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Ehime attractions: castle, hot-spring and old-street fees and access

Visit Matsuyama Castle for hilltop city views and its old keep, or Dogo Onsen Honkan for a bath in a historic bathhouse designated as a cultural property. Choose Uchiko for leisurely walks among old buildings and lanes, or Ozu for a rebuilt wooden keep and riverside. At Matsuyama Castle, you still walk after the ropeway; at the hot springs, prices vary between bathing-only and lounge options. Uchiko-za’s main building is closed for construction, so its interior is excluded. Ozu Castle is about 30 minutes on foot from Iyo-Ozu Station; leave time for both walks and your return train.

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Attraction fees and access

Attractions and visitor information

Matsuyama Castle

松山城

Go up to Matsuyama Castle for city views and a look inside the old keep. Views from Honmaru Square are free; keep admission and ropeway/lift rides have separate charges. From the upper station, you still need to walk to Honmaru and the keep.

  • AdmissionKeep admission costs ¥520 for adults or ¥160 for primary-school pupils. Return ropeway/lift fares are ¥520 for adults or ¥260 for children. Adult keep admission and return transport together cost ¥1,040. Honmaru Square is free.
  • HoursThe keep usually opens 09:00–17:00, until 17:30 in August or 16:30 in December–January; last admission is 30 minutes before closing. It closes on the third Wednesday in December. Ropeway hours are usually 08:30–17:30, until 18:00 in August or 17:00 in December–January. The lift operates 08:30–17:00 and is suspended in rain.
  • Getting thereWalk about 5 minutes from Okaido tram stop to Shinonomeguchi ropeway station. From the upper station, walk onwards to Honmaru and the keep. Allow time for this further walk too.
  • StepsThe keep has no lift and its interior stairs are steep. If steep stairs are difficult, choose an itinerary enjoying views from Honmaru instead.

Castle fees and hoursLower station accessMatsuyama Castle official keep and castle introductionStairs and visitor information

More about Matsuyama Castle →Castle fees and hoursLower station accessStairs and visitor information1 night/2 days: Okaido stay for the castle and hot springs1 night/2 days: Dogo stay for bathing and castle views2 nights/3 days: castle and hot springs on separate days2 nights/3 days: a day trip to Uchiko’s old streets3 nights/4 days: separate return trips to Uchiko and Ozu3 nights/4 days: via Uchiko to one night in Ozu4 nights/5 days: four Matsuyama nights with trips to both towns4 nights/5 days: two Ozu nights to reduce return journeys
Attractions and visitor information

Dogo Onsen Honkan

道後温泉本館

At Dogo Onsen Honkan, bathe in a historic bathhouse designated as a cultural property. Choose between bathing only and an option with a lounge. Kami-no-Yu bathing-only and lounge options have different prices, time limits and reception conditions.

  • AdmissionKami-no-Yu bathing-only costs ¥700 for ages 12+ or ¥350 for ages 2–11. Hot-spring costs in the trip-length itineraries use this option.
  • Hours and reservationsKami-no-Yu bathing-only operates 06:00–23:00, with reception until 22:30, 60-minute use and no advance reservations. Other bathing options, room hire and Yushinden visits have separate conditions.
  • Getting thereTake an Iyotetsu tram towards Dogo Onsen and get off at Dogo Onsen Station. Walk along Haikara-dori to Honkan. Plan meals before or after bathing around the shopping street’s actual opening hours.
  • Bathing and accommodationHonkan is a public bathhouse. To stay overnight, book a separate hotel in the Dogo area.

Bathing options, prices and reservation conditionsCity tram timetableOfficial walking map: Dogo Onsen Station, shopping street and Honkan

More about Dogo Onsen Honkan →Bathing options, prices and reservation conditions1 night/2 days: Okaido stay for the castle and hot springs1 night/2 days: Dogo stay for bathing and castle views2 nights/3 days: castle and hot springs on separate days2 nights/3 days: a day trip to Uchiko’s old streets3 nights/4 days: separate return trips to Uchiko and Ozu3 nights/4 days: via Uchiko to one night in Ozu4 nights/5 days: four Matsuyama nights with trips to both towns4 nights/5 days: two Ozu nights to reduce return journeys
Attractions and visitor information

Uchiko-za

Uchiko-Za内子座

See this theatre’s exterior on a walk through Uchiko’s old streets. Check the main-building closure separately from the dressing-room opening.

