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Before you go
Your trip to Matsuyama.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Matsuyama – Ehime Destination Matsuyama and Shimanami Kaidō Capital
How to get there
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Aeroporto de Matsuyama (MYJ) 9 km
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Estação de Matsuyama 1 km
Approximate distances. Check flights and bus, train or boat schedules before you travel.
JR Matsuyama Station is served by the Shiokaze express from Okayama in about 2 hours 45 minutes, and by trains from Takamatsu and Uwajima. Matsuyama Airport is about 6 km away, with buses to the station, downtown and Dogo. Matsuyama Port receives boats from Hiroshima.
How many days
A full day covers the castle, Ishite-ji and Dogo Onsen, ending with a bath in the late afternoon. An overnight stay at a ryokan in Dogo lets you wear a yukata while walking the streets of the hot-spring area.
When to go
Cherry trees on the castle hill usually bloom between late March and the first days of April. Autumn brings mild days and the mikan (mandarin) season from November onwards. June and July concentrate the rainy season, and summers are humid.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Do you need a car?
No. Iyotetsu trams link JR Station, downtown and Dogo Onsen, and the castle has a ropeway and a gondola. The airport has direct buses.
Suggested itinerary
An order that works
Built with the places on this page. No rush: it's paced so you have time to see them.
One day in Matsuyama
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Morning
Matsuyama Castle
Take the ropeway or the gondola from Ropeway Street up to the castle and visit the original keep, which offers views over the city and the Inland Sea.
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Afternoon
Ishite-ji
Have lunch downtown, then take a tram and walk to Ishite-ji temple, with its 14th-century gate and a cave behind the courtyard.
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Late afternoon
Dogo Onsen
Descend to Dogo, stroll through the shopping arcade and bathe at the Honkan bathhouse or the Asuka-no-yu annex.
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Evening
Dinner in Dogo
Dine on tai-meshi (sea bream rice) and see the Botchan Karakuri clock in Dogo Station Square, which usually moves with mechanical figures every hour.
Check before you go. Opening hours and days change, and places may close for renovations, holidays or events. This itinerary is a suggestion from Cidade Turismo, not a commitment: plan yours by checking directly with each place you intend to visit.
Before you go
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Matsuyama Station to Dogo Onsen?
By Iyotetsu tram, in about 25 minutes, to Dogo Onsen Station, which is a few minutes’ walk from the bathhouse.
What to eat in Matsuyama?
Tai-meshi (sea bream rice); jakoten, fried fish fritters; the three-colored sweet botchan dango; and Ehime’s mikan and juices.
Who was Masaoka Shiki?
A Matsuyama poet who renewed haiku at the end of the 19th century. The city has a museum dedicated to him near Dogo, and mailboxes where you can send haiku.
Does Matsuyama have temples on the Shikoku pilgrimage?
Yes, eight of the 88 temples are within the municipality. Ishite-ji, near Dogo, is the most visited.
Beyond the guide
