Guide · Onsen
Noboribetsu onsen: day baths, springs, access and winter
Sapporo to Noboribetsu is about 70 minutes by limited express plus a 15-minute bus. Takimotokan's day bath is $16 (¥2,500) from 1 Aug 2026.
Noboribetsu works as a day trip from Sapporo or as a night away. A limited express train takes about 70 minutes and a bus covers the last 15 minutes to the onsen town for $3 (¥450). Dai-ichi Takimotokan charges $16 (¥2,500) for a day bath from 1 Aug 2026, and says its baths draw on five of the ten official spring types.
How do you get to Noboribetsu from Sapporo?
Take a limited express from Sapporo, about 70 minutes, then a bus of about 15 minutes to the onsen town. A secondary travel guide puts the bus at $3 (¥450). We did not find the limited express fare, so the full cost of the trip is not yet known.
Dollar figures use about ¥155 to US$1 and are rounded; you pay in yen, so check the rate.
| Leg | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Train | About 70 minutes, limited express from Sapporo | Not found |
| Bus | About 15 minutes, to the onsen town | $3 (¥450) |
The two legs add up to about 85 minutes each way, or 2 hours 50 minutes round trip before any waiting between train and bus.
Which springs does Noboribetsu have?
Takimotokan says its baths draw on five of the ten official spring types: sulphur, alum, ferrous sulphate, sodium and salt. Its sulphur water is strongly acidic. The five types are Takimotokan’s own description of its baths; water at other Noboribetsu facilities is not described in our sources.
What does a day bath cost?
Dai-ichi Takimotokan is the one Noboribetsu bath with a full official fee and hours.
| Bath | Fee | Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dai-ichi Takimotokan | $16 (¥2,500) adult, $10 (¥1,500) child | 9:00 to 21:00, last entry 18:00 | Fee from 1 Aug 2026. Pool included. Closed day not found |
| Sagiriyu | $3 (¥500) | Not found | Secondary guide |
| Noboribetsu Grand Hotel | $13 (¥2,000) | Not found | Secondary guide |
Last entry at Takimotokan is three hours before closing, so arrive by 18:00 even though the bath runs to 21:00.
How does the fee compare with other onsen towns?
Takimotokan’s $16 (¥2,500) is the highest day-bath fee in our town comparison. The other towns below list adult fees for one named day bath each.
| Town | Bath | Adult fee |
|---|---|---|
| Noboribetsu | Dai-ichi Takimotokan | $16 (¥2,500) |
| Hakone | Hakone Yuryo | $9 (¥1,400) |
| Kusatsu | Sai-no-kawara Rotenburo | $5 (¥800) |
| Dogo | Honkan Kami-no-yu | $5 (¥700) |
| Beppu | Takegawara | $2 (¥300) |
Best onsen in Japan compared adds access, water and tattoo wording for each town, and Hakone onsen has the Hakone fees in full.
What else is there to do?
The Jigokudani Backyard Tour costs $32 (¥5,000). It starts at 10:00, is listed for 10 people and needs a reservation, per the Noboribetsu Onsen tourism site. Reserve before you travel.
Day trip or overnight stay?
Both work, and a day trip from Sapporo is easy. A day trip spends about 2 hours 50 minutes on the train and bus, and Takimotokan’s last entry is 18:00. An overnight stay avoids that round trip in one day. Confirm Takimotokan’s closed day before you build a day trip around that bath. Ryokan explains dinner, breakfast and check-in times for a stay.
Rules inside the bath, from washing to towels, are in Onsen etiquette.
How long should you stay in the water?
Three to ten minutes is typical, according to the Japan Spa Association, and 15 to 20 minutes is for experienced bathers. Its guidance is one or two baths a day, or two or three for the experienced. Do not bathe after drinking alcohol, and do not bathe within 30 minutes of exercise. Elderly people, children and disabled people should not bathe alone.
People with high blood pressure, heart disease or a past cerebral haemorrhage are told to avoid water above 42 °C. Fatigue, nausea or a rash can appear between three days and a week afterwards; rest if they do. This guidance covers any bath, strongly acidic sulphur water included.
Can you visit Noboribetsu onsen with a tattoo?
No Noboribetsu bath states a tattoo rule on the official pages read, and no private-bath prices were found. Policy is set bath by bath. At Hakone, three baths state their tattoo limits in their own words; see Hakone onsen.
Before you go Ask each bath about tattoos before you pay. Tattoos and onsen shows how other baths state their rules, and Private onsen (kashikiri) explains the reserved-bath option.
What changes in winter?
Noboribetsu is colder than Sapporo, and the roads to Jigokudani close in winter. The town sits about 200 m above sea level, per the Noboribetsu Onsen tourism site. The last closure dates it shows are for 2024-25, so the 2026-27 dates are unclear right now.
Closed in winter Check the Noboribetsu Onsen tourism site for the Jigokudani road closures before you go, and ask whether the Backyard Tour runs while the roads are shut.
Where next?
Hokkaido covers the wider region and its rail options. The Onsen hub lists every onsen guide, Best onsen in Japan compared puts Noboribetsu beside other towns, and Onsen vs sento vs private bath compares the three bath types.
Questions
$16 (¥2,500) for an adult and $10 (¥1,500) for a child from 1 Aug 2026, per Takimotokan's own notice. The bath runs 9:00 to 21:00 with last entry at 18:00, and the fee includes the pool. We did not find its closed day.
A limited express train takes about 70 minutes, then a bus of about 15 minutes reaches the onsen town. A secondary travel guide puts the bus at $3 (¥450). We did not find the limited express fare.
Dai-ichi Takimotokan says its baths use five of the ten official spring types: sulphur, alum, ferrous sulphate, sodium and salt. Its sulphur water is strongly acidic.
The town sits about 200 m above sea level and is colder than Sapporo, per the Noboribetsu Onsen tourism site. The roads to Jigokudani close in winter, and the 2026-27 closure dates are unclear right now.