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Yufuin onsen under ¥40,000 for two with meals: 5 inns
Approximate, at the rate on 2026-10-02. You pay in yen.
- If you can’t decide, Hakuunso — cheap Yufuin-area onsen with 5.0 for dinner and breakfast
- Three are in Yunohira, a smaller onsen town west of Yufuin
- Nakaya sits on Yunotsubo street; Shikian gives every room its own bath
The five
| Best for | Where to book | Score | Weeknight (per person) | Saturday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Five rooms in Yunohira, with 5.0 for dinner and breakfast — if you can’t decide | Yunohira Onsen Hakuunso Check price |
86/100 | ¥14,000 | ¥15,000–17,000 |
| Five rooms in Yunohira, with both baths kept private | Seiryu to Hotaru no Yado Takaoso Check price |
74/100 | ¥14,000–21,000 | ¥16,000–21,000 |
| Five rooms, a 4.94 average, and Bungo beef steak for dinner | Yunohira Onsen Ryokan Izumoya Check price |
71/100 | ¥19,000 | — |
| Mt Yufu from all seven rooms, on Yunotsubo street | Oyado Nakaya Check price |
70/100 | ¥20,000–22,000 | — |
| Every room a separate cottage with its own bath | Sanso Shikian Check price |
66/100 | ¥20,000–56,000 | ¥31,000–49,000 |
Prices are the cheapest per person found on Rakuten Travel for Wednesdays and Saturdays between 2026-11-14 – 2027-01-06, for 2 adults in one room (checked 2026-11-05). 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.
Five rooms in Yunohira, with 5.0 for dinner and breakfast
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.78/5 (50)
- Staff who understand a little English are listed (Rakuten listing)
- Check-in 15:00, last check-in 17:30, check-out 10:00
- 9 parking spaces (Rakuten listing)
Why it made the five
- Five rooms; look for the red Japanese umbrella at the entrance.
- Rakuten scores: dinner 5, breakfast 5, cleanliness 4.81.
- A family bath on a mild salt spring.
- About ¥14,000 per person on a weekday and ¥15,000–17,000 on a Saturday, with dinner and breakfast: the lowest Saturday rate of these five.
Getting there: About ten minutes by car from Yunohira station. A pick-up is possible between 15:00 and 17:00, by reservation and agreement.
Language and payment: Staff who understand a little English are listed. Rakuten lists Visa, JCB, American Express, UC, NICOS and Mastercard. Tattoo rules are not published; the family bath is the one bath listed.
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Right for: Two people who want a low rate and food that guests score at the top.
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Not for: Anyone wanting a large communal bath or a fridge in the room, since neither is listed.
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Worth knowing: The pick-up has a limit on numbers, and some days staffing rules it out, so always arrange it first. The door closes at 23:00. Bathing tax is ¥250 per adult.
Score breakdown — 86/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★★☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.75 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★★★ | ¥14,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 75% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★☆ | Pick-up from Yunohira station, 15:00–17:00, by reservation and agreement, with limited numbers; a family bath; morning coffee. |
| Trust | ★★★★☆ | 4.78 across 50 reviews (Rakuten Travel 50) |
| Only here | ★★★☆☆ | A five-room inn scoring 5.0 for both dinner and breakfast on Rakuten. |
Five rooms in Yunohira, with both baths kept private
Seiryu to Hotaru no Yado Takaoso
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.48/5 (124) · Agoda 9.2/10 (75) · 199 in total
- Dinner in the room is possible only in the 10.5-mat room on the ground floor
- No smoking anywhere, including e-cigarettes (Rakuten listing)
- Check-in 15:00 to 17:00, check-out 10:00
- 7 free parking spaces, no reservation needed
Why it made the five
- Five rooms; an open-air bath and an indoor cypress bath, both reserved privately.
- Home-made mountain-village cooking.
- Rakuten scores: cleanliness 4.63, service 4.52, dinner 4.5.
- About ¥14,000–21,000 per person on a weekday and ¥16,000–21,000 on a Saturday, with dinner and breakfast.
Getting there: About ten minutes by car from Yunohira station, or about 25 from Yufuin station. Pick-up from Yunohira station for trains arriving 15:00–17:00: state it when you book and confirm your train by that morning.
Language and payment: Staff who understand a little English, Chinese and Korean are listed. Rakuten lists Visa, JCB, American Express, Diners Club and Mastercard, and transit IC cards, e-money and QR payments work, but the bathing tax is cash only. Tattoo rules are not published; both baths are private.
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Right for: Two people who would rather bathe alone than share.
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Not for: Anyone expecting the futons to be laid for them, as guests lay their own here, or a stay of more than one night, which the inn does not take.
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Worth knowing: River repair work from the July 2020 floods continues nearby on weekdays and Saturdays, 8:00 to 17:00. Bathing tax is ¥250 per adult, cash only. The door closes at 22:30.
