Matsuyama is the largest city on the island Shikoku, known for its historic ‘onsen’ (natural hot springs) bathhouses, castle and 8 of the Shikoku Henro’s 88 temples including Ishite-ji. As the largest city on the island, it’s no surprise that Matsuyama boasts lots of accommodation and is easy to move to and from. Train services connect JR Matsuyama Station and Takamatsu Station in around 2.5 hours, with some services running directly onto Okayama Station on the main island of Honshu; while ferry services and high-speed boats operate from Matsuyama to Hiroshima. In addition, Matsuyama Airport is located around 5.5km southwest of the city, with carriers operating domestic routes including to Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Kagoshima and international routes including Shanghai, Taipei and Seoul.

Visitors to Matsuyama City can choose between staying in the central city around JR Matsuyama Station and Shiroyama Park/Matsuyama Castle, and the historic hot spring district of Dogo Onsen – see below for details. Most accommodation in city is located around the station and on the southern-side of the park and castle around Okaido Station. There’s a good range of Western-style hotels to choose from, with most offering Western amenities and convenient access to the castle.