Resort
Hotel day bath
Pools and a lounge
- Price for adults1,200 to 2,500 yen
- ReceptionEnds 18:00 to 19:00
- SuitsA long afternoon
Price for your group
Noboribetsu onsen: where to soak, what it costs, what the water is
Answer in a line
Noboribetsu onsen baths take day visitors without a night's stay, from 550 yen at the public bath to 2,500 yen at Takimotokan, across nine types of spring water.
Fees and water
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Price the bus days that stop in Noboribetsu
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- Hell Valley and ToyaA 10-hour bus day · per seat, from $47
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View - Toya and the valleyA day-long trip · per seat, from $54
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View - Valley and lakeA 10-hour trip · per seat, from $45
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View - Usu mountain dayA day-long trip · per seat, from $56
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The lowest GetYourGuide prices appear here after conversion with the ECB reference rate, and the booking page gives the precise total.
Noboribetsu onsen is a hot-spring resort with nine kinds of water and many baths open to day visitors. This page lists the day-use hours and prices, explains the springs, and shows how to plan a bath.
Editorial team, sapporodaytrip.com · Updated November 2, 2026 · Roughly 6 minutes to read
Basics at a glance
- Water typesThe tourism association says Noboribetsu has nine types of onsen water in one resort.1
- Public bathThe public Yumoto Sagiriyu charges adults 550 yen and is open 9:00 to 21:00.2
- Highest listed feeTakimotokan charges day visitors 2,500 yen per adult, 9:00 to 21:00 (reception to 18:00).3
- Second valleyKarurusu Onsen was named in 1957 as Hokkaido's first national hot spring health resort.4
- Guided coach dayA 10-hour Noboribetsu and Lake Toya day tour starts from $47.
One resort, nine kinds of water
What sets Noboribetsu apart from most hot-spring towns is range rather than size. The tourism association says the resort is known for nine different types of onsen water, and calls it the northernmost large-scale onsen resort in Japan.1,5 Many of the springs come from Jigokudani, the Hell Valley crater formed by volcanic activity about 10,000 years ago.6
That variety changes how you plan. At a one-water town you pick a hotel and settle in. Here, baths a few minutes apart can feel completely different: milky and sulfurous in one, clear in another, reddish-brown elsewhere. People who like the sampler idea can spend a whole day moving between day-use baths.
The bathing itself has a long history. The association says Noboribetsu Onsen has been healing people from the Edo period, 1603 to 1868, to the present day.7 Whether or not you believe in cures, the tradition explains why the town is built around the water, from the hotel tower blocks to the free footbath on the valley trail.
Know your water
What the springs look like and how to treat them
| Spring | What you notice | Care note |
|---|---|---|
| Sulfur | Milky white, egg smell | Skip silver jewelry |
| Iron | Turns brown in air | White towels go reddish |
| Acidic | Strong, sharp | Rinse if skin is weak |
| Sodium bicarbonate | Smooth skin feel | Called the beauty onsen |
| Karurusu water | Hot at the source | Source 48 to 74°C |
From the Noboribetsu tourism association's page on the springs; the jewelry line is general bathing advice, not from that page.12,13,14,15,16
Reading the springs before you get in
The sulfur springs deserve a mention at the top. The association describes them as milky white with a unique smell like boiled eggs.12 If you wear silver jewelry, take it off before you go in; sulfur tarnishes it. This is the scent that follows you around town, and it is part of the appeal rather than a fault.
The iron springs look different when they meet air. They turn brown, are called Akayu, the red onsen, and white towels will turn a reddish color.13 Bring a dark towel, or use the one the bath provides. The acidic springs have a different warning: for people with weak skin, the association advises avoiding a long bath and rinsing with fresh water afterwards.14
At the gentle end are the sodium bicarbonate springs, which the association says leave the skin smooth and call Bijin no Yu, the beauty onsen.15 You do not need to memorize every type. Read the sign at each bath, soak for the time it recommends, and drink water between visits.
