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Steam rising from a ryokan's open-air bath in Kinosaki, with a wooden water spout, a brushwood fence and wooded hills beyond

Onsen & ryokan

Onsen and ryokan

Hot spring towns and ryokan nights, chosen with care.

What we do for you

The right ryokan, the right room

A night in a ryokan is dinner, bath, sleep and breakfast in one building, at the building's pace. The difference between a good night and a great one is usually the choice of ryokan and the room within it.

We look at the baths, where dinner is served, the size of the property and how far each room is from the noise. If you would rather bathe privately, or one of you has tattoos, we look for rooms with their own bath or baths you can reserve.

Many ryokan serve one set menu prepared that morning. We pass on what you do not eat in Japanese, well before you arrive, and confirm what the kitchen can do.

How we plan it

  • Baths first

    Ryokan chosen for their water and their baths, with private baths where you prefer them.

  • The room within

    View, bath and quiet differ room to room. We ask for the one that suits you.

  • Dinner, adjusted

    Allergies and dietary needs passed on in Japanese and confirmed with the kitchen.

  • How the evening runs

    Yukata, bathing manners and meal times, explained in your digital guide before you arrive.

Ideas for your journey

Shapes to start from. Every route is rebuilt around your dates, your pace and the rooms that are open.

  • 7 days

    Kyoto and Kinosaki Onsen

    1. Kyoto4 nights
    2. Kinosaki Onsen2 nights

    A hot spring town where guests walk between public baths in yukata.

  • 8 days

    Fukuoka, Yufuin and Kurokawa

    1. Fukuoka3 nights
    2. Yufuin2 nights
    3. Kurokawa Onsen2 nights

    Two hot spring towns in the hills of Kyushu, one after the other.

  • 9 days

    Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto

    1. Tokyo3 nights
    2. Hakone2 nights
    3. Kyoto3 nights

    A first ryokan close to Tokyo, placed in the middle of the trip.

We check availability before we propose anything, and nothing is promised until it is confirmed.

Further reading

Or start from another kind of trip

Other journeys

Tell us about your journey

Send us your dates, who is travelling and what matters most. We will come back with a first shape for the trip before any work begins.

Plan your journey

You pay hotels, ryokan, restaurants and guides directly, at their own rates. We add no markups and take no commissions. The Signature planning fee is USD 3,500 for your group, for a journey of 7–14 days. Longer or more complex journeys are planned as Bespoke.

During the trip, you reach us through the STAYGO app and WhatsApp. We agree our response hours with you before you leave.