[Yufuin Onsen Travel Guide] A Relaxing Getaway with Peaceful Atmosphere and Scenic Countryside Views

Most of the ryokan at Yufuin Onsen are equipped with open-air baths.
Some ryokan offer views of Mt. Yufu from the bath, letting you enjoy superb scenery together with the hot springs.
Soaking slowly in an open-air bath while looking out at Mt. Yufu rising in the open landscape and the surrounding nature is sure to soothe both body and mind.

Located about a 5-minute walk from Yufuin Station, Yunotsubo Kaido is Yufuin’s main street and stretches for about 800 meters to Lake Kinrin.
As Yufuin Onsen developed from a small hot spring town into a beautiful onsen destination rich in nature, Yunotsubo Kaido was created with a townscape inspired by the Edo period (1603–1868) so as not to spoil the area’s scenery.
Along the street, you will find many restaurants, souvenir shops, and sweet shops.
Many of the sweets are easy to eat with one hand, making them perfect for snacking as you stroll.
Roasted sweet potatoes topped with ice cream and cheesecake are especially delicious, and they also make great gifts.
There are also places where you can try local ingredients such as jidori chicken and Bungo beef, so it is also a good place to visit for lunch or dinner.

The hot spring town of Yufuin Onsen is home to many cultural facilities, including art museums, museums, and history museums.
There are especially many art museums, where you can experience a wide variety of artworks in quiet and peaceful spaces.
One of the highlights is Yufuin Showakan, where you can feel as if you have traveled back to the Showa era (1926–1989).
It realistically recreates everyday life from that time, allowing visitors to feel close to Japanese culture and history.
At Owl’s Forest, you can also see and interact with real owls, making for an exciting experience.

A luxury ryokan considered one of the three great inns of Yufuin Onsen, alongside Yufuin Tamanoyu and Kamenoi Besso.
It stands on a hill about 2 km from central Yufuin Station and consists of a main building with the front desk and dining area, 12 detached guest rooms each with a different design, a bar filled with pleasant classical and jazz music, a chocolate shop, a soba restaurant with sweeping views, a music-themed museum, and a select shop offering stylish Oita souvenirs.

A lodging facility for two adults only, with just 14 rooms on a vast 3,300-tsubo property.
Detached guest rooms are scattered across the spacious grounds, and every room comes with both an open-air bath and an indoor bath, featuring 100% free-flowing hot spring water from a private source.
You can fully enjoy the hot springs in a private, tranquil setting in Yufuin.

A place to stay where you can enjoy views of Mt. Yufu along with a spacious open-air rock bath.
In addition to the large public bath, the property also has private family baths that guests can use free of charge during their stay, allowing for a relaxing hot spring experience.
Designed so guests can fully feel Yufuin’s charming atmosphere, scenery, and clean air, the inn features 14 rooms in the main building and 12 detached villas, with rich natural surroundings visible from the windows.

A hot spring ryokan on a hill a little away from the center of the Yufuin Basin, known for its spectacular views.
The scenery from its open-air baths is especially wonderful, allowing guests to soak leisurely while taking in views of Mt. Yufu and the natural landscape of the Yufuin Basin. Its kaiseki cuisine rich in local flavors is also said to be excellent.
The signature open-air baths are spacious, with the women’s bath measuring 150 tatami mats and the men’s bath 100 tatami mats, creating a wonderfully open feeling.

A restaurant serving three kinds of Yufu Mabushi, created in pursuit of delicious ways to enjoy rice unique to Yufuin. Their mabushi dishes made with Bungo beef, Yufu jidori chicken, and eel are served in earthenware pots and come with appetizers, pickles, condiments, and red miso soup.
The most popular of the three is the Bungo Beef Mabushi.
It is a hearty dish with rice cooked in an earthenware pot and generously topped with Bungo beef grilled over charcoal for a savory flavor.

Opened in 1999, when roll cakes were still not widely known.
It is run by the long-established Yufuin ryokan Sanso Murata. The shop became well known as a pioneer among specialty roll cake stores, and even more than 20 years after opening, it remains a popular spot with constant lines.
Its signature item, the P Roll, was created with the idea of making an everyday snack for local children.

A specialty hamburger restaurant in the central area of Yufuin, where many different shops line the streets.
Its signature item is the Yufuin Burger, known for its juicy mixed-meat patty made with Bungo beef.
Since each burger is made only after you order, the patty is served hot and juicy, while the bacon is crisp and fragrant, earning high praise for its delicious flavor.

Because it lies below Mt. Yufu, the lake was once called Take-shita no Ike, or “the pond below the mountain,” but it is said that in 1884 the Confucian scholar Mori Kusou named it Kinrinko after seeing the scales of fish swimming in the lake shine golden in the evening sun.
Fresh spring water and hot spring water bubble up from the lake bottom, and because the water temperature remains warm throughout the year, you can see the magical sight of steam rising from the surface in the early morning from fall to winter.
The path around the lake is about 400 meters long and well maintained for walking, so you can enjoy a leisurely stroll while watching fish and waterfowl.

Yunotsubo Kaido is located about a 5-minute walk east of Yufuin Station.
It is Yufuin’s main street, stretching Approx. 800 meters to Lake Kinrin.
Lined with many souvenir shops and restaurants, it is also full of sweets that are perfect for snacking as you stroll.
There are also many restaurants serving excellent dishes made with local ingredients, making it a great choice for those who want to try Oita gourmet food. With plenty of gift shops as well, it is also ideal for souvenir shopping.

Located east of Yufuin Station, Mt. Yufu is the first thing that comes into view when you step out of the station.
Because of its مخروط-shaped form, it is also called Bungo Fuji, and its beautiful ridgeline is one of its charms.
Fittingly, it has also been selected as one of Japan’s 200 famous mountains.
Mt. Yufu has long been an object of worship and even appears in the Kojiki, Japan’s oldest historical chronicle.
From the summit of Mt. Yufu, you can enjoy spectacular views of the Yufuin Basin and the distant mountains.
As it takes about 2 hours to reach the top, it is also recommended to use Yufuin Onsen as a base for hiking.