Have you heard of onsen, which means "hot springs" in English? If you're wondering, "Is there onsen in Kyoto?" the area's hot springs offer many opportunities for healthful and relaxing stays in Kyoto and surrounding areas. To qualify as an official onsen, the mineral hot spring must be at least 25°C (77°F) and have at least one of 19 official hot springs minerals dissolved in the water.
Near Kyoto, you will find many onsen and ryokan. By the way, what is the difference between ryokan and onsen? Ryokan are traditional Japanese inns. They offer lodging in a traditional Japanese environment (futons and tatami mats) and may also offer meals.
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Getting to Kyoto's wellness destinations
Cleanse your body and spirit in natural hot springs - visit a natural hot springs village in Kyoto
Ruri-kei natural hot spring village and scenic gorge with hiking opportunities
Cleanse your spirit and body in tranquil natural environments near Kyoto's onsen
Digital detox in a picturesque village
Kyoto's wellness destinations offer relaxation and health benefits
The closest major airports to Kyoto are in Osaka. If you have arrived in Tokyo, you may travel to the Kyoto area through the JAL Japan Explorer Pass, selecting one of Osaka's two airports. From Tokyo, you can travel to Itami Airport in Osaka in about 1 hour and 10 to 15 minutes. You will reach Kansai International Airport from Tokyo in about 1 hour and 25 to 30 minutes. From there, you may take airport express train to Kyoto and use local lines to visit wellness destinations in peaceful areas outside the hustle and bustle of the big city.
There are 15 sources of hot springs near Kyoto, and each of them has a variety of natural minerals dissolved in the water. They also have different natural temperature levels. Here are some of the ryokan and resorts with onsen and other amenities near Kyoto, starting with Yunohana-Onsen, which is located about 30 km (18 mi) from Kyoto city center.
• Address: 25 Miyanooku, Kakihana, Hiedano-cho, Kameoka City, 621-0036, Kyoto Prefecture
• Operating hours: Check-in time 3:00 PM Check-out time 11:00 AM
• Shuttle bus service from/to Kameoka station: Yes, by reservation
This upscale ryokan offers a relaxing and healing atmosphere with upscale amenities. Sumiya Kiho-an has notable Japanese art and a beautiful interior and exterior design settled in the mountain environment. The ryokan has modern amenities and modern Japanese rooms, including WiFi, along with traditional and beautiful tatami rooms with futons. You may select rooms with their own hot springs-fed baths. The ryokan also offers Kyoto-style cuisine and comes highly recommended by travelers.
• Address: 1-1 Hiramatsu Dorogafuchi, Honme-cho, Kameoka City, 621-0251, Kyoto Prefecture
• Operating hours: Check-in time 3:00 PM Check-out time 11:00 AM
• Shuttle bus service from/to Kameoka station: Yes, by reservation
Kyoto Keburikawa combines western-style and modern Japanese rooms with traditional Japanese tatami and futon rooms. The hotel has high ratings for friendliness and willingness to accommodate travelers. You may choose an upscale suite with its own hot spring-fed open-air bath or a Japanese-style room with a shared bathroom. The hotel has two restaurants on site and provides breakfast. The hotel also has a spacious shared hot springs and beautiful outdoor areas for dining and bathing.
• Address: Yunohana Onsen, Kameoka City, 621-0034, Kyoto Prefecture
• Operating hours: Check-in time 3:00 PM Check-out time 10:00 AM
• Shuttle bus service from/to Kameoka station: Yes, by reservation
Syonenso Hozugawatei is a traditional Japanese ryokan located in the Yunohana hot springs area. Syoenso Hozugawatei offers two outdoor hot spring baths and private baths within rooms. The exterior of the ryokan is modern, but most rooms are traditional Japanese-style rooms with interior or exterior baths. Some rooms have private yards and open-air baths. The ryokan also has a restaurant and lounge on-site offering traditional and contemporary Kyoto cuisine.
