Noboribetsu was a place I had literally never heard of until we started planning our trip to Hokkaido and I came across stunning photos of a place there called Hell Valley.
Instantly I knew it was somewhere I wanted to visit and was even more thrilled to discover that we were expecting snow on our trip.
If you’re visiting Sapporo, an overnight trip to Noboribetsu is a great option to see more of the stunning Hokkaido landscapes. We also met some people who were stopped there for a night on their onward journey from Sapporo to Hakodate as the train passed through Noboribetsu. So if you have a JR Pass, a stop in Noboribetsu is a great option.
So, what are the best things to do in Noboribetsu, how do you get there and where do you stay? I’ll be covering it all here.
Jigokudani
Jigokudani Deck
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Where is Noboribetsu?
Noboribetsu is a hot spring town located close to the east coast, around 1.5 hour drive south of Sapporo in Hokkaido - Japan’s most northern island.
How to get to Noboribetsu
The two main ways to get to Noboribetsu are either by car or by train.
We hired a car from Nissan Rent-a-car, close to Sapporo Main Station which cost us approximately 27,000 yen / £140. We booked this through Booking .com but you could also use Klook which often has more local car rental providers available.
Alternatively, you can take the train from Sapporo Main Station to Noboribetsu which takes 1.5 hour on the Limited Express Suzuran train towards Higashi-Muroran.
Jigokudani walkway
Oyunuma Pond
Where to stay in Noboribetsu
Noboribetsu is a famous hot spring town, built on huge hot springs and around the Jigokudani volcanic crater. Horobetsu was the original name of the village here which only dates back to 1919.
So of course with the hot springs and steam rising from the crater and Tessen Ike geyser, we had to stay at an onsen hotel in Noboribetsu and I think this stunning one has to be the best onsen in Noboribetsu: Dai-ichi Takimotokan.
This huge hot springs hotel is stunning and we booked a traditional room with tatami mats, traditional Japanese robes and it was such a fun and beautiful experience.
The onsen is a traditional set up with men and women bathing separately and no clothing is permitted.
One side of the onsen has huge glass windows with views of the Jigokudani crater and with a dusting of snow it was just spectacular. Obviously photos cannot be taken in the onsen to protect the privacy of others, but it was just stunning.
There is also an outdoor onsen area in traditional stone paths with varying levels of heat and salt content. Being outside in the hot water will the area temperature was around freezing was such a stunning experience. I went into the onsen both in the evening and also in the morning. In the evening it even started to snow as I sat in the baths outside.
Dai-ichi Takimotokan room
The best things to do in Noboribetsu, Japan
Visit Jigokudani, aka Hell Valley
This is the most famous attraction in Noboribetsu and it is spectacular. We visited in winter and the cold air meant the rising steam from the hot springs was especially dramatic and the snow covered hills contrasted with the orange stone of the hillsides.
You can park in the main car park for Jigokudani which costs 500 yen. From there you can immediately cross the road to get to the Jigokudani Observation Deck and see your first view of the dramatic Hell Valley in Hokkaido.
From here, follow the path along the valley edge, you’ll then reach a wooden walkway which takes you out across the crater in the valley so you can get up close to the steaming springs. The landscape was incredibly dramatic and despite the sulphur smell it was a beautiful experience!
We chose to continue our walk along the valley to reach the Oyumuna Pond.
Jigokudani
Visit Oyunuma Pond and foot bath
In the summer it’s possible to drive down to the Oyunuma Pond and see the steam rising from the turquoise blue crater lake. Unfortunately the road is closed in the winter due to snow so the pond is only accessible by foot if you visit in the winter.
The path was incredibly icy getting down to the pond, with ropes to hold on to. I would highly recommend good quality walking shoes and I definitely would have used ice spikes if I had them with me.
The pond is a dramatic blue colour with steam rising and orange hills surrounding the pond.
Continuing the walk from here through the woods, you’ll also reach the River Oyunuma Natural foot baths.
This is a natural hot spring stream with a rudimentary wooden platform built into the side of the river bank where you can take off your shoes and dip your feet in the warm spring water. This is completely free to visit and enjoy and is especially nice to enjoy out in nature.
Oyunuma Pond
Oyunuma Natural foot baths
Stay at an onsen hotel
Being an onsen town in Hokkaido, staying in an onsen hotel in Noboribetsu is a must!
As I mentioned above, if you’re looking for Noboribetsu hot springs, we stayed in Dai-ichi Takimotokan hotel.
Dai-ichi Takimotokan is a massive onsen hotel in Noboribetsu and has a variety of rooms, both modern and traditional. Our traditional room came with tatami mats and traditional robes.
The onsen itself is huge, with several indoor pools with huge glass windows overlooking the crater. There are also several outdoor baths which are especially enjoyable in the winter time.
The onsen also has sauna and steam rooms as well as the usual shower, hair and changing facilities. Of course I can only speak for the women’s facilities as this onsen is split traditionally between male and female bathers.
Traditional robes
Dai-ichi Takimotokan room
Noboribetsu Ropeway and Noboribetsu Bear Park
I actually really did not like this experience and did not intend to visit the Bear Park as the bears that are kept there are just there to perform for audiences and I honestly didn’t love the conditions they were kept in.
But the Bear Park is free to visit when you buy the Noboribetsu Ropeway ticket and Taylor (my husband) had never been on a mountain cable car before. So we took the cable car up and there is an incredible view of Lake Kuttara crater from the top. There is also a traditional Ainu village recreated up here in the park which was interesting to see.
However I was so sad to see the way that the bears were treated and made to perform and do not endorse that in the slightest.
The ropeway was beautiful and very enjoyable at sunset, we had a cable car to ourselves and even saw wild deer running around the mountainside on the ride up.
Noboribetsu Ropeway
Mamma’s House Izakaya
We were looking for hearty, warming Japanese food and beer on our evening staying in Noboribetsu as we didn’t buy the food package at our hotel. So we went out to look for food choices and stumbled on this super cute place and found ourselves with a few other travelers.
The restaurant is only in Japanese on Google Maps, you can click here for the location. But we found that まま家 means Mamma’s House and the sweet elderly lady there was cooking fresh gyoza and other Japanese home cooked classics for us to enjoy with a few Sapporo beers. It was so cheap and tasty and we had such a lovely evening of home cooked food and meeting other travellers.
Mamma’s House Izakaya
Visit Noboribetsu Date Jidai Village
This village is more of an attraction park with performances and food about Edo history and traditionally constructed Edo period houses and buildings that make you feel like you’ve travelled back in time.
It’s a small place but with seasonal performances which are almost exclusively in Japanese, but there is plenty to do for both adults and children.
Noboribetsu Date Jidai Village
Spending longer around Noboribetsu?
We spent about a week driving around this central area of Hokkaido below Sapporo and we actually got engaged on this trip, not far from Noboribetsu!
So if you’re hired a car and you’ve got more time in the area, check out:
Lake Toya
Mount Yotei
Lake Shikotsu ice festival (winter only)
Jozankei Onsen Town
Mount Yotei
Jozankei Onsen Town
Otaru
Summary: visiting Noboribetsu, Japan
Although this is a small town in Hokkaido, I hope if you’re finding yourself off the beaten path and wanting to explore more of what Japan and Hokkaido have to offer, then this is a great option!
We visited in winter and while it was magical and definitely lent itself to extra enjoyment of the onsen with the snowy scenes around you, you could enjoy a trip here at any time of year!
