Ehime in 3 nights/4 days: day trips to Uchiko and Ozu or an Ozu night?
Stay three nights in Matsuyama and give Uchiko and Ozu a day each if you prefer one hotel. To spend a night in Ozu, stay two nights in Matsuyama, then move via Uchiko to Ozu. That itinerary 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
Stay three nights in Okaido to visit both towns without changing hotels. Give Uchiko’s old streets and Ozu Castle a day each, making return train journeys from JR Matsuyama Station on both days.
Separate day trips to Uchiko and Ozu →4 days / 3 nightsVia Uchiko to one night in Ozu
Choose two Matsuyama nights and one Ozu night to rest in Ozu after visiting the city castle and hot springs. Move via Uchiko to Ozu on day 3, then visit Ozu Castle before returning to Matsuyama on the final day. Choose the Uchiko stop only if you can walk with light luggage.
Via Uchiko to one night in Ozu →Separate day trips to Uchiko and Ozu
Stay three nights in Okaido to visit both towns without changing hotels. Give Uchiko’s old streets and Ozu Castle a day each, making return train journeys from JR Matsuyama Station on both days.
Day 1: visit Matsuyama Castle from Okaido
Stay three nights in Matsuyama and give Uchiko and Ozu a day each. Both are return train trips from JR Matsuyama Station.
- 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 timetableAirport limousine routes, fares and 1–24 October 2026 timetableLower station access
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Keep admission and the return ropeway are charged separately. If walking only around Honmaru, you do not need keep admission. To move the visit to day 2, revise your planned stops, transport and admission deadlines.
Day 2: walk Uchiko’s old streets and return to Matsuyama
Have breakfast at your hotel, then take city tram 5 from Okaido towards JR Matsuyama Station.
- Okaido hotel → JR Uchiko Station
Take tram 5 from Okaido towards JR Matsuyama Station, get off and walk to the JR station. Change to a train stopping at Uchiko. Matsuyama City Station is not a JR station. Check arrival and return services for your travel date together. Allow additional time for the hotel-to-stop walk, the tram connection, buying JR tickets and reaching the platform. A non-reserved limited-express supplement is payable separately from the basic ticket if you choose a limited express.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page 2Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationFare tableMatsuyama StationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu Station
- JR Uchiko Station → Uchiko’s old streets
The tourism association lists about 1 km/15 minutes from Uchiko Station to the southern entrance of the old streets. See old buildings and lanes and have lunch. Allow 1–2 hours for the streets and Uchiko-za surroundings, or about 3 hours with a meal or café stop, as suggested by the association. Uchiko-za’s main building is closed for construction, so interior admission is excluded. For additional preserved-house visits, check their opening days and admission alongside your return train.
Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationTourism association closure informationUchiko town dressing-room opening information
- Uchiko’s old streets → Okaido hotel
Walk back from the southern street entrance to Uchiko Station and choose a Matsuyama-bound train for your date. Plan your meal’s finish time around the 15-minute station walk and boarding allowance. Check the train’s arrival in Matsuyama for that date too. 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 hotel. 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 JR Matsuyama Station.
- Okaido hotel → JR Iyo-Ozu Station
Take tram 5 from Okaido towards JR Matsuyama Station, get off 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 uses the non-reserved limited-express route via Uchiko. Even on an Uwajima-bound train, check that Iyo-Ozu is served in your date’s timetable. The JR fare table lists ¥1,080 basic fare plus a ¥760 non-reserved supplement, totalling ¥1,840 each way per adult from Matsuyama to Iyo-Ozu.
Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationFare tableMatsuyama StationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu Station
- JR Iyo-Ozu Station → Ozu Castle
Official guidance gives about a 30-minute walk from Iyo-Ozu Station to Ozu Castle. The operator’s old Ozu road route passes through Tokiwamachi shopping street and crosses the Hiji River towards the castle. Allow time for the walk and ticket purchase. The castle opens 09:00–17:00, with ticket sales until 16:30 and ¥550 adult admission. After visiting, have lunch somewhere open or take a short riverside walk, then return to Iyo-Ozu Station for your chosen train. A loop bus requires separate checks of that day’s timetable and fare; the basic budget assumes walking between the station and castle.
- Ozu Castle → Okaido hotel
Choose a Matsuyama-bound train from Iyo-Ozu. Allow a 30-minute station walk after the castle and lunch when selecting your return service. If sightseeing runs late, check the next Matsuyama service in the timetable. Back at JR Matsuyama Station, take tram 5 towards Dogo Onsen to your Okaido hotel.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page 2Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationIyo-Ozu StationUchiko Station
Day 4: bathe at Dogo Onsen before departure
- 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. Choose the adult ¥700 Kami-no-Yu bathing-only option, operating 06:00–23:00 with reception until 22:30 and 60-minute use. Advance reservations are not accepted. Other options have different prices.
