Matsuyama in 2 nights/3 days: city sights or an Uchiko trip too?

Day 1: explore the city from Okaido

Stay two nights in Okaido, with meals and walks on day 1, the keep on day 2 and bathing on day 3.

1. Matsuyama Airport or JR Matsuyama Station → Okaido stop

   If arriving by JR, take city tram 5 towards Dogo Onsen from JR Matsuyama Station and get off at Okaido. JR Matsuyama and Matsuyama City are different stations. If arriving by air, finish baggage collection and any required immigration procedures, then check for a limousine bus serving Okaido. Not all airport buses stop there; use your travel date’s timetable to choose one you can actually board after arrival.

   City tram timetable2026-10-08Airport limousine routes, fares and 1–24 October 2026 timetable2026-10-08Matsuyama Airport bus information2026-10-08

2. Okaido shopping street → Okaido meals and walks, then the same hotel

   Choose somewhere open for a meal in Okaido shopping street, walk nearby and return to your hotel. If arriving late, shorten the walk and rest. Castle and hot-spring visits start the next day.

   City tram timetable2026-10-08

Day 2: visit Matsuyama Castle’s keep from Okaido

After breakfast, walk from near Okaido stop to Shinonomeguchi ropeway station.

1. Okaido stop → Shinonomeguchi ropeway lower station

   Walk from Okaido tram stop to the Shinonomeguchi ropeway lower station. Official guidance gives about 5 minutes on foot.

   Lower station access2026-10-08Castle fees and hours2026-10-08

2. Shinonomeguchi ropeway lower station → Upper station and keep ticket office

   Buy a ¥520 adult return ticket 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 journey from the lower station’s first floor to the ticket office excludes time inside the keep.

   Castle fees and hours2026-10-08Lower station access2026-10-08

3. Keep ticket office → Matsuyama Castle keep

   Adult keep admission costs ¥520, separately 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 your date’s closing time before entering.

   Castle fees and hours2026-10-08

4. Matsuyama Castle keep → Ropeway lower station and Okaido shopping street

   After your visit, return to the upper boarding area and take the ropeway down. Walk from the lower station towards Okaido for a meal or a break.

   Lower station access2026-10-08Castle fees and hours2026-10-08Stairs and visitor information2026-10-08

Day 3: bathe at Dogo Onsen, return to Okaido and depart

1. Okaido hotel → Dogo Onsen Honkan

   Take city tram 3 towards Dogo Onsen, get off at the terminus and walk along Haikara-dori to Honkan. Check tram times for your date in Iyotetsu’s timetable. Use Honkan’s adult ¥700 Kami-no-Yu bathing-only option. Hours are 06:00–23:00, reception ends at 22:30 and use is limited to 60 minutes. Reservations are not accepted, so allow time for queues and changing clothes.

   Bathing options, prices and reservation conditions2026-10-08City tram timetable2026-10-08April 2026 fare table, page 22026-10-08Official walking map: Dogo Onsen Station, shopping street and Honkan2026-10-08

2. Dogo Onsen Honkan → Okaido hotel

   After bathing at Honkan’s Kami-no-Yu, walk back along Haikara-dori to Dogo Onsen Station. Take tram 3 towards Matsuyama City Station, get off at Okaido and return to your hotel. Allow additional time for walking to the station and waiting for the tram.

   City tram timetable2026-10-08Official walking map: Dogo Onsen Station, shopping street and Honkan2026-10-08

Day 1: visit Matsuyama Castle from Okaido

Stay two nights in Okaido, with the castle on day 1, Uchiko on day 2 and Dogo Onsen on the final day. Choose this for a daytime arrival and an afternoon or later departure.

1. Matsuyama Airport or JR Matsuyama Station → Okaido stop

   If arriving by JR, take city tram 5 towards Dogo Onsen from JR Matsuyama Station and get off at Okaido. From the airport, check for a limousine service you can board after arrival that serves Okaido. Not every airport bus goes there. Day 1 arrival transport is excluded from the sightseeing subtotal.

