Nagoya to Gero Onsen Day Trip 2026: Itinerary & Guide

Nagoya, Japan Travel Guide

During my 6-day trip to Nagoya,

I knew I had to dedicate my final day to Gero Onsen,

renowned as one of Japan's top three hot spring towns.

Ideally, the best way to experience Gero Onsen

is to book a ryokan for a night and soak at your leisure.

However, with a flight to catch the next day,

I opted for a day trip from Nagoya.

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Here is my complete day trip itinerary,

including essential transport tips for 2026.

📍 Gero Station
Koden, Gero, Gifu 509-2206, Japan

📍 Nagoya Station
1-chōme-1-4 Meieki, Nakamura Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 450-0002, Japan

The biggest hurdle for a day trip

to Gero Onsen is the transportation.

If you stay overnight, ryokans often provide

shuttle services from Nagoya Station,

but day-trippers are left to navigate on their own.

The standard route is taking the JR Limited Express Hida,

but round-trip tickets cost around ~$77,

which can feel a bit steep

for just a quick day visit.

Fortunately, I had the

JR Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Pass

(valid for 5 days),

which allowed me to hop on the

limited express trains at no extra cost.

(If you're planning to visit the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route,

this pass is an absolute must-buy!)

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>> Buy the JR Alpine-Takayama-Matsumoto Area Pass <<

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With this pass,

you get up to 4 reserved seat bookings on limited express trains,

and unlimited access to

unreserved seating afterward.

The scenic train ride from Nagoya to Gero Onsen

takes about 1.5 hours.

Arriving at Gero Station.

Trains between Nagoya and Gero

only run about once an hour,

so careful planning is essential.

I aimed for a 3-hour stay in town

and immediately reserved my return

train ticket at the station upon arrival.

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If you don't have a JR Pass,

paying out of pocket for the train isn't the best value.

Instead, booking a guided day tour

is a much more budget-friendly option.

There's a fantastic tour by YouTourBus

that covers Gero Onsen and Ena Gorge.

Priced around ~$62,

it's actually cheaper than a round-trip train ticket,

making it a highly recommended alternative.

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>> Book a Gero Onsen Guided Tour <<

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Gero Onsen is a compact, walkable village.

You can reach all the main attractions

within a 10-minute stroll.

📍 Yuamiya
801-2 Yunoshima, Gero, Gifu 509-2207, Japan

📍 Onsenji Temple
680 Yunoshima, Gero, Gifu 509-2207, Japan

📍 Gero Pudding
545-1 Yunoshima, Gero, Gifu 509-2207, Japan

📍 Cure Garden Open-Air Bath
894-2 Yunoshima, Gero, Gifu 509-2207, Japan

Factoring in about an hour for a bath,

wandering the streets, and grabbing

the famous local pudding,

a 3-hour window is the perfect amount of time.

If you're traveling with heavy luggage,

there are coin lockers right inside the station.

This is super convenient if you're

heading straight to Takayama afterward.

I popped into the tourist information center

right in front of the station

to grab a map and check public bath options.

Aside from the private ryokans,

there are 3 main public bathhouses in town:

Sachinoyu, Shirasaginoyu, and Cure Garden.

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Cure Garden is the priciest at 800 yen (~$5.50)

but features a beautiful open-air bath (no indoor pools).

Keep in mind it is closed on Tuesdays.

Crossing the bridge from the station

leads you straight into the heart of the hot spring village.

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Look down at the riverbank as you cross—

there's a rustic open-air bath right by the water.

People used to bathe here in swimsuits,

but these days it functions more as a scenic foot bath.

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Right at the village entrance is

Yuamiya. It's one of the two

most famous pudding shops in town.

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The best part? You can eat your pudding

while soaking your feet in their attached foot bath.

They serve a unique "hot spring" pudding

that is served warm, though

classic chilled puddings are available too.

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The shop also doubles as a souvenir store,

making it a great spot to browse local crafts.

*Fun cultural fact: The Japanese onomatopoeia

for a frog's ribbit is "gero gero."

Naturally, the town has embraced the frog as its official mascot!

Right next to Yuamiya,

I stumbled upon this hidden gem.

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If you travel through the Hida or Takayama regions,

you'll see these traditional faceless dolls everywhere.

They are called 'Sarubobo' (baby monkey).

These dolls, missing eyes, a nose, and a mouth,

actually originated right here in the Gero area.

