hot springs, Uchiko and Ozu across separate days. Alternatively, spend two nights in Matsuyama and two in Ozu. The Ozu stay moves via Uchiko, then separates historic-street and riverside walks from the castle visit. Move the castle to the previous day or skip it for a final-morning departure.
Choose a 5 days, 4 nights itinerary
Four nights in Matsuyama with trips to both towns
Spend four nights in Matsuyama to enjoy city walks, the castle, hot springs and both towns from the same accommodation. Visit Uchiko and Ozu on separate days, choosing final-day bathing to suit your departure time.
Four nights in Matsuyama with trips to both towns →5 days, 4 nightsTwo nights in Ozu to reduce return travel
Spend two nights in Matsuyama followed by two in Ozu for slower walks through historic streets and along the river. Move via Uchiko, then walk Ozu and visit its castle on different days. Return to JR Matsuyama Station on your final day.
Two nights in Ozu to reduce return travel →Four nights in Matsuyama with trips to both towns
Spend four nights in Matsuyama to enjoy city walks, the castle, hot springs and both towns from the same accommodation. Visit Uchiko and Ozu on separate days, choosing final-day bathing to suit your departure time.
Day 1: arrive in Okaido for a meal and walk
Spend four nights in Matsuyama, with the castle, Dogo, Uchiko and Ozu on separate days. Stay in the same accommodation and make separate JR return trips to both towns.
- Matsuyama Airport or JR Matsuyama Station → Okaido stop
Not every airport bus reaches Okaido; check the stop list. From JR Matsuyama Station, take city tram 5 towards Dogo Onsen and get off at Okaido. JR Matsuyama and Matsuyama-shi are different stations. The currently checked adult airport–Okaido fare is ¥1,200 cash or ¥1,180 with a nationwide transit IC card, excluded from the sightseeing subtotal below. Choose a departure you can catch after luggage collection and immigration are actually complete.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page 2Airport limousine routes, fares and timetable for 1–24 October 2026Matsuyama Airport bus information
- Okaido shopping street → Meals and a walk around Okaido, then the same accommodation
Choose an open shop or restaurant in Okaido for a meal, walk around the area and return to your accommodation. Shorten the walk and rest if you arrive late. Castle and hot spring visits begin the next day.
Day 2: go up to Matsuyama Castle and return to your accommodation
Walk from your Okaido accommodation to the Shinonomeguchi ropeway 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.
Reaching the lower stationCastle fees and hoursStairs and visiting information
Day 3: walk Uchiko’s historic streets and return to the same accommodation
Take 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, walk to the JR station and transfer to a train stopping at Uchiko. Separately purchased non-reserved limited express tickets via Uchiko cost ¥850 basic fare plus ¥760 limited express charge, or ¥1,610 one way for adults; two journeys under the same conditions total ¥3,220. Check both arrival and return services for your date. Walking to the station, tram and JR waits and ticket purchases are additional to train travel time.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page 2Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationFare tableMatsuyama StationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu Station
- JR Uchiko Station → Uchiko historic streets
From Uchiko Station, walk about 1 km or 15 minutes to the historic area’s southern entrance, as the tourism association directs. Explore the streets and Uchiko-za’s exterior, then have lunch at an open restaurant. The association suggests 1–2 hours for street walking or about 3 hours with a meal. Uchiko-za’s main building is closed for construction; no interior visit or admission is included. Check closures and separate fees for any houses or museums you plan to enter.
Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationTourism association closure notice
- Uchiko historic streets → Okaido accommodation
Walk back to Uchiko Station, take a Matsuyama-bound train, then take tram 5 towards Dogo Onsen from outside the JR station and get off at Okaido. Plan your meal around the station walk and boarding buffer to avoid missing the return train. Check actual return services and the last train for your travel date.
Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationUchiko StationMatsuyama StationCity tram timetable
Day 4: 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. Do not apply this route and fare example to trains via Iyo-Nagahama. The adult non-reserved limited express via Uchiko costs ¥1,080 basic fare plus ¥760 limited express charge, or ¥1,840 Matsuyama–Iyo-Ozu one way and ¥3,680 return under the same conditions.
- JR Iyo-Ozu Station → Ozu Castle entrance
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 bridge. Allow walking time back to the station.
Official Ehime tourism informationOzu Castle admission and walking access
- Ozu Castle → Okaido accommodation
Ozu Castle operates 09:00–17:00, with ticket sales until 16:30 and adult admission of ¥550. After visiting, have lunch or walk by the river. Allow 30 minutes to retrace the castle-to-station route, plus boarding time. Choose a Matsuyama-bound train available on your date and plan sightseeing and meals around it. Check operating days, service intervals and fares separately if reducing the walk with a loop bus. At JR Matsuyama Station, take tram 5 towards Dogo Onsen and return to Okaido.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page 2Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationOzu City castle informationGetting to Ozu CastleIyo-Ozu StationUchiko Station
Day 5: 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. The Kami-no-Yu bath-only option costs ¥700 for adults, operates 06:00–23:00 with reception until 22:30, and allows 60 minutes. Advance reservations are not accepted. The walk from the station and reception queue are additional to tram travel time. Other relaxation-room options have different fees and reception conditions.
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 using non-reserved limited expresses. Six trams cover return Okaido–JR station trips on both days and the final-day return Okaido–Dogo Onsen trip. All six cost ¥1,500 cash or ¥1,380 with a nationwide transit IC card. Staying in the same accommodation still requires separate return train trips to both towns.
