Matsuyama in 3 Days: Castle and Hot Springs, or a Uchiko Day Trip?

Day 1: Explore the city around Okaido

Stay two nights in Okaido, with meals and walks on the first day, the keep on the second, and bathing on the third.

1. Matsuyama Airport or JR Matsuyama Station → Okaido stop

   If arriving by JR, take city tram 5 bound for Dogo Onsen from JR Matsuyama Station and get off at Okaido. JR Matsuyama Station and Matsuyama City Station are different stations. From the airport, collect your bags and complete any required arrival formalities, then check that your limousine bus stops at Okaido. Not every airport departure does. Choose a service you can realistically board using your travel date's timetable.

   City tram timetable2026-10-08Airport limousine routes, fares, and October 1–24, 2026 timetable2026-10-08Matsuyama Airport bus guide2026-10-08

2. Okaido shopping streets → Meals, walks, and the same hotel near Okaido

   Choose an open restaurant in Okaido, walk around the neighborhood, and return to your hotel. If you arrive late, shorten the walk and rest. Castle and hot-spring visits begin the next day.

   City tram timetable2026-10-08

Day 2: Visit Matsuyama Castle's keep from Okaido

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

1. Okaido stop → Shinonomeguchi lower ropeway station

   Walk from the Okaido tram stop to Shinonomeguchi lower ropeway station. The official walking estimate is about five minutes.

   Access to the lower ropeway station2026-10-08Castle admission and hours2026-10-08

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

   Buy an adult round-trip ticket for ¥520 at the lower station and take the ropeway. From the upper station, walk through the main enclosure to the keep ticket counter. The operator's approximately 30-minute estimate from the lower station's first floor to the keep ticket counter excludes time inside the keep.

   Castle admission and hours2026-10-08Access to the lower ropeway station2026-10-08

3. Keep ticket counter → Matsuyama Castle keep

   Adult keep admission is ¥520, separate from the round-trip ropeway ticket. Regular visiting hours are 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., with last admission 30 minutes before closing. Hours differ in August and December–January, so check your date's cutoff before entering.

   Castle admission and hours2026-10-08

4. Matsuyama Castle keep → Lower ropeway station and Okaido shopping streets

   Return to the upper boarding area and take the ropeway down. Walk toward Okaido from the lower station for a meal or rest.

   Access to the lower ropeway station2026-10-08Castle admission and hours2026-10-08Stairs and visitor information2026-10-08

Day 3: Bathe at Dogo Onsen, then return to Okaido for departure

1. Okaido hotel → Dogo Onsen Honkan

   Take city tram 3 bound for Dogo Onsen to the last stop, then walk along Haikara-dori to Honkan. Check Iyotetsu's timetable for your date. Use the Kami-no-Yu bathing-only course, ¥700 for adults. It operates 6:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m., with entry until 10:30 p.m. and a 60-minute visit. Reservations are not accepted, so allow time for waiting and changing clothes.

   Bathing courses, prices, and reservations2026-10-08City tram timetable2026-10-08April 2026 fare chart, page 22026-10-08Official Dogo Onsen Station, shopping street, and Honkan walking map2026-10-08

2. Dogo Onsen Honkan → Okaido hotel

   After bathing at Honkan's Kami-no-Yu, walk along Haikara-dori to Dogo Onsen Station. Take tram 3 toward Matsuyama City Station, get off at Okaido, and return to your hotel. The bathhouse-to-station walk and tram waiting take additional time.

   City tram timetable2026-10-08Official Dogo Onsen Station, shopping street, and Honkan walking map2026-10-08

Day 1: Visit Matsuyama Castle from Okaido

Stay two nights in Okaido, visiting the castle first, Uchiko on day 2, and Dogo Onsen last. Choose this itinerary with a daytime arrival and departure no earlier than the afternoon of your last day.

1. Matsuyama Airport or JR Matsuyama Station → Okaido stop

   If arriving by JR, take city tram 5 bound for Dogo Onsen from JR Matsuyama Station and get off at Okaido. From the airport, check that your limousine bus leaves after you can realistically board and stops at Okaido. Not every airport departure serves this stop. Arrival-day transportation is excluded from the sightseeing subtotal.