What a soak costs
Adult day-use fees listed by the association, in yen
Day-use baths, hour by hour
You do not need to book a room to use a hotel bath. The association's one-day-trip page lists the hours and adult prices. Takimotokan takes day visitors from 9:00 to 21:00, with reception from 9:00 to 18:00, for 2,500 yen per adult.3 Sekisuitei is open 11:00 to 19:00, with reception to 18:00, for 1,200 yen.9
Other hotels run narrower windows. Noboribetsu Manseikaku opens in two blocks, 7:00 to 9:30 and 13:30 to 20:00, for 1,300 yen.8 Hotel Yumoto Noboribetsu runs 13:00 to 20:00, with reception to 19:00, for 1,400 yen.10 Last-entry times matter: the bath may close at 20:00 but the desk stops taking guests an hour earlier.10
These prices and times are the association's listing, not a booking, so call or check the hotel's own page for the day you go. Rates move, special events close baths, and some hotels shut the day bath for cleaning. Build in a margin of an hour and have a second choice ready.
Pick your bath
Which Noboribetsu bath matches your day
Start from the time you have and the money you want to spend.
If I want a cheap soak in town
The public bath
550 yen for an adult, open 9:00 to 21:00.2
If I like first light
The hotel with a 7:00 window
It opens 7:00 to 9:30, then 13:30 to 20:00.8
If I want a long afternoon
A big hotel bath
Takimotokan is open 9:00 to 21:00 for 2,500 yen.3
If I want a quieter bath
Karurusu ryokan bath
Suzuki Ryokan takes day visitors from 13:00 for 500 yen.11
If I have sensitive skin
A short soak and a rinse
The association advises rinsing after acidic springs.14
Three kinds of soak
Hotel, public bath or valley footbath
Town bath
Public bath
Local and plain
- Price for adults550 yen for adults
- Child price180 yen
- Hours9:00 to 21:00
Tour
Bus day with valley
Walk, not soak
- LengthA coach day of 10 hours
- GuideSpoken in English and Japanese
- Pricefrom $47
Public bath or hotel bath?
If you want the experience without the hotel price, the public bath Yumoto Sagiriyu is the obvious choice. It is open 9:00 to 21:00, with reception until 20:30, and charges 550 yen per adult and 180 yen per child.2 It is a local bath, plain and warm, rather than a resort with a view and a lounge.
Hotel baths give you the extras: a bigger space, several pools, more services and often a place to rest afterwards. You pay for it, between 1,200 and 2,500 yen for an adult at the four hotels listed above.9,8,10,3 A reasonable compromise is a hotel bath on the day you want to linger and the public bath on the day you are short on time.
Etiquette is the same everywhere. Wash thoroughly before you enter the water, keep towels out of the bath, tie long hair up and do not bring swimwear. If tattoos are a concern, ask the bath directly before paying, policies are set by each facility.
A bath-day clock
Which baths open when
7:00 onward
Early window at a hotel
One hotel opens 7:00 to 9:30, then again from 13:30.8
From 9:00
Large hotel and public bath
From 11:00
Mid-size hotel
Sekisuitei takes day visitors from 11:00 until 19:00.9
From 13:00
Afternoon baths
By 18:00
Last reception at the big hotel
Reception closes at 18:00; the bath closes at 21:00.3
Karurusu, the quieter onsen area
A short drive up the valley is Karurusu Onsen, a smaller hot-spring area where the crowds thin out. The association says it was designated in 1957 as the first national hot spring health resort in Hokkaido, and the 12th in Japan.4 The water at the source is between 48°C and 74°C.16
Day-use baths here are modest. Suzuki Ryokan takes day visitors from 13:00 to 20:00 for 500 yen per adult.11 The association gives Karurusu Onsen as about 14 km from JR Noboribetsu Station, against about 8 km for the main resort, so a car or taxi makes the most sense.17 Plan it as a second bath after a morning at the valley.
