
Itinerary
Read it in the order we travelled.




JAPAN'S FINEST ONSEN & SAUNA
The Finest Onsen & Sauna in Japan
57 SELECTIONS
Most of what we surveyed never even made it onto this site. This book is a further cut from what did. Our editor bathed in every onsen and sauna in it, and wrote only what they confirmed on the ground.

Jan 9–11, 2026 / 2 nights, 3 days
Unable to suppress the urge to visit Kobe Sauna, I jumped in the car. After arriving, I did 4 sets of sauna and cold plunge bath sessions, going all-in late at night and again early in the morning. From there, I visited Rumor Plaza, widely regarded as Kyoto's No. 1 sauna. I then made my way to Nobeha no Yu Tsuruhashi and SPAWORLD HOTEL & RESORT in Osaka. The ultimate Kansai sauna trip of 2026 had begun.
Every stop on this itinerary was personally visited by our editors.
Read it in the order we travelled.



