Two nights: art museums or a move to Izumo?
For art museums, stay two nights in Matsue and take a Yasugi day trip. For the shrine and beach, move to Izumo on day 2. The two routes end at different stations. Reach Adachi Museum by shuttle from Yasugi and collect your return boarding ticket before sightseeing.
Choose an itinerary for 3 days, 2 nights
Castle, Adachi gardens, and the lakeside art museum
Stay two nights near Matsue Station. Visit the castle and Adachi Museum's gardens and Japanese paintings, then the prefectural art museum's collection in Matsue on the final day. Yasugi is a day trip from Matsue.
Castle, Adachi gardens, and the lakeside art museum →3 days, 2 nights BCastle and shrine, then the beach before departure
If shrine visits and a beach walk appeal more than the castle and art museum route, spend one night in Matsue, then move to Izumoshi for one night.
Castle and shrine, then the beach before departure →Castle, Adachi gardens, and the lakeside art museum
Stay two nights near Matsue Station. Visit the castle and Adachi Museum's gardens and Japanese paintings, then the prefectural art museum's collection in Matsue on the final day. Yasugi is a day trip from Matsue.
Day 1 · Castle keep, then stay in Matsue
Castle keep, then stay in Matsue
- Matsue Station → Matsue Castle bus stop
Board the Lakeline at Matsue Station stop 7 and get off at Kokuhō Matsue-jō (Ōtemae) · 国宝松江城（大手前）. Follow the signs through the castle grounds to the keep entrance. Use the current timetable to choose your return service to Matsue Station after sightseeing.
- Matsue Castle bus stop → Castle keep and lunch
Follow the park signs through the Honmaru to the keep entrance. The walk from the bus stop takes additional time. As a planning suggestion, allow about 90 minutes for the keep, including interior stairs and removing shoes, plus about 60 minutes for lunch and a break nearby. Follow the facility's admission deadline.
Official Matsue Castle guideMore transport and operating details
- Matsue Castle → Matsue lodging
At the stop where you arrived, board the Lakeline in the same loop direction to return to Matsue Station. It differs from ordinary buses at the prefectural office and returns via the remaining loop after the castle. Stay in Matsue tonight.
Day 2 · Round trip to Adachi Museum via Yasugi's free shuttle
Round trip to Adachi Museum via Yasugi's free shuttle
- Matsue Station and lodging → Yasugi shuttle stop
Take a Yonago-bound JR local train from Matsue to Yasugi Station. Adachi Museum's free shuttle stop is about 15 meters to the right outside the station building. Choose services that leave time to walk from the JR platform through the exit before the shuttle departs.
- Yasugi Station · 安来駅 → Adachi Museum of Art · 足立美術館
The free shuttle takes about 20 minutes to Adachi Museum. It seats 25 people on a first-come basis, so arriving by JR does not guarantee a seat. If full, choose the next free service or the official paid Yellow Bus and add its fare to the subtotal.
- Adachi Museum entrance → Return-shuttle ticket and sightseeing
On entering, first collect a return-shuttle boarding ticket for each person at the entrance counter. Plan your garden and Japanese painting visits and lunch around the return service you secure. The museum recommends at least two hours for a visit; allow extra time for ticket and meal lines. Check closure conditions for the new annex too.
More transport and operating detailsOfficial Adachi Museum guide
- Adachi Museum → Matsue lodging
Take the shuttle shown on your boarding ticket back to Yasugi Station, then JR toward Matsue. If you cannot secure a free return service, check the paid Yellow Bus. Its stop is about a two-minute walk from the museum, and it adds ¥200 each way. Stay in Matsue tonight and look up JR connections for your chosen return service.
Day 3 · Collection exhibition, then Matsue Station
Collection exhibition, then Matsue Station
- Matsue Station and lodging → Shimane Art Museum · 島根県立美術館
Walk about 15 minutes from Matsue Station to Shimane Art Museum. After the collection exhibition, return along the same route.
