Kyoto · Kyoto City
Kurama Onsen
くらま温泉（鞍馬）
A mountain hot spring in the temple-gate village of Kurama, about 30 minutes from central Kyoto on the Eizan railway, home of the tengu legends. The open-air Hōroku-yu sits in a cedar grove facing the Kitayama hills and becomes a snow-viewing bath in winter. The simple hydrogen-sulphide water carries a faint whiff of sulphur that suits the mountain air. The open-air-only course is ¥1,500 weekdays / ¥1,600 weekends (towels extra); the full day course with indoor bath, open-air bath, sauna, lounge, towels and robe is around ¥2,600 on weekdays. Open 10:00–21:00 every day, no reservation. Ten minutes on foot from Kurama Station or by free shuttle. The classic way to end a visit to Kurama-dera or the hike over to Kibune — for anyone who wants a genuine onsen in Kyoto.
- Price (adult)
- ¥1,500
- Hours
- 10:00–21:00
- Closed
- Open daily
- Access
- 10 min on foot from Kurama Station (Eizan Railway; free shuttle available), about 30 min from Demachiyanagi; about 50 min by car from Kyoto Station
- Water type
- Sulfur spring
- Tattoos
- Ask ahead
- Admission
- Rotenburo course (one entry to the open-air “Horokuyu”): adults ¥1,500 weekdays / ¥1,600 weekends, children (4–12) ¥700, towels extra (¥300 to buy, bath towel ¥400 hire). Full day course (indoor bath + rotenburo + sauna + 2F lounge, towels and room wear included): ¥2,600 / ¥2,700, children ¥1,300. Discount with the Eizan Railway day pass. Meal packages such as yuba hotpot
- Baths
- Main-building bath (indoor tub, sauna, cold plunge) and a separate open-air “Horokuyu”: a hinoki tub facing cedar forest and the foot of Mt Kurama — fresh green in summer, maples in autumn, snow in winter. Tatami lounge upstairs. Also a tiny five-room inn (some rooms with private spring-fed rotenburo) with a barbecue area
- Water
- Naturally rising simple hydrogen-sulphide (sulphur) spring; a ~15 °C cold mineral spring, heated. Clear, yet with a faint sulphur smell and iron — the only bath in Kyoto city where you can sense sulphur. Discovered in the late Meiji era
- Parking
- 30 free spaces. Free shuttle from Eizan Kurama Station timed to the trains (or a ~10-minute uphill walk)
- Phone
- 075-741-2131
- Official site
- kurama-onsen.co.jp ↗
- Open in Google Maps
- Google Maps ↗
Essentials
Stay in this onsen town
Compare and book stays in Kyoto City. Day bathing itself needs no booking.
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Why go
- 30 min from Kyoto; open-air bath in cedars
- Snow bath in winter; real sulphur spring
- After Kurama-dera or the Kibune hike
After Kurama-dera and the Kibune hike, a sulphur-spring rotenburo in the cedars
Kurama Onsen, 30 minutes from Demachiyanagi on the Eizan Railway and tucked behind the temple town of Kurama-dera of tengu legend, is Kyoto’s “inner parlour” hot spring. Where most Kyoto day spas offer chloride or simple springs, this is a naturally rising hydrogen-sulphide spring — a real onsen with a faint whiff of sulphur, the only place in the city you can smell it. The detached open-air “Horokuyu” sets a hinoki tub before cedar forest and mountain slope that turn green, crimson and white with the seasons — less urban spa than mountain hideaway. The classic plan: visit Kurama-dera, hike the ridge trail to Kibune Shrine (about 1.5 h), return to Kurama and wash off the sweat; a free shuttle meets trains at Kurama Station. Rotenburo-only is ¥1,500 and the full course with indoor bath, sauna, lounge and towels ¥2,600 — not cheap, but yuba-hotpot packages and the Eizan day-pass discount soften it.
Tips & cautions
- Rotenburo course excludes towels (¥300 to buy) — bring your own. Full course includes towels and room wear.
- The rotenburo course is a single entry — no re-entry once you leave.
- Shuttle runs to meet trains; ask at reception for the ride back.
- Heavy cedar pollen in spring — beware if allergic.
- Foliage weekends in November jam all of Kurama and Kibune, Eizan trains included.
- Tattoo policy not stated — phone ahead (075-741-2131).
- Rotenburo hours may be shortened in winter.
Getting there
From Kurama, the terminus of the Eizan Kurama line, free shuttle ~3 min or ~10 min on foot (Kurama-honmachi 520, Sakyo-ku). ~30 min from Demachiyanagi by Eizan Railway. Kyoto bus 32 to “Kurama Onsen”, right outside. By car ~40 min from central Kyoto via the Kurama road; 30 free spaces.
Before you go
- No official tattoo policy is published — ask at reception.
- Last entry is 30–60 minutes before closing.
Features
Sauna & wellness
Mood & scenery
Price
Who with
Amenities
✔ Verified operating: 2026-09 Operating status and rates cross-checked against the official site and onsen guides (full source notes in Japanese on the JA page)
Prices and hours change. Check official sources before visiting.
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