• Address: 6-3, Inoshiri, Ashinoyama, Hiedano-cho, Kameoka City, 621-0034, Kyoto Prefecture
• Operating hours: Check-in time 2:00 PM Check-out time 11:00 AM
• Shuttle bus service from/to Kameoka station: Yes, by reservation
Yunohana Resort Suisen provides many amenities, including a restaurant with kaiseki cuisine (a multi-course Japanese tasting meal - typically dinner). Yunohana Resort offers beautiful outdoor hot spring pools in natural environments. You can find Japanese/Western-style suites and rooms, along with Japanese suites with hot tubs and pools inside and outside rooms.
Ruri-kei means "Ruri (lapis lazuli) Gorge." It is a beautiful canyon approximately 1 hour west of Kyoto, which contains resort areas, hiking, and ample natural beauty. The gorge or valley is accessed by a train which is served by a shuttle bus* that runs approximately seven trips daily. Ruri-kei is the site of 12 different scenic, historic spots, which include a "crying waterfall, a "dragon pair chasm," and a "basin of running jewels."
*Shuttle bus service is exclusively for the guests staying at accommodations in Ruri-kei hot spring village.
• Address: 1-14 Hirotani, Okawachi, Sonobe-cho, Nantan City, 622-0065, Kyoto Prefecture
• Operating hours: Check-in time 2:00-5:00 PM Check-out time 11:00 AM
With rooms situated in individual, modern-style cabins advertised as "glamping vacation villas," Grax Hanare takes a slightly different approach to lodging than some of the ryokan in the area. The hotel has an on-site banquet hall and restaurant, along with a large communal hot spring pool. Modern amenities including WiFi and toiletries are available in each room.
• Address: 1-14 Hirotani, Okawachi, Sonobe-cho, Nantan City, 622-0065, Kyoto Prefecture
• Operating hours: Check-in time 2:00 PM Check-out time 11:00 AM
Ruri-kei Onsen for Rest Resort is the location of the Grax Hanare "glamping cabins." Ruri-kei Onsen is a large, modern-appearing resort with many options for those who want to visit the hot springs and explore the beautiful natural areas in and around Ruri-kei. The resort offers spa services, outdoor and indoor hot mineral pools and baths, saunas and a restaurant and meals in a mountain environment.
In addition to relaxing and enjoyable onsen, you can find other peaceful locations in Kyoto prefecture, including zen gardens and temples where you can stay and relax in traditional Japanese accommodations. A Kyoto zen temple stay will enable you to take a Zen meditation class. Meditate under ancient forest trees and enjoy healthful food in healing retreats and learn the fascinating history of the region.
• Address: 45 Teramachi Donomae, Ayabe City, 623-0033, Kyoto Prefecture
• Operating hours: Check-in time 3:00 PM Check-out time 10:00 AM
Shorekiji Temple is an ancient Koyasan Shingon Buddhist temple located in the center of Ayabe, offering a tranquil and pristine environment for meditation of many types, including water and fire purifying rituals and "nezen," sleep meditation under a 600-year-old tree. The rooms contain murals painted 100 years ago or longer by master painters. The temple stays include meals prepared by the temple monks, which receive high recommendations from visitors.
• Address: 1 Teranodan, Ankokuji-cho, Ayabe City, 623-0104, Kyoto Prefecture
• Operating hours: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM (April-September) 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM (October-March)
Long ago, in the mid-14th century, the mother of Ankokuji temple founder and shogun Ashikaga Takauji is said to have prayed for the safe birth of a baby boy on the site of the temple. Expectant mothers still visit the temple today to pray for safe childbirth. The temple is particularly noted for its stunning maple trees changing color each fall to rich deep red, orange, and yellow. The temple has many historical Buddhist and local cultural artifacts as well as a tranquil, beautiful environment.