Bathing options, prices and reservation conditionsCity tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page 2Official walking map: 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 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.
Included items: Attractions ¥2,290 + Uchiko limited-express return ¥3,220 + Ozu limited-express return ¥3,680 + six tram rides: ¥1,500 cash / ¥1,380 by IC card
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, luggage storage, additional transport between hotels, stops, stations and attractions, day 1 arrival transport, airport limousines, taxis and other extra journeys are excluded. Paid houses and museums in Uchiko are excluded too. Recalculate JR costs if choosing local trains, reserved seats or a pass.
This subtotal covers separate return trips from Matsuyama to Uchiko and Ozu. Non-reserved limited-express returns cost ¥3,220 to Uchiko and ¥3,680 to Iyo-Ozu via Uchiko. Six tram rides cover Okaido–JR station on both days and the final-day Dogo Onsen return. Keeping the same hotel 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
Via Uchiko to one night in Ozu
Choose two Matsuyama nights and one Ozu night to rest in Ozu after visiting the city castle and hot springs. Move via Uchiko to Ozu on day 3, then visit Ozu Castle before returning to Matsuyama on the 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. On the final day, leave time to visit Ozu Castle and return to JR Matsuyama Station.
- 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 timetableAirport limousine routes, fares and 1–24 October 2026 timetableLower station access
- Okaido stop and hotel → Shinonomeguchi lower station and keep ticket office
Official guidance gives about 5 minutes on foot from near Okaido stop to Shinonomeguchi ropeway station, then 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
The keep usually opens 09:00–17:00 with last admission at 16:30; seasonal hours differ.
- Matsuyama Castle and ropeway lower station → Okaido hotel
Take the ropeway down, have a meal in Okaido and return to your hotel. If you do not enter the keep, you do not pay its ¥520 admission. If day 1 leaves too little time, swap the visit with another day’s city sightseeing.
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 to walk to Honkan and queue on site.
- Dogo Onsen Station and Haikara-dori → Dogo Onsen Honkan
Walk along Haikara-dori to Honkan and use the Kami-no-Yu bathing-only option. It costs ¥700 for adults, operates 06:00–23:00 with reception until 22:30, allows 60 minutes and cannot be booked in advance.
Bathing options, prices and reservation conditionsOfficial walking map: Dogo Onsen Station, shopping street and Honkan
- Dogo Onsen Honkan and Dogo Onsen Station → Okaido hotel
After bathing, choose an open shop in the shopping street for a meal or break. Take tram 3 from Dogo Onsen Station towards Matsuyama City Station, get off at Okaido and spend a second night at the same hotel.
Day 3: move via Uchiko to your Ozu hotel
Today you change hotels, travelling from Matsuyama via Uchiko to Ozu. Storage for large bags in Uchiko has not been confirmed, so choose this only if you can walk with light luggage. Otherwise, use the direct Iyo-Ozu route below.
- Okaido hotel → JR Uchiko Station
Take city tram 5 from Okaido towards JR Matsuyama Station. It is a different station from Matsuyama City. At the JR station, choose a limited express stopping at Uchiko. The adult non-reserved example costs ¥850 basic fare plus a ¥760 supplement, totalling ¥1,610 each way.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page 2Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationFare tableMatsuyama StationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu Station
- JR Uchiko Station → Uchiko’s old streets
Walk about 1 km/15 minutes from Uchiko Station to the southern entrance of the old streets. Explore old buildings and lanes and have lunch. The tourism association suggests 1–2 hours for walking or about 3 hours with a meal. Uchiko-za’s main building is closed for construction, so interior visits are excluded.
Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationTourism association closure informationUchiko town dressing-room opening informationTabirian location and general hoursTourism association FY2024 activity reportRakutabi sales suspension notice
- Uchiko’s old streets → JR Uchiko Station
After walking and lunch, retrace your route to Uchiko Station. Add ticket purchase and boarding time to the roughly 15-minute walk from the southern street entrance, then choose an Iyo-Ozu train for your date.
- JR Uchiko Station platform → JR train stopping at Iyo-Ozu
Take a train serving Iyo-Ozu on your actual date. The non-reserved limited-express example for this section costs ¥330 basic fare plus a ¥450 supplement, totalling ¥780. Local trains, reserved seats and passes require a new calculation.
- JR train to Iyo-Ozu → Outside JR Iyo-Ozu Station
Get off at Iyo-Ozu and leave the station. Choose the route to your Ozu hotel using its booked address, then plan a meal and rest nearby that evening.
Stopping to walk in Uchiko uses two sections: Matsuyama–Uchiko and Uchiko–Iyo-Ozu. Skipping the visit uses one Matsuyama–Iyo-Ozu section. Check trains and stops for your actual date.
