Gero Has Many Charming Day Trip Hot Springs!

Gero Onsen is one of Japan's leading hot spring resorts, located along the Hida River in Gero City, Gifu Prefecture. The spring quality is an alkaline simple hot spring (pH 8.9-9.1), characterized by clear, mild water. It has been cherished for a long time as a "hot spring for beautiful skin" due to its smooth texture. Access is also good, taking about 1 hour and 40 minutes by limited express from Nagoya, or about 60 minutes by car from Nakatsugawa IC on the Chuo Expressway. Day trip hot springs in the Gero area offer a diverse lineup, from grand baths at long-established ryokan to public baths managed by the city and open-air bath facilities amidst nature. There are facilities where you can easily soak at a reasonable price, as well as facilities where you can enjoy luxurious indulgence, making Gero attractive for its variety of choices to suit your travel style. Furthermore, the Gero City Osakacho area also has facilities with rare natural carbonated springs, offering abundant attractive options for hot spring enthusiasts. Combining it with sightseeing and food tours, you can fully enjoy Gero Onsen even on a day trip.

9 Recommended Day Trip Hot Springs in Gero

Gero Onsen Ogawaya

Ogawaya, a long-established ryokan located in Yunoshima, the heart of Gero Onsen, is popular as a facility where visitors can enjoy a luxurious bath unique to a ryokan even on a day trip. The biggest highlight is the 100-tatami-mat grand bath "Yakushi no Yu," which is a hot topic in the Gero area. Its unique style, where the bathtub spreads out on a tatami floor, surprises visitors while enveloping them in gentle warmth. From the open-air bath, you can also enjoy the beautiful view of the Hida River. What's more noteworthy about Ogawaya's day-trip use is that the largest number of 9 types of private baths in the Gero area are also available for day trips. Each bath, such as Kasumi, Yamabuki, Sumire, and Rikyu, has a different ambiance, making it ideal for a private bath with loved ones. There are also a footbath, a relaxation salon, and a dining area where you can enjoy Hida beef skewers, making for a fulfilling Gero Onsen experience even on a day trip. Day-trip parking is for ryokan guests only, so please use paid parking in the city.

Oedo Onsen Monogatari Premium Gero Shinkan

Oedo Onsen Monogatari Premium Gero Shinkan (TAOYA Gero), situated on a hill overlooking the mountains of Southern Hida and the Gero Onsen town, is a ryokan popular for its stone open-air baths. The sense of openness, bathing while gazing at the Hida mountains spread before you, is exceptional, and the indoor bath also boasts a relaxed and calm atmosphere. Day-trip bathing does not require a reservation, making it easy to drop in. The prices are also reasonable, with adults able to use the facility from 1,000 yen on weekdays, which is a welcome point. A day-trip dinner buffet plan is also available with advance reservation, allowing you to enjoy both Hida ingredients and the hot spring. It's about a 5-minute taxi ride from JR Gero Station. Free parking (over 120 spaces) is also available, so you can visit with peace of mind when driving. It's also a facility that families with children can easily enjoy.

Gero Onsen Yamagataya

Yamagataya, a long-established ryokan founded in 1804 during the Edo period, is located in the center of Gero Onsen town. The open-air bath, where you can hear the murmuring of the Hida River, offers exceptional ambiance, and the grand bath, where you can enjoy seasonal scenery while bathing, provides a wonderful sense of openness. Even for day trips, you can use a meal-inclusive plan that combines lunch (with Hida beef) and a hot spring bath (advance reservation required), which is especially recommended for those who want to fully experience Gero. Seven private open-air baths along the Hida River are also available for day-trip use (limited to lunch plan combinations), featuring different styles such as ceramic, stone, and wooden baths. A natural hot spring "hand bath" is also available next to the entrance, where you can stop before and after bathing. This is a day-trip spot where you can easily experience the atmosphere of a representative long-established ryokan in Gero Onsen.

Kua Garden Open-Air Bath

Located within walking distance from Gero Onsen town, "Kua Garden Open-Air Bath" is a full-fledged multi-purpose open-air bath health resort representing Gero. Its greatest appeal lies in its diverse range of unique baths, including rock-built open-air baths, cascading baths, three-temperature baths (appropriately warm, lukewarm, and cold spring), rare box saunas (where you enter a box with only your face exposed), and bubble baths. You can enjoy a rustic bathing experience with the murmuring of the Hida River as background music. It opens at 8 AM, making it perfect for morning activities during your Gero sightseeing. The bathing fee is a reasonable 800 yen for adults, and you can enjoy it even more affordably with a combined ticket for its sister facility, Shirasagi no Yu, and the Gero Hot Spring Museum. Parking is free for 2 hours (then charged). Please note that amenities like shampoo and soap are not provided in the changing rooms, and towels are available for purchase, so it's recommended to bring your own or buy them at the reception.

