Hot springs fed by volcanically-heated reservoirs make up the whole Noboribetsu Onsen. Located in Hokkaido, locals recognize Noboribetsu as the region’s most famous hot springs destination.

Hokkaido views are stunning, with both rolling mountains and sharp cliffs. Noboribetsu is no exception. Because of the altitude, the weather is generally cool, with some rain and snow. Except in its coldest or snowiest months, it is the perfect weather for a hot spring experience. (Noboribetsu is 440 feet (134 meters) on average and 3,940 feet (1,200 meters) at its highest point.)

Because of its distance from the main Hokkaido tourist destinations, this onsen town is a well-developed but not overcrowded tourist site. There are many ryokans you can choose to stay at in Noboribetsu. Some of them have private access to an onsen (some by reservation). Others even have private in-room onsen options.

The ryokans often fill up, especially during peak season. You may have a specific ryokan you want to book, or a room you are eyeing. Try to book these well in advance of your visit.

Choose the space that best suits you from these 7 best ryokans in Noboribetsu Onsen.

1. Takinoya Bekkan Tamanoyu
2. Ryotei Hanayura
3. Hotel Mahoroba
4. Kashoutei Hanaya
5. Noboribetsu Grand Hotel
6. Oyado Kiyomizuya
7. Dai-ichi Takimotokan

1. Takinoya Bekkan Tamanoyu

Takinoya is a premium multi-floor ryokan that boasts both garden and mountain views. Some rooms even have both! The look and feel is mostly Japanese-traditional. Even the warm colors and wooden architecture blend seamlessly with the surroundings.

However, if you need a room with more seating options, there are Japanese/Western fusion rooms. They still have the look and feel of traditional warmth and quiet. If you want them, there are more options for higher seats and a more modern setup. The ryokan uses traditional tatami flooring for all of its rooms, so you won’t miss out on the experience.

Practically every room has a private balcony and a seating area. Some of the rooms also have an open-air bath. You can enjoy the bracing air and incredible views while enjoying the warmth of the tub.

There is an onsen, a hot spring bath, at the ryokan itself. You can also walk from Takinoya to Sengen Park, Oyunuma Pond, and take advantage of the Oyunumagawa Natural Footbath. You can also take an 8-minute walk to Noboribetsu Jigokudani, Hell Valley. This is the volcanic valley where the demons are said to live, causing the heat and steam.

The ease of access and beauty of the facilities draw many tourists to Takinoya. There are spaces for couples, as well as large groups. The next time you plan your Noboribetsu adventure, you may want to think about booking your stay at Takinoya.

Book It Here: Takinoya Bekkan Tamanoyu

2. Ryotei Hanayura

According to the hotel itself, guests from all over Japan and the world come here. They want to experience the beauty of nature in a fully traditional Japanese setting. The height of this multi-level ryokan gives guests a stunning view of the mountain forest. Some rooms and seating areas are level with the treetops, bringing you to another level of rest and relaxation.

Most of the rooms are Japanese-traditional with tatami floors, low seats, and an old-school architectural vibe. You feel like you’ve stepped back into the 80s. Some of the rooms have open-air baths that let you enjoy the mountain view and refreshing air as you relax.

If you plan to go as a group or a whole family, the ryokan offers family rooms for large groups. Make sure to read the fine print. There may be a limit on how many people can stay and if there are additional related charges. In the mornings, you can enjoy either a buffet breakfast or an Asian-style breakfast. A convenience store and hotel restaurant give you everything you need in one place.

From Ryotei Hanayura, you are a walk away from Enmado Temple, where the ogre lord King Enma stays. If you are able to catch the Hell Festival in August, the overlord is brought around the town. You may want to time your stay with the festival! You are also a walk away from Yuzawa Shrine, a small, quiet place. The shrine is built of cedar. You go through a torii (sacred red gate) and up some stairs through the trees to reach it.

If you are looking for a traditional, relaxing stay at a Noboribetsu ryokan, Ryotei Hanayura might be perfect.

