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Awara Onsen ryokan with an open-air bath: 5 picked from 35
Approximate, at the rate on 2026-10-02. You pay in yen.
- Awara Onsen ryokan in Fukui, a short ride from Awara-Onsen station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen
- Own garden bath in 33 rooms at Grandia Hosen; a family buffet at Seifuso
- Weeknight prices start at about ¥23,000 at Matsuya Sensen and ¥38,000 at Tsuruya
The five
| Best for | Where to book | Score | Weeknight (per person) | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top-rated of the seven, a 22-room ryokan founded in 1884 — if you can’t decide | Echizen Awara Onsen Tsuruya Check price |
88/100 | ¥38,000–135,000 | ¥48,000–138,000 |
| The cheapest of the five, with a big open-air bath | Awara Onsen Matsuya Sensen Check price |
85/100 | ¥23,000–39,000 | ¥34,000–50,000 |
| 33 rooms with a private garden bath, dinner in your room | Awara Onsen Grandia Hosen Check price |
83/100 | ¥31,000–44,000 | ¥58,000–119,000 |
| A huge garden open-air bath and a buffet for families | Awara Onsen Seifuso Check price |
77/100 | ¥30,000–57,000 | ¥43,000–63,000 |
| Traditional 1884 ryokan, both meals in a private room | Awara Onsen Haiya Check price |
67/100 | ¥25,000–40,000 | ¥36,000 |
Prices are the cheapest per person found on Rakuten Travel for Wednesdays and Saturdays between 2026-10-31 – 2026-12-23, for 2 adults in one room (checked 2026-10-24). They move daily — the link shows live prices.
The booking links go to Agoda, which shows today’s price and lets you pay in your own currency. Its price can differ from the Rakuten Travel figures above.
Top-rated of the seven, a 22-room ryokan founded in 1884
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.81/5 (391) · Agoda 9.8/10 (6) · 397 in total
- Bills itself as a refined hot-spring inn for adults
- Tatami corridors, so no slippers; tabi socks are provided
Why it made the five
- 4.81 across 391 reviews — the highest of the seven we compared; bath and service both rated 4.91.
- Founded in 1884; 22 rooms.
- An open-air bath and a family bath, on natural hot-spring water.
- Check-out 11:00; non-smoking throughout, rooms included.
Getting there: About ten minutes by car from Awara-Onsen station (Hokuriku Shinkansen), with a pick-up by reservation. About 15 minutes by car from Kanazu IC on the Hokuriku Expressway, and about 60 minutes from Komatsu Airport.
Language and payment: English support and tattoo rules are not published, so ask when you book. Rakuten lists Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UC, DC, UFJ and JTB cards. The family bath appears in Rakuten’s list of bath types without booking details, so ask how to reserve it. Cancellations must be made through the booking site — the inn does not take them by phone.
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Right for: A small inn with the surest reviews, for a quiet night of hot spring and good food.
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Not for: Wanting dinner in your room — both meals are in the dining hall — or keeping costs down: from about ¥38,000 per person on a weeknight, it is the dearest of the five.
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Worth knowing: Last check-in is 18:00; phone the inn if you will be later than planned. A ¥150 bathing tax per adult is paid on the spot.
Score breakdown — 88/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★★★ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.86 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★☆☆☆ | ¥38,000–135,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 124% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Check-out 11:00, last check-in 18:00; pick-up from Awara-Onsen station by reservation, about ten minutes by car; about 60 minutes by car from Komatsu Airport; a communal bath, an open-air bath and a family bath on natural hot-spring water; both meals in the dining hall; tatami corridors, with tabi socks instead of slippers; non-smoking throughout, rooms included; phone ahead if you will arrive after your planned time. |
| Trust | ★★★★★ | 4.81 across 391 reviews (Rakuten Travel 391) |
| Only here | ★★★★★ | Its 4.81 average is the highest of the seven that met our conditions, and its bath and service scores, both 4.91, are the best of the seven too. |
The cheapest of the five, with a big open-air bath
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.60/5 (2,061) · Agoda 8.7/10 (195) · 2,256 in total
- Sen no Koboreyu is billed as one of the largest open-air baths in Hokuriku
- Bath scores 4.68 and cleanliness 4.70, among the best of the seven
Why it made the five
- From about ¥23,000 per person with two meals — the cheapest of the five, on a Saturday too (about ¥34,000).
- A source-fed communal bath and the big open-air bath Sen no Koboreyu; sauna and jacuzzi.
- Dinner in your room or the restaurant; onsen-egg making from 15:00 to 19:00.
- 4.60 across 2,061 reviews; a welcome drink and morning coffee.
