Arima Onsen
Arima Onsen
4.5
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Top ways to experience Arima Onsen
The area
Address
Best nearby
Restaurants
312 within 3 miles
Attractions
280 within 6 miles
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
1,224 reviews
Excellent
513
Very good
563
Average
129
Poor
14
Terrible
5
OurFamily
London, UK113 contributions
Jun 2023 • Couples
A lovely hill town. There’s narrow streets, Grand and Moderate hotels- at a price. The marvelous Arima Toy Museum is worth the half hour trip from Sannomiya station.
We haven’t found a great restaurant there outside the hotels. Good for a day trip and great for an overnight.
It’s a wonderful overall experience and well worth staying at our favorite Onsen reviewed separately
If you have not been to Hot Springs in Japan, do read up on protocol !
We haven’t found a great restaurant there outside the hotels. Good for a day trip and great for an overnight.
It’s a wonderful overall experience and well worth staying at our favorite Onsen reviewed separately
If you have not been to Hot Springs in Japan, do read up on protocol !
Written May 25, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The arbiter of good and evil
London, UK34 contributions
Mar 2020
Had a really good time here, this area is the best for getting souvenirs as they have unusual food ingredients like dried flavoured mushrooms and incense sticks. The onsen were also great, and I recommend foreigners to try it even if it might be out of your comfort zone. There was also a lot of street food around here and cherry blossoms.
Written August 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mr Li
Singapore, Singapore261 contributions
Nov 2019 • Couples
We travelled from Osaka via the Hankyu bus company, which took an hour.
The town is north of Kobe. We had dinner in Kobe, and the train took less than 40 minutes. We had to make one transfer.
Although there are some modern buildings around, the center of the town have narrow roads and traditional wooden buildings.
It was beautiful in November, to see the autumn leaves.
The town is north of Kobe. We had dinner in Kobe, and the train took less than 40 minutes. We had to make one transfer.
Although there are some modern buildings around, the center of the town have narrow roads and traditional wooden buildings.
It was beautiful in November, to see the autumn leaves.
Written January 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ava
7 contributions
Jun 2023 • Solo
Friendly staff and easily accessible location to both the train station and by a hankyu express bus. There’s 2 hot springs being the gold and silver. In the gold one (Kim no yu) there’s 3 hot springs, the clear water, the 42degC gold spring water and 44deg spring water. (Ladies) All were very good and soothing! Lots of Japanese customers , felt authentic! Would definitely come again!
Written June 23, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KodoDrummer
Buenos Aires, Argentina70,623 contributions
Mar 2019 • Friends
This is the oldest and most famous hot spring town near Kobe, Japan. It is located in the northern district of Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture. The many sightseers of the elegant hot springs have resulted in a concentration of hotels to meet the needs of the many and mostly Japanese visitors. As can be seen in my attached photos, there are many beautiful narrow alleyways, temples and shrines, in the historic parts of the city.
Written May 17, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shawn C
Singapore, Singapore47 contributions
Jun 2018 • Friends
Had a great day out today to Arima Onsen and Rokko.
Getting to Arima Onsen town is straight forward. I took the Hankyu -Kobe line from my hotel at Juso station at 9am in the morning. The train ride to Sannomiya station took 25 mins and costed 320 yen. I then bought the Arima & Rokko 1 Day Pass (@2360 Yen) which included round trip train, bus, cable car, rope-way transport and an entry ticket to either the Kin-no-Yu or Gin-No-Yu onsen. My itinerary for the day:
- Sannomiya station to Shin-Kobe station via Kobe-City Subway (2 mins)
- Shin-Kobe station to Tanigami station via Hokushin Kyuko (8 mins)
- Tanigami station to Arimaguchi station and transfer to Arima-Onsen via Kobe Electric Railway (15 mins)
- Strolled around Arima Onsen town and sampled the famed Tansan Senbei (carbonated rice crackers) and Arima Cider Teppo Water.
- Took a traditional hot spring bath at Kin-No-Yu. Remember to bring your own towel or you can buy a small towel@200Yen or a large one at@500Yen from the bath house. If you want to save some money, there is a 100Yen shop opposite the bath house where you can get a fresh towel@108 yen (included tax).
- Had my quick lunch after my bath and stocked up Tansan Senbei for my relatives & friend back home. Walked towards the Rokkio Arima Ropeway station for my ride to Rokko.
- The ropeway ride to Rokko Sancho Station lasted 12 mins, and took us across the breathtaking canope of the Rokko mountains.
