How should I plan Ehime, from Matsuyama to Uchiko and Ozu?
Stay near Okaido in Matsuyama for castle visits and city dining, or near Dogo Onsen to rest nearby after a bath. With one or two nights, focus on Matsuyama. With three or four, take JR to Uchiko’s old streets and Ozu. Choose between day trips to both towns from one hotel and one or two nights in Ozu for its castle and riverside.
Castle and hot springs or old-town walks?
At Matsuyama Castle, enjoy the old keep and hilltop city views; at Dogo Onsen, explore the shopping street after bathing. Choose Uchiko for old-street walks or Ozu for a wooden keep and riverside. Costs vary with keep admission, ropeway use and hot-spring lounges. Uchiko-za’s main building is closed for construction, so its interior is excluded.
Itineraries by trip length
In Matsuyama, plan castle and hot-spring visits around your hotel, with JR days for Uchiko and Ozu. Choose between return trips to both towns from one hotel and an Ozu stay with separate street-walking and castle days. Each day’s route distinguishes city trams from connections at JR Matsuyama Station.
2 days / 1 night
Choose an Okaido stay for the keep and hot springs, or a Dogo stay for bathing and Honmaru views. If arriving late or departing the next morning, focus on one visit rather than trying to fit both.
3 days / 2 nights
Compare separate days for the castle and hot springs with a day in Uchiko’s old streets. City trams do not reach Uchiko; add the JR return journey and walks between the station and streets.
4 days / 3 nights
Choose three Matsuyama nights with separate Uchiko and Ozu day trips, or travel via Uchiko to spend one night in Ozu. Changing hotels reduces return journeys to Matsuyama, but sightseeing on the move must fit your next train.
5 days / 4 nights
Visit the castle, hot springs and both towns from one hotel, or spend two nights in Ozu for street walks and the castle on separate days. Before moving via Uchiko, check whether you can walk with light luggage. If that is difficult, check the direct alternative.
Stay below the castle or in the hot-spring district?
Okaido
Stay near Okaido to walk to the Matsuyama Castle ropeway and have dinner in the city. On your Dogo Onsen day, take a tram bound for Dogo Onsen.
Lower station accessCity tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page 2
Near Dogo Onsen Station
Look near Dogo Onsen Station if you want to return to a nearby hotel after bathing. For Uchiko, Ozu or another city, you will need a separate journey to JR Matsuyama Station.
Bathing options, prices and reservation conditionsCity tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page 2
Near JR Matsuyama Station
This area is convenient for trains to Uchiko and Ozu. Do not confuse JR Matsuyama Station with Matsuyama City Station; check the walk from your booked hotel address.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare table, page 2Matsuyama StationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu Station
One or two nights in Ozu
Stay in Ozu to explore the old town at a leisurely pace without making a same-day return to Matsuyama. If flying from Matsuyama Airport on your final day, check trains from Iyo-Ozu and airport buses from JR Matsuyama Station together.
Ozu Castle accessIyo-Ozu StationAirport limousine routes, fares and 1–24 October 2026 timetable
Transport and departure-day planning
Luggage storage when changing hotels
If leaving bags at your hotel, plan around its storage hours and the journey back to collect them. General luggage storage in Uchiko has not been confirmed. Compare an Uchiko walk with light luggage and a direct journey to Iyo-Ozu with larger bags.
Use the latest timetable for airport departure
The checked airport bus fares and routes use Iyotetsu’s information for 1–24 October 2026. Check new timetables and fares after that period. Airport-bound stops at Dogo Onsen Station, Okaido and JR Matsuyama Station are separate, and some airport-origin buses do not serve Dogo or Okaido. For a final-morning departure, move bathing or castle visits to an earlier day or omit them, leaving time for train and bus waits and airport formalities. Airport buses are excluded from the partial sightseeing subtotals.
Airport limousine routes, fares and 1–24 October 2026 timetableMatsuyama Airport bus information
Sea bream rice and transport to your next city
Ehime food and restaurant guide
Look for meals near Okaido on the castle day and in Dogo’s shopping street on the bathing day. On Uchiko and Ozu days, allow time for lunch in town and check shops’ opening days. Restaurant bookings and hotel dinners are excluded from the sightseeing subtotals.
Ehime food and restaurant guide →All Shikoku Rail Pass official guide
Check official eligibility, included routes and excluded transport.
All Shikoku Rail Pass official guide →Region name
Ehime Prefecture · 愛媛県
Separate time for Matsuyama city, Uchiko and Ozu
In the city, start with the castle or hot springs according to your hotel’s location, and set aside JR days for old-town visits. Keep a Matsuyama hotel and give each town a day trip, or choose one Ozu night in a 3-night/4-day itinerary or two in a 4-night/5-day itinerary.
Okaido and Matsuyama Castle
Choose Okaido for keep visits and city dinners. Walk about 5 minutes from the tram stop to Shinonomeguchi ropeway lower station. From the upper station, you still walk to Honmaru and the keep ticket office; interior keep stairs are steep. Decide whether you want free Honmaru views or a paid visit inside the keep.
Lower station accessStairs and visitor informationCastle fees and hours
Dogo Onsen Station and shopping street
Stay near Dogo Onsen Station to return to a nearby hotel after bathing. Walk along Haikara-dori to Honkan and have a meal in the shopping street before or afterwards. Honkan is a public bathhouse without accommodation. Bathing-only and lounge options have different prices and time limits.
Bathing options, prices and reservation conditionsOfficial walking map: Dogo Onsen Station, shopping street and Honkan
JR Matsuyama Station and trains out of the city
Use JR Matsuyama Station for Uchiko and Ozu journeys. It is separate from Matsuyama City Station, and you reach it from Okaido or Dogo by city tram. Allow time to travel from your hotel by tram to the JR gates, beyond the JR train ride itself.