  • Main-building closure and separate openingThe main building is closed for restoration; the tourism association FAQ lists the closure through spring 2029. Do not include its interior in your itinerary. A separate dressing-room opening is listed, but check dates and conditions. Confirm any reopening date in official notices before visiting.

Tourism association closure informationUchiko Tourism Association visitor informationUchiko town dressing-room opening information

More about Uchiko-za →Tourism association closure informationCurrent tourism association FAQUchiko town dressing-room opening information2 nights/3 days: a day trip to Uchiko’s old streets3 nights/4 days: separate return trips to Uchiko and Ozu3 nights/4 days: via Uchiko to one night in Ozu4 nights/5 days: four Matsuyama nights with trips to both towns4 nights/5 days: two Ozu nights to reduce return journeys
Attractions and visitor information

Uchiko’s old streets

Yokaichi and Gokoku Historical District八日市・護国の町並み

Choose this town for walks past old buildings and shops. Take JR from Matsuyama for an old-town day trip.

  • Fees and hoursStreet walks and house or museum admission are separate. Check individual houses and restaurants for closing and operating days. House and museum admission is excluded from trip-length itinerary costs.
  • Getting thereTake a train via Uchiko from JR Matsuyama Station and get off at Uchiko. The old streets’ southern entrance is about 1 km/15 minutes away on foot. Matsuyama–Ozu trains via Iyo-Nagahama do not pass through Uchiko. Required tickets vary by train category.

Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationMatsuyama StationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu Station

More about Uchiko’s old streets →Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationOfficial Uchiko old streets tourism information in English2 nights/3 days: a day trip to Uchiko’s old streets3 nights/4 days: separate return trips to Uchiko and Ozu3 nights/4 days: via Uchiko to one night in Ozu4 nights/5 days: four Matsuyama nights with trips to both towns4 nights/5 days: two Ozu nights to reduce return journeys
Attractions and visitor information

Ozu Castle

大洲城

Explore Ozu Castle’s wooden keep, rebuilt using traditional methods. Afterwards, walk Ozu’s old streets and the Hiji River bank. The castle is about 30 minutes on foot from Iyo-Ozu Station, so allow time for sightseeing and the return station walk.

  • AdmissionAdmission costs ¥550 for adults or ¥220 for junior-high-school age and younger. Children aged 5 and under accompanied by a guardian are free.
  • HoursThe castle opens 09:00–17:00, with ticket sales ending at 16:30. Check temporary notices separately.
  • Getting thereWalk about 30 minutes from JR Iyo-Ozu Station to the castle. A loop bus offers roughly 10 minutes from Ozu-Ekimae to Ozu-Jo-mae plus a 5-minute walk, but frequency and fares need separate checks. Plan the castle visit and station walk around your return train.

Ehime official tourism informationOzu city castle informationEhime official tourism: Ozu Castle’s wooden reconstruction

More about Ozu Castle →Ehime official tourism informationOzu city castle information3 nights/4 days: separate return trips to Uchiko and Ozu3 nights/4 days: via Uchiko to one night in Ozu4 nights/5 days: four Matsuyama nights with trips to both towns4 nights/5 days: two Ozu nights to reduce return journeys

Questions before departure

Can I stay overnight at Dogo Onsen Honkan?

Honkan is a public bathhouse without accommodation. Plan your hotel in the Dogo area separately from bathing at Honkan.

Bathing options, prices and reservation conditions

Can I see inside Uchiko-za in 2026?

The main building is closed for construction. The current tourism association FAQ lists the closure through spring 2029 without an exact reopening date. Check Uchiko town’s notice for the separate dressing-room opening conditions.

Uchiko Tourism Association visitor informationTourism association closure informationUchiko town dressing-room opening information

Does the Matsuyama Castle ropeway take me all the way to the keep?

No. You still walk from the upper station to Honmaru and the keep, which has interior stairs. Ropeway fares and keep admission are also separate.

Lower station accessCastle fees and hoursStairs and visitor information

Official sources and check dates