Matsuyama and Dogo Shirasagi Pack

Matsuyama wears its charms lightly: a hilltop castle, a rattling tram network, and Dogo Onsen, which claims a longer bathing history than anywhere in Japan. Local legend has a white heron, the shirasagi, discovering the spring’s healing waters, and the bird lends its name to this sightseeing pack, which bundles up the Dogo and Matsuyama essentials into one easy purchase for visitors.

What the pack covers

Packs like this pair local travel with attraction entry and small perks around the Dogo Onsen district, and the exact lineup of inclusions is updated from time to time, so read the current details on the booking page before you buy. The value case is strongest if you are spending a full day or an overnight around Dogo, which is precisely how Matsuyama is best done anyway.

Seeing Matsuyama and Dogo

Start with Dogo Onsen Honkan, the storied wooden bathhouse that inspired countless illustrations, then wander the shopping arcade in a yukata like everyone else. Matsuyama Castle, reached by ropeway or chairlift, is one of Japan’s few surviving original castles and looks over the whole city to the Seto Inland Sea. Between the two, the city’s trams do the work, including the delightful Botchan train, a working replica of the Meiji era steam locomotive from Soseki’s novel.

Getting there

From Honshu, ride the shinkansen to Okayama and change to the Shiokaze limited express, which crosses the sea on the Great Seto Bridge and reaches Matsuyama in under three hours. From JR Matsuyama Station, trams run direct to the Dogo Onsen terminus, and the whole town is manageable without a car.

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