   City tram timetable2026-10-08Airport limousine routes, fares and 1–24 October 2026 timetable2026-10-08Lower station access2026-10-08

2. Okaido stop → Shinonomeguchi ropeway lower station

   Walk from Okaido tram stop to the Shinonomeguchi ropeway lower station. Official guidance gives about 5 minutes on foot.

   Lower station access2026-10-08

3. Shinonomeguchi ropeway lower station → Upper station and keep ticket office

   Buy a ¥520 adult return ticket 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 journey from the lower station’s first floor to the ticket office excludes time inside the keep.

   Castle fees and hours2026-10-08Lower station access2026-10-08

4. Keep ticket office → Matsuyama Castle keep

   Adult keep admission costs ¥520, separately 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 your date’s closing time before entering.

   Castle fees and hours2026-10-08

5. Matsuyama Castle keep → Ropeway lower station and Okaido shopping street

   After your visit, return to the upper boarding area and take the ropeway down. Walk from the lower station towards Okaido for a meal or a break.

   Lower station access2026-10-08

Day 2: walk from JR Uchiko Station to the old streets

Leave your Okaido hotel in the morning.

1. Okaido hotel → JR Uchiko Station

   Take Iyotetsu city tram 5 towards JR Matsuyama Station, then change at the JR station to a train stopping at Uchiko. Matsuyama City Station is not a JR station, so distinguish the names when buying tickets. Check both your arrival and return services for your date. Walking from the hotel to the tram stop, buying JR tickets and waiting for connections take additional time. Limited-express travel requires a supplement as well as the basic ticket.

   City tram timetable2026-10-08April 2026 fare table, page 22026-10-08Uchiko Tourism Association visitor information2026-10-08Fare table2026-10-08Matsuyama Station2026-10-08Uchiko Station2026-10-08Iyo-Ozu Station2026-10-08

2. JR Uchiko Station → Uchiko’s old streets

   From Uchiko Station, follow the tourism association’s route about 1 km/15 minutes to the southern entrance of the old streets. Leave time to see old buildings and lanes and have lunch in town. The association suggests 1–2 hours for walks around the streets and Uchiko-za, or about 3 hours with a café stop or meal. Your pace and restaurant queues may add time. Uchiko-za’s main building is closed for construction, so interior admission is excluded. For preserved houses or museums, check each facility’s opening and admission for your visit date separately.

   Uchiko Tourism Association visitor information2026-10-08Tourism association closure information2026-10-08Uchiko town dressing-room opening information2026-10-08

3. Uchiko’s old streets → Okaido hotel

   Retrace the same route from the southern street entrance to Uchiko Station and choose a Matsuyama-bound train operating on your date. Check its arrival time in Matsuyama too. Allow the 15-minute station walk and time to check tickets and board before departure; plan house visits and meals around your return train. Back at JR Matsuyama Station, take city tram 5 towards Dogo Onsen, get off at Okaido and return to your hotel. Have dinner near the hotel. Uchiko restaurants have different closing days, so check which are open on your date first.

   City tram timetable2026-10-08April 2026 fare table, page 22026-10-08Uchiko Tourism Association visitor information2026-10-08

Day 3: visit Dogo Onsen Honkan before departure

1. Okaido hotel → Dogo Onsen Honkan

   Take tram 3 from Okaido towards Dogo Onsen, get off at the terminus and walk along Haikara-dori to Honkan. Allow time for the station walk and reception queue. Honkan’s Kami-no-Yu bathing-only option operates 06:00–23:00, with reception until 22:30 and 60-minute use; it cannot be booked in advance. Choosing a different option with a lounge changes the price and conditions.

   Bathing options, prices and reservation conditions2026-10-08City tram timetable2026-10-08April 2026 fare table, page 22026-10-08Official walking map: Dogo Onsen Station, shopping street and Honkan2026-10-08

2. Dogo Onsen Honkan → Okaido stop

   After bathing, return to Dogo Onsen Station and take tram 3 towards Matsuyama City Station, getting off at Okaido. Have a meal or break in the shopping area, then choose the airport or JR departure route below. For a morning departure, move this bath to another day.

   City tram timetable2026-10-08