Getting there: Pick-up from Awara-Onsen station by reservation, 14:00–18:00, about ten minutes. By car, 15 minutes from Kanazu IC on the Hokuriku Expressway.
Language and payment: English support and tattoo rules are not published, so ask when you book. Rakuten lists Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UC, DC, NICOS, UFJ, JTB and Rakuten cards. The ¥150 bathing tax is paid in cash on the spot even if you paid by card, and cash-discount plans must be paid in cash at the inn.
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Right for: Spending the evening in a big open-air bath without paying top rates.
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Not for: Arriving after 18:00 — the station pick-up runs only from 14:00 to 18:00 — or wanting a private bath, as none is listed.
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Worth knowing: Last check-in is 19:30. The ¥150 bathing tax per adult is paid in cash on the spot, even on a card booking.
Score breakdown — 85/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★☆☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.64 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★★★ | ¥23,000–39,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 76% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Pick-up from Awara-Onsen station by reservation (14:00–18:00, about ten minutes); dinner in your room or the restaurant; a source-fed communal bath and the big open-air bath Sen no Koboreyu, billed as one of the largest in Hokuriku; communal bath, open-air bath, sauna and jacuzzi on natural hot-spring water; onsen-egg making 15:00–19:00; a welcome drink and morning coffee; the bathing tax is paid in cash on the spot even on a card booking. |
| Trust | ★★★★☆ | 4.6 across 2,061 reviews (Rakuten Travel 2,061) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | Its source-fed bath and the big open-air bath Sen no Koboreyu are the draw, and its bath (4.68) and cleanliness (4.70) scores are among the best of the seven. |
33 rooms with a private garden bath, dinner in your room
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.64/5 (2,595) · Agoda 9.1/10 (481) · 3,076 in total
- 111 rooms in all, 33 of them with the garden open-air bath
Why it made the five
- 33 rooms with their own garden open-air bath.
- Dinner and breakfast in your room or the restaurant; dinner rated 4.80, joint best of the seven.
- Free lounge drinks and a fifth-floor spa with a view.
- 4.64 across 2,595 reviews; several staff understand a little English.
Getting there: About ten minutes by car from Awara-Onsen station. A shuttle bus runs from the station every 30 minutes from 14:30 to 16:00, and back from 8:30 to 11:30, by reservation. About 15 minutes by car from Kanazu IC, and about 50 minutes from Komatsu Airport.
Language and payment: Per Rakuten, several staff understand a little English. Rakuten lists Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UC, DC, NICOS, UFJ, Saison and JACCS among the cards accepted, and Wi-Fi is free in every room. Tattoo rules are not published; a room with its own open-air bath lets you bathe privately. Bookings made the day before or on the day need a deposit on arrival.
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Right for: A couple who want their own open-air bath and dinner in the room.
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Not for: Arriving late — last check-in is 19:00 — or a Saturday on a budget: Saturdays ran about ¥58,000–119,000 per person.
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Worth knowing: Only 33 of the 111 rooms have an open-air bath, so book that room type. Last check-in is 19:00. A ¥150 bathing tax per adult is paid on the spot.
Score breakdown — 83/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★★☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.67 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★☆☆ | ¥31,000–44,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 101% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Shuttle bus from Awara-Onsen station by reservation (in 14:30–16:00, out 8:30–11:30, every 30 minutes), about ten minutes by car; dinner and breakfast in your room or the restaurant; about 50 minutes by car from Komatsu Airport; 33 rooms with a garden open-air bath; a fifth-floor spa with a view; free lounge drinks; free Wi-Fi in every room; several staff understand a little English; barrier-free and wheelchair-accessible rooms. |
| Trust | ★★★★☆ | 4.64 across 2,595 reviews (Rakuten Travel 2,595) |
| Only here | ★★★★★ | 33 rooms with their own garden open-air bath make a soak without other guests easy to book, and its 4.80 dinner score ties Tsuruya’s for the best of the seven. |
A huge garden open-air bath and a buffet for families
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.60/5 (3,935) · Agoda 8.1/10 (244) · 4,179 in total
- 110 rooms, with a sauna as well as the baths
- Buffet of local produce and seafood, or a kaiseki meal
- Half rate for ages three to six includes meals and bedding
Why it made the five
- One of the largest garden open-air baths in Hokuriku, per the inn; many kinds of tub and a family bath.
- Dinner a buffet or kaiseki; children aged three to six at half the adult rate.
- 3,935 reviews — the most of the seven — averaging 4.60.
- Last check-in 20:00, the latest of the five; a welcome drink and morning coffee.
Getting there: About 15 minutes from Awara-Onsen station, with a pick-up bus by reservation. By car, 20 minutes from Kanazu IC on the Hokuriku Expressway.
