Hot springs in Nikko

Nikko Yumoto Onsen sits at the edge of Lake Yunoko inside Nikko National Park, high in the mountains. The waters are milky and sulfurous, and travelers have been coming here for hundreds of years. The park surrounds the onsen with sacred forests and waterfalls, making a long day of hiking through them a natural prelude to a long soak.

A hot spring resort town set along the Kinugawa River in Tochigi Prefecture, roughly two hours from Tokyo by express train. The river gorge puts on a striking display in autumn as the maple trees color. The town sits closer to Nikko than any other onsen destination and serves as a natural base for overnight visitors to the Toshogu shrine complex.