Castle fees and hoursBathing options, prices and reservation conditionsApril 2026 fare table, page 2Boarding and payment methodsFare tableOzu City castle information
Two nights in Ozu to reduce return travel
Spend two nights in Matsuyama followed by two in Ozu for slower walks through historic streets and along the river. Move via Uchiko, then walk Ozu and visit its castle on different days. Return to JR Matsuyama Station on your final day.
Day 1: arrive in Okaido and visit Matsuyama Castle
Spend two nights in Matsuyama, then move to Ozu for two nights. Walk the historic streets and riverside on day 4 and visit the 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 → 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: visit Dogo Onsen and spend another night in Matsuyama
Return from Dogo Onsen for a second night in the same Okaido accommodation.
- Okaido accommodation and stop → Dogo Onsen Station
Walk from your accommodation to Okaido stop, take tram 3 towards Dogo Onsen and get off at the terminus.
- Dogo Onsen Station and Haikara-dori → Dogo Onsen Honkan
Walk along Haikara-dori to Honkan. Its Kami-no-Yu bath-only option costs ¥700 for adults, operates 06:00–23:00 with reception until 22:30, and allows 60 minutes. Advance reservations are not accepted. Allow separate time after getting off the tram for walking to Honkan and waiting at reception.
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, eat somewhere open in the shopping area. Take tram 3 from Dogo Onsen Station towards Matsuyama-shi, get off at Okaido and return to the same accommodation. For an afternoon castle visit, check the keep’s closing time and last ropeway departure separately, then recalculate the route and admission costs.
Day 3: move to 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 tram 5 from Okaido to the stop outside JR Matsuyama Station and walk to the JR station. Choose a train stopping at Uchiko. With separately purchased non-reserved limited express tickets, the adult Matsuyama–Uchiko fare is ¥850 basic fare plus ¥760 limited express charge, or ¥1,610. Check your arrival service for the actual date and allow time to transfer from tram to JR and buy tickets.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page 2Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationFare tableMatsuyama StationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu Station
- JR Uchiko Station → Uchiko historic streets and Uchiko-za exterior
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 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: walk Ozu’s historic streets and return to the same accommodation
- Ozu accommodation → Ozu Machi-no-Eki Asamoya and historic streets
First check the route from your accommodation to Ozu Machi-no-Eki Asamoya. Ozu City describes the Kinan district around Asamoya as a walkable area linking historic streets, Ohanahan Street, the Ozu Red Brick Hall, riverside and castle. Starting at Asamoya, see Ohanahan Street and the Red Brick Hall exterior, have lunch, then walk towards the Hijikawa riverside and return to your accommodation. Building interiors and specific shops’ opening hours are excluded. Plan the route and time to Asamoya using your booked address.
Ozu City castle informationGetting to Ozu CastleOzu City Asamoya and historic streets
- Ozu Machi-no-Eki Asamoya and historic streets → Ozu accommodation
You need not walk every street in rain or if long walks are difficult. The castle is planned for day 5, but an early departure makes a day 4 visit between 09:00 and 17:00 a better choice. Check the 16:30 ticket deadline and route from your accommodation. Check separate operating and booking conditions if adding a sightseeing boat.
Day 5: 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 walk from Iyo-Ozu Station 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 departing early. The return non-reserved limited express via Uchiko from Iyo-Ozu to JR Matsuyama costs ¥1,080 basic fare plus ¥760 limited express charge, or ¥1,840 for adults.
Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationFare tableMatsuyama StationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu StationOzu City castle informationGetting to Ozu Castle
- 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 Matsuyama-bound limited express via Uchiko from Iyo-Ozu and get off at JR Matsuyama Station. Walk to the airport limousine boarding point and transfer to a bus. The currently checked adult station-to-airport fare is ¥1,000 cash or ¥980 with a nationwide transit IC card. Reservations are not accepted; boarding is first come, first served. The airport requires this bus transfer from JR. For another city, choose a separate train to that destination and recheck the route and fare.
Iyo-Ozu StationFare tableAirport limousine routes, fares and timetable for 1–24 October 2026Matsuyama Airport bus information
For a morning flight, move Ozu Castle to the previous day or skip it. Allow enough time for JR, the airport bus and airline procedures before your flight.
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 stopping in Uchiko, spending two nights in Ozu and returning towards Matsuyama Airport. 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 airport bus and Uchiko luggage storage are separate. Skipping Uchiko or leaving Ozu for another city changes the JR segments and cost.
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
Can I go directly from Ozu to Matsuyama Airport?
By train and airport bus, travel from Iyo-Ozu to JR Matsuyama Station, then transfer to an airport limousine bus. The adult bus fare from outside JR Matsuyama Station is ¥1,000 cash or ¥980 with a nationwide transit IC card or the Mican app. JR fares and train and bus waits are separate. These bus fares are based on the guidance for 1–24 October 2026; check new fares and timetables after that period.
Airport limousine routes, fares and timetable for 1–24 October 2026Iyo-Ozu Station
Official sources and check dates
- Castle fees and hours ·
- Reaching the lower station ·
- Stairs and visiting information ·
- Bathing options, prices and reservation conditions ·
- Uchiko Tourism Association visitor information ·
- Tourism association closure notice ·
- Official Ehime tourism information ·
- Ozu City castle information ·
- Fare table ·
- Matsuyama Station ·
- Uchiko Station ·
- Iyo-Ozu Station ·
- Getting to Ozu Castle ·
- 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 ·
- Ozu Castle admission and walking access ·
- Ozu City Asamoya and historic streets ·
- 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 ·