Book It Here: Ryotei Hanayura

3. Hotel Mahoroba

If you are the type of traveler who just wants to onsen all day, this ryokan is perfect for you. It has two floors of onsen on-site, fed by 4 hot water spring sources. There are two restaurants in the hotel, Green Terrace and Restaurant Liberty. The second has various dishes to choose from, including Western- and Chinese-style. Both offer traditional Japanese multi-course meals.

You can choose between a purely Western-style room or a Western-style bed with tatami flooring. You can also book a traditional room with tatami flooring and low beds and chairs. There are also rooms with open-air baths, and a wide range of room types. You can choose a twin bed room, a family room, and various rooms with seating areas.

You are just a walk away from Enmado Temple and Yuzawa Shrine. There are also many restaurants you can choose from within walking distance. Sobadokorofukuan is an authentic soba restaurant with both rice and soba choices. Onsenichiba (also called Onsen Ichiba) has a large assortment of fresh seafood dishes. Aji no Daio (Flavor King) Noboribetsu Onsenten is famous for its spicy food, perfect for the mountain air. It also calls “Hell Valley” to mind, which the whole area is famous for.

In all of the rooms you will find most of the expected amenities, as well as a green tea set. A coffee maker is not included. There are bathtubs rather than shower stalls, and a room yukata for all the guests is included. There is also WiFi access in all of the rooms. Take advantage of the public on-site onsens or the open air baths for your hot spring delight.

Book It Here: Hotel Mahoroba

4. Kashoutei Hanaya

If you are looking for a beautiful and intimate ryokan, Kashoutei Hanaya checks all the boxes on that list. There are only 21 guest rooms, and an on-site onsen straight from one source. The rooms are traditional Japanese, Western, and fusion, for whatever you might need. The food is mostly traditional multi-course Japanese, with other options if you want them.

The small ryokan overlooks the river, with an on-site spa and horse-riding activities to make the most of the facilities. Your toilet is private, although guestrooms share the bathing facilities. They serve breakfast at the dining hall. Lunch can be between your room and the dining hall, and they serve dinner privately in your room. They change the menu every three months to suit the season, to give the full Japanese inn experience.

If you love learning more about historical Japan, this ryokan is 10 minutes’ drive away from Noboribetsu Date Jidaimura. This historical theme park has displays, traditional activities, and fun shows (like ninja shows) that you will enjoy. It is especially a great destination if you are coming with your entire family!

One of the places to visit within walking distance from your ryokan is Yukake Kizo. A demon statue shrine, it has been blessing the hot springs for your health since 1996. Symbol Oni (literally “Symbol Demon”) is another small demon shrine along the main road walking distance from the ryokan. Supposedly it gives good luck in studies; just one more reason to bring your family.

Book It Here: Kashoutei Hanaya

5. Noboribetsu Grand Hotel

The Noboribetsu Grand Hotel is famously known as the ryokan that the Showa Emperor (Hirohito) and Empress stayed in. It was built in 1938 and has a long history in the valley. There are many rooms, some fully traditional in the Japanese fashion, some semi-traditional, and some fully Western.

All of the suites come with a free buffet breakfast, and the hotel dining serves both Japanese and Western dishes. There are at least three public baths on site, each with its own charm. There is the classic onsen, the Roman bath, and the Japanese waterfall garden to choose from. Please note that there are no private open-air baths. However, every room has either a private bathroom or one en suite (access from the bedroom). Some rooms even have their own cypress bath; somewhat like a private onsen!

If you love nature and beautiful hikes, the Grand Hotel is near to Lake Kuttara. It is a volcanic lake set at the mouth of a volcano. You can hike around the area, and take a boat out onto the lake to look through the clear waters. This ryokan is also near the Noboribetsu Bear Park. The first people of Hokkaido, the Ainu, considered the local brown bears to be gods. Now you can learn more about the Ainu, and the bears they worshiped, at the bear park.

If you prefer to stay inside the hotel, you can make full use of the public baths. There are also sauna rooms onsite as well as karaoke places. If you are planning a longer stay, there is a coin-powered laundromat so you never run out of clothes. It is a beautiful place that you won’t regret visiting.

