Is Gero Onsen Worth It? "Not Too Close and Not Too Far": Why Japanese Visitors Keep Choosing It
下呂温泉は行く価値があるか——「名古屋から近すぎす遠すぎす」日本人が選び続ける理由
By Rakutaro · Tokyo, Japan
The most-liked answer under a 2023 Japanese explainer on why Gero Onsen keeps growing is about geography, not water: 94 likes for "From Nagoya it's not too close and not too far." In the top 200 of 227 comments, Japanese visitors make the case for Gero from the station outward: the Hida limited express gets there in one train from Nagoya and from Osaka, the onsen town starts at the platform, and Takayama and Shirakawa-go are up the same line, which is why one returning visitor found it packed with young people and foreign tourists (41 likes). The water gets a more honest grade: soft and gentle on the skin, but a Gifu native admits it is not that special, and a first-timer was told there that the spring is running low. Then they name the quieter hot springs further up the valley that they prefer.
These comments are from a video published in 2023. Prices, rules and crowds may have moved since; anything we checked ourselves is marked with a source.
“From Nagoya it's not too close and not too far. Just the right distance for a trip.”
名古屋から近すぎす遠すぎす観光にはちょうどいい距離でしょう
Where Japanese visitors go instead
When people say Gero Onsen they mean the famous places by the station like Suimeikan and Ogawaya, but as a Gifu native, there's an onsen area further north within Gero City, and personally I like that better. You can only get there by car, though. Still, of all the hot springs in Gifu, Okuhida Onsen-go is the best.
下呂温泉と言えば駅が近くにある水明館や小川屋が有名だが、岐阜県人として下呂市内ならもっと北の方に温泉街があるけど個人的な意見としてそちらの方が好きだな。 自動車でないと行けないけど。 しかし岐阜県の温泉の中では奥飛騨温泉郷が一番。
— @フクラスズメ3 likesIt's not just Gero. Hagiwara, Joro, Hida-Osaka, Kanayama and the others are each good too ❗
下呂だけじゃなく萩原、上呂、小坂、金山…などもそれぞれ良いですよ❗
— @澤田透-u1t11 likesInuyama Onsen is another one I'd recommend for the same reasons. There's castle-town food, cormorant fishing, Monkey Park and Inuyama Yuen, Meiji-mura and Little World. And it's under 30 minutes from Nagoya on Meitetsu, so if you push it you can even go back out in Nagoya at night! But it might feel too everyday to count as travel, lol.
同じような理由で犬山温泉 もオススメなんですけどねー 城下町グルメもあるし、鵜飼もあるし、モンキーパークや犬山遊園、明治村、リトルワールドもある。 しかも名鉄で名古屋から30分弱だから頑張れば夜も名古屋に遊びに出れる！ でもあまりに日常的過ぎて観光って気分にはならないかもしれないw
— @でんでん-y9c7 likes
Places named in this article
Some links on this page are affiliate links — if you book through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Which places appear here is decided by the source comments only.
- Gero StationGero, Gifu
The whole argument in one place: step off the Hida limited express and you are in the onsen town (47 likes for the station-front setup; a shuttle bus meets the train for the inns, 3 likes).
- SuimeikanGero, Gifu
Named as one of the two famous inns by the station (3 likes), by a Gifu native who prefers the quieter hot springs further north.
4.34★ from 6,179 guest reviews on Rakuten Travel (as of Sep 2026)
8.9/10 from 6,332 international guests on Agoda · Check rates and availability on Agoda
- OgawayaGero, Gifu
The other famous station-side inn in the same comment (3 likes).
4.41★ from 4,922 guest reviews on Rakuten Travel (as of Sep 2026)
- Gero Onsen Gassho VillageGero, Gifu
The afternoon plan in a 34-like comment: arrive on the Hida from Osaka before noon, drop bags, lunch, then Gassho Village.
- Kur Garden Open-Air BathGero, Gifu
A day-use open-air bath recommended for its view of Takayama Line trains and its low admission (2 likes, not excerpted above).
- Funsen-ikeGero, Gifu
The riverside pool a Gero-born commenter mourns. Foot-bath only since December 1, 2021.
Sources: city.gero.lg.jp — checked 2026-09-03
- Okuhida Onsen-goTakayama, Gifu
The best hot spring in Gifu, says a Gifu native (3 likes); on another level for water, says another, but over an hour from central Takayama (1 like).
