Ehime in 5 Days: One Matsuyama Base or Two Nights in Ozu?
Stay four nights in one Matsuyama hotel and divide the castle, hot springs, Uchiko, and Ozu across separate days, or stay two nights in Matsuyama and two in Ozu. The Ozu stay moves via Uchiko, then splits historic-street and riverside walks from the castle visit. For a morning departure, move Ozu Castle to the previous day or skip it.
Choose an itinerary for 5 days, 4 nights
Four nights in Matsuyama with two town day trips
Stay four nights in Matsuyama to combine city walks, the castle, hot springs, and both towns from one hotel. Visit Uchiko and Ozu on separate day trips; choose last-day bathing according to your departure time.
Four nights in Matsuyama with two town day trips →5 days, 4 nightsTwo nights in Ozu to reduce return trips
Stay two nights in Matsuyama, then two in Ozu for unhurried walks through historic streets and along the river. Change hotels via Uchiko, then walk around Ozu and visit the castle on separate days. Return to JR Matsuyama Station on your last day.
Two nights in Ozu to reduce return trips →Four nights in Matsuyama with two town day trips
Stay four nights in Matsuyama to combine city walks, the castle, hot springs, and both towns from one hotel. Visit Uchiko and Ozu on separate day trips; choose last-day bathing according to your departure time.
Day 1: Arrive in Okaido for a meal and walk
Stay four nights in Matsuyama, spreading the castle, Dogo, Uchiko, and Ozu across separate days. Keep the same hotel and take separate JR round trips to both towns.
- Matsuyama Airport or JR Matsuyama Station → Okaido stop
Not every airport bus reaches Okaido, so check that your service stops there. 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. The currently checked adult airport–Okaido fare is ¥1,200 cash or ¥1,180 with a nationwide transit IC card. This airport journey is excluded from the sightseeing subtotal below. Choose a bus you can board after baggage claim and arrival formalities.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare chart, page 2Airport limousine routes, fares, and October 1–24, 2026 timetableMatsuyama Airport bus guide
- 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.
Day 2: Go up to Matsuyama Castle, then return to your hotel
Walk from your Okaido hotel to Shinonomeguchi ropeway station.
- 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 stationCastle admission and hours
- 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 hoursAccess to the lower ropeway station
- 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.
- 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 stationCastle admission and hoursStairs and visitor information
Day 3: Walk Uchiko's historic streets, then return to the same hotel
Take tram 5 from Okaido toward JR Matsuyama Station.
- Okaido hotel → JR Uchiko Station
From Okaido, take tram 5 to JR Matsuyama Station and walk into the JR station. Transfer to a train stopping at Uchiko. If buying individual legs on unreserved-seat limited express via Uchiko, the adult one-way total is ¥1,610: ¥850 base fare plus a ¥760 surcharge. Two equivalent one-way journeys total ¥3,220. Check arrival and return trains for your date together. Walking from your hotel to the station, tram and JR waits, and ticket purchases are outside the train ride time.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare chart, page 2Uchiko Tourism Association visitor FAQFare chartMatsuyama StationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu Station
- JR Uchiko Station → Uchiko historic streets
From Uchiko Station, walk about one kilometer, or 15 minutes, to the southern entrance specified by the tourism association. Explore the historic streets and Uchiko-za's exterior, and eat at an open restaurant. The association suggests one to two hours for walking, or about three with a meal. Uchiko-za's main building is closed for construction, so interior visits and admission are excluded. Check closures and separate fees if entering houses or museums.
Uchiko Tourism Association visitor FAQTourism association closure notice
- Uchiko historic streets → Okaido hotel
Walk back from the historic streets to Uchiko Station and take a Matsuyama-bound train. Outside the JR station, take tram 5 toward Dogo Onsen and get off at Okaido. Plan lunch around the walk back and boarding time so you can catch your return train. Check the return service and last train for your actual travel date.
Uchiko Tourism Association visitor FAQUchiko StationMatsuyama StationCity tram timetable
Day 4: 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
From Okaido, take tram 5 to JR Matsuyama Station and walk into the JR station. Choose a limited express stopping at Iyo-Ozu via Uchiko. Do not apply the same stop or fare example to trains via Iyo-Nagahama. Adult one-way unreserved-seat limited express via Uchiko costs ¥1,840: ¥1,080 base fare plus a ¥760 surcharge. A round trip under the same conditions totals ¥3,680.
