Winter Onsen
Winter Onsen With Kids: Snow-View Baths and Cozy Days Inside the Inn
Winter onsen towns from north to south, where an in-room bath, a reservable private bath and meals in your room mean you never have to go out
24 areas ยท 295 hotels (total listings across these areas)
Winter travel comes with worries about the cold and about everyone staying healthy, so rather than packing in sightseeing, this is the season when soaking in the hot spring and taking it easy in your room is usually the right answer. What keeps a winter onsen trip with kids from going wrong is choosing an area and an inn that has all three of these: a bath in the guest room, a private bath your family can reserve to itself, and meals served in your room (heya-shoku) or in a private dining room. If the whole day can happen inside the inn without going out, the snow and the cold become scenery to enjoy.
This collection lines up the areas where hot springs take center stage in winter, starting from the north. Snow country onsen towns where you can expect a yukimi-buro, a bath with a snow view; onsen towns chosen for winter food and warmth even though they get little snow; and onsen towns close to the big cities where the travel is light. Each has its own strength. On each area page you can narrow the list by conditions such as a bath in the guest room, a room with its own open-air bath, a reservable private bath, meals in your room, and inns where a child still in diapers may get into the bath.
The age and diaper rules for taking a baby or toddler into the large public bath differ from inn to inn. This site lists only the conditions we were able to confirm in official information, but please check the latest guidance before you book. Bookings for New Year onsen trips tend to concentrate on December 29 through January 1, so shifting to December 26 through 28, or January 2 through 4, makes it easier to get an inn with room dining or a private bath. We also have a collection of inns for the New Year holidays and a collection for finding quieter, lesser-known spots over the New Year, so if your dates are not fixed yet you can look at those too.
Features to look for in this collection
Hokkaido and Tohoku (the home of the snow-view bath)
Heavy snowfall, so you can expect snowy views from the open-air baths. Travel is easiest by train or with an inn shuttle.
Noboribetsu Onsen
Steam rising from Jigokudani (Hell Valley) against the snow. Many large ryokan with facilities set up for families
Jozankei Onsen
A snow-view onsen town close to Sapporo, with a short trip from the airport
Family-Friendly Hotels at Lake Toya Onsen
An onsen resort looking out over the lake and the snowy mountains
Hanamaki Onsen
A snowy onsen village. Some of the large hotels have pools and facilities for kids
Akiu Onsen
An onsen area close to Sendai Station. The short trip makes it reassuring even in winter
Family-Friendly Hotels in Lake Tazawa, Kakunodate & Nyuto Onsen (Hot Springs)
The secluded baths of Nyuto Onsen and Lake Tazawa. Deep snow country
Kanto and Koshinetsu (snow-view baths close to Tokyo)
Many of these onsen towns are reachable by shinkansen or limited express, so you can plan the trip without a car.
Kusatsu Onsen
Steam from the Yubatake hot water field, plus snow. The classic winter onsen town
Ikaho Onsen
The stone stairway street under snow. An easy drive from the Tokyo area
Kinugawa Onsen
Many large ryokan along the gorge, with inns where you can spend the whole day indoors
Hakone
Not much snow. Close to central Tokyo, good for a first onsen trip with a baby
Echigo-Yuzawa
Hot springs within walking distance of the shinkansen station, and snow. A snow-view bath and snow play in one trip
Unazuki Onsen
The gateway to the Kurobe Gorge. An onsen town looking out on the snowy valley
Chubu and Kansai (winter food and hot springs)
Easy to combine snow views with winter cooking, and well connected from the big cities.
Gero Onsen
One of Japan's three great hot springs. Large ryokan line the onsen town along the Hida River
Kaga Onsenkyo
Yamanaka, Yamashiro and Katayamazu. Winter seafood and hot springs
Kinosaki Onsen
Crab season and a tour of the sotoyu, the town's public bathhouses. A snowy onsen town with real atmosphere
Arima Onsen
A famous hot spring close to Kobe and Osaka. The short trip suits families with babies
Nanki-Shirahama
A mild winter. For families who do not do well with the cold
Kyushu (mild winter onsen towns)
Little snow, so you can move around without worrying about the cold. Many of these towns have abundant hot water.
Kurokawa Onsen
An onsen town in the mountains, with many private baths and detached guest cottages
Yufuin Onsen
An onsen area looking up at Mount Yufu, with many quiet inns
Beppu Onsen
The largest hot spring output in Japan. Close to the city center, with plenty of large hotels
Ureshino Onsen
Known as a bihada no yu, a hot spring good for the skin. Close to Fukuoka
Ibusuki
A mild onsen town known for its sand baths, where you are buried in naturally heated sand
Kirishima
A highland onsen area. Pair it with Kirishima Jingu Shrine
Tips for traveling with kids
- checkWith babies and toddlers, make a bath in the guest room or a reservable private bath your first condition. Even if the large public bath is off limits, you can still enjoy the hot spring
- checkIn winter, be careful about getting chilled after the bath. With meals in your room or in a private dining room, you can move straight from the bath to dinner with almost no walking
- checkIf you are after a snow-view bath, go to snow country onsen towns such as Noboribetsu, Jozankei, Kusatsu, Echigo-Yuzawa and Kinosaki. If your family does not like the cold, choose the mild areas in Kyushu or Nanki-Shirahama
- checkWhether a child who is not yet potty trained can bathe differs by inn. You can narrow the list to inns where we were able to confirm officially that children in diapers may get into the bath
- checkWinter weekends and the New Year holidays fill up early. Family room types are limited in number, so book well ahead
- checkOver the New Year holidays many inns set a minimum stay of two nights or more, and rates differ greatly from the normal season, so read the New Year plan details before you choose
Recommended hotels in this collection (48)
Selected automatically from the top-ranked hotels in each area.
