Arima Onsen (有馬温泉) is one of the oldest hot spring towns in Japan, known for its unique golden hot spring and beautiful mountain scenery. If you find yourself in Osaka or Kobe, you can easily arrange a day or two to visit for a tranquil Japanese small-town experience and luxuriate in its many onsen offerings.
The first thing to know about Arima Onsen: it’s one of Japan’s three most famous hot springs, alongside Kusatsu and Gero onsen. Nestled amidst lush natural landscapes, its healing thermal waters are celebrated for their therapeutic benefits.
Despite its global fame not matching that of Hakone in the Kanto region, Arima, located near Kobe, has a rich history dating back nearly 1300 years.
This quaint hot spring town, embraced by the scenic Rokko Mountain, has consistently ranked among the finest onsens in western Japan. Its allure lies in its beautiful scenery and, of course, its exceptional hot spring offerings.
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The Unique Golden Hot Springs
What sets Arima Onsen apart from other hot springs is its fascinating golden hot springs, known as Kinsen (金泉), or gold spring. These springs are formed as the water rises from bedrock, carrying salt and iron. As it oxidizes, it takes on a distinctive golden hue.
There is also a clear type of hot spring called Ginsen (銀泉), or silver spring, which contains radium and carbonate. Throughout the onsen town, you can enjoy various bathhouses including open-air baths, private baths, and mixed-gender baths, so it is perfect for everyone!
Hot Spring Skin and Health Benefits
Hot Springs are a great way to soak and relax your body, especially after a long day of travel. The hot springs in Arima Onsen are particularly beneficial for your skin and overall health. The iron deposits in the Kinsen are said to help with skin ailments and muscle pain, while the Ginsen is said to cure various muscle and joint ailments. If you’re feeling a little sore, these are the onsens for you!
How To Get To Arima Onsen
If you are traveling by car, Arima Onsen is just a one-hour drive from Osaka or just 30 minutes from Kobe. For public transportation, head to Sannomiya Bus Terminal in Kobe, where you can purchase tickets for the KR Kousoku bus (高速バス) that goes directly to Arima Onsen. You can also catch an express direct bus from Shin Osaka (新大阪) and Shin Kobe (新神戸) bus terminals.
At the bus terminal, you can check the departure times or visit this link.
The hotel we stayed at (Arima Grand Hotel) has a shuttle that picks up passengers at the JR Kousoku bus stop. Call the hotel to make a pickup arrangement before arrival or at the bus stop. They will come to pick you up in less than 10 minutes.
Alternatively, you can board the Shintetsu Arima Line from Shin-Kobe Station. The Arima Line is operated by Kobe Electric Railways and runs between Arima Onsen Station and Minatogawa Station. From Shin-Kobe Station, you can access the Shintetsu Arima Line via the municipal subway system at Tanigami Station.
What to do in Arima Onsen
Arima City Center
Right after our arrival in Arima, we wasted no time and promptly hopped on the hotel shuttle bus to check into our room. After enjoying a light afternoon snack, we ventured out to explore downtown Arima, eager to see what the town has to offer.
Here’s the beautiful Arima River that flows right through Downtown Arima.
Cross Nene Bridge (ねね橋), which is also a great spot to admire the Arima River and its surroundings.
There are walkways in the middle of the river that allow you to stroll around and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere.
Nearby, you’ll also find Yukemuri Hiroba (湯けむり広場), a lively square where you can soak in the town’s atmosphere and appreciate all the statues.
The small city center has sake and beer stores, gift shops, and a local soda cracker tansan senbei shop. It’s a great area to buy some souvenirs to take home!
This is where the famous Tansan Senbei (炭酸せんべい) is made in Arima. The batter drips down into a press, where it is heated and transformed into crackers. The workers remove the excess flakes before packaging the rice crackers.
Kin No Yu
One of the most iconic hot springs in Arima is Kin no Yu, where you can enjoy the golden water hot springs and even carbonated water hot springs, which help with sore muscles and body aches. Just outside is Taiko no Ashiyu, a small foot bath high in sodium chloride and kept at 42.3 degrees Celsius.
This combination effectively relieves bruises, achy joints, and muscle aches, and the best part is, it’s free of charge! After all the traveling, what better way to relax? There is a sister hot spring called Gin no Yu, where you can enjoy the silver water hot springs.
Kin no Yu admission fee costs 800 yen (650 yen on weekdays) for adults and 350 yen for children. Gin no yu costs 700 yen (550 yen on weekdays) and 300 yen respectively. Alternatively, you can buy a pass giving you access to both for 1200 yen (prices in 2024).
Mt. Rokko (六甲山)
Besides the city center area, another quick excursion around the area is Mt. Rokko (六甲山). The hotel also offered a shuttle bus that dropped us off at the Rokko Arima Ropeway. The view from the top of Mt. Rokko along with Hakodate and Nagasaki is considered one of the three great night views in Japan (日本三大夜景).
When we reached the summit, we climbed a small hill to discover a restaurant and gift shop at the mountain’s peak, complete with a balcony offering breathtaking views of the harbor and city.