- JR Iyo-Ozu Station → Ozu Castle entrance
The official walk from Iyo-Ozu Station to Ozu Castle is about 30 minutes. Follow the old Ozu road through Tokiwamachi's shopping streets and across the Hiji River bridge. Allow walking time back to the station too.
Official Ehime tourism guideOzu Castle visits and walking access
- Ozu Castle → Okaido hotel
Ozu Castle opens 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., with ticket sales until 4:30 p.m.; adult admission is ¥550. After the castle, have lunch or walk by the river. Leave the 30-minute walk back to Iyo-Ozu Station and boarding time. Choose a Matsuyama-bound train operating on your date and plan sightseeing and meals around it. To shorten the walk with the loop bus, check service days, frequency, and fares separately. At JR Matsuyama Station, take tram 5 toward Dogo Onsen back to your Okaido hotel.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare chart, page 2Uchiko Tourism Association visitor FAQOzu City castle informationOzu Castle accessIyo-Ozu StationUchiko Station
Day 5: Bathe at Dogo Onsen before departure
- 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. The Kami-no-Yu bathing-only course costs ¥700 for adults, operates 6:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m., accepts entry until 10:30 p.m., and allows 60 minutes. Advance reservations are not accepted. The station-to-bathhouse walk and on-site waiting are outside the tram ride time. Other courses with access to relaxation rooms have different prices and reception conditions.
Bathing courses, prices, and reservationsCity tram timetableApril 2026 fare chart, page 2Official Dogo Onsen Station, shopping street, and Honkan walking map
- 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.
Included items: Facilities ¥2,290 + Uchiko limited express round trip ¥3,220 + Ozu limited express round trip ¥3,680 + six tram rides: ¥1,500 cash / ¥1,380 with an IC card
Additional costs: Flights, hotels, meals, luggage storage, separately used transportation between hotels, stops, stations, and attractions, arrival-day transportation, airport limousine buses, taxis, and additional transportation cost extra. Paid houses and museums in Uchiko are excluded. Recalculate JR costs for local trains, reserved seats, or a pass.
This amount uses unreserved-seat limited express for separate Matsuyama round trips to Uchiko and Ozu. Six trams cover Okaido–JR Matsuyama Station on both day-trip days and Okaido–Dogo Onsen on the final day. Paying cash for all six costs ¥1,500; using a nationwide transit IC card for all six costs ¥1,380. Each town still requires its own train round trip even when you keep the same hotel.
Castle admission and hoursBathing courses, prices, and reservationsApril 2026 fare chart, page 2Boarding and payment guideFare chartOzu City castle information
Two nights in Ozu to reduce return trips
Stay two nights in Matsuyama, then two in Ozu for unhurried walks through historic streets and along the river. Change hotels via Uchiko, then walk around Ozu and visit the castle on separate days. Return to JR Matsuyama Station on your last day.
Day 1: Arrive in Okaido and visit Matsuyama Castle
Stay two nights in Matsuyama, then move to Ozu for two nights. Walk the historic streets and riverside on day 4 and visit the castle on your last day.
- 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 timetableAirport limousine routes, fares, and October 1–24, 2026 timetableAccess to the lower ropeway station
- 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.
- 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 hoursAccess to the lower ropeway station
- 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.
- 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.
Visiting inside the keep and using the ropeway round trip require separate payments. Walking only in the main enclosure requires no keep admission. If you move the visit to day 2, rework the planned attractions, transportation, and admission cutoffs.
Day 2: Visit Dogo Onsen, then stay another night in Matsuyama
Return from Dogo Onsen for a second night at the same Okaido hotel.
- Okaido hotel and stop → Dogo Onsen Station
Walk from your hotel to the Okaido stop, take tram 3 bound for Dogo Onsen, and get off at the last stop.
- Dogo Onsen Station and Haikara-dori → Dogo Onsen Honkan
Walk along Haikara-dori to Honkan. The Kami-no-Yu bathing-only course costs ¥700 for adults, operates 6:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m., accepts entry until 10:30 p.m., and allows 60 minutes. Advance reservations are not accepted. Allow separate time after leaving the tram for the walk and on-site waiting.