They aren't just cute souvenirs;

they serve as traditional protective amulets,

with different colors representing different types of luck.

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Drawn in by the giant Sarubobo statues,

I found a lovely, quiet free foot bath tucked inside.

Onsenji Temple is just a 5-minute walk away.

It sits high on a hill,

so be prepared for a bit of a climb.

The temple entrance

starts near a traditional Japanese cemetery.

You'll need to conquer exactly 173 stone steps.

Why make the trek?

Because the high vantage point offers

a sweeping, panoramic view of the entire Gero village.

Fun fact for K-drama fans: This was a filming location

for the drama "Bad Guy" starring Kim Nam-gil.

Onsenji is deeply tied to the origins of the town.

It honors the healing Buddha from the legend

of the white heron that originally discovered the hot spring.

The water here flows directly from the source.

Local lore says if you pour it over an aching body part,

it will heal you.

I've been dealing with carpal tunnel lately,

so I poured some over my right wrist.

The warmth instantly made my circulation feel better!

The temple grounds are quite small,

so you only need about 3 minutes to explore.

It started to drizzle,

so I quickly made my way back down.

You simply cannot leave without trying the local pudding.

I was torn between Yuamiya and Gero Pudding earlier,

but decided on Gero Pudding

since it's the town's original, most iconic

specialty pudding shop.

Look out for their adorable frog logo.

They have an English menu available.

I went with the signature Matcha Pudding for 500 yen (~$3.50).

The entire store has a retro bathhouse theme,

complete with traditional wooden shoe lockers at the entrance.

They offer classic vanilla, melon,

and a variety of seasonal flavors.

The glass jars are so cute I wanted to buy them all.

There's even a mock bathhouse setup

that serves as a perfect Instagram photo zone.

The vibrant green matcha pudding

paired with the frog logo

is a strangely perfect combination.

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Honestly, Japanese convenience store puddings are already great,

so I didn't expect to be blown away,

but this exceeded all expectations.

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I'm not usually a huge dessert person,

but this matcha pudding was so silky and rich

that I seriously debated buying

a few more jars to take back with me.

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Finally, time for a soak!

After taking photos, exploring the village,

and eating my pudding,

about 1.5 hours had flown by.

I planned to spend my last hour

relaxing in the hot spring before catching my train.

Being a weekday afternoon,

the streets and the bathhouse were completely empty.

For a second, I worried they might be closed.

Heading down to the baths.

Operating hours are 8:00 AM to 8:45 PM,

with the last entry strictly at 8:00 PM.

You purchase your entry ticket from a vending machine.

(Adults: 800 yen / ~$5.50)

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Photography is strictly forbidden in Japanese baths,

but since I was literally the only person in the entire facility,

I snapped a few quick reference shots.

The changing rooms were spotless.

Once you undress, step through the curtain

to access the open-air bath.

I couldn't believe my luck—the outdoor pool was entirely empty too.

This facility caters more to locals

than to tourists, so the scale

is modest and intimate.

Still, having this entire space as

my own private sanctuary was incredible.

Remember to wash thoroughly

at the shower stations before entering the pool.

Shampoo, conditioner, and body wash

are all provided.

They also have these unique steam boxes.

You sit inside with your head poking out,

and your body gets steamed like a sauna.

I have a low tolerance for intense heat,

so I only lasted about a minute!

I luxuriated in the bath alone for 40 minutes.

Right as I was wrapping up, a few local ladies

finally trickled in.

Getting a near-private onsen experience

for just 800 yen (~$5.50)

was the ultimate stroke of luck.

On my way out,

I noticed they sell bottled water

sourced directly from the Gero springs.

Made it back to the station just in time for the train to Nagoya.

A day trip to Gero Onsen from Nagoya

is perfectly doable in 2 to 3 hours, including bath time.

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Given the 3-hour round-trip travel time,

spending a night is undeniably more relaxing.

However, if your itinerary is tight like mine was,

a day trip is still incredibly rewarding.

If you do decide to stay overnight,

I highly recommend Gero Onsen Suimeikan.

It's a gorgeous 5-star ryokan that costs around ~$77 a night,

featuring three different bathhouses for total relaxation.

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>> Book Gero Onsen Suimeikan <<

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If you find yourself in Nagoya,

don't miss the chance to experience Gero Onsen,

a world-class hot spring loved by locals and celebrities alike!

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