Shirasagi no Yu

Shirasagi no Yu, a long-established public bath founded in 1926, is located along "Yu no Machi Dori" in the center of Gero Onsen town. This facility, with its striking Romanesque-style exterior, is a famous spot in Gero loved by both locals and tourists. The indoor bath is a spacious cypress-wood bath that can comfortably accommodate 10 people, and its tatami floor makes it slip-resistant and safe to use. You can fully enjoy the ambiance of a traditional public bath in a charming space that evokes the Taisho Romance era. The bathing fee is a low 470 yen for adults, making it easy to drop in. In front of the facility, the "Venus Foot Bath" is available for free, perfect for resting your feet during a sightseeing stroll. Amenities such as towels and shampoo are available for purchase, as they are not provided, so it's recommended to bring your own or buy them at the reception. This is a must-visit spot to add to your hot spring hopping in Gero Onsen town.

Hida River Onsen Shimizunoyu

Hida River Onsen Shimizunoyu, located in Hagiwara-cho, Gero City, is a hot spring facility about a 10-minute drive from JR Hida-Hagiwara Station. In addition to natural hot spring open-air baths, indoor baths, medicinal baths, and saunas, it's a unique facility where you can enjoy a "100% hot spring pool," the only one of its kind in the Hida region. Water walking and aquatic exercise classes are also available, promoting health for all generations from children to seniors. The quiet environment surrounded by the nature of Southern Hida is charming, and after bathing, you can enjoy meals at the dining corner offering local ingredients. Affordable menus such as Nattoku Pork Curry and Fried Chicken Set Meal are available. An evening discount of 700 yen for adults is also available after 7 PM. The large sign along National Route 41 is a landmark, and ample free parking is provided, making it convenient for access by car.

Biki no Sato (Spa Biki)

Minami Hida Mazegawa Onsen Biki no Sato is located on a mountain in the Maze district, certified as one of "Japan's Most Beautiful Villages." It is a hidden hot spring, located beyond several mountains from the Gero Onsen town, where you can enjoy natural hot springs sourced from its own spring within the premises. With 17 types of hot spring facilities, including open-air baths, cauldron baths, and rock baths, you can indulge in a luxurious bathing experience while gazing at the Maze mountains and starry sky. In addition to day-trip bathing, you can also enjoy lunch, with a menu featuring Hida's local cuisine such as Maze's natural ayu, Hida beef, and Hoba miso. It is ideal for those who want to spend a relaxing time in a tranquil natural environment, away from daily life. A resting area is also available, where you can relax after your bath. A discount is applied as a happy hour after 7 PM.

Gandatekyo Himesyaga no Yu

Gandatekyo Himesyaga no Yu is a day-trip hot spring facility that uses the rare reddish-brown "natural carbonated spring" gushing at the foot of Mount Ontake in Osakacho, Gero City. This highly concentrated natural carbonated spring, rare nationwide, is a historical and renowned hot spring known as a therapeutic bath for over 300 years. Soaking in the bathtub will warm your body to the core with the power of carbonation, and you can also drink the hot spring water directly at the drinking fountain. In addition to the grand bath, open-air bath, bubble bath, and sauna, the newly introduced Finnish pellet sauna (with self-löyly available) is also popular. Directly in front of the facility is "Gandate Park," the base for "Osakacho Waterfall Tour," the first of Gifu's treasures, allowing you to combine hot spring bathing with spectacular natural scenery. After your bath, enjoy mineral spring cuisine and Hida local dishes at the restaurant. Currently, it is open only on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.

Suimeikan

Founded in 1932, Suimeikan is a large, long-established ryokan situated along the Hida River, nationally renowned as one of Gero Onsen's leading inns. Even on a day trip, guests can use the open-air baths and observation grand baths (reception 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM), enjoying the famous hot springs while overlooking the Hida mountains and Gero townscape. The open-air baths, "Ryujin no Yu" (men's) and "Kannon no Yu" (women's), are rustic hot springs with the vast sky as their ceiling. The view from the observation grand bath (9th floor of Hisenkaku) is one of the best in Gero Onsen. There is also a rich selection of day-trip plans with lunch, offering over 14 plans including Hida beef hitsumabushi set, Western cuisine, Chinese cuisine, and plans with esthetic treatments (reservations required). Its excellent location, just a 3-minute walk from JR Gero Station, is also attractive. Free parking for 200 cars and a free shuttle bus are available, making access easy by both train and car.

Enjoy Gero's Popular Day Trip Hot Springs!

Gero Onsen, one of Japan's three famous hot springs, has a variety of unique day-trip hot spring facilities scattered throughout. From the smooth, famous hot springs of long-established ryokan to public baths with a Taisho romance atmosphere, rare natural carbonated springs, and secluded facilities amidst nature, each place embodies the charm of Gero. Gero Onsen is a profound hot spring destination with new discoveries on every visit. By combining it with gourmet food like Hida beef and sightseeing spots like Gero Onsen Gassho Village, you can enjoy a highly satisfying day trip. Soaking in the hot springs against the backdrop of the Hida mountains, which show different expressions with the changing seasons, and the clear Hida River, will surely wash away your daily fatigue. Please visit Gero's day-trip hot springs this weekend. A special healing experience that will make you want to return awaits you.