Bathing courses, prices, and reservationsOfficial Dogo Onsen Station, shopping street, and Honkan walking map
- Dogo Onsen Honkan and Dogo Onsen Station → Okaido hotel
After bathing, eat at an open restaurant in the shopping streets. From Dogo Onsen Station, take tram 3 toward Matsuyama City Station to Okaido and return to the same hotel. If visiting Matsuyama Castle that afternoon, check the keep's admission cutoff and final ropeway departure separately, and recalculate the route and admission costs.
Day 3: Change hotels to Ozu via Uchiko
Change hotels from Matsuyama to Ozu via Uchiko. Storage for large bags in Uchiko is unconfirmed, so choose this route only if you can walk with light luggage. Otherwise, use the direct Iyo-Ozu option below.
- Okaido hotel → JR Uchiko Station
From Okaido, take tram 5 to JR Matsuyama Station and walk into the JR station. Choose a train stopping at Uchiko. With separate-leg unreserved-seat limited express tickets, an adult Matsuyama → Uchiko journey costs ¥1,610: ¥850 base fare plus a ¥760 surcharge. Check the arrival service for your date and allow time to transfer from the tram and buy JR tickets.
City tram timetableApril 2026 fare chart, page 2Uchiko Tourism Association visitor FAQFare chartMatsuyama StationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu Station
- JR Uchiko Station → Uchiko historic streets and Uchiko-za exterior
From Uchiko Station, walk about one kilometer, or 15 minutes, to the southern entrance of the historic streets. Explore old buildings and lanes and have lunch. The tourism association suggests one to two hours for walking, or about three including a meal. Uchiko-za's main building is closed for construction, so interior visits are excluded.
Uchiko Tourism Association visitor FAQTourism association closure notice
- Uchiko historic streets → JR Uchiko Station
After walking and lunch, retrace your route to Uchiko Station. Add ticket purchase and boarding time to the approximately 15-minute walk from the southern entrance, and choose an Iyo-Ozu-bound train for your date.
- JR Uchiko Station platform → A JR train stopping at Iyo-Ozu
Choose a train that stops at Iyo-Ozu on your actual travel date. The separate-leg unreserved-seat limited express example is ¥780: ¥330 base fare plus a ¥450 surcharge. Local trains, reserved seats, or passes do not use the same total.
- JR train to Iyo-Ozu → Outside JR Iyo-Ozu Station
Get off at Iyo-Ozu and exit the station. Choose the route to your Ozu hotel using its booked address, then plan dinner and rest nearby.
Stopping for a walk in Uchiko uses two legs: Matsuyama → Uchiko and Uchiko → Iyo-Ozu. Skipping the visit uses one Matsuyama → Iyo-Ozu leg. Check trains and stops for your actual travel date.
Day 4: Walk Ozu's historic streets, then return to the same hotel
- Ozu hotel → Ozu Machi-no-Eki Asamoya and historic streets
Check the route from your hotel to Ozu Machi-no-Eki Asamoya first. Ozu City describes the historic streets, Ohanahan Street, Ozu Red Brick Hall, riverside, and Ozu Castle in and around Asamoya's Kinan district as within walking distance of one another. Start at Asamoya, see Ohanahan Street and the Red Brick Hall exterior, have lunch, and walk toward the Hiji River before returning to your hotel. Interior visits and the opening of specific shops are outside this itinerary. Set the hotel-to-Asamoya route and time using your booked address.
Ozu City castle informationOzu Castle accessOzu City: Asamoya and historic streets
- Ozu Machi-no-Eki Asamoya and historic streets → Ozu hotel
If it rains or long walks are difficult, shorten the route. The castle is scheduled for day 5, but for an early departure, move it to day 4 between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Check the 4:30 p.m. ticket-sales cutoff and route from your hotel. For a sightseeing boat too, check operations and reservation conditions separately.