Official English hours, prices, and walking accessMuseum FAQ
- Art museum entrance → Collection exhibition
After the 10 a.m. opening, allow 60–90 minutes for the collection. If closed on Tuesday, move the visit to an earlier opening day or omit it on the final day. Do not wait for sunset on departure day.
- Shimane Art Museum → Matsue Station and departure
Retrace the roughly 15-minute walk to Matsue Station. This final day leaves after the collection visit rather than waiting for sunset, and ends at Matsue Station.
Official English hours, prices, and walking accessMuseum FAQ
Included: Castle ¥1,200 + Adachi Museum ¥2,500 + two Lakeline rides at ¥250 each + prefectural art museum ¥400 + two JR trips to/from Yasugi at ¥420 each.
Extra costs and conditions: Based on Adachi's free shuttle. The paid Yellow Bus adds ¥200 each way or ¥400 round trip. Lodging, meals, airport transfers, and unlisted JR, private railway, and bus travel cost extra.
Official Matsue Castle guideOfficial Adachi Museum guideMore transport and operating detailsOfficial English hours, prices, and walking accessDynamic journey search
Castle and shrine, then the beach before departure
If shrine visits and a beach walk appeal more than the castle and art museum route, spend one night in Matsue, then move to Izumoshi for one night.
Day 1 · Castle keep and your first night in Matsue
Castle keep and your first night in Matsue
- Matsue Station → Matsue Castle bus stop
Board the Lakeline at Matsue Station stop 7 and get off at Kokuhō Matsue-jō (Ōtemae) · 国宝松江城（大手前）. Follow the signs through the castle grounds to the keep entrance. Use the current timetable to choose your return service to Matsue Station after sightseeing.
- Matsue Castle bus stop → Castle keep and lunch
Follow the park signs through the Honmaru to the keep entrance. The walk from the bus stop takes additional time. As a planning suggestion, allow about 90 minutes for the keep, including interior stairs and removing shoes, plus about 60 minutes for lunch and a break nearby. Follow the facility's admission deadline.
Official Matsue Castle guideMore transport and operating details
- Matsue Castle → Matsue lodging
At the stop where you arrived, board the Lakeline in the same loop direction to return to Matsue Station. It differs from ordinary buses at the prefectural office and returns via the remaining loop after the castle. Stay in Matsue tonight.
Day 2 · Move to Izumo for the shrine and Shinmon-dori
Move to Izumo for the shrine and Shinmon-dori
- Matsue lodging → Izumoshi Station and new lodging
Take JR toward Izumoshi from Matsue Station to change cities. Stay in Izumoshi tonight and visit the shrine and Shinmon-dori. Choose a bus that leaves time for both the move and shrine visit, rather than a tight connection immediately after JR arrival.
- Izumoshi Station → Seimon-mae
From stop 1 at JR Izumoshi Station's north exit, take an Izumo Taisha-bound bus via Aeon Mall and get off at Seimon-mae · 正門前. Adult fare is ¥510 each way or ¥1,020 round trip; do not apply this fare to the Youme Town route. Events may change stops and times, so check current operator notices and return services.
Current Ichibata Taisha Line timetable and faresRegular outbound timetableSpecial timetable for the 10th–11thSpecial timetable for the 12th
- Seimon-mae → Shrine and Shinmon-dori
Walk about one minute from the stop to the large Seidamari torii, then follow the approach, Harae Bridge, and pine-lined path into the grounds. As a planning suggestion, allow 75–90 minutes at the shrine and about 60 minutes for lunch on Shinmon-dori. The area behind the main sanctuary closes at 4:30 p.m.; this route excludes the treasure hall. Entrance walks and waits to order food take additional time.
Walk to the main gate and shrine approachMore transport and operating details
- Shrine and Shinmon-dori → Izumoshi lodging
Return from Seimon-mae on an Izumoshi Station-bound bus via Aeon Mall. Choose a return service after your shrine visit and lunch. Stay in Izumoshi tonight.
