Recommended Length: 2 Days
Rent a car and take a road trip around the Nikko area's less-visited hot spring areas. Lose yourself in the tranquil country and quaint onsen baths.
The Less-Traveled Onsen Road
Day 1
Nikko Station / Tobu-Nikko Station
By car
70-minute drive
Daytrip Onsen
Kawamata Onsen
After passing the spectacular Setoaikyo Canyon and the south edge of Lake Kawamata, you will arrive at Kawamata Onsen. In addition to steam rising from the hot water, you’ll see a dramatic geyser or two alongside the river. The hotels and ryokans of this hot spring resort are dotted along the valley and lakeside, and have relaxing open-air baths from which you can enjoy the dramatic lake and mountain scenery.
HOT SPRING
By car
7 minutes on buses bound for Meotobuchi from Senshintei-Mae bus stop to the last stop. Then walk 90 minutes to the Okukinu Onsen area or take a courtesy bus operated by your accommodation.
Accommodation
Okukinu Onsen
Okuniku Onsen is one of the hardest hot spring resorts to visit in the area. Cars are forbidden here, so it’s only accessible by ryokan shuttle bus or a 90-minute walk on a mountain road. Those travelers who take the time to visit are rewarded with abundant hot springs, unspoiled nature and complete seclusion—and in winter, the great pleasure of yukimiburo (bathing while taking in a snowy scene). There are four springs at Okuniku Onsen, each of which has different properties: Kaniyu, Hatchonoyu, Teshirozawa and Nikkozawa.
HOT SPRING
End of Day 1
Day 2
Okukinu Onsen
By car
75-minute drive
Daytrip Onsen
Yunishigawa Onsen
Following their defeat in the Genpei War (1180-1185), fleeing Heike (or Taira) warriors stopped here when they discovered an abundant hot spring on the riverbank. The mineral-rich waters helped to heal the warriors’ injuries, and they decided to settle by the spring, establishing Yunishigawa Onsen. Today, along with the resort’s soothing springs and magnificent nature, visitors can enjoy irori ryori (hearth cuisine) in which dishes are cooked over a traditional Japanese sunken hearth.
HOT SPRING
By car
30-minute drive
Daytrip Onsen
Kawaji Onsen
About 11 kilometers upstream from Kinugawa Onsen is Kawaji Onsen, first discovered in the Edo period and said to help wounds heal. The resort lies where the Kinugawa and Ojikagawa rivers meet, and has about 7 hotels and ryokan. Because of the quiet, mountainous location, visitors at Kawaji Onsen can immerse themselves in the open-air baths on the river bank, taking in the rustic beauty of the area in each season.
HOT SPRING
By car
40-minute drive