Book It Here: Noboribetsu Grand Hotel

6. Oyado Kiyomizuya

If you love the purely traditional vibe for your ryokan, this is absolutely for you. Oyado Kiyomizuya has purely traditional Japanese rooms to stay in. You must also book your meals with your room as part of the plan. You can choose between seafood meals and traditional meals. There is no walk-in dining for guests. However, there is a ryokan cafe where you can spend your time during the day.

Every room has tatami flooring, futon-style beds, and a private bathroom. There is no WiFi in the rooms, so it is the perfect place to unplug from the noise of the modern world. However, for those who need it, the lobby has WiFi that is free for all guests to access. The sulfur spring feeds into an on-site onsen, a source of relaxation for all the guests. The onsen is non-mixed for privacy, although some families may opt for mixed onsen outside.

Genshirin, an old forest with some giant trees, is only a 15-minute walk away. The government designated it a protected area. The forest boasts hiking trails through the trees and around the hot springs. Sinking into a hot sulfur spring at the end of a tiring day has no match. Why not take a long hike and close out the day with an onsen visit?

Genshirin is not the only place you can tire yourself out at. Kameda Memorial Park is a quiet place to wander around. The Okashibetsu no Mori Sports Park is a wide sloping park that you can play at or walk around in as well. Tradition, peace, and nature are the highlights of this ryokan. If it’s your cup of tea, then this ryokan is for you.

Book It Here: Oyado Kiyomizuya

7. Dai-ichi Takimotokan

For an elegant and luxurious stay, the Dai-ichi Takimotokan ryokan is hard to beat. It boasts an incredibly wide range of couple and family rooms. There are Japanese-style rooms and more modern Western-style rooms. Some choices have their own private onsen. The rooms stretch across 4 buildings. If you are in several groups you may want to make sure all the rooms are in the same building.

The ryokan has an incredible Grand Bath, drawing from 5 springs that lead into a total of 35 baths open for 24 hours a day. During the day, the Grand Bath is open to visitors (ticketed) who are not staying at the ryokan. After 9 p.m. and until 6 p.m., the ryokan allows only guests to use all of the facilities. Staff clean the baths every day. Two saunas, wet and dry, are also on the premises. There is also a chilled water bath, drawn from a natural source. There is also a swimming pool, perfect for all kinds of fun.

You can book your room with the option to have no meals, breakfast only, or breakfast and dinner. You can arrange for some meals to be taken privately at your room. Others would be at the hotel restaurants. There is a Kaiseki restaurant for a multi-course traditional Japanese dinner, and buffet-style dining. The space itself has a lot of entertainment, such as a game arcade, perfect for a snow day.

It is also incredibly near the main attractions. You can walk for 5 minutes to reach Hell Valley, or drive a little way to Lake Kuttara. You can also take a quick walk to Bear Park. If you are looking for an all-in Noboribetsu experience, this might be the ryokan for you.

Book It Here: Dai-ichi Takimotokan

When To Travel To Noboribetsu

To make the most of the weather, the highest volume of tourists arrive at spring time. There is a significant chance of rain, but the weather is just cold enough to make the onsens a treat. You can also hike and walk around the area in relatively good weather.

Summer is actually a slow tourist season for Noboribetsu, so you may also want to drop by in those months. You can walk a little more, explore a little further, and rest in the ryokans and the onsens.

If you really want to experience the onsen with fewer tourists, drop by in the fall. The cold and humidity discourage tourists from coming up.

Many tourists come up to Hokkaido to enjoy the winter season, and Noboribetsu is no exception. Next to spring, winter is the busiest season. Tourists come up for the snow. They also come for the steam rising over the mountains from Hell Valley. Travelers look forward to the comfort of the hot springs on a cold day.

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Every traveler has unique needs, and not every ryokan meets all of them. However, we have picked out the best in the area. Now that you have all the information you need, go ahead and book! You can’t go wrong with a ryokan in one of the most stunning areas of Hokkaido.