- Hida-Osaka Onsen-goGero, Gifu
One of the other hot-spring areas inside Gero City named in an 11-like comment (with Hagiwara, Joro and Kanayama); car territory, per the Gifu native.
- Inuyama OnsenInuyama, Aichi
The alternative from the Nagoya side (7 likes): castle town, cormorant fishing, Meiji-mura, under 30 minutes on Meitetsu.
Named in the source comments. Where a note gives a price, opening status or rule, we checked it against the linked source on the date shown — everything else is what the comments said. All of it can change; check the map listing before you go.
FAQ
- Is Gero Onsen worth visiting?
- Yes, if you treat it as the onsen stop on the Nagoya to Takayama line rather than a pilgrimage for the water. The most-liked comment (94 likes) says the point is the distance from Nagoya, and the next argument (47 likes) is that the baths start right at the station. The catch is that everyone has noticed: a returning visitor found it full of young people and foreign tourists even allowing for spring break (41 likes), and a Gifu native says the water itself is not that remarkable.
- How do you get to Gero Onsen from Nagoya or Osaka, and does the JR Pass cover it?
- By the Hida limited express, which Japanese visitors keep citing as the whole reason Gero works. From Nagoya the direct train takes about 1 hour 42 minutes and costs 4,170 yen with an unreserved seat; from Osaka there is one direct Hida a day, about 3 and a half hours and 6,930 yen unreserved. The Japan Rail Pass is valid on JR limited express trains, so the Hida is covered. On weekends and holidays JR Central's Aozora Free Pass (2,620 yen) covers the Takayama Line as far as Gero on local trains, with a limited express ticket bought separately.
Sources: ekitan.com · ekitan.com · japanrailpass.net · railway.jr-central.co.jp — checked 2026-09-03
- Should you stay in Gero or in Takayama?
- Gero is the cheaper bed, according to the comments. Plenty of visitors sleep at Gero Onsen and go on to Takayama the next day (28 likes), a former tour conductor notes that Takayama hotel prices have shot up, and a Gifu resident who goes monthly says a weekday solo stay with no meals can come in under 5,000 yen. The trade-off is the water: Okuhida, past Takayama, is on another level, but more than an hour from central Takayama.
- Can you still bathe in Gero's riverside Funsen-ike pool?
- No. The open-air pool by the Hida River bridge, which one commenter born in Gero calls the reason they used to go, has been foot-bath only since December 1, 2021. Gero City made the change after years of complaints about people bathing in view of the bridge and ignoring the swimwear rule. The town's many free foot baths, which a commenter rates as its edge over Arima and Kusatsu, are unaffected.
Sources: city.gero.lg.jp · gifu-np.co.jp — checked 2026-09-03
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What Japanese visitors said — picked from the top 200 of 227 comments
When Shirakawa-go and Takayama got linked by expressway, Gero was the only place in Hida left completely behind. I think that's also why the railway got a second look.
白川郷と高山が高速道路で繋がったときは飛騨の中で下呂だけ完全に取り残されていました。 鉄道が見直されたのもあるでしょう。
For foreigners, from Nagoya you can do Gero Onsen, Takayama, Shirakawa-go and Hokuriku almost all on the one Takayama Line, so it's convenient.
外国人からしたら、名古屋から高山本線でほぼ一本で下呂温泉、高山、白川郷、北陸が周れて、便利やし
It shows Gero Onsen has an exceptionally good setup: good water and right by the station. With the maglev and the Nohi Expressway planned for the future, there's potential to bring in even more visitors from Japan and abroad, which is another bright spot.
下呂温泉が泉質が良く駅近という非常に優れた特徴と環境をもっている事が分かります。 将来的にもリニアや濃飛自動車道の開通予定で国内・海外の観光客が増やせるポテンシャルがあるのも明るい要素だと思います。
Take the Hida limited express from Osaka and you're at Gero Onsen before noon. Drop your bags at the ryokan, wander around, have lunch, then head to Gassho Village. I just did a Gero trip exactly like that 😊 Being one train from Osaka and not just Nagoya is what makes Gero Onsen appealing, I think.