Unfortunately, the day we visited was cloudy and overcast, so it was difficult to catch sight of Kobe and Osaka.
Arima Grand Hotel 有馬グランドホテル
There are many accommodation options in Arima, but after considering hotel reviews and, more importantly, dining options, we settled on the Arima Grand Hotel. Situated atop a hill, it may be a bit challenging to reach without a car. Luckily, the hotel offers shuttles that provide transportation from the bus station to the city center (just 5 minutes away) and the Rokko Arima Ropeway.
Arima Grand Hotel – Room
The standard room was typical of most Japanese ryokan setups, with the bathroom near the entrance, a Japanese-style tatami room in the center, and a sitting area by the windows. Snacks and green tea were served when we first arrived in the room.
Our amazing view looks over Arima Onsen from the room’s balcony. The sleeping arrangement was set up by the staff after dinner.
Arima Grand Hotel – Dinner
One of the highlights when staying in a Japanese hotel is the kaiseki meal they serve. When booking our hotels through JTB, we always pay attention to the food score. If you plan on dining at the hotel, aim to book one with at least 85 points.
Depending on the hotel or ryokan, dinner can be served in your room, another private room, or a large dining area. At Arima Grand Hotel, dinner was served in our room.
Overall, the dinner experience at Arima Grand Hotel was fantastic, and we were impressed with the presentation and taste of everything. It was the perfect amount of food for us, and all the flavors complemented each other beautifully.
Arima Grand Hotel – Breakfast Buffet
The room package we booked also included a breakfast buffet. The quality of the buffet was pretty good and offered a wide variety of food selections. Typically, Japanese hotel buffets include both Western and Japanese dishes, as well as local specialties. You better wake up with a big appetite!
Arima Grand Hotel – Onsen Area
The hotel also offers hot springs located both on the rooftop and in the basement, both of which were exceptionally clean and inviting. On the top floor, guests can unwind in the soothing hot springs while enjoying unobstructed views of the beautiful Arima landscape. Meanwhile, on the basement floor, the outdoor bath is nestled in a serene forest setting.
Both the men’s and women’s bath areas feature gold and silver hot springs, so you have the option to relax in either or both. Since we are not allowed to take photos of the baths, please see the hotel’s website for more info.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Arima Onsen. For those seeking a serene hot spring experience without the crowds often found in Hakone, Arima offers so many charming elements that make it well worth a visit! Plus, it’s just a short car ride away from Osaka and Kobe, so I highly recommend stopping by and unwinding if you have the time to visit.
♨️ Bonus Read: Onsen Etiquette: Your Guide to Japanese Hot Springs
The Onsen looks beautiful! When we travel to Japan and stay in the hotels, it is a lot of fun trying out the Japanese breakfast. The western breakfasts & breads and pastries are usually wonderful too for those who are not so adventuresome! When we were near Kobe, my husband and nephew were able to go to a baseball game. If you have a chance to do that also, it is quite an experience and is much different than attending a game in the USA…I would highly recommend it! Thank you for sharing your trip and giving us a “tour” of the onsen! I hope to visit the Arima Onsen someday!
Hi Annie! Yes! I love breakfasts in hotels and ryokans because I get to eat both – starting Japanese and move onto western breakfast with coffee… that’s how I eat (I do eat a big breakfast in general). 😀
Ohhh! You have a great advice! I didn’t think about that. True, I used to watch baseball games with my dad growing up. I remember when I first watched American baseball game here, it was so chilled and I got bored. Japanese baseball game is like going to a concert. You lose your voice by the time the game is over. LOL.
Hope you get to visit Arima one day! xo
Oh Nami – now you have me all ‘mixed up’!! Am thinking of going on an o’seas trip overdue next year . . . was thinking in terms of a Provencal food/wine river cruise in France followed by heaps of theatre in London or visiting a number of friends up the Prairies way in the US, but would SO love to return to Japan!! Have been to Hakone more than once when it was not so touristy but Arima Onsen is new and feels very comfortably attractive! I could ‘settle’ in a Kyoto ryokan for awhile and take in all the other sights with no problems. Love having dinner in my own room . . . yours at your hotel spelled nought but absolute perfection!! What month would you suggest – don’t want to say ‘hello’ to typhoons if I can help it!
Aw Eha! I’d love to visit France! Japan can wait for you… 😀 Your trip sounds AMAZING! Yeah, June is not crowded so it’s great for sightseeing and price-wise, but we get cloudy weather (as you see in the post) in everywhere. I’d say spring was so beautiful with sakura everywhere and I’m sure fall is gorgeous with Japanese maple trees and gingko trees!
i thoroughly appreciated the well organized photos and explanations. Great explanation of the area.
