Noboribetsu Onsen Day-Use Baths Compared: Prices, Hours, Saunas and Tattoos

Noboribetsu Onsen is the best-known hot spring town in Hokkaido, about two hours from Sapporo, and you do not have to stay the night to bathe in it. Four places in and above the town take day visitors, from a 600-yen mountain inn to the 35-bath bathhouse beside Hell Valley, and the two big hotels have serious saunas. Here is how the four compare on price, hours, saunas, tattoos and parking, with Lake Toya's lakeside bath as the add-on if you are driving on.

1The four day-use baths at a glance

Prices and hours are from the official sites as of October 2026; check before you go, as hotels change day-use hours in busy seasons.

2Which one should you choose?

If you only have time for one bath and want the Noboribetsu experience, go to Dai-ichi Takimotokan: the sheer number of baths and the view of the steaming valley are what people come to Noboribetsu for. If you are here for saunas, choose between the Grand Hotel's Oni Sauna, which hits about 110°C after the hourly löyly, and Manseikaku's gentler Finnish sauna with a milky 17 to 19°C cold plunge. If you want quiet and a cheap, pure hot spring with no crowds, drive up to Karurusu.

Tattoos: Takimotokan is often listed as tattoo-friendly and several travelers report bathing there, some with small tattoos covered by patches, and the hotel sells single-use bathing wear you may wear in the baths. Manseikaku's official site says guests with tattoos cannot bathe, even covered with stickers. The Grand Hotel and Orofure-so do not publish a policy, so ask at the front desk before you pay.

3Dai-ichi Takimotokan: 35 baths over Hell Valley

Takimotokan sits at the top of the town, right beside Hell Valley, and its bathhouse is one of the most impressive in Hokkaido: five kinds of spring water in 35 baths across the men's and women's sides, on two levels, with huge windows looking straight out over the steaming valley. The lower floor has a sauna, a cold plunge, outdoor baths, a lying-down bath and a walking bath. The building also has a restaurant, a lounge, a souvenir shop and a fountain where you can taste the water.

Day visitors pay 2,500 yen (children 1,500 yen) with towels included, can arrive any time from 9:00 to 18:00, and must leave by 21:00; note that day bathing is closed from April 5 to 15, 2027. They have their own car park and entrance: from the front of the hotel, drive a little way up toward Hell Valley and the day-bath car park is on the right, with the reception just inside the entrance at the back. The car park is small, and at weekends and in busy seasons you may be sent to the Hell Valley car park opposite (500 yen a day).

Dai-ichi Takimotokan Day Bath: 35 Baths Over Hell Valley in NoboribetsuA local's guide to the day bath at Dai-ichi Takimotokan in Noboribetsu Onsen: five kinds of spring water in 35 baths with a view of Hell Valley, price and hours, tattoos, and where day visitors park and go in.

4Noboribetsu Grand Hotel: the Oni Sauna

The Grand Hotel takes its saunas seriously. The Oni Sauna, designed with the sauna producer Dai Matsuo, lives up to its name: an automatic löyly at half past every hour takes it to about 110°C. The cold plunges are about 16°C, fed by mountain stream water; the big barrel plunge runs from April to November and is not for children 12 and under. Afterward you cool off in the garden outdoor bath among the trees, with a waterfall running.

One thing to check before you go: the hotel has two large baths that switch between men and women. The Oni Sauna is in Hozuki no Yu, which is for women on odd-numbered dates and men on even-numbered dates; the other bath has the 80°C Bear Sauna with self-service löyly. Day bathing is 2,000 yen, 7:00 to 10:00 (last entry 9:00) and 12:30 to 20:00 (last entry 19:00), from 14:30 on Mondays and Thursdays; there is no day bathing over New Year, and day visitors may be turned away when the baths are full. Parking is free for 100 cars.

Noboribetsu Grand Hotel Day Bath: The 110°C Oni SaunaA local's guide to the day bath at Noboribetsu Grand Hotel: the 110°C Oni Sauna with auto-löyly, three cold plunges, a garden outdoor bath with a waterfall, which days the sauna bath is men's or women's, price (2,000 yen), hours and parking.

5Noboribetsu Manseikaku: a milky cold plunge

Manseikaku's Finnish sauna was renovated in 2021 with self-löyly, so you pour the water on the stones yourself. What makes it different is the cold plunge: the hotel cools its own spring water to 17 to 19°C, so the plunge is milky white and smells faintly of the onsen, and there is a second plunge of clear local groundwater beside it. The changing room has four kinds of drinks, such as lemon water, at set hours. Day bathing is 1,300 yen (children 650 yen), the same in the morning and the afternoon, 7:00 to 9:30 (last entry 9:00) and 13:30 to 20:00 (last entry 18:00); a towel set is 400 yen. The free car park, for about 100 cars, is up a narrow slope to the right of the front entrance. The official site says guests with tattoos cannot bathe, even covered with stickers.