Score breakdown — 74/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★☆☆☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.47 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★★★ | ¥14,000–21,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 75% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Pick-up from Yunohira station for trains arriving 15:00–17:00, stated when you book; an open-air bath and an indoor cypress bath, both private; staff who understand a little English, Chinese and Korean; transit IC cards, e-money and QR payments accepted. |
| Trust | ★★★☆☆ | 4.48 across 124 reviews (Rakuten Travel 124) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | A five-room inn where both the open-air bath and the cypress bath are used privately. |
Five rooms, a 4.94 average, and Bungo beef steak for dinner
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.94/5 (42)
- Staff who understand a little English are listed (Rakuten listing)
- Check-in 15:00, last check-in 17:00, check-out 10:00
- 6 free parking spaces (Rakuten listing)
Why it made the five
- Five rooms, and a private open-air bath built with bamboo craftwork.
- Dinner includes Bungo beef steak and hot baked prawn with tartar sauce.
- Rakuten scores: service 5, dinner 5, cleanliness 5, room 4.94, on 42 reviews.
- About ¥19,000 per person on a weekday with dinner and breakfast. No Saturday rate came up in our search window.
Getting there: About 20 minutes by car from the Yufuin exit of the Oita Expressway. A pick-up from Yunohira station can be discussed, at set times.
Language and payment: Staff who understand a little English are listed. Rakuten lists Visa, JCB, American Express, Diners Club and Mastercard. Tattoo rules are not published; the open-air bath is used privately.
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Right for: Two people for whom dinner comes first and the budget is still ¥40,000.
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Not for: Anyone who wants a long review record, at 42 on Rakuten, or a Saturday night.
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Worth knowing: Only one weekday in our search showed a rate with both meals, so check dates early. Bathing tax is ¥250 per person.
Score breakdown — 71/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★★★ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.92 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★☆☆ | ¥19,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 102% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★☆☆ | A pick-up from Yunohira station can be discussed, at set times; a private open-air bath built with bamboo craftwork. |
| Trust | ★★★☆☆ | 4.94 across 42 reviews (Rakuten Travel 42) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | The highest Rakuten average of the seven inns we compared, at 4.94, and a private bamboo-craft open-air bath. |
Mt Yufu from all seven rooms, on Yunotsubo street
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.72/5 (311) · Agoda 9.4/10 (894) · 1,205 in total
- The inn suggests leaving the car and walking the town after check-in (Rakuten listing)
- Spring type: simple hot spring (Rakuten listing)
- Check-in 15:00, last check-in 18:00, check-out 10:00
- 10 free parking spaces, no reservation needed
Why it made the five
- Mt Yufu is visible from all seven rooms.
- Halfway along Yunotsubo street, facing the river.
- An open-air bath and a family bath.
- About ¥20,000–22,000 per person on a weekday with dinner and breakfast. No Saturday rate came up in our search window.
Getting there: About 15 minutes on foot from JR Yufuin station; about seven by car from the Yufuin exit. No pick-up is listed.
Language and payment: Whether staff speak English is not published, so ask when you book. Rakuten lists Visa, UC and Mastercard. Tattoo rules are not published.
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Right for: Two people who want to walk Yunotsubo street and still see Mt Yufu from the room.
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Not for: Anyone set on a weekend: no Saturday rate came up in our search.
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Worth knowing: Rooms and the building are non-smoking; smoking is at the front entrance. Bathing tax is extra.
Score breakdown — 70/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★☆☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.61 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★☆☆ | ¥20,000–22,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 108% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Mt Yufu from every room; halfway along Yunotsubo street, facing the river; an open-air bath and a family bath; wireless internet in the rooms. |
| Trust | ★★★★☆ | 4.72 across 311 reviews (Rakuten Travel 311) |
| Only here | ★★★★☆ | Halfway along Yunotsubo street, and Mt Yufu is visible from all seven rooms. |
Every room a separate cottage with its own bath
Reviews: Rakuten Travel 4.56/5 (736) · Agoda 8.5/10 (341) · 1,077 in total
- Spring type: simple cold mineral spring (Rakuten listing)
- Check-in 15:00, last check-in 18:00, check-out 11:00
- Free parking
Why it made the five
- Ten rooms, every one a detached cottage with its own bath.
- Oita wagyu and local chicken in a gassho-style thatched building.
- Rakuten scores: room 4.56, dinner 4.56, breakfast 4.56, across 736 reviews.
- About ¥20,000–56,000 per person on a weekday and ¥31,000–49,000 on a Saturday, with dinner and breakfast. Only the low end of the weekday range fits the ¥40,000 budget.
Getting there: About 15 minutes by car from Yufuin station; about 25 from the Yufuin exit. No pick-up is listed. Free parking.
Language and payment: Whether staff speak English is not published, so ask when you book. Rakuten lists Visa, JCB, American Express, Diners Club and Mastercard. Tattoo rules are not published; the bath in your cottage is your own.
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Right for: Two people who want a cottage and a private bath on a budget, midweek.
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Not for: Anyone planning to walk around town, since it is 15 minutes away by car.
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Worth knowing: Roads can freeze in winter, so bring chains if driving. A taxi from the station takes 20 minutes and costs about ¥2,800.
