Editors' Selection — Nagano
Photo: Hoshino Onsen Tombo no Yu
If you want to soak in a truly great onsen in Nagano and don't want to waste that one chance during your stay in Japan, this page is for you. Our editorial team, which researches onsen and saunas across Japan and visits them in person, has selected just 12 facilities from Nagano Prefecture, ranging from quiet inns tucked away in the mountains to onsen facilities you can easily drop into in town. Whichever you choose, it won't fall short of your expectations. All that's left for you to do is decide where to go.
Nagano Yamanouchi Town
A Rooftop Private Bath with Three Unblended Sources
A large public bath where you can enjoy three blended spring sources carefully managed by the yumo to as 100% free-flowing natural hot spring water with no dilution or circulation. The indoor bath is equipped with a jacuzzi, easing full-body fatigue with its gentle water feel and massaging effect. In the adjacent open-air bath, you can slowly soak in a slightly alkaline beauty bath while taking in Shinshu's crisp air and natural atmosphere.
A rooftop private open-air bath at the inn, available by advance reservation only. Its excellent location lets you take in panoramic views of the atmospheric streets of the Yudanaka Onsen area and the surrounding mountains of Shinshu. You can exclusively enjoy the bubbling blended spring water as 100% free-flowing natural hot spring water while gazing at the full moon or a sky full of stars. Spend private moments with family or someone special, undisturbed by anyone else.
A private open-air bath available in some special rooms. Even while staying in your room, you can enjoy high-quality natural hot spring water flowing directly from the source as often as you like, whenever you like. From the bath, you have the scenery of the changing mountains of Shinshu and views of the Yokotegawa River all to yourself, allowing you to forget the bustle of everyday life and fully enjoy a deeply relaxing stay.
Editors' comment
The onsen keeper blends three separate sources and pours them straight into the tub, without adding water, heating, or circulating. The indoor bath in the large bathing area includes a jacuzzi, while the adjoining outdoor bath lets guests soak in the mildly alkaline water while feeling the crisp Shinshu air. On the rooftop, a reservation-only private open-air bath offers a sweeping view of the Yudanaka Onsen town and the mountains surrounding it. Bathing under the moon and stars, with the source flowing continuously for the family alone, is what defines this inn. Some special rooms have their own source-fed open-air baths, with views of the Yoenase River and mountains, letting guests soak as many times as they like, any time of day.
Availability and rates are shown on each booking site.
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Nagano Iida City
An Onsen Overlooking the City and the Southern Alps from Iida Castle Hill
A panoramic large bath with views of Iida City below and the grand mountain range of the Southern Alps in the distance. It includes an open-air bath that feels as if you are floating in the sky, allowing you to experience the clear air and rich nature of southern Shinshu with your whole body. The smooth, alkaline natural hot spring praised as the "cosmetic water bath" gently envelops the skin.
A semi-open-air private family bath where you can fully enjoy a famous spring in a private space away from the noise around you. Whether with someone special or alone in quiet solitude, you can savor the smooth, skin-beautifying hot spring to your heart's content. It offers a special bath experience that lets you enjoy pure luxury at your own pace and brings deep relaxation to both body and mind.
Editors' comment
Built on a small hill that once held Iida Castle, the large bath and the open-air bath extending out from it look down over the city of Iida, with the Southern Alps rising beyond. The very land the castle chose for its view is now the view from the bath. The water is a natural alkaline onsen known as the "lotion bath" for its silky, smooth texture. For those who prefer more privacy, a semi-open-air private bath is available. A mineral-infused mist sauna is also on offer.
Availability and rates are shown on each booking site.
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Nagano Yamanouchi Town
A Chloride Onsen's Warmth Across Two Large Baths with River and Mountain Views
An open and spacious large public bath with a panoramic view of the Yomase River flowing below and the mountain ranges of Shinshu stretching into the distance. As you sink into the generous bath, the mellow chloride-rich natural hot spring gently caresses your skin. By moving from reclining baths to massage baths and other varied tubs, you can be deeply soothed by the breath of nature and the warmth of the water.
Another large public bath, with the mountains of Shiga changing with the seasons as its canvas. It features a fantastical open-air bath that changes through seven colors over time, along with playful baths such as a cascade bath that delivers a pleasantly stimulating flow. With the grand scenery as borrowed backdrop, you can savor the ever-changing colors of the sky and the blessings of the hot spring to your heart's content.
A private reservable open-air bath set in a Shigaraki-ware tub. Without worrying about anyone's eyes, you can have exclusive access to the grand panoramic scenery and the sound of the wind crossing the river. Whether conversing with someone special or surrendering yourself to silence alone, you can enjoy a special bath just for you.
A special guest room with a private open-air bath on the terrace. While feeling the rich nature of Yudanaka and the clear murmur of the river up close, you can enjoy the famous hot spring as often as you like, whether in the morning light or on a star-filled night. It promises the extraordinary luxury of simply facing nature and being embraced by the hot spring.
