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.
The seven onsens are littered throughout town, the nearest to Kinosaki Onsen station is Sato-no-yu, a 1 minute walk away, while the furthest is Kou-no-yu, a 14 minute walk away. Most of the onsens are located along the nostalgic main streets of the town, so getting between each of them also allows you to browse the shops along the way.
That being said, not all the onsens are the same, as some offer larger bathing areas, some only offer indoor bathing areas, some have a single bath, and one is even located within a cave. We’ve recommended four of the seven onsens that we think are worth a visit, and we’ve also noted down the differentiating characteristics for each.