• Address: 764 Kumihama-cho Tani, Kyotango City, 629-3559, Kyoto Prefecture
• Operating hours:
Mitsumasa Anno Art Museum: 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM (Last entry: 4:30 PM)
Restaurant wakuden MORI: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Last order: 5:30 PM)
From the ancient to the modern, a visit to Wakuden-no-mori will allow you to experience a planted forest, local foods, and nature workshops, as well as a fine art museum. Wakuden Forest is not an ancient forest. It is a planted forest that began in 2007 when people from all over Japan traveled to plant over 30,000 trees from 56 species. Here you will find the workshop restaurant wakuden MORI, where you can taste food made from local vegetables, fish and other ingredients. The architecture here is both modern and rustic. A visit will allow you experience traditional and contemporary forest-to-table Japanese foods and a stunning contemporary art museum - the House in the Forest, Mitsumasa Anno Art Museum - designed by Tadao Ando. The entrance fee to the museum is 1,000 yen for adults, 600 yen for teens ages 13-18, and 400 yen for children 0-12.
You can also visit the food workshop where WAKUDEN confections and prepared foods are manufactured.
• Address: 11-2 Arashiyama Genrokuzan-cho, Nishikyo-ward, Kyoto City, 616-0007, Kyoto Prefecture
• Operating hours: Check-in time 3:00 PM Check-out time 12:00 PM
Although this lovely ryokan does not come with a hot spring (onsen), you may choose to visit to enjoy this beautiful retreat on the Katsura River. HOSHINOYA Kyoto maintains an exclusive and peaceful environment for guests because it is accessible only via their private boat from their boat landing at the end of Togetsukyo Bridge. Once at the retreat, you are only a short walk from the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. The ryokan is fully restored from a 100-year-old building with stunning landscaping and rooms.
Although it's not the most famous Japanese thatched-roof village, Kayabuki no Sato offers the opportunity to experience a simpler, slower pace of life. You can "detox" from a fast-paced lifestyle staring at screens to living in natural beauty in the same type of homes Japanese people lived in hundreds of years ago. Some call Kayabuki-no-Sato a "fairy tale village," and it is one of the most charming locations in the region, with over 30 thatched-roof cottages.
• Address: Miyamachokita, Nantan City, 601-0712, Kyoto Prefecture
• Parking hours: Summer (April – November) 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Winter (December – March) 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Miyama’s thatched village (Kayabuki no Sato) is the largest collection of traditional thatched-roof homes in the region, although you will find other similar homes scattered throughout the area. Although not as well-known as the UNESCO World Heritage site Shirakawa Go, this charming village is a lovely stopover. The village has restaurants, lodging, and even a water hose (sprinkler) for the village's twice-annual fire prevention sprinkler testing, which covers the entire village with water from over 60 large sprinklers.
• Address: 52 Shimakitsuneiwa, Miyama-cho, Nantan City, 601-0751, Kyoto Prefecture
• Operating hours: Check-in 3:00 - 7:00 PM (arrange check-in in advance with booking agent/owner)
The owner of the charming thatched-roof cottages, Miyama FUTON & Breakfast, is also a skilled roof thatcher, one of only about 50 remaining in Japan. The skill of using grass to construct a thatched roof has been around for over 5,000 years in Japan. You may choose from one of five cottages including two cottages which is over 160 years old that have been restored and maintained by Haruo Nishio. The cottages offer simple self-serve breakfasts and also a Japanese cooking experience with local housewives.
Near Kyoto's bustling city are many destinations with health and wellness-restoring benefits, from many beautiful and healthful onsen resorts to resorts in river and mountain locations. Stay in temples with traditions dating back hundreds of years and meditate beneath 600-year-old trees. Experience traditional Japanese village life in fairy-tale thatched-roof cottages and sample foods directly from the forest. You may easily reach all these relaxing and beautiful destinations using the JAL Japan Explorer Pass to Itami or Kansai airports and local transportation.
Stretching along the northern edge of Japan, Kyoto by the Sea is where travelers will find a series of historic sake breweries.
Visit Kyoto to discover many onsen (hot springs) resorts, ryokan, and other beautiful and relaxing healing and wellness destinations.
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