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A hilltop section of Matsuyama Castle with traditional wooden buildings and tiled roofs sitting on high stone walls, surrounded by trees, overlooking a dense cityscape of buildings and distant hills.

Matsuyama, Japan

Cruises to Matsuyama, Japan

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Things to do in Matsuyama

Some ports feel like a stop. Matsuyama feels like an invitation. This city has a way of slowing you down, handing you a rice dumpling and telling you to take a bath (of the hot-spring variety). With its literary roots, deep history and soothing onsen, it’s the kind of place that stays with you long after your towel’s dried.

Explore things to do in Matsuyama
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  • An evening cityscape featuring the traditional Dogo Onsen bathhouse with dark tiled roofs and warm glowing windows, surrounded by modern buildings and streaks of car lights curving through nearby streets under a blue twilight sky.

    Visit Dogo Onsen Area, home to Japan’s oldest hot springs.

  • A traditional Japanese castle with multiple white-walled tiers, dark wooden accents and gray tiled roofs, partially hidden by dense green trees under a clear blue gradient sky.

    Ride the cable car to Matsuyama Castle, a 17th-century hilltop fortress that houses centuries of weapons, armor and sweeping city views.

  • A multi-tiered wooden pagoda with ornate curved eaves and a tall spire, surrounded by green trees and lit by clear afternoon light under a bright blue sky.

    Explore the peaceful grounds of Ishiteji Temple, a Buddhist compound that’s part spiritual sanctuary, part architectural wonder.

  • Two slices of Japanese roll cake filled with dark red bean paste sit on a textured turquoise plate beside a small cup of tea and a wooden dessert fork.

    Taste your way through town with Matsuyama tarts, botchan dango and enough confections to justify skipping lunch.

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Shore excursions to explore in Matsuyama

These excursions are proof that Matsuyama is more than just peaceful baths and pretty views; it’s a city layered with stories, secrets and excellent snacks.

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  • A scenic view of Matsuyama Castle at sunset, with traditional wooden buildings and stone walls overlooking lush green trees and a sunlit pathway lined with wooden railings.

    Best of Matsuyama

    Start your day with a cable car ride to Matsuyama Castle, perched 433 feet above the city. Take off your shoes to explore its carefully preserved halls filled with relics from the Matsudaira Clan. After a visit to the Buddhist landmark Ishiteji Temple, where sacred artifacts meet sweeping pagodas, you’ll enjoy a local lunch before heading to Dogo Onsen. Here, a soak in Japan’s oldest hot spring leaves you calm, clean and maybe wanting to write a haiku about the whole experience.

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  • A narrow street lined with traditional Japanese houses featuring wooden facades and gray tiled roofs, with neatly trimmed shrubs and trees, leading toward a forested hillside under an overcast sky.

    Uchiko & Ozu On Your Own

    Wander through history at your own pace with this self-guided trip to two well-preserved towns. Uchiko, once rich from wax and paper, is now home to 90 original buildings and streets that feel frozen in time. From there, head to Ozu, a castle town with narrow alleys, gardens and riverside views that seem tailor-made for aimless exploring. No agenda and no pressure, just pure old-school charm.

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  • A traditional Japanese castle with white walls and dark tiled roofs rises behind bare branches, framed on the right by a vibrant red autumn tree under a bright blue sky with a few white clouds.

    Highlights of Matsuyama

    This rapid-fire tour takes you to the essentials. Visit Dogo Onsen for a look (or dip) into the bathhouse that inspired centuries of literature. Then head to Ishiteji Temple, part of the Shikoku Pilgrimage Route and packed with historic relics. Finish at Matsuyama Castle, where you’ll ascend to sweeping views and museum-quality displays that bring the Edo period to life.

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  • A daytime view of the traditional Dogo Onsen bathhouse with layered tiled roofs and wooden walls, surrounded by modern buildings, wide curving streets and a few parked vehicles under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.

    Dogo Onsen Hot Spring & Ishiteji Temple

    Ease into your day at Asuka-no-Yu, a bathhouse styled after ancient Japanese architecture. Slip into the hot springs and soak up the silence. After your dip, continue to Ishiteji Temple, a spiritual and architectural standout featuring a cave-linked inner temple and a gate so revered it’s a designated National Treasure.

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Explore itineraries with cruises to Matsuyama

Princess ships dock within easy reach of the city, offering quick access to everything from castle towers to steam-filled bathhouses. Local transport options are solid, with buses, trams and even a vintage train that looks like it rolled straight out of an anime. With local ferry and high-speed boat connections to nearby cities and islands in the Seto Inland Sea, the favorite port along many Japan cruise itineraries becomes a launchpad to explore well beyond the city limits. Seasonal cruises like the "Japan Explorer Spring Flowers" include this port, making it one of the best times to experience Matsuyama in full bloom.

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11-Day Japan Explorer Spring Flowers

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12-Day Japan Explorer Cherry Blossoms

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25-Day Southeast Asia & Japan with Halong Bay

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Discover Matsuyama on your next cruise

Matsuyama has mastered the art of slow travel. From the ancient echoes in Ishiteji Temple to the serene cultural rituals of Dogo Onsen, every experience feels considered and grounded. Whether you’re sipping matcha near the castle or stepping through a temple gate that predates most nations, the city offers something real. Princess Cruises® brings it to life through curated excursions, seamless comfort and itineraries designed to show you the best of Matsuyama in one glorious port day.

Cruises to Matsuyama
A multi-tiered wooden pagoda at Ishiteji Temple with ornate curved roofs and a tall finial, surrounded by trees and stone lanterns under a clear blue sky.

Stand before this timeless Ishiteji Temple pagoda as warm light reveals every carved beam and curved eave.

A vertical view of Matsuyama Castle showing multiple white-walled, gray-tiled towers set atop steep stone ramparts, surrounded by green trees under a clear blue sky.

Climb toward Matsuyama Castle and take in its soaring white keeps perched high above massive stone walls.

A smiling couple stands at the railing of a Princess® cruise ship, enjoying the open sea and blue sky.

A couple stands together on the wooden deck of a Princess® cruise ship, gazing out at the open sea beneath a bright blue sky dotted with clouds.

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Cruises to Matsuyama FAQs

*The port location is subject to change. Please check itinerary details after you book for more information.

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