Day 5: Visit Ozu Castle before departure
- Central Ozu → Ozu Castle
Ozu Castle opens 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., with ticket sales until 4:30 p.m.; adult admission is ¥550. The official walk from Iyo-Ozu Station is about 30 minutes. Follow the old Ozu road through Tokiwamachi's shopping streets and across the Hiji River bridge. For an early departure, move the castle visit to an earlier sightseeing day. The return unreserved-seat limited express via Uchiko from Iyo-Ozu to JR Matsuyama costs ¥1,840 per adult: ¥1,080 base fare plus a ¥760 surcharge.
Uchiko Tourism Association visitor FAQFare chartMatsuyama StationUchiko StationIyo-Ozu StationOzu City castle informationOzu Castle access
- Ozu Castle → JR Iyo-Ozu Station
Retrace your route from Ozu Castle to Iyo-Ozu Station. Add boarding time to the approximately 30-minute walk and choose a Matsuyama-bound train for your date. Limited express via Uchiko and local trains via Iyo-Nagahama have different routes and fares.
- JR Iyo-Ozu Station → Your departure boarding point
For Matsuyama Airport, take a Matsuyama-bound limited express via Uchiko from Iyo-Ozu and get off at JR Matsuyama Station. Go to the airport limousine stop outside the station and transfer to the bus. The currently checked adult fare from the JR station to the airport is ¥1,000 cash or ¥980 with a nationwide transit IC card. Boarding is first come, first served, with no reservations. Reaching the airport requires this bus transfer. For another city, choose a separate train to that destination. Recheck routes and fares whenever your destination changes.
Iyo-Ozu StationFare chartAirport limousine routes, fares, and October 1–24, 2026 timetableMatsuyama Airport bus guide
For a morning flight, visit Ozu Castle the day before or skip it. Leave enough time for JR travel, the airport bus, and check-in before your departure.
Included items: Facilities ¥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 with an IC card
Additional costs: Flights, hotels, meals, luggage storage, separately used transportation between hotels, stops, stations, and attractions, arrival-day transportation, airport limousine buses, taxis, and additional transportation cost extra. Paid houses and museums in Uchiko are excluded. Recalculate JR costs for local trains, reserved seats, or a pass.
This amount assumes visiting Uchiko, staying two nights in Ozu, and returning toward Matsuyama Airport. JR fares are ¥1,610 Matsuyama → Uchiko, ¥780 Uchiko → Iyo-Ozu, and ¥1,840 Iyo-Ozu → Matsuyama, using each leg once. Three trams cover the Dogo Onsen round trip and one Okaido → JR Matsuyama Station journey. The airport bus outside the JR station and luggage storage in Uchiko are separate. Skipping Uchiko or leaving Ozu for another city changes JR legs and costs.
Castle admission and hoursBathing courses, prices, and reservationsApril 2026 fare chart, page 2Boarding and payment guideFare chartOzu City castle information
Questions before you go
Can I get directly from Ozu to Matsuyama Airport?
By train and airport bus, travel from Iyo-Ozu to JR Matsuyama Station and transfer to an airport limousine bus. From JR Matsuyama Station, the adult one-way bus fare is ¥1,000 cash or ¥980 with a nationwide transit IC card or the Mican app. JR fares and train and bus waiting time are separate. These bus fares come from the October 1–24, 2026 guide; check new fares and schedules after that period.
Airport limousine routes, fares, and October 1–24, 2026 timetableIyo-Ozu Station
Official sources and checked dates
- Castle admission and hours ·
- Access to the lower ropeway station ·
- Stairs and visitor information ·
- Bathing courses, prices, and reservations ·
- Uchiko Tourism Association visitor FAQ ·
- Tourism association closure notice ·
- Official Ehime tourism guide ·
- Ozu City castle information ·
- Fare chart ·
- Matsuyama Station ·
- Uchiko Station ·
- Iyo-Ozu Station ·
- Ozu Castle access ·
- Airport limousine routes, fares, and October 1–24, 2026 timetable ·
- Matsuyama Airport bus guide ·
- City tram timetable ·
- April 2026 fare chart, page 2 ·
- Boarding and payment guide ·
- Ozu Castle visits and walking access ·
- Ozu City: Asamoya and historic streets ·
- Official ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass guide ·
- Official Dogo Onsen Station, shopping street, and Honkan walking map ·
- ALL SHIKOKU Rail Pass: official October 1, 2026 revision notice ·