Day 4: visit Ozu Castle before departure
- Ozu city centre → Ozu Castle
Ozu Castle opens 09:00–17:00, with ticket sales until 16:30 and ¥550 adult admission. Official guidance gives about a 30-minute walk from Iyo-Ozu Station. Follow the old Ozu road via Tokiwamachi shopping street and the bridge over the Hiji River to the castle. If your final-day departure is early, move the castle to an earlier sightseeing day.
- Ozu Castle → JR Iyo-Ozu Station
Retrace your route from Ozu Castle to Iyo-Ozu Station. Allow about 30 minutes on foot plus boarding time and 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 actual departure platform
For Matsuyama Airport, take a train from Iyo-Ozu to JR Matsuyama via Uchiko, then change to an airport limousine outside JR Matsuyama Station. Adult non-reserved limited-express travel from Iyo-Ozu to Matsuyama costs ¥1,080 basic fare plus a ¥760 supplement, totalling ¥1,840. The checked adult one-way airport bus fare from the JR station is ¥1,000 cash or ¥980 with a nationwide transport IC card. Reaching the airport requires this bus connection. Work back from your flight to check time for the castle, train waits, the walk to the bus stand, the bus ride and airport formalities. If heading to another city, choose a separate train from Iyo-Ozu to that destination.
Airport limousine routes, fares and 1–24 October 2026 timetableFare tableMatsuyama StationIyo-Ozu Station
Included items: Attractions ¥2,290 + Matsuyama–Uchiko limited express ¥1,610 + Uchiko–Ozu limited express ¥780 + Ozu–Matsuyama limited express ¥1,840 + three tram rides: ¥750 cash / ¥690 by IC card
Extra costs: Flights, accommodation, meals, luggage storage, additional transport between hotels, stops, stations and attractions, day 1 arrival transport, airport limousines, taxis and other extra journeys are excluded. Paid houses and museums in Uchiko are excluded too. Recalculate JR costs if choosing local trains, reserved seats or a pass.
This subtotal applies when visiting Uchiko on the way to Ozu and 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, with each section used once. Three tram rides comprise the Dogo Onsen return and one Okaido–JR station journey. The airport bus from the JR station costs extra. Skipping Uchiko or leaving Ozu for another city changes the JR sections and fares. Luggage storage is extra, with availability and charges unconfirmed.
Castle fees and hoursBathing options, prices and reservation conditionsApril 2026 fare table, page 2Boarding and payment methodsFare tableOzu city castle information
Questions before departure
Is the All Shikoku Rail Pass cheaper for Uchiko and Ozu?
With three Matsuyama nights and separate Uchiko and Ozu day trips, adult non-reserved limited-express returns cost ¥3,220 and ¥3,680, totalling ¥6,900. After the 1 October 2026 revision, the adult All Shikoku Rail Pass costs ¥12,000 for three days or ¥20,000 for seven; four- and five-day versions are no longer sold. These two ordinary-ticket returns cost less than the three-day pass. If also taking JR to other cities, include those routes and dates in the comparison. Check foreign-passport and Temporary Visitor eligibility. The pass does not include Iyotetsu city trams, airport buses, castle admission or hot-spring bathing. Revised conditions checked 2026-10-09; JR fares checked 2026-10-08.
All Shikoku Rail Pass: official 1 October 2026 revision noticeAll Shikoku Rail Pass official guideFare table
Can I visit Uchiko and move to Ozu the same day?
Choose an Iyo-Ozu train that leaves about 3 hours for lunch and walking in Uchiko, plus the roughly 15-minute station walk and boarding allowance. Stop in Uchiko on the hotel-change day only if you can walk with light luggage. With large bags, go directly from Matsuyama to Iyo-Ozu and visit Uchiko another day or omit it. Going direct changes the JR sections and costs.
Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu StationRakutabi sales suspension notice
Official sources and check dates
- Castle fees and hours ·
- Lower station access ·
- Bathing options, prices and reservation conditions ·
- Uchiko Tourism Association visitor information ·
- Tourism association closure information ·
- Uchiko town dressing-room opening information ·
- Ozu city castle information ·
- Fare table ·
- Matsuyama Station ·
- Uchiko Station ·
- Iyo-Ozu Station ·
- Ozu Castle access ·
- Tabirian location and general hours ·
- Tourism association FY2024 activity report ·
- Rakutabi sales suspension notice ·
- Airport limousine routes, fares and 1–24 October 2026 timetable ·
- Matsuyama Airport bus information ·
- City tram timetable ·
- April 2026 fare table, page 2 ·
- Boarding and payment methods ·
- All Shikoku Rail Pass official guide ·
- Official walking map: Dogo Onsen Station, shopping street and Honkan ·
- All Shikoku Rail Pass: official 1 October 2026 revision notice ·