Yufuin Yamadaya Ryokan Review 2026: Kaiseki, Private Onsen & Family Stay

Once I decided to visit Yufuin,

the absolute first thing I looked up was a Yufuin ryokan.

Since I was traveling with my husband and child,

I wanted to find a place with a bit of privacy.

But private ryokans in Yufuin

can get pretty pricey overall,

so I ended up doing a ton of research.

To give you the spoiler right away,

this is a place I highly, highly recommend

for anyone traveling with parents or planning a family trip.

It's super close to the main Yunotsubo Street, yet the rooms are incredibly peaceful and quiet,

and the kaiseki dinner is absolutely delicious, making you feel genuinely pampered.

Even now, four months after our trip,

my husband and kid are still talking about how much they want to go back!

We happened to visit during a Japanese national holiday,

so the rate (including the kaiseki dinner)

was a bit steep.

But during regular times—especially if you apply

a discount code—you can book it for a great value!

Make sure to read to the end for all the tips.

1. Location

Although we rented a car,

Yamada-ya Ryokan is famous for having

an excellent location for those exploring

on foot.

Just a 5-minute walk from Yufuin Station,

10 minutes on foot to Yunotsubo Street,

and about a 15-minute walk to Lake Kinrin.

It's perfectly situated!

You can easily head out early in the morning

to see the magical morning mist rising over Lake Kinrin,

and experience a quiet, crowd-free Yufuin

before the day starts. It really is

the ultimate spot to enjoy your ryokan getaway!

2. Basic Info & First Impressions

The moment you step inside,

you're wrapped in a serene atmosphere.

The staff warmly welcome you

and take care of your luggage right away,

and you can book your private family bath

session right during check-in.

While they prepare your room

and deliver your bags,

you get to sit down in the dining area and enjoy some delicious welcome treats.

I think the first treat was a sweet red bean mochi?

It wasn't overly sweet and was absolutely delicious!

3. Room Tour

I believe the first-floor rooms come with their own private baths,

but we booked a family room on the second floor.

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As you walk in,

traditional Japanese footwear is ready for you in the entryway.

There's also a vanity area with hot and cold water, and a separate restroom.

Step further inside,

and you'll find the main room waiting for you.

The room features a classic tatami layout,

complete with a central table and a TV.

It's incredibly spacious—easily large enough

to comfortably accommodate up to 5 people!

(Though, since the futons they lay out for you are quite wide,

I think 6 people might feel a tiny bit tight.)

They had placed our suitcases in a dedicated luggage area inside,

which made it super convenient to unpack.

Inside the closet, they have comfortable yukatas all ready for you,

and they were so thoughtful to even prepare a mini-size one for kids!

During our 2-day, 1-night stay, whether we were heading to meals or off to the baths,

we practically lived in them. They were so comfy!

From the window, you can see Yamada-ya's iconic waterwheel(?)

and beautiful courtyard, allowing you to relax completely

without worrying about being overlooked by other rooms.

Since there's no bed, you might wonder, "How do we sleep?"

I was curious too, but while we were enjoying our kaiseki dinner,

the wonderful staff came up to our room

and laid out incredibly thick, fluffy futons for us,

so you don't have to worry about a thing!

(Our little one was so amazed to suddenly find cozy beds out of nowhere

and absolutely loved it, calling it a "magic house"!)

In the bathroom, the vanity

came with double sinks.

Since we did most of our showering and getting ready at the baths,

we didn't use them all that much,

but having two sinks made getting ready in the morning with a child

completely hassle-free and spacious.

It was super convenient!

Amenities and a hair dryer are all fully provided,

so there's absolutely zero inconvenience!

4. The Public Baths and Family Baths

Before having our kaiseki dinner,

we relaxed in the public baths,

and then after dinner,

we booked a family bath.

(We really wanted to experience as many private baths as possible!)

The Public Baths

The public baths swap between male and female

at 8:00 PM,

so if you visit once before 8:00 PM and once the next morning,

you'll get to experience

both beautiful bath areas!

One of the areas features an indoor bath with a large window,

where you can look out at the lush forest

and even spot a cute cat wandering by, which was lovely,

and the other is a two-story bath house.

The first floor is an indoor bath,

while the second floor features a modern open-air bath.

The water temperature here was perfect for kids to splash around,

which we really appreciated.

(Though truth be told, either way,

it was still a bit challenging for a pregnant woman like me.. T_T)

Family Baths

There are a total of four private family baths available.

You need to reserve a slot when you check in,

and as I mentioned earlier, we asked for the most popular one.

We booked it for around 9:00 PM, and oh my,

we got to soak under a sky

absolutely spilling over with stars in Yufuin.

My husband, myself,

and our little one were all incredibly satisfied

with this magical hot spring experience!

What made Yamada-ya's hot springs truly amazing

was how incredibly soft and moisturized it left our skin!

Our son, who suffers from eczema,

and my husband, who always complains about dry skin,

were both absolutely thrilled with the results.

You can use the family bath again for an extra charge (hot spring tax) after your first visit,

so I highly recommend booking your time slots wisely

to make the absolute most of your stay!

5. Kaiseki Dinner & Breakfast

The highlight of any ryokan stay: Kaiseki

Since we stayed on the 2nd floor,

we had our Kaiseki dinner in the 1st-floor dining area.

(Guests staying on the 1st floor have the option to dine in their rooms!)

I was a bit worried that sharing the space with others

might feel a little awkward or uncomfortable, but those worries completely vanished.

They set up partitions for us,

allowing us to enjoy our Kaiseki dinner

in our own cozy, private bubble.

My husband was about to pour some sake

when our little one accidentally bumped his arm and sent the whole glass flying.

But the staff was so incredibly kind—they brought us a fresh glass and didn't even charge us for the spilled one...

On top of that,

they also served a separate children's meal

(perfectly tailored for kids with bacon, eggs, and more!).

Our own meals were absolutely phenomenal as well.

Even now, back home, I still think about

Yamadaya's Kaiseki.

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Breakfast the next morning was also great,

though we had to rush through it a bit because of our African Safari tour schedule.

(I highly recommend taking your time to fully enjoy it!)

Even with the rush,

the western-style breakfast paired with the kid-friendly meal

gave us the perfect, hearty start to our day.

6. Booking & Pricing Info

When we were trying to book,

it was a holiday weekend in Japan, and almost every other platform was completely sold out.

So we ended up booking through Yeogi-eottae (a Korean booking platform) for around ~$563.

But if you plan ahead,

Agoda usually offers the best rates.

Agoda	Yeogi-eottae	Trip.com
From ~$301	From ~$397	Sold out
Book Now	Book Now	Book Now

* Rates based on a Friday-Saturday stay in September / Twin Room (Includes Breakfast + Dinner)

Coupon & Discount Code Guide

Currently, Yeogi-eottae and Trip.com

are running special promotional discount events (~6/30).

Yeogi-eottae offers up to a 7% discount << Get Discount Code

For Trip.com, click this page <<​

and if you pay using KakaoPay,

you can get up to a 12% discount.

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In Yufuin—the ultimate onsen destination—

when you consider the dream combination of

a luxury traditional ryokan + kaiseki dining + private family hot springs,

a rate of around ~$320 per night is incredibly reasonable

and absolutely worth it, especially for a family trip or a vacation with parents.

So for those of you reading this post,

please don't wait until the last minute like we did

and end up paying over ~$192 extra!

I highly recommend getting your accommodation locked in early.