Editors' comment
There are two large communal baths. One offers an open view of the Yoenase River below and the mountains of Shinshu in the distance, with reclining baths and massage tubs to move between. The other has an open-air bath that shifts through seven colors over time, set against the Shiga mountain range, along with a cascading waterfall bath. The water is a chloride-type onsen that wraps the skin gently and keeps the body warm long after bathing. There is also a private open-air bath with a Shigaraki-ware tub, and special guest rooms with their own balcony open-air baths, letting guests soak morning or night while listening to the river. A sauna is also available.
Availability and rates are shown on each booking site.
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Nagano Karuizawa Town
Karuizawa's Onsen Bath, Filled with Water Carried from Kitakaruizawa
The bath is filled generously with high-quality natural hot spring water brought from the famed Okusawa Onsen Kakureno-Yu in Kita-Karuizawa. This sodium bicarbonate and sulfate spring is known for its meltingly soft feel on the skin. When you sink in up to your shoulders, a gentle warmth seeps through every corner of your body, and accumulated fatigue begins to melt away. Enjoy a blissful bath time that lets you experience the blessings of this famed hot spring with your whole body while feeling Karuizawa's clear air.
Editors' comment
The bath is not filled with water drawn from this property. Natural onsen water is transported here from Ōkuwa Onsen Kakure no Yu in Kitakaruizawa and poured generously into the large bath reserved for overnight guests. The water is a sodium bicarbonate-sulfate spring, known for its melting, silky touch that spreads warmth gently through the body once submerged to the shoulders. Staying in Karuizawa while soaking in an onsen sourced from another location is what clearly sets this apart from inns with their own springs. Dry and steam saunas are also available, and after a cold plunge, guests can relax in Adirondack chairs on a green terrace.
Availability and rates are shown on each booking site.
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Nagano Tateshina Town
A Door Inside the Tub Leads Straight to Lake Shirakaba's Open-Air Bath
Tarugasawa Onsen is a sulfate spring whose main components are calcium and sodium. The water feels soft, and it is a highly warming hot spring that gently heats you from the core. It is expected to help with chronic muscle and joint pain, sensitivity to cold, and recovery from fatigue.
Editors' comment
The indoor bath, lined with Kiso hinoki wood, has a surprisingly spacious tub with a door leading directly to the outdoor bath, so guests can step outside while still submerged, without ever standing up. The outdoor bath faces Lake Shirakaba at an elevation of 1,400 meters. On clear days, the lake's surface sparkles as the mountain ridgeline melts into the sky. The water comes from Tarugasawa Onsen, a calcium-sodium sulfate spring known for its soft touch and excellent heat retention, leaving the body warm at its core long after bathing. In the post-bath lounge, guests can drink natural water from Mt. Tateshina. A sauna is also available.
Availability and rates are shown on each booking site.
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Nagano Karuizawa Town
A Karuizawa Onsen Filled Daily with Unblended Spring Water
This natural hot spring with water flowing directly from the source has been loved by many cultural figures since the Taisho era. The baths are filled every day with fresh water, with no circulation or added water at all, and overflow with a skin-beautifying spring known for removing dead skin cells and leaving the skin supple and moisturized. In the indoor bath with its high ceiling, made generously with hinoki cypress and natural stone, and in the open-air bath lined with large granite stones, you can enjoy a blissful bathing experience that makes you feel united with the surrounding forest and the changing seasons.
Editors' comment
Used since the Taisho era by cultural figures, this natural source is drawn without any circulation or added water. The bath is refilled daily with fresh spring water, and any overflow simply flows away. The mineral-rich water gently exfoliates and softens the skin, and it can even be drunk. The indoor bath features a tall ceiling of hinoki wood and natural stone, while the outdoor bath is lined with large granite boulders. Both are surrounded by trees, so the view from the tub changes with the seasons. Among the onsen in Karuizawa open for day visits, this one stands out for how clearly it treats its natural source. A sauna is also available.
Nagano Komoro City
A Mountain Railway Ride to a Koyamaki Bath Open to the Sky
This spectacular open-air bath above the clouds appears after climbing a steep slope on a private mountain train. The infinity open-air bath made with Japanese umbrella pine offers an unobstructed panoramic view, creating a mystical bathing experience that feels as if you are floating in the sky. Soak in this historic famous spring and enjoy a luxurious moment with the beauty of the sky and forest all to yourself.
A private semi-open-air bath located in a maisonette-style guest room. A dedicated pottery bath is provided on the lower floor of the spacious room, allowing guests to enjoy a special private soak without worrying about anyone else. The changing area is also equipped with a dedicated massage chair, so you can continue enjoying an exceptional moment of relaxation even after bathing.
Editors' comment
From the main building, a private mountain railway climbs a steep slope to an open-air bath with a panoramic view. Few inns require a ride just to reach their onsen. The infinity-edge outdoor bath, built of Koyamaki wood, blurs the boundary between the water's surface and the view, opening onto the forest and sky at the foot of Mt. Asama, unobstructed. A cold plunge bath and a sauna are also available. Some rooms are maisonettes with a private ceramic bathtub in a semi-open-air setting on the lower floor, plus a massage chair in the changing area. Guests can experience the same onsen both amid a sweeping landscape and in their own private space.
Availability and rates are shown on each booking site.
This page contains affiliate links. Booking through them costs you nothing extra.
Chosen by our editors from facilities that have granted us publication permission. We do not rank them.
Every place visited in person, chosen after soaking in it myself.
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