- There are mulitple attractions at Rokko which includes Rokkosan Field Obstacle Course for kids, the beautiful Garden Terrace and Country House, Rokko Alpine Botamic Garden and Rokko Musical Box Museum. The bus rides to all these attractions are included in the 1 day pass. The bus terminated at the Rokko Sanjo station.
- From the terminal station, we took the cable car to the Rokko Cable Shita Station.
- Bus #16 then took us to the Hankyi Rokko station where we completed the last leg of the train ride via Hankyu Railway (7mins) towards Hankyu Kobe Sannomiya.
- All transportation cost above from Sannomiya station to Hankyu Kobe Sannomiya and onsen ticket are included in the 2360 Yen 1 day pass. Extremely good deal as the stated round trip will cost 3870 Yen if bought seperately.
- Spent the evening dining at Kobe Chinatown before taking my train back to Juso.
I would defintely recommend this itinerary to anyone keen on trying a tradition japanese bath and getting some fresh air in the high mountains of Rokko. Hope the above details will help you plan your trip to Arima-onsen and Rokko!
Cheers!
Getting to Arima Onsen town is straight forward. I took the Hankyu -Kobe line from my hotel at Juso station at 9am in the morning. The train ride to Sannomiya station took 25 mins and costed 320 yen. I then bought the Arima & Rokko 1 Day Pass (@2360 Yen) which included round trip train, bus, cable car, rope-way transport and an entry ticket to either the Kin-no-Yu or Gin-No-Yu onsen. My itinerary for the day:
- Sannomiya station to Shin-Kobe station via Kobe-City Subway (2 mins)
- Shin-Kobe station to Tanigami station via Hokushin Kyuko (8 mins)
- Tanigami station to Arimaguchi station and transfer to Arima-Onsen via Kobe Electric Railway (15 mins)
- Strolled around Arima Onsen town and sampled the famed Tansan Senbei (carbonated rice crackers) and Arima Cider Teppo Water.
- Took a traditional hot spring bath at Kin-No-Yu. Remember to bring your own towel or you can buy a small towel@200Yen or a large one at@500Yen from the bath house. If you want to save some money, there is a 100Yen shop opposite the bath house where you can get a fresh towel@108 yen (included tax).
- Had my quick lunch after my bath and stocked up Tansan Senbei for my relatives & friend back home. Walked towards the Rokkio Arima Ropeway station for my ride to Rokko.
- The ropeway ride to Rokko Sancho Station lasted 12 mins, and took us across the breathtaking canope of the Rokko mountains.
- There are mulitple attractions at Rokko which includes Rokkosan Field Obstacle Course for kids, the beautiful Garden Terrace and Country House, Rokko Alpine Botamic Garden and Rokko Musical Box Museum. The bus rides to all these attractions are included in the 1 day pass. The bus terminated at the Rokko Sanjo station.
- From the terminal station, we took the cable car to the Rokko Cable Shita Station.
- Bus #16 then took us to the Hankyi Rokko station where we completed the last leg of the train ride via Hankyu Railway (7mins) towards Hankyu Kobe Sannomiya.
- All transportation cost above from Sannomiya station to Hankyu Kobe Sannomiya and onsen ticket are included in the 2360 Yen 1 day pass. Extremely good deal as the stated round trip will cost 3870 Yen if bought seperately.
- Spent the evening dining at Kobe Chinatown before taking my train back to Juso.
I would defintely recommend this itinerary to anyone keen on trying a tradition japanese bath and getting some fresh air in the high mountains of Rokko. Hope the above details will help you plan your trip to Arima-onsen and Rokko!
Cheers!
Written June 22, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jacko V
Belgium160 contributions
Mar 2012
The trip to Arima onsen was part of the experience, as it was via Mt Rokko.
Train, bus, cable car, bus, ropeway...
From Kobe Sannomiya station, we took the Hankyu Kobe line to Rokko station (7 min), then continued with Kobe city bus number 16 (10 min) to the base station of Rokko cable car.
Cable car is an old fashioned style cable car, taking you up to Rokko mountain. Enjoy the superb view over Kobe there.
There a circular bus (the blue one, not the green one), takes you (10 min) to the starting point of the Rokko Arima ropeway. This is a nice ropeway in a cabin over the mountain to Arima village.
From there, somehow by coincidence, were taken by Arima taxi service (free) to the city center (2 min). The city is a nice old spa town, with a few narrow classic streets. Of course a lot of shops too.
The Tosen Goshobo ryokan is a beautiful classic style ryokan, (see other reviews), where non-staying guests can enjoy the onsen too between 11h and 18h. (1575 Y).