Noboribetsu Onsen Dai-ichi Takimotokan
Noboribetsu Onsen Noboribetsu Manseikaku
Jozankei Hanamomiji
Jozankei Yuraku Souan
Toyako Manseikaku Hotel Lakeside Terrace
The Lakeview Toya Nonokaze Resort
Hotel Shidotaira
Musubino Yado Airinkan
Akiu Onsen Hotel New Mitoya
Sendai Akiu Onsen Geihinkan Sakura Rikyu
See all hotels in this collection (48)expand_more
- Noboribetsu Onsen Dai-ichi Takimotokan
- Noboribetsu Onsen Noboribetsu Manseikaku
- Jozankei Hanamomiji
- Jozankei Yuraku Souan
- Toyako Manseikaku Hotel Lakeside Terrace
- The Lakeview Toya Nonokaze Resort
- Hotel Shidotaira
- Musubino Yado Airinkan
- Akiu Onsen Hotel New Mitoya
- Sendai Akiu Onsen Geihinkan Sakura Rikyu
- Kyukamura Nyuto-Onsenkyo
- Wanowi Kakunodate
- Hotel Sakurai
- Kusatsu Onsen Kusatsu Now Resort Hotel
- Hotel Matsumotoro
- Hotel Kogure
- Kinugawa Onsen Hotel
- Nikko Kinugawa Hotel Mikazuki
- Grand Mercure Nasu Highlands Resort & Spa
- Hotel Epinard Nasu
- Hakone Hotel Kowakien
- Hotel Okada
- Atema Kogen Resort Belnatio
- Angel Grandia Echigo Nakazato
- HOTEL KUROBE
- Unazuki Onsen Enraku
- Gero Onsen Ogawaya
- Gero Onsen Fugaku
- Yamashiro Onsen Housyoutei
- Oedo Onsen Monogatari Awazu Grand Hotel
- Kinosaki Onsen Nishimuraya Hotel Shogetsutei
- Kinosaki Onsen Yanagiso
- Kobe Arima Onsen Motoyu Ryusenkaku
- Arima Onsen Arima Grand Hotel
- Shirahama Coganoi Resort & Spa
- Shirahama Yanagiya
- Kurokawa Onsen Yumerindo Hanadomari
- Kurokawa Onsen Kurokawaso
- Yawaraginosato Yadoya
- Yufuin Sansuikan
- Beppu Daiichi Hotel
- Suginoi Hotel
- Ureshino Onsen Hatsunesou
- Ureshino Onsen Wataya Besso
- Kyukamura Ibusuki
- Ibusuki Hakusuikan
- Kirishima Kokusai Hotel
- The Pulse Kirishima
Frequently Asked Questions
Can we take a baby into the hot spring?
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The rules differ from inn to inn. At an inn with a bath in the guest room or a reservable private bath, your family can bathe on its own, so the age limits of the large public bath do not come into it. For the large public bath with a child who is not yet out of diapers, you can filter for the inns where we were able to confirm officially that children in diapers may get into the bath, but please check the latest guidance before you book.
Which areas can we expect a snow-view bath in?
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Hokkaido areas such as Noboribetsu, Jozankei and Lake Toya, Tohoku areas such as Hanamaki, Akiu and Nyuto Onsen, Kanto and Koshinetsu areas such as Kusatsu, Ikaho, Echigo-Yuzawa and Unazuki, and Gero and Kinosaki in Chubu and Kansai are where a snow-view bath is most likely. Snowfall varies from year to year, so treat this as a rough guide.
Are there onsen areas for families who do not do well with the cold?
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Hakone and Arima Onsen are close to the big cities and get little snow, and Nanki-Shirahama along with Kyushu areas such as Beppu, Ibusuki and Ureshino stay mild through the winter. The travel is light, which also suits a first onsen trip with an infant.
What is worth packing for a winter onsen trip?
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A thick bathrobe or a sleeper for after the bath, moisturizer, and a humidifier for the dry air in the room (many inns lend them out) will all help. In snow country, do not forget shoes with good grip and warm outerwear and gloves for the children.
What should we watch out for when staying at an onsen with kids over the New Year holidays?
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Rates go up over the New Year holidays, and the family room types sell out first. Meals in your room and private baths are usually reserved in time slots, so telling the inn what you would like when you book keeps things smooth. If your dates overlap with the holiday travel rush, allow extra time for the journey.