Language and payment: English support is not published, so ask when you book. Rakuten lists Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, UC, DC, NICOS, UFJ and Rakuten cards, and the inn says you can pay on the spot in cash, by card or by barcode payment. People with tattoos cannot use the communal baths; the inn directs them to the bath in the room or the private bath.
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Right for: A family with small children who want a big open-air bath and a buffet.
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Not for: Having a tattoo and wanting the big baths — they are closed to anyone with one.
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Worth knowing: The communal baths are closed to anyone with a tattoo; use the room bath or the private bath instead. The last dinner sitting starts at 19:00. A ¥150 bathing tax per adult is paid on the spot.
Score breakdown — 77/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★☆☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.63 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★☆☆ | ¥30,000–57,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 100% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Pick-up bus from Awara-Onsen station by reservation, about 15 minutes; one of the largest garden open-air baths in Hokuriku, per the inn, with many kinds of tub; communal bath, open-air bath, family bath and sauna on natural hot-spring water; dinner a buffet or kaiseki; children’s rates for pre-schoolers and infants; a welcome drink and morning coffee; last check-in 20:00. |
| Trust | ★★★★☆ | 4.6 across 3,935 reviews (Rakuten Travel 3,935) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | Billed as one of the largest garden open-air baths in Hokuriku, with a family bath, and its 3,935 reviews are the most of the seven. |
Traditional 1884 ryokan, both meals in a private room
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.39/5 (761) · Agoda 8.8/10 (143) · 904 in total
- Open-air bath, plus a garden sauna
- A ganbanyoku is a heated stone bed you lie on
Why it made the five
- Founded in 1884; 41 rooms.
- Breakfast and dinner in a private dining room.
- A private bath by reservation, a garden sauna and a ganbanyoku.
- Free pick-up from Awara-Onsen station by reservation.
Getting there: Free pick-up from Awara-Onsen station by reservation, or 15 minutes by local bus. By car, 15 minutes from Kanazu IC on the Hokuriku Expressway; parking is free.
Language and payment: English support and tattoo rules are not published, so ask when you book. Rakuten lists Visa, Mastercard, JCB, American Express, Diners Club, UC, DC, NICOS, UFJ and debit cards. Book the private bath if you want to bathe without strangers.
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Right for: Keeping both your meals and your bath away from other guests.
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Not for: Arriving late — last check-in is 18:00. Its 4.39 average is also the lowest of the five.
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Worth knowing: Last check-in is 18:00. The sauna alternates between men and women, and the private bath must be booked.
Score breakdown — 67/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★☆☆☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.36 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★★☆ | ¥25,000–40,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 83% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Free pick-up from Awara-Onsen station by reservation, or 15 minutes by local bus; both meals in a private room or the dining hall; keeps the feel of its founding in 1884; communal bath, open-air bath, sauna, ganbanyoku and a garden sauna; a private bath by reservation; barrier-free and wheelchair-accessible rooms. |
| Trust | ★★☆☆☆ | 4.39 across 761 reviews (Rakuten Travel 761) |
| Only here | ★★★☆☆ | A traditional inn where both meals can be taken in a private room, with a bookable private bath and a garden sauna. |
Know before you book
- Awara-Onsen station became a Hokuriku Shinkansen stop when the line was extended from Kanazawa to Tsuruga in March 2024. Fukui is the next stop south and Kanazawa a short ride north, so a ryokan night here fits easily between the two.
- The onsen town is not at the station. These inns are about ten to fifteen minutes away by car, and all five run a pick-up from Awara-Onsen station that has to be booked — mostly only in the afternoon, so tell the inn your train when you reserve.
- Komatsu Airport, with flights from Tokyo Haneda, is the other way in. The inns put it about 50 to 60 minutes away by car.
- Mikuni, on the coast west of Awara, has the Tojinbo cliffs and the old port town. The five are all in Awara Onsen itself; one runner-up, Kyukamura Echizen-Mikuni, is on the Mikuni coast with a sea view from every room.
- Ryokan dinners are served at set times, so arrival matters. Last check-in at these five runs from 18:00 to 20:00, and Tsuruya asks you to phone if you will be later than planned.
- Prices here are per person with dinner and breakfast, for two sharing. Tsuruya, Matsuya Sensen, Grandia Hosen and Seifuso add a bathing tax of ¥150 per adult on the spot.
