Once again, thank heaven for the alternative to climbing up the mountain. Well worth the far up and... read more
Once again, thank heaven for the alternative to climbing up the mountain. Well worth the far up and... read more
Taking this to and from Matsuyama Castle is an excellent way to enjoy your travel to Matsuyama... read more
A pleasant walk up (the aptly named) Ropeway Street brings you to the lower Station, purchase your ticket from a machine (single, round trip or combined ticket with Castle entrance), then make your way up to the 3rd floor for your choice of transit;
- To your left is the Ropeway Gondola (capacity 47, every 10-mins), which takes only 3-mins,
- To your right is the Ropeway Chairlift (single seats), which takes a more leisurely 6-mins.
Although your ticket is good for either mode of transit, be warned that the chairs have no safety bars or restraints, so are not suitable for youngsters or old folks like me with a desire to extend their longevity as far as possible. Whilst there is a safety net some way below the chairlift, the thought of extraction from this was sufficient for me to elect to take the gondola.
Sharing the gondola with a bride and groom (dressed in their wedding finery!) and one other passenger, the journey up took no time at all to reach the upper Station, from which you have a further 10-min "hike" to reach the Castle entrance. After a leisurely 90-min stroll around the Castle and grounds, I elected to forgo my return ticket by Ropeway and walk down the other side to Shiroyama Park. Deceived by the fairly swift journey up and tired by 4 ~ 5-hrs exertions already that day, I completely underestimated how tough that descent is, and wished I'd stuck to my original plan (Ropeway down and take the tram to Shiroyama Park).
Best way to the top and best way down for those unable to handle the steep climb. Cable car is large and the chair lift is fine on the way down although you are not strapped in. Wouldn't be allowed in most countries.
If you are heading for Matsuyama castle, be sure to include this as part of your trip. It's located at the entrance of the castle perimeter and provides an alternative way besides walking up to the castle. The cable/lift are same-priced, but with a different experience. The cable can accommodate more people during a 3-minute period. The lift can only seat one person during a 6-minute ride, and it's recommended to people who want to pursue a little bit of thrilling and exciting experience. You can also directly see Matsuyama castle along the way.
My personal suggestion would be to take the lift on your way up to the Matsuyama castle, and walk down when you are ready to leave. The walk down is about 10 to 15 minutes easy walk and is also pretty enjoyable. In this way, you get to have diverse experiences here when visiting Matsuyama castle.
Chair lifts and cable car provide a less energetic way down from Matsuyama Castle. Chair lifts with no seatbelts! Fun either way but sit still if you’re taking the open chairs!
Went up in a gondola, the chairs looked a bit precarious. Pleasant walk down. Readily accessible from downtown
We started our "Hidden Japan Travel" tour with this chairlift to the castle. Our guide cleverly arranged for us to get there before tour bus loads started to line-up