Shinzanso

The guesthouse’s location is beautiful, we absolutely loved the view we had from a window and a front door. The bus stops some 5 mins from the guesthouse’s front door. The ropeway is within 15 mins walk from the guesthouse. On the checkout day the staff gave us a free ride to the ropeway from where we forwarded our luggage and hopped on a next bus. The guesthouse itself is very convenient with all the essential facilities. As a person with lots of tattoos it is not always easy for me to find an Onsen in Japan that would have me, but this guesthouse offered private baths I could use. The views from there were as stunning as from the communal baths. There is also a smaller indoors hot bath in the bathing room that I also used with a great pleasure. Did not have a dinner or breakfast but it smelled deliciously around a meal time!

This place was stunning and by far one of my favorite parts of my trip to Japan. I rarely write reviews but this place just resonated with me. It is nestled in the mountains along a turquoise river, with private onsens and a true traditional Japanese feel. Dinner is a bit pricey at about 40 usd per person but in my opinion totally worth it. They give you so much food that is so well made and meticulously thought out it is an experience on its own. You can also bring snacks as there is a small fridge in the rooms and there is a vending machine for drinks right outside. The staff will mostly communicate with you through Google translate and videos but you will get all your needs met. A little information about getting there that could be helpful: I took the Nohi highway bus from (Tokyo) Shinjuku terminal to Takayama bus terminal. This bus will make a few 15 min stops along the way. One of these stops will be the Hiraya Onsen (about 45 minutes from Takayama) I actually ended up getting off here as it is much closer to Shinzanso and buying a ticket for another bus going to Shinhotaka Ropeway. On the Shinhotaka bus I got off on exit H63 for Shinzanzo. Definitely double check all this information at the bus terminal/with bus drivers as I’m sure the information can change. But I found this out on a whine and it actually saved me 2 hours of being on the bus!! Hopefully it helps you too :) Hiraya Onsen is also your transfer point to get to Kamikochi as you will have to take two buses to get there. All in all do yourself a favor and stay at Shinzanso it is the experience of a lifetime.

Booked this place for one night to experience their riverside onsen and was not disappointed. The facility is definitely on the older side, but the view and vibes were fantastic especially while surrounded by 2 ft tall snow. I even saw a fox while soaking. Private onsens must be reserved the day of for slots of 50 min which is more than enough time. Meals are not included in the booking, but there is a mini-fridge in the room and a public microwave in the hallway in case you bring your own food. Shinzanso is one of the few ryokans in the area that allow solo travelers to book, and my room could probably comfortably fit two people. People seem to complain about not having private toilets (there was a private sink in my room) but this is Japan lol. You can expect the public bathrooms to be very clean and designed to be as private as possible. I didn't see any stink bugs during my stay but did see them at other ryokans that I stayed at in the area. Also of note, the staff don't speak English but went out of their way to help me call and move the date of a separate reservation I had. Would absolutely stay again!

This is quite a unique property. It’s a place where you go specifically for onsen and a night of very traditional dining/ sleeping etc. It was a good experience for us. We used the private onsen which was really nice. If you have a car, it’s quite close to the ropeway/ sawando bus stop etc.

The location is stunning. Right next to the river and surrounded by mountains. I couldn’t believe such an amazing place was real! If you are not driving it can be little convenient, but if you’re renting a car and enjoy driving as I did, it was not much of a bother to get there. The onsen it was just unreal! I had the ladies outdoors onsen for myself the three times I used it. Fabulous! Indoors bath is also great. Very happy with the facilities.