How we chose: theme, conditions, scoring
How we chose
- Candidates: every property in Awara Onsen listed on Rakuten Travel — 35
- Passed the review filter (counts and averages on Rakuten Travel, the one site that lists every property in the area): 25
- Met every condition below: 7
- Kept: five, each the best at something different
Where the facts come from
- Facts: Rakuten Travel property information (in some articles, each hotel’s own site too)
- Prices: Rakuten Travel live availability, Wednesdays and Saturdays over eight weeks
- Reviews: the count and average on Rakuten Travel, as given in each hotel’s Trust row. Agoda’s reviews are shown under each hotel name for reference only and do not count towards the score
Conditions (all of them, not most of them)
- In Rakuten Travel’s Awara and Mikuni district of Fukui, with a hot spring
- At least 30 reviews on Rakuten Travel, averaging 4.0 or better
- The cheapest rate falls between ¥10,000 and ¥40,000 per person per night
- An open-air hot-spring bath — the communal one counts; private and in-room open-air baths are mentioned as a bonus
Scoring
Five criteria, one to five stars each, weighted to one hundred points. Every star says where the number came from.
- Quality25 pts
- The average of the scores Rakuten Travel publishes for the room, the bath and the food.
- Value for money20 pts
- The cheapest rate with dinner and breakfast against the median of the inns we compared.
- Easy to stay30 pts
- A pick-up from the station, the baths, where meals are served, and check-in and check-out times.
- Trust20 pts
- Review counts and averages published by Rakuten Travel.
- Only here5 pts
- What this inn has that the other six do not.
What we dropped
| Property | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Kyukamura Echizen-Mikuni | Runner-up (67/100) | 67/100, level with Haiya. Its rates earned five stars for value, but its 4.26 for room, bath and dinner is the lowest of the seven — one star for quality — so the fifth place went to Haiya, at 4.36. |
| Awara Onsen Hotel Yagi | Runner-up (61/100) | 61/100. No weeknight rooms came up in our search and its rates sat at 153% of the median, earning one star for value, and its 4.45 for room, bath and dinner earned two for quality. |
| Tojinbo Mikuni Onsen Ootoku | Outside the theme | 4.70 across 50 reviews at an eight-room inn, but its listing shows no open-air bath among its facilities or bath types, so we could not confirm the condition. |
| Mikuni Inkyojo | Outside the theme | A perfect 5.0 across 40 reviews for a single-room hideaway on the coast, but its cheapest rate is above our ¥40,000 ceiling. |
| Awara Onsen Mimatsu | Outside the theme | 4.39 across 3,009 reviews with an open-air bath, but its cheapest rate falls below our ¥10,000 floor. |
| Ooedo Onsen Monogatari Premium Seiunkaku | Below the floor | It met both theme conditions, but its 3.97 average across 1,378 reviews is just under our 4.0 floor. |
Questions visitors ask
Which one would you book?
Echizen Awara Onsen Tsuruya, the top score of the five at 88/100. It is a 22-room inn founded in 1884, rated 4.81 across 391 reviews, with the best bath and service scores of the seven we compared and both an open-air bath and a family bath. It runs about ¥38,000–135,000 per person on a weeknight and ¥48,000–138,000 on a Saturday with two meals. If the cost matters more, Matsuya Sensen has a big open-air bath from about ¥23,000.
Which is the cheapest?
Awara Onsen Matsuya Sensen, from about ¥23,000 per person with two meals on a weeknight and about ¥34,000 on a Saturday — the lowest of the five on both. Its big open-air bath, Sen no Koboreyu, is the reason to go. Tsuruya is the dearest on a weeknight, from about ¥38,000.
How do I get there from the Shinkansen?
Get off at Awara-Onsen station on the Hokuriku Shinkansen and use the inn’s pick-up, which all five run and which must be booked. Matsuya Sensen collects between 14:00 and 18:00; Grandia Hosen’s bus runs every 30 minutes from 14:30 to 16:00; Haiya’s pick-up is free, and it is also 15 minutes by local bus. The ride is about ten to fifteen minutes.
I don’t want to bathe with strangers. Which should I choose?
Grandia Hosen has 33 rooms with their own garden open-air bath — book that room type, as the other 78 rooms do not have one. Haiya has a private bath you reserve, and Tsuruya and Seifuso list a family bath, which you use with your own party. Matsuya Sensen lists no private bath.
Can I use the baths with a tattoo?
Only Seifuso publishes a rule: people with tattoos cannot use its communal baths, and it directs them to the bath in the room or the private bath. The other four publish nothing, so ask when you book. Japanese communal baths are used nude — wash at the taps first, then soak.
When were these prices checked?
We searched Rakuten Travel availability for Wednesdays and Saturdays between 31 October and 23 December 2026, taking the cheapest plan with dinner and breakfast for two adults and showing it per person (checked 24 October 2026). Most of these inns add a ¥150 bathing tax per adult on the spot. Prices move daily — the link on each inn shows today’s.
Changes
- 2026-10-29 First published. Scored from 35 candidates.