Uchiko Station and old streets
Take a JR train via Uchiko for walks among old buildings and lanes. The southern street entrance is about 1 km/15 minutes from the station. Trains via Iyo-Nagahama do not serve Uchiko. Uchiko-za’s main building is closed for restoration, so plan street walks and an exterior visit rather than the interior. For houses or museums, check individual admission and closures.
Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationTourism association closure informationIyo-Ozu Station
Ozu’s old streets, riverside and castle
Choose two nights in Ozu for a castle visit on one day and walks through the old streets and along the river on another. The one-night itinerary moves via Uchiko to Ozu, then visits the castle the next day. The castle is about 30 minutes on foot from Iyo-Ozu Station; leave time for walking before and after your visit. Ticket sales end at 16:30. For a day trip, choose your Matsuyama return train; for an Ozu stay, check the next day’s departure too.
Ehime official tourism informationOzu city castle informationIyo-Ozu StationOzu city Asamoya and old streets
Plan city trams and JR journeys separately
Do not search for JR Matsuyama and Matsuyama City as the same station. Check starting points, destinations and tram numbers, adding time to change from city transport to JR. After confirming walking start and end points, adjust the route to your hotel address and on-site access guidance. Map estimates exclude waits and sightseeing.
| Section | Transport | Official access and searches |
|---|---|---|
| JR Matsuyama Station → Okaido/Dogo | Take city tram 5 towards Dogo Onsen and get off at Okaido or the terminus. | This differs from tram 3 departing Matsuyama City Station. |
| Okaido → Matsuyama Castle | Walk about 5 minutes to Shinonomeguchi ropeway lower station, take the ropeway, then walk onwards to Honmaru and the keep | Keep admission and ropeway fares are separate |
| Okaido → Dogo Onsen Honkan | Take tram 3 towards Dogo Onsen to the terminus, then walk along Haikara-dori. | Official station, shopping street and Honkan walking map |
| JR Matsuyama Station → Uchiko | Take a JR train via Uchiko to Uchiko Station, then walk about 15 minutes to the old streets. | Check train category, Uchiko stop and return service |
| JR Matsuyama Station/Uchiko → Ozu | Get off at Iyo-Ozu, then walk about 30 minutes to the castle | Check return trains, JR limited-express supplements and ticket-sales deadline |
| Okaido/Dogo → Matsuyama Airport | Use your date’s airport-bound limousine stop to reach the airport | Some buses do not serve Okaido. Recheck a new timetable from 25 October onwards. |
City tram timetableLower station accessOfficial walking map: Dogo Onsen Station, shopping street and HonkanUchiko Tourism Association visitor informationOzu city castle informationAirport limousine routes, fares and 1–24 October 2026 timetable
Choose how you want your sea bream rice prepared
Look for meals in Okaido on the castle day and Dogo’s shopping street on the bathing day. Allow time for lunch in town on Uchiko and Ozu days. Confirm individual shops’ menus and prices before reserving.
Rice cooked with sea bream
Matsuyama’s official tourism guide introduces taimeshi made by placing sea bream and kelp over rice and cooking them together. Choose this style if you prefer cooked fish with rice. Northern Hojo preparations and individual shops’ ingredients may differ, so check menu photos and descriptions together.
The style using sea bream sashimi
According to Matsuyama tourism information, the style using sea bream sashimi predominates in the south. If you want sashimi, check the menu’s preparation before ordering. Compare the two styles, then choose a shop in the area where you plan to eat.
JR trips outside the city and city tram costs
Itinerary subtotals cover only the listed attractions, JR non-reserved limited expresses and city trams. Airport buses, meals, accommodation, house exhibitions and other excluded items cost extra.
Choose tram 3 or 5 by destination
From Okaido, take tram 3 towards Dogo Onsen or tram 5 towards JR Matsuyama Station. Tram 3’s Matsuyama City Station is not the JR station. The checked adult city-tram fare is ¥250 cash or ¥230 with a nationwide transport IC card per ride; itinerary subtotals show cash and IC-card options separately.
Compare the All Shikoku Rail Pass for your actual travel days and routes
The October 2026 revised pass has three- and seven-day versions; sales of the old four- and five-day passes have ended. Officially covered railways include JR Shikoku, but Iyotetsu trams and trains, airport limousines and city buses are excluded. Compare the ordinary-ticket itineraries with pass eligibility, rail-use dates and limited-express ticket conditions.
All Shikoku Rail Pass official guideAll Shikoku Rail Pass: official 1 October 2026 revision notice
Questions before departure
Are JR Matsuyama Station and Matsuyama City Station the same?
No. For JR trains to Uchiko and Ozu, use JR Matsuyama Station. Matsuyama City Station belongs to Iyotetsu.
Official sources and check dates
- Castle fees and hours ·
- Lower station access ·
- Stairs and visitor information ·
- Bathing options, prices and reservation conditions ·
- Uchiko Tourism Association visitor information ·
- Tourism association closure information ·
- Ehime official tourism information ·
- Ozu city castle information ·
- Matsuyama Station ·
- Uchiko Station ·
- Iyo-Ozu Station ·
- Ozu Castle access ·
- Airport limousine routes, fares and 1–24 October 2026 timetable ·
- Matsuyama Airport bus information ·
- City tram timetable ·
- April 2026 fare table, page 2 ·
- Ozu city Asamoya and old streets ·
- 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 ·
- Matsuyama city: two preparations of sea bream rice ·