Shinhotaka Onsen: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

Set at the very back of the Okuhida hot spring villages, Shinhotaka Onsen sees waters well up along the Kamata River with the peaks of the Northern Alps looming close. It is made up of the Shinhotaka, Kamata, and Nakao districts, each notable for its own distinct source. Here you can savor rustic mountain-valley waters and striking alpine views all at once.

Highlights

Many rustic open-air baths let you soak to the murmur of the river. Riding the Shinhotaka Ropeway, you can survey the Hotaka range from an observation deck at about 2,000 meters. The double-decker gondola is rare in Japan and a talking point in itself.

Enjoying the Seasons

Summer is a base for climbing and trekking, autumn glows with golden foliage, and winter draws visitors with snow-capped open-air baths and a kamakura snow-hut festival. Because of the high elevation, it stays cool even at the height of summer.

Access and Basic Information

From Takayama Station it is about two hours by Nohi Bus, changing at Hirayu. By car you take the national road from the Takayama Interchange. As it lies at the very back of Okuhida, allowing plenty of time is recommended. In winter, driving prepared for snow and ice is necessary.

Practical Travel Notes

The Shinhotaka Ropeway's Nishihotakaguchi observation deck stands at 2,156 meters, and if the weather is kind a grand panorama of the Hotaka range spreads out. The view depends greatly on the weather, so a clear morning is the best time. Ropeway hours and fares change with the season, so it is reassuring to confirm the official information beforehand. The spring area has shared open-air baths and inns that accept day bathers, with prices from several hundred to around a thousand yen as a guide. The Nakao Kogen area has walking trails and waterfalls, so pairing a walk with bath hopping is recommended.

A Quick Tip

The ropeway view changes greatly with the weather, so a clear morning is the best time to ride. The bus takes time including the transfer, so check the timetable when planning.

Practical Information for Your Visit

The information below is built around the two facilities at the heart of day-use bathing here.

Nakazaki Sanso Okuhida no Yu

• How the water is used and spring quality: A bathhouse with two different types of spring water. The water is served at 100 percent from the source
• Opening hours: 9:00 to 18:00 (reception closes 1 hour before closing time)
• Closing days: Irregular. If you are coming from far away, call to check that it is open before you set off
• Bathing fee: 1,000 yen for adults and 500 yen for children
• Open-air bath: Available
• Parking: 11 spaces for ordinary cars. With so few spaces there can be a wait at busy times
• Access: About 90 minutes from the Takayama Nohi Bus Center on a bus bound for Shinhotaka Onsen, getting off at "Shinhotaka Onsen," then a 2-minute walk. By car it is about 70 minutes from the Takayama IC
• Address: 710 Kansaka, Okuhida Onsen-go, Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture 506-1421 (tel 0578-89-2021)

Shinhotaka no Yu (the open-air bath on the riverbed)

• Season and hours: In 2026 it runs from April 18 to October 30, 8:00 to 18:00. It is open every day during the season but closes temporarily when the river is high
• Fee: A cleaning contribution of around 300 yen
• What to wear: Since July 2025 a swimsuit or bath towel must be worn. Visitors who do not comply will be refused entry
• Parking: 10 spaces for ordinary cars
• Access: About 87 minutes from the Takayama Nohi Bus Center on a bus bound for Shinhotaka Onsen, getting off at "Nakao Kogen-guchi," right by the bath. By car it is about 70 minutes from the Takayama IC on the Chubu-Jukan Expressway, or about 85 minutes from the Matsumoto IC
• Footing: You climb down to the riverbed, and the open setting is visible even from the bridge above. Wear comfortable walking shoes
• Note: When the river runs high, river water can flow in and lower the temperature, leaving the bath lukewarm

Common to both

• How long to allow: About 1 hour for a bath alone. Half a day to a full day if you combine it with the Shinhotaka Ropeway
• To avoid the crowds: The day-use baths get busy in the late afternoon when people come down from the ropeway. Mornings are more comfortable
• What to bring: A swimsuit or bath towel if you plan to bathe at Shinhotaka no Yu. It is reassuring to have cash on hand for the public baths and small facilities in these mountain valleys
• Winter road conditions: In Okuhida, snow cover and icy roads are a matter of course. Winter tires and chains are essential, and Shinhotaka no Yu is outside its operating season in winter

📚 Sources

The opening hours, closing days, bathing fee, number of parking spaces, bus stop name and address of Nakazaki Sanso Okuhida no Yu were confirmed in the spot information on Takayama City's official tourism site "Hida Takayama Travel Guide" and Gifu Prefecture's official tourism site "Gifu Travel Guide," and on the facility page of the Shinhotaka Onsen Tourism Association (the statement that the water is served at 100 percent from the source follows the association's description). The season, hours, cleaning contribution, obligation to wear a swimsuit or bath towel, number of parking spaces and access for Shinhotaka no Yu come from the spot information on Gifu Prefecture's official tourism site, and the account of its closure and reopening in 2026 comes from news updates by the Shinhotaka Onsen Tourism Association. Operating conditions can change suddenly with the weather or when the river rises, so please check the official information before you set out.