The big, well-run classic of Kinugawa: river-view rooms, hot-spring baths and buffet dinners, with more than 600 guest reviews behind its score.
From £192 a night
For two on the night of 19 January 2027, on Expedia. Rate includes breakfast.
Kinugawa OnsenOn our lists
Kinugawa Onsen Hotel is one of the large hotels on the gorge in the middle of Kinugawa Onsen, with 162 rooms, many of them tatami rooms looking down on the river. It is the kind of place Japanese families have come to for decades, and it is run well: guest reviews on Expedia, more than 600 of them, give it one of the best scores in the town and name the staff in particular.
There are large shared hot-spring baths and private open-air baths you can book, a games room and karaoke for evenings, and dinner and breakfast are buffets. For a first night in a Japanese onsen hotel with children, or for a group, it is an easy choice.
The baths
Two large shared hot-spring baths and two private open-air baths that can be booked.
Getting around
On the river in the middle of Kinugawa Onsen, near the Fureai bridge; Kinugawa-Onsen Station is a short walk or taxi ride.
Good for
Not for
A day in a rebuilt Edo-period town: ninja and oiran shows, samurai lessons and costume.
Departs from Kinugawa Onsen · Valid 1 day
✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Toshogu Shrine admission bought ahead, exchanged at the Tobu-Nikko Station tourist centre.
Valid 1 day
✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Dress in kimono and make your own matcha with a certified teacher, in a tatami room by the river.
Departs from Nikko town · 1.5 hours
✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Kinugawa river, Kinugawa Onsen · 4 stars · 48 rooms
Hoshino Resorts’ ryokan on the Kinugawa: 48 rooms dressed in local crafts, some with an outdoor bath; for couples who want a polished onsen night.
From £317 a night
Ohara, Kinugawa Onsen, Kinugawa Onsen · 4 stars
A large garden onsen hotel in Kinugawa with several big baths, private baths to book and kaiseki dinners; for families and groups.
From £236 a night
Kinugawa Onsen · Ryokan · 65 rooms
A ryokan at the quiet north end of Kinugawa with a big open-air bath among the trees, a cypress private bath and rooms with their own outdoor tub.
From £136 a night
Sources: expedia.co.uk, en.tabiiro.travel. Last checked 21 October 2026.