大阪から特急ひだに乗れば、昼前には下呂温泉に着きます。旅館に荷物を置いた後、ぶらぶら散策しながら昼食を食べたら合掌村へ。みたいな下呂温泉旅行をしたばかりです😊名古屋からだけでなく、大阪からも鉄道一本で行きやすいのが下呂温泉の魅力だと思います。
I'd guess plenty of tourists stay a night at Gero Onsen and then head on to Takayama.
下呂温泉に宿泊してから高山を目指す観光客も多いかと思われる。
Gero runs on two engines: the inner retreat for the Nagoya metro area, and the pairing with Hida-Takayama. The first collapsed with the post-bubble slump, when company trips and other group demand crashed. As for the second, the Abo Pass road in 1997 and the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway in 2000 made Takayama dramatically easier to reach by car, while Gero sat off that route and barely benefited. In domestic-travel terms it was slowly losing ground, but for inbound visitors, who move by tour bus or train, it drew attention as the closest real onsen town to Takayama.
下呂の場合、名古屋都市圏の奥座敷的要素と、飛騨高山とのセットという二本立て。 前者はバブル崩壊以降の景気低迷で社員旅行などの法人団体需要が激減し、後者も高山は1997年の安房峠道路、2000年の東海北陸道開通で自動車アクセスが飛躍的に向上した一方、下呂はそのルートから外れた事で恩恵は薄かった。 国内旅行的感覚ではじり貧となったものの、移動手段が団体バスか鉄道であるインバウンド客にとっては「高山に一番近い本格的な温泉地」として、注目された形でしょうね。
When I first went to Gero Onsen ten years ago, it was a hot-spring town where middle-aged and older people stood out more than young ones, and I remember it being fairly quiet. But when I went recently it was young people everywhere, foreigners everywhere. Even allowing for spring-break season, the crowds were brutal. Geography plays a part, but I suspect the tourism association and the city just did a good job of pulling people in.
10年前に初めて下呂温泉に行ったときは、若者よりも中年高年層が目立つ温泉街だったし比較的空いてた記憶がある。 しかし最近下呂に行ったら若者若者外人外人。春休みシーズンだったのを考えてもエグい人混みだった。 地理的要因もあるんだろうけど、観光協会やら下呂市の呼び込みが上手だったんじゃないかなーと思います
I'm from Gifu and I don't think Gero Onsen itself is all that great a hot spring, but I guess it's the just-right distance. And you can't get there by expressway. If you're talking about the water, Okuhida is on another level, but getting there takes over an hour from central Takayama...
自分岐阜県民で下呂温泉自体はそこまで素晴らしい温泉とは思わないんだけど、やっぱりちょうど良い距離感なんかね。後高速じゃ行けないし。 泉質とかになって来ると奥飛騨とかはレベチだけど、あそこ行くのに高山市街地から1時間以上かかる・・・
The water is really soft and slippery, a gentle spring. It doesn't have the obvious character of Kusatsu or Arima, but it's very good water.
凄くお湯が柔らかくてヌルヌルで、優しい泉質なんだよね。草津とか有馬みたいなわかりやすさは無いけど、すごくいいお湯
Visited for the first time the other day. According to the people there, the spring itself is running a little low and they're struggling with it, but with that atmosphere right by the station I get why it's popular.
先日初めて訪れました。 地元の人曰く、温泉自体はちょっと枯れ気味なようで苦労もあるようですが駅チカであの風情は人気ある理由もよくわかります。
I live in the south of Gifu Prefecture and go to Gero about once a month. Partly because it's close, but also because, water aside, there are quite a few cheap places to stay. On a weekday solo trip with no meals there are inns under 5,000 yen. Being able to go on a whim is the appeal for me. Also, though it has moved up the hill now, the onsen hospital is famous for spa cures.
岐阜県の南の方に住んでますが、下呂は月一くらいで行きます。近いというのもありますが、泉質も去るとこながら安い宿がそこそこあることです。平日の一人旅で素泊まりだと、5000円切る宿もあります。気軽に行けることが私にとっての魅力です。あと、今は高台に移転してしまいましたが、温泉病院の湯治も有名ですね。
I've done Arima and Kusatsu, the other two of the big three. Gero has the most foot baths you can just walk into, decent food, and it was the one I enjoyed most outside the ryokan. Worst case you can take the train on to Takayama.
