Matsuyama 8hr Private Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle

Name: Matsuyama 8hr Private Tour with Licensed Guide & Vehicle
Brand: Viator
Price: 511.36 USD
Availability: InStock

8 hoursJapanese, EnglishBook 2 days aheadEhime Prefecture, Japan

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$511

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Discover Matsuyama, the warm-hearted castle town of Ehime, on a relaxed private day tour with your own government-licensed English-speaking guide and a private vehicle. Travelling at your own pace, you skip crowded buses and timetables and focus on what you most want to see.

Stand beneath Matsuyama Castle, one of only twelve original castles left in Japan, with sweeping views over the city and the Seto Inland Sea. Soak up the timeless atmosphere of Dogo Onsen, one of the country's oldest hot springs, whose historic bathhouse is said to have inspired the film Spirited Away. Visit the National-Treasure temple of Ishite-ji, the vivid Isaniwa Shrine, the elegant Taisho-era villa of Bansuiso, and stroll the lively Dogo Haikara arcade with its retro Botchan Train.

With a private guide and vehicle, the itinerary is flexible and fully customisable. Your guide shares the history, culture and local food of Ehime and helps with photos and tips, for an easy and memorable day in Matsuyama.

Included

Private vehicle
Customizable Tour of your choice of 3-4 sites from 'What to expect' list'
Licensed Local English Speaking Guide

Not included

You cannot combine multiple tour groups.

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3 options

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What you'll do

Matsuyama Castle
1 Marunouchi, Matsuyama, Japan
Matsuyama Castle is one of just twelve original castles still standing in Japan, crowning Mount Katsuyama in the heart of the city. Ride the ropeway or chairlift to the summit, then explore the beautifully preserved keep and stone walls while enjoying sweeping views over Matsuyama and the Seto Inland Sea.
1 hour
Dogo Onsen Honkan
5-6 Dogoyunomachi, Matsuyama, Japan
Dogo Onsen is one of Japan's oldest and most celebrated hot springs, with a history stretching back more than 1,000 years. Its landmark wooden bathhouse, Dogo Onsen Honkan, is an Important Cultural Property whose elegant three-storey form is said to have helped inspire the bathhouse in the film Spirited Away. Soak in the legendary waters or simply admire the architecture.
45 min
Ishite-ji Temple
2-9-21 Ishite, Matsuyama, Japan
Ishite-ji is the 51st temple of the famous Shikoku 88-temple pilgrimage and one of Matsuyama's most atmospheric sights. Admire its National Treasure Niomon gate, the three-storied pagoda and the rows of stone statues, and feel the centuries of pilgrim devotion that fill the grounds.
30 min
Isaniwa Shrine
173 Sakuradanicho, Matsuyama, Japan
Isaniwa Shrine is a striking vermilion-lacquered shrine perched at the top of a long stone stairway near Dogo Onsen. Built in the rare hachiman-zukuri style, it is one of only three shrines of its kind in Japan and offers lovely views back over the hot-spring town.
20 min
Dogo Park (Ruins of Yuzuki Castle)
Dogokoen, Matsuyama, Japan
Dogo Park occupies the site of the former Yuzuki Castle, the medieval stronghold of the Kono clan. Today it is a peaceful green space with excavated ruins, a small museum, walking paths and seasonal cherry blossoms, just a short stroll from the Dogo Onsen hot-spring district.
20 min
Bansuiso
3-3-7 Ichibancho, Matsuyama, Japan
Bansuiso is an elegant French-style villa completed in 1922 as the residence of Count Sadakoto Hisamatsu, a descendant of Matsuyama's feudal lords. Now an Important Cultural Property, it is one of Shikoku's finest examples of Taisho-era Western architecture, with refined interiors, stained glass and a hillside setting below Matsuyama Castle.
30 min
Dogo Haikara Street
Dogoyunomachi, Matsuyama, Japan
Dogo Haikara-dori is a lively covered shopping arcade leading up to Dogo Onsen. Browse local souvenirs, Ehime citrus treats and Imabari towels, sample regional sweets and street food, and catch the charming Botchan Karakuri Clock, which puts on a show with characters from Soseki Natsume's novel.
30 min
Dogo Onsen Station
1 Chome Dogomachi, Matsuyama, Japan
Dogo Onsen Station is a charming retro-style terminus built in 1911, the gateway to the Dogo hot-spring district. Here you can see the beloved Botchan Train, a restored Meiji-era steam locomotive named after Soseki Natsume's novel, and the nearby Botchan Karakuri Clock, making it a perfect photo stop.
20 min

Meeting and pickup

8 locations

Pickup details

Meet your guide at Matsuyama Station, the main railway station in Matsuyama City. Please wait outside the East Exit of the station at the scheduled meeting time, where your guide will meet you.