Score breakdown — 66/100
| Criterion | Stars | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quality | ★★★☆☆ | Room, bath and dinner average 4.52 on Rakuten Travel |
| Value for money | ★★★☆☆ | ¥20,000–56,000 per person on a weeknight (Rakuten, dinner and breakfast) — 106% of the median of everything we compared |
| Easy to stay | ★★★★★ | Check-out 11:00; every room a cottage with its own bath; samue loungewear provided; wireless internet in the rooms. |
| Trust | ★★★☆☆ | 4.56 across 736 reviews (Rakuten Travel 736) |
| Only here | ★★★★★ | The only one of the seven inns we compared where every room is a cottage with its own bath, with wagyu and local chicken served in a gassho-style building. |
Know before you book
- The budget works on the cheapest date. These are the lowest rates in our search, and a Saturday or a better room can take two people past ¥40,000.
- Yunohira is a separate, much smaller onsen town west of Yufuin, reached from Yunohira station on the JR Kyudai line. Three of these five are there, and they have the lower weekday rates of the group.
- The Yunohira inns will collect you from the station only by arrangement, and two limit it to 15:00–17:00. Without a car, sort this out when you book.
- If walking around Yufuin matters more, stay in town. Nakaya is on Yunotsubo street, 15 minutes on foot from Yufuin station.
- None of these five lists a large communal bath. Check what each one has: family baths, private baths or a bath in the cottage.
- Prices here are per person with dinner and breakfast, for two sharing. A bathing tax of ¥250 per person is added at the inn.
How we chose: theme, conditions, scoring
How we chose
- Candidates: every property in Yufuin listed on Rakuten Travel — 168
- Passed the review filter (counts and averages on Rakuten Travel, the one site that lists every property in the area): 100
- Met every condition below: 17
- 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)
- A Rakuten Travel plan with dinner and breakfast where two people in one room come to ¥40,000 or less, tax included but bathing tax extra. This is the cheapest date in our search as of November 2026, and weekends and holidays cost more
- A hot spring on site, communal or private
- Reviews are consistent: at least 30 on Rakuten Travel, averaging 4.2 or better
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 room, bath and dinner scores on Rakuten Travel.
- Value for money35 pts
- The cheapest weekday rate with dinner and breakfast against the median of the inns we compared.
- Easy to stay10 pts
- A station pick-up, check-out time, private baths and anything else that makes the stay easier.
- Trust25 pts
- Review counts and averages published by Rakuten Travel.
- Only here5 pts
- What this inn has that the other 16 do not, at this price.
What we dropped
| Property | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Yufuin Yubel Hotel | Runner-up (59/100) | The only large communal bath of the seven, but at 59 points it trails: room, bath and dinner average 4.37 and reviews average 4.27. |
| Country Inn Fumotoya | Runner-up (55/100) | A dinner score of 4.7 and three private baths, but at 55 points it trails: the room scores 4.17 and facilities 4. |
| Yunohira Onsen Daikichi Ryokan | Runner-up | A 4.64 average and home cooking with a dinner score of 4.79, but the inn has only one bath, and three Yunohira inns already made the five. |
| Yufuin Hotel Shuhokan | Runner-up | Twelve minutes on foot from Yufuin station with a large communal bath, but dinner scores 3.8, too low for a guide built on two meals. |
| Oyado Hananoyu | Outside the theme | A 4.77 average and a hot-spring bath in every room, but the listing says no breakfast or dinner is provided, so we could not present it as a two-meal stay. |
| Yama no Hotel Musouen | Outside the theme | A 4.78 average with bath and dinner both above 4.8, but its cheapest two-meal rate for two is over ¥40,000. |
Questions visitors ask
Is it really ¥40,000 for two with both meals?
On the cheapest date we found, yes. Each of these five showed a weekday rate of ¥20,000 or less per person with dinner and breakfast. Rates vary by date, and at Shikian the weekday range runs far above the lowest figure, so check the date you want. The bathing tax of ¥250 per person is extra.
What is Yunohira, and is it part of Yufuin?
It is a separate onsen town in the same Yufuin district of Yufu city, on a stone-paved slope with its own station on the JR Kyudai line. Hakuunso, Takaoso and Izumoya are there. Nakaya and Shikian are in Yufuin.
Which one should I book without a car?
Nakaya, 15 minutes on foot from Yufuin station. The three Yunohira inns can collect you from Yunohira station by arrangement, usually for arrivals between 15:00 and 17:00. Shikian is 15 minutes by car from Yufuin station and lists no pick-up.
Can I bathe privately at these prices?
Yes, at all five. Takaoso’s open-air and cypress baths are both private, Izumoya’s bamboo-craft open-air bath is private, Hakuunso and Nakaya have family baths, and every cottage at Shikian has its own bath.
I have a tattoo. Which of these work?
None publishes a policy, so ask. In practice, Shikian’s in-cottage bath and Takaoso’s private baths mean you need not share with anyone.
Will a Saturday stay fit the budget?
At Hakuunso, yes: the Saturday rate stays around ¥15,000–17,000 per person. Takaoso starts near ¥16,000. No Saturday rate came up for Izumoya or Nakaya, and Shikian starts above the budget on Saturdays.
Changes
- 2026-11-05 First published. Scored from 168 candidates.