This site was very helpful: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3558.html
Train, bus, cable car, bus, ropeway...
From Kobe Sannomiya station, we took the Hankyu Kobe line to Rokko station (7 min), then continued with Kobe city bus number 16 (10 min) to the base station of Rokko cable car.
Cable car is an old fashioned style cable car, taking you up to Rokko mountain. Enjoy the superb view over Kobe there.
There a circular bus (the blue one, not the green one), takes you (10 min) to the starting point of the Rokko Arima ropeway. This is a nice ropeway in a cabin over the mountain to Arima village.
From there, somehow by coincidence, were taken by Arima taxi service (free) to the city center (2 min). The city is a nice old spa town, with a few narrow classic streets. Of course a lot of shops too.
The Tosen Goshobo ryokan is a beautiful classic style ryokan, (see other reviews), where non-staying guests can enjoy the onsen too between 11h and 18h. (1575 Y).
This site was very helpful: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3558.html
Written March 22, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hughsam
toronto192 contributions
Jun 2017 • Solo
This is one of the great things to do in Kobe--I put it at the top for 'experiences". Thanks to the many people who wrote that they enjoyed the Arima Onsen Hot Springs--being one of the top 3 Hot Springs in Japan, its a first-class hot springs area. I decided to go yesterday and it was Wonderful and I found a cheap way to do this First Class. First, forget about going to the public baths. This is a waste of time. If you are going to Arima Onsen for Hot Springs, you might as well enjoy a great Japanese Cultural Tradition and do it the right way for the Same costs of the Public Hot Springs. You want to go to a "Spa"-like facility and Taikou no Yu is one of the best in Arima Onsen. The kicker is that for Y2,470 (about US$20), you can get admission, plus the train tickets from Kobe-Shinkansen. The train tickets by themselves costs about Y1900, so for Y600 or $5, you get unlimited day time admission to one of the best "spa" Hot Springs facilities. So how to get your ticket. Go the hotel concierge and ask them for the Arima Onsen's Taikou no Yu "Yuttari Ticket" and pay Y2,470. You will get tickets subway/electrical train for transportation to and from Arima Onsen from Shin-Kobe and admission into Taikou no Yu. If the hotel does not have this ticket, some of the subways in Kobe sells it and if you can't find it there, go to JR Sannomiya Station and go to Kobe Tourist Information Booth and they will tell you how to buy it close to Sannomiya. Make sure you have the concierge mark for you which ticket is to go and which to come back. Once you take the Hokushinkyuko from ShinKobe (subway NOT Shinkansen) to Tanigami Station (1 stop), then cross the platform to take the train 5 stops to Arimaguchi (KO15), cross the platform and take the electrical train to Arima Onsen-1 stop. Exit. If you are there at the right time about every 30 minutes, there is a shuttle to Taikou no Yu. All of this takes about 30 minutes from Shin Kobe to Taikon no Yu Hot Springs "Spa". If you do not see the shuttle bus, turn right and walk up the hill--5 min. Once you pass your first look at the springs/river, turn left at the 7/11 Store and go up the hill about 7 minutes walk and Taikou no Yu is on the right. Once at Taikon no Yu, enter, take off your shoes and put it in the locker and take the key to the admission line. Once at the admission line, exchange your shoe locker key and the coupon for a basket with 1 small towel, 1 large towel and a Japanese robe and a clothes locker key (all this included in the "Yuttari Ticket"). Men usually choose green or blue, women red or yellow, but you'll seen genders in all robe colours. Once you get the locker key, go get changed and strip down to your underwear and put on your robe and then put everything else into the locker. You will then go downstairs to another locker room--one for men and one for women. You will now strip naked and take the small towel with you. This is to wipe the sweat from your head and water off your body and cover your private if you are lying down in the chairs or meditation room. Because you are now naked (I can't tell what happens in the women's), you won't see your female counterpart until after the hot spring baths. Just before entering the baths--you'll see a big drum of water and small buckets, take a bucket full of the warm water and pour over you and wash down--the other is cold water and you don't want to do that yet--that's for after the sauna. Then you can go into the two baths on that floor, or the hot steam sauna. Then you can also go to the other door for upstairs to the outdoor baths--this is the cream of the crop, during all year. Enjoy. The Y2470 is for the entire journey and includes everything. So for US20, you get to spend four hours in an incredible Japanese authentic experience. You can add Y333 for a green tea ice cream after you are finished the hot springs for a complete experience.