The area suits travelers who want a lower-key soak or a night in a small inn instead of a large hotel. It has a village feel and fewer shops, which is exactly the point. Bring cash, keep the schedule loose, and expect to be among a small crowd.
Video
Noboribetsu Onsen: a ryokan stay and the Hell Valley
Jennifer Ju on YouTube · The video only loads from YouTube after you press play.
For those with weak skin, avoid taking a long bath and rinse off with fresh water afterwards, as it may cause sores
Bath bag
Before you step into the water
Daypack contents4
- A small towel and a dark one for iron springs
- Yen in cash for the bath fee
- A water bottle for between soaks
- Take silver jewelry off before sulfur baths
What to check4
- The last reception time at your bath
- Whether the bath is open on your day
- Rinse after acidic springs if you have sensitive skin
- Ask about tattoo rules before you pay
Staying overnight in an onsen inn
Everything above works as a day trip, but a night changes the pace. The association's accommodation page lists onsen inns in three areas, the Noboribetsu Onsen area, the Karurusu Onsen area and the Noboribetsu area, from large hotels to small family-run ryokan.18 Staying means you can bathe early and late, when the crowds have gone.
A ryokan stay often includes dinner and breakfast, a futon room and access to the inn's own baths at any hour the doors are open. Ask when you book whether the room has its own bath, whether meals are included, and when the baths close for cleaning. Those answers shape the evening more than the view does.
If you stay, you can also walk the lit valley path after dark, which is free and open from sunset to 21:30.19 A night here turns a rushed day trip into a slow one, with quiet streets after the day-trippers leave.
Squeezing a soak into a tour day
A bus day and a bath do not always fit. The Sapporo, Noboribetsu and Lake Toya day tour lists a 10-hour day, and its named stops are Jigokudani, Cape Chikyu, the Silo Observation Deck, Mt. Usu-Shinzan, Showa-shinzan and Shikotsu-Toya National Park, with no bath among them. If a soak is on your wish list, ask the operator before booking, or plan a separate trip.
The independent way is train plus bus. The limited express from Sapporo takes about 1 hour 10 minutes to Noboribetsu Station, and the bus from the resort back to the station costs 350 yen.20,21 That leaves room for the valley walk and a bath in the same day, if you start early and check the last train.
Whichever you pick, give yourself time. Rushing through a bath defeats its purpose. If you can spare the night, sleep over and stay for the lit path; if you cannot, take the earlier train home and keep the bath for the last hours of daylight.
FAQ
Common questions, plain replies.
How many types of onsen water does Noboribetsu have?
Can I use a Noboribetsu onsen without staying the night?
What is the lowest-priced bath in the main resort?
The public bath.
Yumoto Sagiriyu charges adults 550 yen and children 180 yen, open 9:00 to 21:00.2
Does the sulfur spring have a smell?
Yes, like boiled eggs.
The association describes the sulfur springs as milky white with that smell.12
Why do white towels turn red in some baths?
Iron in the water.
The association says the iron springs oxidize, turn brown and turn white towels reddish.13
Is Karurusu Onsen worth a trip?
Sources
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · The Ten ONSEN of Noboribetsu ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · One-day trip ONSEN ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · One-day trip ONSEN ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · The Ten ONSEN of Noboribetsu ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · The Ten ONSEN of Noboribetsu ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · Getting to Know Noboribetsu ONSEN ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · Getting to Know Noboribetsu ONSEN ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · One-day trip ONSEN ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · One-day trip ONSEN ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · One-day trip ONSEN ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · One-day trip ONSEN ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · The Ten ONSEN of Noboribetsu ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · The Ten ONSEN of Noboribetsu ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · The Ten ONSEN of Noboribetsu ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · The Ten ONSEN of Noboribetsu ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · The Ten ONSEN of Noboribetsu ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · Directions ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · Accommodations ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · Onibi no Michi: Valley of Fantasy and Mystery ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · Directions ↩
- Noboribetsu International Tourism and Convention Association · Donan Bus (Noboribetsu Onsen Bus Terminal) ↩
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