Regular return timetableSpecial timetable for the 10th–11thSpecial timetable for the 12th
Day 3 · Inasa-no-hama, then depart from Izumoshi
Inasa-no-hama, then depart from Izumoshi
- Izumoshi Station and lodging → Seimon-mae
From stop 1 at JR Izumoshi Station's north exit, take an Izumo Taisha-bound bus via Aeon Mall and get off at Seimon-mae · 正門前. Adult fare is ¥510 each way or ¥1,020 round trip; do not apply this fare to the Youme Town route. Events may change stops and times, so check current operator notices and return services.
Current Ichibata Taisha Line timetable and faresRegular outbound timetableSpecial timetable for the 10th–11thSpecial timetable for the 12th
- Seimon-mae → Inasa-no-hama Beach · 稲佐の浜
Walk about one minute to the large Seidamari torii, then head west from the shrine-side starting point to Inasa-no-hama. The tourism agency's roughly 15-minute walk measures shrine to beach, not time from bus arrival. Follow on-site signs for crossings. The shrine's surrounding-area map separately marks beach parking and restrooms.
Walk to the main gate and shrine approachShimane tourism agency beach guideMore transport and operating details
- Beach entrance → Beach walk
Allow 30–45 minutes for a walk as a planning suggestion, without repeating the previous day's shrine visit. Skip the beach round trip in rain or strong wind, or if there is too little time before departure.
- Inasa-no-hama Beach → Izumoshi Station and lodging
Retrace the route to the shrine's main gate, then find the Izumoshi Station-bound boarding point at Seimon-mae. Return via Aeon Mall for ¥510 each way. Shorten the beach round trip in wind or rain, or if your final-day departure leaves little time. This route ends at Izumoshi Station.
Regular return timetableSpecial timetable for the 10th–11thSpecial timetable for the 12thCurrent Ichibata Taisha Line timetable and fares
Included: Castle ¥1,200 + two Lakeline rides at ¥250 each + four Aeon Mall-route bus rides at ¥510 each + Matsue→Izumoshi JR ¥590.
Extra costs and conditions: Lodging, meals, airport transfers, and unlisted JR, private railway, and bus travel cost extra. Paid options such as formal prayers and the treasure hall are excluded.
Official Matsue Castle guideMore transport and operating detailsCurrent Ichibata Taisha Line timetable and faresDynamic journey search
Frequently asked questions
How do I return if Adachi's free shuttle is full?
The free shuttle is first come, first served and cannot be reserved. Collect your return boarding ticket when entering the museum to choose a service. If free return services are full, check the paid Yellow Bus toward Yasugi Station. It costs ¥200 each way, adding ¥400 if used both ways. This fare is excluded from the route's base subtotal. Recheck your date's timetable and seat availability.
How do I get from Izumoshi Station to Izumo Taisha?
From stop 1 at JR Izumoshi Station's north exit, take a bus toward Izumo Taisha/Hinomisaki via Aeon Mall and get off at Seimon-mae. Allow time after JR arrival to reach the exit and stop, and choose the return service to Izumoshi Station too. Follow operator notices for event-related stop changes.
Current Ichibata Taisha Line timetable and faresSpecial timetable for the 10th–11thSpecial timetable for the 12th
Official sources and checked dates
- Official Matsue Castle guide ·
- More transport and operating details ·
- More transport and operating details ·
- More transport and operating details ·
- Official Adachi Museum guide ·
- More transport and operating details ·
- Museum FAQ ·
- Official English hours, prices, and walking access ·
- Current opening and price guide ·
- Shimane tourism agency beach guide ·
- Dynamic journey search ·
- Special timetable for the 10th–11th ·
- Special timetable for the 12th ·
- Current Ichibata Taisha Line timetable and fares ·
- Walk to the main gate and shrine approach ·
- Regular outbound timetable ·
- Regular return timetable ·