Shirahone Onsen from Matsumoto or Nagano

Hello everyone. We are planing to visit Matsumoto castle from Tokyo as one day trip in the end of March. As well as i would love to stop for couple of hrs at one of Onsen around that area. Need advice on which one to to choose Shirahone Onsen vs Kusatsu Onsen. I know it going to be very long day, but we are ok to start really early, like 6 and finish late. I probably prefer Shirahone Onsen, but I read that it�fs closed till mid April for winter and it really big headache to get in and out there as well. Please make a suggestions on transportation. Thank you very much

Kusatsu is too far. Why you want to chose something so far if the good things are so near? Matsomoto area has really good onsen around, there is no reason to travel that long. So the answer between those two is Shirahone (it is also especially beautiful)

But here are also some other suggestions in the near surrounding:
* In case road to Shirahone is closed (unlikely in march), and you still want to be in the mountains, you may go instead to Hirayu Onsen (road is bigger to there)
* Asamaonsen directly in Matsumoto (especially Biwa no yu), superclose, supernice
* Besshoonsen (only reasonable if you have a car, but take care, the road from Matsumoto is very small, but therefore Bessho is extremely beautiful )
* Nakabusa onsen (you will be probably the only tourists since ages)
* Kurashita Onsen
* and if you rather like small sento style onsens: Okaya has plenty of them, with extremely good water

ps: my suggestions are only reasonable, in case "one-day-trip" means you stay over the night in this area. If you mean returing on the same day to tokyo, then in my opinion only Asama onsen is the only really good option.

Matsumoto has plenty to see and if you need some additional 2-4 hours to travel from/to an onsen your trip will get too stressful. Asama Onsen is easily reachable by bus from Matsumoto station. (Once my friend even walked from there to the onsens (it took him about an hour)).

Thank you SO much for this information. I will research on those Onsens. The reason we wanted to go to Kusatsu that it has a lot of authenticity an not as touristy (I think). Besides, there is unique water there as well.
Thanks again

i think you wouldn't have enough time to enjoy kusatsu anyhow. kusatsu is about onsen hopping and trying different onsens but with your limited timeframe you would maybe only make it barely into one...

besides, kusatsu ist the MOST touristic onsen of all onsens mentioned here. :-)

(if you really have only one day for back and forth, i think biwa no yu in matsumoto will do. if you are there, dont oversee the marvelous rottenburo!) this will give you more time to enjoy matsumoto (you could go for example for famous horse-meal-dishes) and besides water is famous of Asama onsen aswell (well not as famous as kusatsu, but which onsen could claim that? :-) )