6Yumoto Orofure-so: Karurusu Onsen above the town

Karurusu Onsen is a small spa village in the mountains about 10 minutes by car above Noboribetsu Onsen (20 minutes from the expressway exit), named after Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic because the water was thought to be similar. Yumoto Orofure-so has been run by the same family since the first bathhouse opened in 1899. The water is 100% source-flowing, clear and light, and even the showers run on it; there are five indoor baths on the men's side and four on the women's at different temperatures, from 39 to 44°C, and an outdoor bath that switches between men and women at set times. There is no sauna. From the free rest room you see the trees and hear the river.

Day bathing is 600 yen, 12:00 to 20:00, and there is free parking for 26 cars. Bring your own towel; only hand towels are sold, for 150 yen. The inn does not say whether tattoos are allowed, so ask at reception.

Karurusu Onsen Day Bath at Yumoto Orofure-so, near NoboribetsuA local's guide to Yumoto Orofure-so in Karurusu Onsen, the quiet spa village above Noboribetsu: 100% source-flowing water, baths at three temperatures, a free rest room, price (600 yen), hours and parking.

7Driving on? Toya Kohantei at Lake Toya

Lake Toya is about an hour from Noboribetsu by car, and its hot spring town has a bath worth the detour: Toya Kohantei's bath is on the ninth floor, so you soak looking over the whole lake and Nakajima Island, with a small sauna and the lake in front of you as you cool off. Day visitors can use it from 13:00 to 19:00 (last entry 18:00) for 1,200 yen, with towels for 300 yen. The hotel does not publish a tattoo policy. If you are choosing between the two towns for a single day, I compare them here.

Toya Kohantei Day Bath: A Ninth-Floor Hot Spring Over Lake ToyaA local's guide to the day bath at Toya Kohantei in the Lake Toya hot spring town: the ninth-floor bath looking over the lake, the sauna, the water, price, hours and parking. Noboribetsu or Lake Toya: Which Day Trip from Sapporo Is Right for YouNoboribetsu or Lake Toya? A Sapporo local compares the two day trips by drive time, tolls, train access and highlights, and explains whether you can do both in one day.

8Getting to Noboribetsu Onsen: car, train or direct bus

Train fare from JR Hokkaido and bus fare from Donan Bus, October 2026. My day-trip guide covers the drive, where to park in the town and the route around Hell Valley, Oyunuma and the bear park.

Noboribetsu Day Trip from Sapporo by Car: Hell Valley, Onsen and Where to ParkA local's day trip from Sapporo to Noboribetsu by car: Hell Valley, Oyunuma, the bear park and a day bath at Takimotokan, with tolls, parking and winter driving tips.

9Onsen etiquette for first-timers

• Men and women bathe separately, with no swimsuits; Takimotokan sells bathing wear if you would rather cover up.
• Wash and rinse at the washing stations before you get into the bath.
• Keep your towel out of the water, and do not take photos in the bathing area.
• Ask about tattoos where the policy is not published; it is the rule that varies most.

For hot springs closer to Sapporo, including Jozankei and Lake Shikotsu, see my guide to onsen near Sapporo.

Onsen Near Sapporo: A Local's Guide to Day-Trip Hot SpringsThe best onsen near Sapporo for a day trip, chosen by a local who has bathed at all of them: Jozankei, Lake Shikotsu, Noboribetsu, Shakotan and Lake Toya, with prices, tattoo-friendly and private baths, and shuttle buses.

10FAQ about day-use baths in Noboribetsu Onsen

Q1. Can you visit Noboribetsu Onsen without staying overnight?

Yes. Dai-ichi Takimotokan, Noboribetsu Grand Hotel, Noboribetsu Manseikaku and Yumoto Orofure-so in Karurusu all take day visitors, for 600 to 2,500 yen.

Q2. Which is the best day-use onsen in Noboribetsu?

For the classic experience, Dai-ichi Takimotokan, with 35 baths beside Hell Valley. For saunas, the Grand Hotel's 110°C Oni Sauna or Manseikaku's Finnish sauna with a milky cold plunge.

Q3. Are there tattoo-friendly onsen in Noboribetsu?

Dai-ichi Takimotokan is often listed as tattoo-friendly and sells bathing wear you can use in the baths; ask at reception, as rules can change. Manseikaku refuses tattoos even with stickers, and the Grand Hotel and Orofure-so do not publish a policy.

Q4. How much does a day bath in Noboribetsu cost?

600 yen at Orofure-so in Karurusu, 1,300 yen at Manseikaku, 2,000 yen at the Grand Hotel and 2,500 yen (towels included) at Takimotokan.

Q5. Can I bathe in Noboribetsu in the morning?

Yes: the Grand Hotel opens to day visitors from 7:00 to 10:00 and Manseikaku from 7:00 to 9:30. Takimotokan's day-bath reception starts at 9:00.

Q6. How do you get from Sapporo to Noboribetsu Onsen?

By car it is about two hours on the expressway (toll 3,060 yen). The limited express train takes about 1 hour 15 minutes to Noboribetsu Station plus a bus, and Donan Bus runs a direct bus to the hot spring town in about 1 hour 50 minutes.