Thank you for sharing them with us and taking the time
Hi Carol! Thank you so much for your kind feedback. I’m so happy you enjoyed this post. 🙂
awesome travel post! thanks for all the tips about the transportation options, sights and of course the food! anywhere, the food is the most important thing to consider. that’s how my husband and i travel or make decisions as well. 🙂
Hehehe, we think alike!!! Thank you for reading the travel post! 🙂
Wow, what great photos! Love your travel posts — so much info. Almost feel as if I’m there. You should adopt me so I can go on your next trip. 😀
I would LOVE to take you to Japan with us, John! 🙂
Oh my gosh, the buffet! The game room! I so enjoyed this post, thank you!
Thank you Julie! I forgot about the game room until I see all the pictures. We didn’t even step in because the kids were crazy about soaking in hot springs so many times. Funny, they usually bother us to get coins. 🙂
It looks so pretty there! I bet these pictures don’t even do it half the justice of being there in person. I’d love to go someday.
Thank you Trinity! I wish I could take better pictures to show what we see. The weather wasn’t really good when we traveled this time (always rainy season at this time of the year – mid June to mid July). Cloudy or raining all the time! Thank you for reading the post! 🙂
Love this post Nami, yet another to bookmark. Such a pretty city, would love to visit this too someday. But your food photos? I had to scroll down quickly after the 1st few ones, coz they were making me drool, sigh!
Hi Ava! Thank you for your kind words! I’m always surrounded by the food, even editing the pictures and writing the post. >_< I know what you mean... I'm always hungry too! 😀
What a lovely place! Thank you for sharing details about the town in addition to the onsen and, of course, the food. The kaiseki set looked so delicious—I’m sure it was. 🙂 I like the buffet plate with the little separations for different foods.
Hi Kimmi! Yeah the plate is very helpful, BUT I wish each space is a bit bigger…. Hahahaha. 😀 Thank you for reading the post! xo
Beautiful!!!! Your photos are so amazing! The food looked delicious, and the hotel was so pristine and luxurious!!!! GLad you enjoyed!!!
Thank you for reading my post, Carlyn! The hotel hasn’t changed much since I visited over 20 years ago. LOL. I think they kept it well. 🙂
Used to go there all the time when I lived with my Sanda-Shi family in Hyogo-Ken! Loved tansan senbei, my favorite treat! I learned Kansai-Ben and my relatives in Nagano were not amused! ????
Hi Lily! Hahaha! My mom never spoked to us in Kansai-ben (she’s been in Tokyo since her college days), but she changes to kansai-ben when someone speaks it. 🙂 I’m glad you’ve been to Arima Onsen before. Such a nice get-away place with hot springs!
I enjoyed your trip to Arima very much. And I am sure I will on other travels that you made. I love travelling to Japan and has been to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Takayama and recent Hokkaido again. I am never tired of it. Oh ys, must not forget I enjoyed your cooking too! Thank you. Pat, Singapore
Hi Patricia! How wonderful that you’ve been to all these cities (my favorite cities!). Arima onsen is really nice quick get away from Kansai area, so do consider visiting next time in that region! 🙂
Hey Nami!
Woah the hotel looks amazing! And the food as well… Looking at the breakfast buffet made me drool (it’s around 8am here, so just right in time XD). It’s too bad it’s a place I don’t think I could afford to go even in 100years.
About the Arima onsen, I’m pretty sure I saw a program, either French or Japanese on TV, and I was amazed by the place. Looks totally lovely to go and relax your body.
I’ve always wanted to go to onsen, but since I have tattoos, and so many people convinced me it’ll be hard for a gaijin with tattoos to get in, that I gave up… I have the feeling it’ll be really hard for high class or famous onsen so I never tried to go there in case I’d be rejected at the entrance.
Hi Andrea! Family hot spring has been getting popular and a lot of Japanese inns / ryokan tries to have the facility. You have to reserve the time for the use, but if you can find those places, you don’t have to worry about being naked in front of others and tattoos. 😉 I think more ryokan catering for foreigners accommodate those guests. Also some rooms have own hot spring bath tub in the room. Slightly expensive, but if you search, there is always a good deal (on weekdays etc). I recommend going in non-summer months, so ryokan staff won’t see your tattoos (if you wear short leaves or pants etc). 🙂 I’d love for you to experience Japan’s hot springs one day!
It’s so beautiful there at Arima Onsen! I would love to take my family there some day! What a gorgeous place to relax and enjoy! The food looks super yummy as well! Isn’t it wonderful to take the kids to places that only you and your hubby had been to “before kids”? We did that this summer and it was so much fun. And what an coincident! I made Onsen Tamago with udon after trying them in Hawaii during our vacation! They are so good! Thanks for sharing your post and your tips. We’re thinking of going to Japan next summer, hopefully. Will definitely take notes from your posts! 😉
Hi Amy! I just watched your video! Super cool udon recipe with onsen tamago! Maybe we can meet in Japan next summer! xoxo
Another great travel post.. I really look forward to your summer holidays ???? And what about an anniversary dinner post?? ???? Thank you!
Hi Sally! Thank you for reading my travel post! I started working on the next post too. 🙂 Hope you enjoy upcoming travel posts!
What anniversary dinner post?? Did I forget?