Yufuin Onsen: 10 Ryokan Inns Perfect for Couples and Families

Yufuin Onsen: A Charming Hot Spring Town in Oita

Photo by Pixta

Yufuin Onsen, located at the foot of Mount Yufu, boasts nearly 900 hot spring sources. It produces 38,600 liters of water per minute, being second only to Beppu, which is also located in Oita Prefecture.

The resort is located in Yufu City, a designated national hot spring resort visited by 4.04 million people in 2023. Read on to learn the best 10 hot spring ryokans in Yufuin selected for visitors who travel as a couple or with family.

Top Hot Spring Ryokans in Yufuin Onsen

For Couples: The Best Inns for Anniversaries
1. Yufuin Bettei Itsuki
2. Hinoharu Ryokan
3. Yufudake Ichibo no Yado Kirara
4. Yufuin Yasuha
5. Oyado Ichizen
For Families: The Best Inns for a Summer Vacation
6. Yufuin Rakuyu
7. Yufuin Souan Kosumosu
8. Yufuin Gettouan
9. Yufuin Iyotomi
10. Yawaragi-no-Sato Yadoya

1. Yufuin Bettei Itsuki

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At Itsuki, there are 13 separate buildings, each with 14 guestrooms. The cottage-style rooms are all elegantly designed and located on an excellent site.

Guests can forget about their daily lives and spend their time leisurely with soothing waters drawn from the source.

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Dining Towakura, a restaurant that combines modernity and tradition, serves Towakura Kaiseki at dinner. This innovative meal is made from seasonal products grown in Yufuin.

Each guestroom is designed differently in the Japanese-modern style. Additionally, the hospitality of the staff members will surely satisfy guests.

Parking: Available (no additional charge)
Children: Infants, including preschoolers, are accepted.
Access: From Yufuin Station, it is a 20-minute walk or a 5-minute car ride.
Address: Oita, Yufu, Yufuin-cho, Kawakami 2652-2
Check-in 15:00/Check-out 11:00

2. Hinoharu Ryokan

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This inn faces Yunotsubo Kaido, one of the popular sightseeing spots in Yufuin. It has a serene and elegant atmosphere.

The facility is designed in a modern style, and earth colors are used in the guestrooms, creating a tranquilizing aura.

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Although some rooms have an open-air bath, the inn also has a spacious outdoor bathing facility that draws water directly from the source.

Dinner is served kaiseki style, prepared by the chef using Oita beef, a local brand, seasonal vegetables, and fresh fish.

For city dwellers, the dishes will remind them of the current season. Breakfast consists of freshly cooked rice and local cuisine.

Parking: Available (no additional charge)
Children: Accepted
Access: From Yufuin Station, it is a 15-minute walk or a 5-minute car ride.
Address: Oita, Yufu, Yufuin-cho, Kawakami 1082-1
Check-in 15:00/Check-out 11:00

3. Yufudake Ichibo no Yado Kirara

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Mount Yufu can be seen from every guestroom at Kirara, located on top of a small hill.

The rooms, epitome of serenity and calmness, are designed in a Japanese-modern style. They are all furnished with a semi-open-air bath, with the water drawn directly from the source.

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Guests can also enjoy the innovative kaiseki cuisine from seasonal products paired with sake, wine, or shochu. The meals are planned according to cyclical events.

Breakfast will be eye-opening after a good night's sleep in the quiet surroundings.

Parking: Available (no additional charge)
Children: Must be older than thirteen.
Access: 15-minute drive from Yufuin Interchange. A free shuttle service from Yufuin Station is also available.
Address: Oita, Yufu, Yufuin-cho, Kawaminami, Aza Naeashiroda 547-1
Check-in 15:00 to 20:30/Check-out 10:00

4. Yufuin Yasuha

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Yufuin Yasuha, located on a spacious site of about 1,500 tsubo (approximately 4,960 square meters), is an onsen ryokan (Japanese-style inn) that many guests consider a hideaway. The water, called ao-yu, is a rare, cobalt blue color with a smooth texture.

Ao-yu is known for its special effect to boost the skin's moisture. Some rooms have an open-air bath, where guests can enjoy ao-yu in a private setting.

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The Yasuha Original Kaiseki, a creative, 10-course meal prepared by the chef, will be served for dinner. Five types of soy sauce are concocted into jelly and used for sashimi, creating an entirely new dining experience.

The inn offers various dinner courses, from a course fit for celebrating anniversaries to another featuring Oita beef and akadori (red-feathered chicken).

Breakfast consists of Japanese dishes served on a set menu. It is crafted with ingredients that help support the body and provide energy for a new day.

Parking: Available (no additional charge)
Children: Accepted. Please ask the staff for details.
Access: 5-minute drive or 30-minute walk from Yufuin Station. A shuttle service is also available.
Address: Oita, Yufu, Yufuin-cho, Kawakami 1270-48
Check-in 15:00 to 18:00/Check-out 11:00

5. Oyado Ichizen

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The concept of Ichizen, designed in the Sukiya style, is an inn at the foot of Mount Yufu. Guests will be content to spend time inside their rooms, and the view of the mountain is superb.

This is a rare type of onsen ryokan that also welcomes pets. Guests can spend time with their dogs or cats in villa-type guestrooms. There is even a cottage with a barrel sauna and a dog park.

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The inn serves a kaiseki course from freshly caught fish and wild vegetables. The menu also features an Oita beef steak and Seki-aji (Japanese horse mackerel) sashimi.

With its high alkalinity and moisturizing effect, the cobalt-blue water changes color when exposed to sunlight or a change in temperature. No wonder it is popular among guests.

