Three nights: add Adachi gardens or lakeside exhibits?
Stay two nights in Matsue, then one in Izumo for separate shrine and beach visits. For gardens and Japanese paintings, visit Adachi Museum in Yasugi on day 2, allowing time for round-trip JR and shuttle travel. For a collection exhibition in central Matsue, choose Shimane Art Museum; that route walks to and from Matsue Station.
Choose an itinerary for 4 days, 3 nights
Castle, gardens, shrine, and beach
Stay two nights in Matsue, then one in Izumoshi. Visit the castle and Adachi Museum first, then move to Izumo for separate shrine and approach-street visits and a beach walk.
Castle, gardens, shrine, and beach →4 days, 3 nights BCastle and lakeside exhibits, then Izumo
For Matsue's collection exhibition and lakeshore walk, stay two nights in Matsue, then one in Izumoshi. This route spends time in central Matsue instead of making an Adachi Museum trip to Yasugi.
Castle and lakeside exhibits, then Izumo →Castle, gardens, shrine, and beach
Stay two nights in Matsue, then one in Izumoshi. Visit the castle and Adachi Museum first, then move to Izumo for separate shrine and approach-street visits and a beach walk.
Day 1 · Matsue Castle keep and surrounding streets
Matsue Castle keep and surrounding streets
- 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 · Gardens and Japanese paintings, then return to the same hotel
Gardens and Japanese paintings, then return to the same hotel
- 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 · Move to Izumo for the shrine and approach street
Move to Izumo for the shrine and approach street
- 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 4 · Beach walk, then finish at Izumoshi Station
Beach walk, then finish at Izumoshi Station
- 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 + Adachi Museum ¥2,500 + two Lakeline rides at ¥250 each + four Aeon Mall-route bus rides at ¥510 each + two Yasugi JR trips at ¥420 each + Matsue→Izumoshi JR ¥590.
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. Paid options such as formal prayers and the treasure hall are excluded.
Official Matsue Castle guideOfficial Adachi Museum guideMore transport and operating detailsCurrent Ichibata Taisha Line timetable and faresDynamic journey search
Castle and lakeside exhibits, then Izumo
For Matsue's collection exhibition and lakeshore walk, stay two nights in Matsue, then one in Izumoshi. This route spends time in central Matsue instead of making an Adachi Museum trip to Yasugi.
Day 1 · Explore Matsue Castle's keep
Visit the keep on day 1 and 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 · Shimane Art Museum and the lakeshore
Explore the Shimane Art Museum collection and walk by the lake
- 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 exhibition. If it is closed on Tuesday, choose another opening day or leave out the indoor visit. This route excludes special exhibitions. Allow extra time afterward for a lakeside break or lunch. The lakeshore walk does not guarantee a sunset viewing.
- Shimane Art Museum → Matsue Station and lodging
Retrace the roughly 15-minute walk to Matsue Station. Stay in Matsue again tonight.
Official English hours, prices, and walking accessMuseum FAQ
Day 3 · Move to Izumo and eat on Shinmon-dori
Move to Izumo and eat on 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 4 · Inasa beach, then return to the station
Inasa beach, then return to the station
- 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: Matsue Castle ¥1,200 + prefectural art museum collection ¥400 + two Lakeline rides at ¥250 each + four Aeon Mall-route bus rides at ¥510 each + Matsue→Izumoshi JR ¥590.
Extra costs and conditions: Walk to and from the museum. Subtract ¥400 if you omit the indoor collection visit. Special exhibitions, lodging, meals, airport transfers, and unlisted transport and activities cost extra. Paid Izumo Taisha options such as formal prayers and the treasure hall are excluded.
Official Matsue Castle guideHorikawa boat operatorMore transport and operating detailsCurrent Ichibata Taisha Line timetable and faresDynamic journey searchOfficial English hours, prices, and walking accessMuseum FAQCurrent opening and price guide
Frequently asked questions
Do I visit Adachi Museum and the Izumo shrine on the same day?
The Adachi route goes from Matsue to Yasugi on day 2 for gardens and Japanese paintings, then returns to Matsue. Visit the shrine and approach street after moving to Izumo on day 3. This separates the museum visit from travel between the two cities. Look up the return shuttle and JR from Yasugi together.
More transport and operating detailsOfficial JR journey search
Official sources and checked dates
- Horikawa boat operator ·
- 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 ·
- Official JR journey search ·
- 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 ·