If you want to avoid crowds, we recommend taking a bath at a hot spring in the morning. For those who prefer to enjoy a hot spring early in the day while traveling, here is a guide to recommended hot spring facilities in central Kyoto that are open in the morning.
1st Recommended Hot Spring: Tenzan no Yu
Open from 10:00 AM.
There are very few hot springs within Kyoto City. Tenzan-no-Yu is one of the top facilities in Kyoto, offering excellent-quality hot spring water, including baths with free-flowing natural spring water.
“Free-flowing” means the hot spring water is used exactly as it comes out of the ground, without circulation. In many other facilities, the bathwater is mixed with groundwater because most places do not have enough spring output to maintain true free-flowing baths.
Tenzan-no-Yu offers a wide variety of baths such as a large open-air bath, carbonated bath, jet bath, reclining bath, and individual pot baths, allowing visitors to relax for an extended period.
2nd Recommended Hot Spring: Sauna Ume-yu
Open from 6:00 AM.
It is a sento loved by Japanese locals and frequently used by people from the neighborhood. At the same time, many international visitors also come here, making it a good choice even for those experiencing a Japanese public bath for the first time.
From the reception area, you can immediately feel the retro atmosphere of a traditional public bath. It is also unusual for a Kyoto sento to sell merchandise, which has been well received by sento and bathhouse enthusiasts.
It’s not suitable for long stays, so it’s best to take a quick morning bath and then visit nearby sightseeing spots or continue your travels.
This is a public bath, not a hot spring.
3rd Mibu Onsen Hana-no-Yu
Open from 10:00 AM.
The hot spring water used at Mibu Onsen Hanano-yu comes from a high-quality source in Shiga Prefecture, next to Kyoto, emerging from 1,300 meters underground.
Mibu Onsen Hanano-yu features both indoor and outdoor baths, allowing guests to enjoy natural hot spring water. There are baths with different temperatures—some are hotter, while others are cooler—so even those who are sensitive to heat can relax comfortably.
One minor drawback is that the hot spring water is not sourced directly from Kyoto, but brought in from neighboring Shiga Prefecture.
While the facility offers a wide variety of baths, it is very popular among locals, which means it can get crowded and may not always provide a completely relaxing experience. However, if you visit in the morning, it is usually not crowded, allowing you to relax comfortably.
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