   City tram timetable2026-10-08Airport limousine routes, fares, and October 1–24, 2026 timetable2026-10-08Access to the lower ropeway station2026-10-08

2. Okaido stop → Shinonomeguchi lower ropeway station

   Walk from the Okaido tram stop to Shinonomeguchi lower ropeway station. The official walking estimate is about five minutes.

   Access to the lower ropeway station2026-10-08

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

   Buy an adult round-trip ticket for ¥520 at the lower station and take the ropeway. From the upper station, walk through the main enclosure to the keep ticket counter. The operator's approximately 30-minute estimate from the lower station's first floor to the keep ticket counter excludes time inside the keep.

   Castle admission and hours2026-10-08Access to the lower ropeway station2026-10-08

4. Keep ticket counter → Matsuyama Castle keep

   Adult keep admission is ¥520, separate from the round-trip ropeway ticket. Regular visiting hours are 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., with last admission 30 minutes before closing. Hours differ in August and December–January, so check your date's cutoff before entering.

   Castle admission and hours2026-10-08

5. Matsuyama Castle keep → Lower ropeway station and Okaido shopping streets

   Return to the upper boarding area and take the ropeway down. Walk toward Okaido from the lower station for a meal or rest.

   Access to the lower ropeway station2026-10-08

Day 2: Walk from JR Uchiko Station to the historic streets

Leave your Okaido hotel in the morning.

1. Okaido hotel → JR Uchiko Station

   Take Iyotetsu city tram 5 toward JR Matsuyama Station, then transfer to a train stopping at Uchiko. Matsuyama City Station is not a JR station, so distinguish the names when buying tickets. Check your date's arrival and return trains together. Walking from your hotel to the tram stop, buying JR tickets, and transfer waits are outside the train journey time. Limited express trains require a limited express ticket in addition to the base-fare ticket.

   City tram timetable2026-10-08April 2026 fare chart, page 22026-10-08Uchiko Tourism Association visitor FAQ2026-10-08Fare chart2026-10-08Matsuyama Station2026-10-08Uchiko Station2026-10-08Iyo-Ozu Station2026-10-08

2. JR Uchiko Station → Uchiko historic streets

   From Uchiko Station, follow the tourism association's directions for about one kilometer, or a 15-minute walk, to the southern entrance of the historic streets. Leave time for old buildings, lanes, and lunch in town. The association suggests one to two hours for the streets and Uchiko-za surroundings, or about three hours including a cafe or meal. Walking pace and restaurant waits may add time. Uchiko-za's main building is closed for construction, so interior admission is excluded. Check opening days and separate admission for any preserved houses or museums you want to enter.

   Uchiko Tourism Association visitor FAQ2026-10-08Tourism association closure notice2026-10-08Uchiko Town dressing-room access notice2026-10-08

3. Uchiko historic streets → Okaido hotel

   Retrace your route from the southern 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 walk, ticket checks, and boarding time before departure; plan house visits and lunch around your return train. At JR Matsuyama Station, take city tram 5 bound for Dogo Onsen to Okaido and return to your hotel. Have dinner nearby. Uchiko restaurants have different closing days, so check which are open for your visit.

   City tram timetable2026-10-08April 2026 fare chart, page 22026-10-08Uchiko Tourism Association visitor FAQ2026-10-08

Day 3: Visit Dogo Onsen Honkan before departure

1. Okaido hotel → Dogo Onsen Honkan

   From Okaido, take tram 3 bound for Dogo Onsen to the last stop, then walk along Haikara-dori to Honkan. Allow time for the walk and on-site reception queues. Honkan's Kami-no-Yu bathing-only course operates 6:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m., with entry until 10:30 p.m. and a 60-minute visit. Advance reservations are not accepted. Other courses with access to relaxation rooms have different prices and conditions.

   Bathing courses, prices, and reservations2026-10-08City tram timetable2026-10-08April 2026 fare chart, page 22026-10-08Official Dogo Onsen Station, shopping street, and Honkan walking map2026-10-08

2. Dogo Onsen Honkan → Okaido stop

   After bathing, return to Dogo Onsen Station and take tram 3 toward Matsuyama City Station. Get off at Okaido for a meal or rest in the shopping streets. For departure, choose the airport or JR route below according to your destination. For a morning departure, move bathing to another day.

   City tram timetable2026-10-08