Located only 20 minutes drive from Kamikochi and 45 to 50-minutes from Takayama, the hot spring town of Hirayu Onsen is home to many hotels and guesthouses – each with their own in-house baths. Accommodation prices can vary greatly in the town with many hotels fully booked on weekends and public holidays in the months that Kamikochi is open to the public – mid-April until mid-November.

While some guesthouses are expensive, you will be able notably cheaper rates in Hirayu Onsen than available inside Kamikochi; and while quiet at night, Hirayu has a number of restaurants open for dinner (unlike Kamikochi). Hirayu Onsen is one of five towns making-up the wider Okuhida Onsen area – with numerous guesthouses spread through the area including some of Japan’s best hot springs.