Written June 25, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
stonewithnomoss
Duhok, Iraq893 contributions
Jan 2012 • Couples
You can take the subway and train to Arima Onsen very quickly from Sannomiya Station. Upon arrival in Arima Onsen, stop at the tourist office up the street from the train station (on the left) and they can give you information on the public baths and hotels that open their baths to day visitors. They also have discount tickets for some of the bigger hotels.
It is very built up and modern, but the baths are very nice with two kinds of water.... gold and silver. One is salt/iron (gold) and the other is carbonic acid (silver).
Whatever your choice, it is a quintessential Japanese experience not to be missed. The public baths start at just 550 yen and the price goes up to 2400 yen for a day at one of the big full service places.
If you have the time .... it's worth it. It makes a great break from seeing temples and shrines.
It is very built up and modern, but the baths are very nice with two kinds of water.... gold and silver. One is salt/iron (gold) and the other is carbonic acid (silver).
Whatever your choice, it is a quintessential Japanese experience not to be missed. The public baths start at just 550 yen and the price goes up to 2400 yen for a day at one of the big full service places.
If you have the time .... it's worth it. It makes a great break from seeing temples and shrines.
Written January 24, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jegsy
Edinburgh, UK148 contributions
Mar 2013 • Solo
The most disappointing onsen experience I've had in Japan. The town itself is unremarkable, very touristy and overpriced. The two public baths are of the sento type, so anyone coming for the outside experience will be very disappointed (and as sento type onsens they're nothing special and cost too much). Combine that with the annoyance of getting there from Kobe, and the wildly overpriced accommodation, and you have a recipe for falling into a rather poor tourist trap.
Travel a bit further, spend a little extra, and get the real experience at Kinosaki.
Travel a bit further, spend a little extra, and get the real experience at Kinosaki.
Written March 21, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I have booked a night stay at Hanamusubi. I know they offer shuttle service to/from station/bus stop. I plan that once we arrive (by bus), to leave our luggage (2 pax) at a locker somewhere nearby for a couple-few hours so we can explore. Once it’s c/in time of 3pm we can call the hotel to fetch us. Where can we find lockers or left luggage facilities? Are there any at the bus stop or the station?
Thanks!
Written January 1, 2023
I am planning to stay at a ryokan in Arima Onsen. I will have a suitcase (total dimensions is 114cm). I'm wondering if the buses from Kobe (Shin Kobe or Sannomiya) have enough space in the storage for my luggage, or if it would be better for my husband and I to take the trains?
Written August 28, 2019
I have only gone by train and there is room for luggage. The train is easy to take and very comfortable.
Written August 29, 2019
can i go to the onsen for just a few hours or do i have to stay at the hotel to use the facilities?
Written March 6, 2019
ki hyun
Changwon, South Korea
What's the price range for the day hot spring plan with lunch?
Can I make a reservation in person in the morning instead of making an online reservation for the day?
Written January 25, 2019
Please tell me the name of the 2400 yen day use onsen in Arima? Thank you!
Written August 13, 2018
Hi! Taiko No Yu is the 2400 yen for a day pass onsen. I went there as well and enjoyed it! Consider looking online for package deals with Taiko No Yu as well. :)
Written August 22, 2018
I’ve seen people do it, but you’re not supposed to and they have signs at the entry forbidding it. If it’s small enough to put a bandaid on it, then I suggest doing that.
Written July 19, 2018
What we have to bring? Swimsuit? Other?
Written June 19, 2018
for onsen, easy put on clothes like one piece n slippers would be fine.
there are also open air public onsen for foot then no changing clothes requires.
enjoy
Written June 21, 2018
Are small tattoos ok if covered by bandage?
Written May 7, 2018
I saw a few people with tattoos in various onsen around Japan. There are signs up forbidding tattoos, but I didn't see anyone being kicked out for it. That being said, I only saw two western looking women in onsen in the 20 odd onsen I went to and neither of them had tattoos.
If it were me I'd be worried about disrespecting the cultural norm.
Onsens are awesome though, and from what I've read you should be able to get away with using a bandage to cover it up.
Have a great time in Japan!
Written May 7, 2018
fargia2018
Sydney, Australia
We plan to take a day trip to arima onsen. Do we need to make, a booking?
Written April 11, 2018
donithachiu08
Cainta, Philippines
Is there also a bus from JR Rokkomichi station going to Rokko cable shita station? Also, is the transportation route using Bus-Cable Car-Bus-Ropeway available all day? Do I need to reserve anything? Or can I just pay when I ride there and then?
Written February 23, 2018
Showing results 1-10 of 22
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listingScroll back to Arima Onsen information