Main canal lined with willow trees in Kinosaki Onsen, Hyogo Prefecture

Kansai's Best Hidden Onsen Town with an Otherworldly Atmosphere

Essential Kinosaki Onsen Itinerary

Kinosaki Onsen (城崎温泉) is arguably the best onsen (温泉, Hot Spring) town to visit in the Kansai (関西, Kansai) region. The town boasts a stunning other-worldly feel with its willow trees and canal. There are also many shops in town from crafts to desserts that make your journey in-between onsens an enjoyable one. Not to mention that you can visit seven onsens for a single price using the local Yume-pa (ゆめぱ) onsen pass.

While it’s located somewhat far from the usual tourist hotspots on the northern side of Hyogo Prefecture (兵庫県, Hyōgo-ken), there are direct Limited Express connections from Kyoto (京都, Kyōto), Osaka (大阪, Ōsaka), and Himeji (姫路) that make visiting it easy.

Ultimate One Day Kinosaki Onsen Itinerary

Uncover the Charms of Kansai's Best Onsen with a WIllow-Lined Canal

Nature

Culture

Gourmet

Volume

This half-day itinerary starts off in the afternoon after your train arrives in Kinosaki Onsen Station. We recommend checking-in to your accommodation and changing into your yukatas (浴衣) as early as you can, in order to best experience the town. We’ll kick off with going through some of the major cafes in town near the station, strolling through the town, having some nice local seafood for dinner (depending on your accommodation, it might also include dinner at the accommodation), and then a breakdown of which are the best onsens (温泉, Hot Spring) to check out in town. This itinerary encapsulates the best of what there is to do around Kinosaki Onsen, all within half a day.

Itinerary Details

Starting Time

Start off at Kinosaki Onsen Station

Recommended Time:

16:00

城崎温泉駅

Kinosaki Onsen Station

Head over to Book Cafe Un

Est.

16:00

2 mins

130m

Kinosaki Onsen Station

Book Cafe Un

Est.

16:00

30 mins

Closed on Thu

Book Cafe Un (短編喫茶Un)

Chill out in this book-themed cafe

Book Cafe Un is a beautiful mixed-concept store that fuses together a book store with a cafe, along with a selection of local goods and crafts.

Head next doors to Kinosaki Ashiyu Cafe

Est.

16:30

1 min

100m

Book Cafe Un

Kinosaki Ashi-yu Cafe

Est.

16:45

30 mins

Kinosaki Ashi-yu Cafe (城崎足湯カフェ)

Dip your legs into a warm bath and nibble on caneles

Kinosaki Ashiyu Cafe is a modern cafe that boasts its own in-house ashi-yu (足湯, Foot bath) that you can rest your legs in as you dig into one of the lovely desserts in the cafe. The cafe specializes in three things: Coffee, Canele, and Imo (芋, Sweet Potato). The interior is a modern Japanese minimalist aesthetic, with calming colors and natural wood finishes, and they also offer a variety of local craft beers from Kinosaki.

Est.

17:15

1 hour

Kinosaki Onsen Town Center (城崎温泉街中)

Stroll the town

One of the best parts of Kinosaki Onsen is the atmosphere of the town itself. Wearing a yukata (浴衣) and strolling down the willow tree-lined Otani River with its stone bridges and dimly lit stone lanterns can be an enchanting experience like nowhere else. Walking further away from the station, you will also fine an old-school retro shopping street with souvenir shops, retro arcade games, and retro carnival games as well.

Buri rice bowl at Ichigyo Ichie in Kinosaki Onsen, Hyogo Prefecture

Est.

18:15

1 hour

Closed on Wed

Ichigyo Ichie (一魚一恵)

Dig into a seafood parfait

Ichigyo Ichie is a simple seafood specialty restaurant in Kinosaki. They serve fresh seafood from the surrounding Tajima (但馬国, Tajima-no-kun) area, along the coast of the Sea of Japan (日本海, Nihon-kai), as well as Tajima Beef, one of the branded wagyu (和牛, Wagyū, Japanese cattle) meats. The shop is a great place to get fresh seafood at reasonable prices, and offer a variety of dishes including raw seafood, cooked seafood, and beef, served as a don (丼) or as a teishoku (定食, Set Meal).

Exterior of Sato-no-yu in Kinosaki Onsen, Hyogo Prefecture

Est.

19:15

2 hours

Kinosaki Onsen Pilgrimage (城崎温泉巡り)

Go on an onsen meguri

Of course, the main reason why most people come to Kinosaki Onsen is for the onsen meguri (温泉巡り, hot spring pilgrimage), which involves going around trying out all the different onsens (温泉, Hot Spring) in Kinosaki Onsen. The best way to visit all the onsens in with the Yume-pa (ゆめぱ, lit. Dream Pass) that lets you visit the seven major onsens in town for as many times as you would like. If you’re staying over at a ryokan (旅館, Japanese inn), the Yume-pa is usually included, otherwise you can purchase one from any of the onsens for ¥1,300.

People in yukata walking along Yu-no-Sato Dori in Kinosaki Onsen, Hyogo Prefecture

Credit: 城崎温泉無料写真集

Est.

21:15

1 hour

Yu-no-Sato Dori (湯の里通り)

Stroll down town to cool off

The Yu-no-Sato-Dori is one of the local favorite to stroll down in a kimono. While the atmosphere of the area might not be able to beat the Otani River’s willow trees, the retro entertainment and souvenir shops in the area make up for it. It’s a great place to stroll in-between baths, and maybe have a go at one or two retro arcade games for old times sake.

End off at your ryokan for the night

Est.

22:15

Due to changing circumstances, readers are advised to do their own additional research. All information on this site is purely for reference only.

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