Noboribetsu Onsen

When visiting Hokkaido, there are a few must-go destinations to visit. This time, we took a road trip to Noboribetsu Onsen, a place famous for their hot springs. In order to get there, we rented a car and drove approximately 90 minutes from Sapporo to Noboribetsu Onsen. The moment we got nearer to the area, the sulfur smell due to the hot springs in the area attacked our noses. It was definitely a new experience! In this post, I would like to introduce the town of Noboribetsu Onsen and the places to see within walking distance in the town! Do include it in your to-go list in Hokkaido!

Hell’s Valley (Jigokudani)

Jigokudani (地獄谷) or "Hell Valley" is a valley just above the town of Noboribetsu Onsen, which displays sulfurous streams and volcanic activity. It is where Noboribetsu’s hot spring water comes from.

From the valley, there are many walking and hiking trails. Signs pointing to the trails are available everywhere and if you follow them for about 20 to 30 minutes, you will get to Oyunuma, a sulfurous pond with a surface temperature of 50 degrees Celsius and a smaller and hotter mud pond nearby. Just beware of slippery hiking trails in winter!

Noboribetsu Jigokudani

Address: Noboribetsu-Onsen-cho, Noboribetsu-shi, Hokkaido

Tel: (+81)143-84-3311 (Noboribetsu Tourism Association)

Yuzawa Shrine (湯澤神社)

Located near the entrance of Hell’s Valley, Yuzawa Shrine is a quiet shrine that could be easy to miss. However, after climbing up the stairs to the Shrine, it provides a serene and beautiful sight in winter.

Yuzawa Shrine

Address: 106 Noboribetsuonsenchō, Noboribetsu-shi, Hokkaidō 059-0551

Phone: 0143-84-2439

Hotel Mahoroba (ホテルまほろば)

Upon arriving at Noboribetsu Onsen, the one hotel I would highly recommend for a night’s stay and an amazing hot spring experience, is Hotel Mahoroba (ホテルまほろば). It is the biggest and most prominent hotel in the area.

Hotel Mahoroba has both Western and Japanese (tatami) style rooms for you to choose from. This time, we went for the Japanese style room, and the hotel staff was nice enough to give us a free upgrade to a bigger room as he said that the room we booked might have been slightly too small for 5 people. The tatami beds which were arranged by housekeeping daily, makes it an interesting and indulgence experience.

The main feature of the hotel will be the Onsen pools, there is a variety of 31 baths altogether and it is huge area to enjoy the spring baths and provides many alternatives options to chose from indoor and outdoor pools. Yukatas are provided in the rooms and you can wear it and walk around the hotel. The hotel also provides a breakfast and dinner buffet along with your stay. It is an international buffet, with the dinner highlight being an eat-all-you-can king crab buffet as well. In the hotel itself, there is a souvenir shop, a massage parlour, a bar AND an arcade! After indulging in the hot spring, you can have some fun at the arcade before going back for a good night’s rest.