有馬、草津と3大名泉いったけど 自由に入れる足湯が下呂には多く、食べ物もそこそこにあり旅館以外も一番楽しめたかな 最悪、電車で高山もいける
If Gero is strong on the inbound side, I'd guess the Japan Rail Pass is a factor. Arima is a private railway; Kusatsu is reachable by JR with a first limited express from Takasaki, but then there's a bus, which is a little unnerving. Hakone is right there from Odawara, but the JRP doesn't work. Gero is one transfer from the shinkansen at Nagoya (the platform is close to the shinkansen, and the train starts there), and when you step off at Gero Station you're in the onsen town.
下呂が強い理由、インバウンドだったらやはりジャパンレールパスが要因かもしれません。 有馬は私鉄だし、草津はJRで行け高崎から始発特急もありますがその先バスがあって、若干不安です。 箱根なら小田原からすぐですがJRPは使えません。 下呂は新幹線から名古屋駅乗り継ぎ一回(乗り換えホームも新幹線から結構近い、しかも始発)で、下呂駅降りたら温泉街ですから。
Thanks for the upload. As a Gero resident I'm really grateful you looked into it this thoroughly. If you come to Gero by local train rather than limited express, watch out for these departures (all from Gifu Station, same times on weekends and holidays): 15:15 for Shirakawaguchi, 17:15 for Hida-Kanayama, 19:15 for Shimo-Aso. None of these three reaches Gero, so I'd recommend waiting for the next train at Gifu or getting off at Mino-Ota (Mino-Ota Station has a small waiting room with heating and air conditioning).
動画投稿お疲れさまでした。 下呂市民としてここまで詳しく調べて頂き大変有難いです。 特急ではなく普通で下呂へお越しの際注意するダイヤがありまして（いずれも岐阜駅発土休日も同時間） 15時15分 白川口行 17時15分 飛騨金山行 19時15分 下麻生行 これら3つは下呂まで到達できませんので岐阜駅で後発の列車を待つか美濃太田駅で降りるのがオススメです。（美濃太田駅は小さいながらも冷暖房付きの待合室があります）
Gero Onsen is close to the station, and Takayama's old town is also normal walking distance from its station. On top of that, there's an expressway bus from Gero Onsen via Takayama to the tourist-bus parking at Seseragi Park, the gateway to Shirakawa-go. From the Tokyo area it's far by rail, but by bus you can actually do it all in one night, two days. If you stay in Takayama you can hit the morning market too, and go to Kamikochi instead of Gero Onsen. Before the flood of inbound visitors I took customers there many times for work as a tour conductor, and it's a good place however many times you go. As you'd expect, hotel prices in Takayama have shot up, and the cheap bus tours that competed with JR are gone.
下呂温泉は駅から近い上に、高山の旧市街も駅から普通の徒歩圏。 さらに、下呂温泉から高山を経由して、白川郷の入り口・せせらぎ公園観光バス駐車場に行く高速路線バスも走っている。 首都圏からは、鉄路では遠いが、実はバスなら一泊二日で回れるんだな~。 宿泊が高山なら、朝市にも行けて、下呂温泉の代わりに上高地にも行ける。 訪日外国人が大挙して訪れる前は、仕事【旅行添乗員】でお客様をお連れして何度も行きましたが、何度行っても良い所です。 ご多分に漏れず、高山市内の宿泊料金が爆上がりしてしまい、対 JRで格安のバスツアーは無くなってしまいました。
I was born in Gero (in a district that wasn't part of Gero City back then). Some of it may still be around, but I think the adult-entertainment trade fading and the drop in company trips and other group travel are also why it has declined from what it was. People don't readily pick Gero just to go to an onsen. It needs other added value. On hot springs alone it's tough to keep going. It needs one more pillar, no, several. So the Funsen-ike pool has become a foot bath. I used it many times before, so that's a shame. Now I've lost my reason to go.
自分は下呂市生まれだけど（生まれた時は下呂市ではない別の地区）。 まだ多少は残ってるのかもしれないけど、ピンク産業が衰退して、慰安旅行などの団体旅行客が減ったことも昔より衰退した原因だと思う。 温泉へ行くという理由だけでは下呂をなかなか選ばない。その他の付加価値がないと。 温泉1本では、やっていくのはきつい。もう一本、否、何本も軸となるものが必要。 噴泉池は足湯になってしまったのか。以前は何度も利用してたけど残念。もう行く理由が無くなってしまった。