Yurara-no-yu Nara: Day-Use Hot Spring Baths & Prices

Yurara-no-yu Nara is a day-use hot spring in Hachijo, Nara city, easy to drop into between sightseeing. It uses natural spring water that wells up on the grounds, and its pride is one of the largest open-air baths in the Kansai region. Loved as a convenient and comfortable city spa, it offers something different from a remote mountain spring.

Highlights

The spacious open-air area holds several tubs and a sauna, so you can spend your time however you like. The naturally welling water wraps the body gently and is easy on you even during a long soak. There is also a stone sauna and a dining area, and many guests spend a leisurely half day here. Open from early morning until late at night, it is handy for a bath before sightseeing or for washing away tiredness after a day on foot.

Enjoying the Seasons

In spring and autumn the outside air feels pleasant and time in the open-air bath is especially comfortable. In summer the sauna and cold bath feel wonderful after working up a sweat, and in winter the steaming open-air bath warms you from the core. Whatever the season, it works year-round as a base for sightseeing in Nara.

Access and Basic Information

The spa is in Hachijo, Nara city, Nara. Access from the city center is good and it is easy to reach by car or public transport. Ample parking is provided. Admission for adults (junior high age and up) is around 850 yen on weekdays and in the 900s on weekends and holidays, with children (age four to elementary school) a little under 400 yen on weekdays. The stone sauna costs extra. Hours are long, roughly from 7 a.m. to midnight, and it is basically open every day, but maintenance closures and a final reception time mean checking the days hours in advance is reassuring. The water is a sodium and calcium chloride bicarbonate spring.

Practical Travel Notes

Since it opens at 7 a.m., it works well for a morning bath on the first day of a trip or a closing soak late at night. If you want to use the stone sauna you usually need special indoor wear, so ask at reception. The dining area lets you handle a post-bath meal in one place too. It is fairly close to major sights such as Nara Park and Todaiji temple, and pairs easily with getting around by rental car. As a budget guide, figure on a little under 1,000 yen per person for a bath alone, or about 2,000 yen with the stone sauna and a meal.

A Quick Tip

It is fairly close to sights such as Nara Park and Todaiji temple, making it perfect for a stop at the end of a day out. If you want to use the stone sauna you usually need special indoor wear, so ask at reception. On busy weekends it is wise to arrive with time to spare.