Gero Onsen vs. Shin-hotaka vs Hirayu onsen

Hi folks,

We will be visiting the Chubu area in Japan next May, and we only have two days to try one of the onsens in that area. We love seclusion and nature, with good quality onsen water. So which onsen town we should stay over?

1. Gero Onsen
2. Shin-hotaka onsen
3. Hirayu onsen

Please advise,
Ronald

Out of the places you cite, I was only in Hirayu onsen. If you look at pictures of Gero onsen it seems to be quite an ugly town. (No offense meant, but it’s not a romantic onsen village like Ginzan onsen or Kurokawa Onsen).

I stayed in Hirayu onsen directly down close by the parking lot in the Hirayu no mori and weathered out a typhoon. If you have a car or more time you could definitely go more up into the mountains to more secluded ones, but I was happy enough where I was with 9 rotenburos (female section) and the hotel itself was also quite nice.

I can’t comment on ShinHotaka.

Enjoy your trip to Japan!

Thank you LikeBike,

We are leaning towards ShinHotaka or Hirayu Onsen too. I think we will choose one of the above then.

We missed out on Ginzan onsen last time and hv not been to Kurokawa onsen but cld imagine how romantic Ginzan would be. How long did u stay in Ginzan last time?

Gero is probably not the romantic onsen-village what you are looking for, but, it definitely has some charm! We wanted to see why it is so popular among japanese, so stayed 2 nights last November. And actually liked it - rented bikes and discovered both sides of river, enjoyed onsen museum, footbaths, walked around in yukatas after dinner.

Shin-hotaka onsen and Hirayu onsen are about the same from scenary.

Gero is not really nice town, but most easy to get in and out. And quality of water is good there too. But since they forbit naked bathing under the bridge it is no longer the same :-)
It has probably the most "night life" from those 3 places.

I suggest to go to Shinhotaka has a nice ropeway, but Onsens are more apart from each other than in Hirayu, if you consider onsen hopping. By the way there are buses that connect those 2 onsen places, so in case you have much time, you can even see them both

Shin-hotaka it is then, with hopefully enough time to onsen hop to Hirayu Onsen or Shin-hirayu onsen.

Thanks, Glimpi

Btw, is two nights at Shin-hotaka too long?

i would rather make it like this that you make only one night in Shin-hotaka,

there you can go with the ropeway up the mountain and also enjoy beautiful baths next to the river
* https://www.google.at/maps/place/Shinhotaka+Ropeway/@36.2857572,137.57...
* https://www.google.at/maps/place/新穂高の湯/@36.2708462,137.5745755,15z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x0:0xc2f97e460ecc5588!2sShinhotaka+Ropeway!8m2!3d36.2857572!4d137.5753051!3m4!1s0x0:0xb8ebbdfe48eb444f!8m2!3d36.2651476!4d137.5626388

then i would move on an stay a night in Hirayu Onsen. (so i think one night is enough in each place) There i recommend
* museum: https://www.google.at/maps/place/平湯民俗館/@36.1914386,137.5554624,18.17z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x0:0xc2f97e460ecc5588!2sShinhotaka+Ropeway!8m2!3d36.2857572!4d137.5753051!3m4!1s0x0:0x9edf99f1572eff1!8m2!3d36.1919027!4d137.5543132
* this onsen (hope they finished their repairs meantime) https://www.google.at/maps/place/平湯民俗館+平湯の湯/@36.1923959,137.5538589,16.32z/data=!4m12!1m6!3m5!1s0x0:0xc2f97e460ecc5588!2sShinhotaka+Ropeway!8m2!3d36.2857572!4d137.5753051!3m4!1s0x0:0x18e6de3b0d939b81!8m2!3d36.1916115!4d137.5546324

on the way between those 2 places you can stop Mukashibanashinosato Isurugi Hot spring for some more onsen hopping, if you would still have too much time left to spend.

so two days are great, but i am a big onsen and nature fan.

Wow, thanks for those links, Glimpi! They are really helpful.

1. Is the public transport/distance between the ShinHotaka and Hirayu Onsen too long/far to be based in ShinHotaka for both nights, while onsen hopping between them?

2. Is there a Yumeguri ticket that will allos access to all these onsens at discounted prices? We love onsen too and wondering if there is a Yumeguri style onsen entry ticket like they have in Kusatsu or Nyuto Onsen.

3. The outdoor onsen you recommended that is under repair looks intriguing. Are they under renovation or was damaged? And are these onsen open to public or overnight guests only?

1) well i would change just for the change in scenery and food. also you can enjoy then more "for guests only"-onsen time when you move to two different hotels.

basically it is possible to make onsen hopping by bus, here you find timeplans of the buses:
* https://www.nouhibus.co.jp/english/
* http://www.alpico.co.jp/access/express/matsumoto_takayama/
so you can decide for yourself

2) i dont think so. almost all of the ryokans in this area offer day visit entry, but i havnt heard of a combination ticket (that doesnt mean that it doesnt exist. i just dont know about it and never have used any). anyhow i dont think you will have so much time. if you for example go into Hirayunomori this alown has 9 baths for women and 7 for men.

3) i checked the homepage and there is nothing about renovation mentioned any more, so i guess it is ok. all onsens i posted above are public onsen not belonging to any hotel or ryokan.

Awesome information and thank you for the links, Glimpi!

Does it matter if we stay in Hirayu Onsen first or Shin Hotaka first? We will be coming either from Kamikochi/Shirahone Onsen (thank you for suggesting that one too) on the first day, then on the third day we will depart towards Toyama to try Gattan Go in another town.

I’m just wondering if it’s nicer to be at Hirayu Onsen first, then become more secluded as we move on to Shin Hotaka?

well, as you wrote in your other thread, you come from kiso and maybe want to check kamikochi before, right?
=> so this would suggest first going to hirayu, cause it is closer, on the route and you will already had a busy day traveling... going to shin-hotaka first would mean going back and forth, but basically if you check google the distance is not so much (with car just about 20 minutes) between those two places, so i dont think it matters much.

PS: hirayu is not to much different from Shin-Hotaka.
Both is pretty secluded an an onsen paradise. See here for Hirayu
https://www.google.at/search?q=Hirayu+Onsen&client=opera&hs=uFJ&source...

Awesome, thanks heaps Glimpi!

Any idea where to stay in Hirayu Onsen, Glimpi?

well i generally stay in Hirayunomori (ひらゆの森 - http://www.hirayunomori.co.jp )
* the hotel is nothing special, also not food, but therefore prices are quite cheap
* however onsen are really beautiful, which is for me more important

but for sure there are more luxery options like Takumi no Yado Miyama Ouan, where i also stayed once (but it is more expensive)

ps: http://okuhida-yumotokan.com/spa.html has also pretty nice onsen (i never stayed there over night, but it might be worth checking)