Parking: Available (no additional charge)
Children: There will be an additional charge of 3,300 yen (after tax) per infant.
Access: 5-minute drive from Yufuin Station.
Address: Oita, Yufu, Yufuin-cho, Kawakami 1209-1
Check-in 15:00 to 20:00/Check-out 10:00

6. Yufuin Rakuyu

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All the guestrooms at Yufuin Rakuyu, an osen ryokan designed in the Japanese modern style, are furnished with an open-air bath. The inn also has a multi-purpose lounge, rare for a ryokan, where guests can enjoy alcoholic beverages or coffee.

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The inn serves Japanese dishes for dinner, with seasonal ingredients from across Japan. Vegetarian cuisine can also be prepared upon request. Breakfast consists of well-balanced dishes, including Yufuin rice.

The view of Mount Yufu, also known as Mount Fuji of the Bungo Area, is extraordinary from the inn. Monopolizing this grand view can only be experienced at this inn.

Parking: Available (no additional charge)
Children: Accepted. Please ask the staff for details.
Access: 7-minute drive from Yufuin Station.
Address: Oita, Yufu, Yufuin-cho, Kawakami 1272-88
Check-in 15:00/Check-out 11:00

7. Yufuin Souan Kosumosu

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This inn, located near Kinrin Lake and Yunotsubo Kaido, is an ideal hub for enjoying sightseeing in Yufuin.

Eiji Mitooka, known for designing the "Seven Stars" Nanatsuboshi, a luxury train operated by JR Kyushu, refurbished it in 2017.

While some areas were untouched, the renovation was done according to the inn's theme, "an encounter at a ryokan."

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The creamy spring water contains metasilicic acid, which moisturizes the skin. Although the inn is located in the central area of Yufuin, the grounds are quiet. Bathing at Kosumosu will surely soothe the weary body. The rooms in the detached building have an open-air bath, so guests can bathe whenever they want.

Kosumosu has long been famous for its meals, which feature carefully selected tableware and meticulous cooking. The inn has a restaurant for adults, a dining space where children are allowed, and a private dining room, offering a new dining experience.

Parking: Available (no additional charge)
Children: Accepted. There is a special plan for guests with children.
Access: 15-minute walk from Yufuin Station.
Address: Oita, Yufu, Yufuin-cho, Kawakami 1500
Check-in 15:00/Check-out 11:00

8. Yufuin Gettouan

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This luxurious onsen ryokan comprises 18 cottages on a huge site, around 10,000 tsubo (approximately 33,060 square meters). Parents with small children don't need to worry about noise escaping their rooms.

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Even though the rooms are furnished with an open-air bath, guests should try the large bathing room, which has an outdoor bath. The view of Mount Yufu, during early morning and sunset, along with the starry skies, will surely soothe weary travelers.

While the inn modestly describes its dinner as "innovative rural cooking," each dish is served with expert timing. Side orders, such as sashimi of Seki-aji and Seki-saba (mackerel), are also available.

Feel the breeze and crisp air while simply relaxing at this inn.

Parking: Available (no additional charge)
Children: Accepted. Please ask the staff for details.
Access: 8-minute drive from Yufuin Station.
Address: Oita, Yufu, Yufuin-cho, Kawakami 295-2
Check-in 15:00/Check-out 11:00

9. Yufuin Iyotomi

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At Yufuin Iyotomi, the hot water that has been flowing constantly for 80 years is mixed with cold spring water from Yuyama, located beside Mount Yufu.

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The inn has a playroom and offers a free supply of baby food, diapers, and milk.

Guestrooms are designed using traditional Japanese colors, which offer a respite from excessive decorations in urban areas.

All bathing rooms can be booked for private use. There is also a guestroom with a semi-open-air bath. Dinner can be selected from various packages, such as a course featuring free-range chicken hot pot or shabu-shabu.

Parking: Available (no additional charge)
Children: Accepted. Please ask the staff for details.
Access: 7-minute walk from Yufuin Station.
Address: Oita, Yufu, Yufuin-cho, Kawaminami 848
Check-in 15:00/Check-out 11:00

10. Yawaragi-no-Sato Yadoya

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Yadoya offers an opportunity to enjoy the town of Yufuin and hot springs at a budget-friendly rate.

The inn serves a course meal for elementary school children and dishes for infants. It is an ideal, child-friendly facility, even furnished with a playroom. There are four private baths suitable for the entire family to bathe together.

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The Goemon Bath (a pot-shaped bathtub) in the private open-air bath might pique a child's interest. Watching the starry sky from the bath will be a precious experience.

Sukiyaki featuring wagyu beef or Nadeshiko Himedori (brand-name chicken) will be served for dinner. At breakfast, Ran-oh, an egg produced in Hiji-machi, Oita Prefecture, is used for tamago-kake gohan (raw egg mixed with rice).

Parking: Available (no additional charge)
Children: Accepted. Please ask the staff for details.
Access: 5-minute drive or a 20-minute walk from Yufuin Station.
Address: Oita, Yufu, Yufuin-cho, Kawakami 2717-5
Check-in 15:00/Check-out 11:00

Stay at a Ryokan and Enjoy Yufuin

Many ryokans at Yufuin offer a bathing experience in an exceptional, serene atmosphere. Many of these traditional inss also serve delicious dishes cooked from local ingredients. Stay in a cottage-style guestroom, or bathe in a private open-air bath and enjoy a visit while staying inside a cozy inn.

Main image by Pixta
Written by Kakutama Editorial Team