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Best geothermal destinations in Asia

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Beppu
Steaming hot springs and colourful Hells
8.1
Umi Jigoku, the Sea Hell, is a cobalt blue pool of boiling water that is one of the eight hot spring sights of Beppu called the hells. The city has about 2,800 hot spring sources, so bathers also get buried up to the neck in warm volcanic sand at Takegawara.
Highlights:
  • 🏖️ Try a traditional sand bath at Beppu Beach Sand Bath
  • 🌋 Watch the spectacular steam vents rise at Umi Jigoku
  • ♨️ Bathe in the famous Beppu hot springs known as “onsen hells”
Oita
Monkeys, hot springs and Otomo history
7.9
Autumn from late October to November has red maple leaves around the hot spring towns of Yufuin and Beppu, so bathers soak in outdoor pools beside the colours. Oita has more hot spring sources than any other prefecture in Japan, with about 4,000 spread across the region.
Highlights:
  • 🎨 Stroll the charming streets of Yufuin and visit its art galleries
  • 🌋 Explore the surreal steaming pools on the Beppu Hells tour
  • ♨️ Relax in Beppu’s famous and therapeutic hot springs
Kusatsu-Onsen
Steaming hot water field and bath hopping
8.1
The Yubatake, a hot water field in the centre of Kusatsu, sends steaming spring water through long wooden channels at a rate of thousands of gallons a minute. Bathers cool the strongly acidic water with long wooden paddles in a show called yumomi, a way of lowering the heat without adding plain water.
Highlights:
  • 🌿 Relax in open-air baths at Sainokawara Park
  • 🎍 Watch a traditional Yumomi hot water cooling show
  • ♨️ Admire the steaming Yubatake hot spring field in the centre of town
Java
Vibrant capital city and ancient temples
8.6
Like a line of fire across the sea, Java has more than 100 volcanoes, about 45 of them active, so the island is full of crater lakes, steaming vents and hot springs. Near Bandung, Tangkuban Perahu has crater walks while the Ciater springs have warm pools in the tea plantations.
Highlights:
  • 🏮 Stroll Yogyakarta's Malioboro Street, shop batik souvenirs
  • 🛕 Explore Borobudur temple's ancient stone carvings
  • 🌋 Climb Mount Bromo sunrise for breathtaking views
Kyushu
Volcanoes, onsen and tonkotsu ramen
8.4
Hot springs on Kyushu are mentioned in records from the 700s, while today the island has thousands of springs around volcanoes such as Aso, Unzen and Sakurajima, a smoking volcano in Kagoshima Bay. At Ibusuki on the south coast, visitors lie in warm black volcanic sand beside the sea.
Highlights:
  • 🕊️ Explore historic Nagasaki Peace Park memorial
  • 🥾 Hike scenic trails at Mount Aso volcanic caldera
  • ♨️ Relax in Beppu’s famous hot spring baths
Noboribetsu
Steaming hell valley and nine spring types
8.5
In southwestern Hokkaido near the Pacific coast, Noboribetsu has Jigokudani, a volcanic crater nearly 1,500 feet wide that is called Hell Valley, with steaming vents and bubbling pools. Nearby Oyunuma is a hot sulphur pond where a warm stream makes a natural foot bath that visitors walk along.
Highlights:
  • 🐻 Meet Japanese macaques at the Noboribetsu Bear Park
  • 🌋 Walk through the steaming volcanic valley of Jigokudani
  • ♨️ Soak in natural hot springs at Noboribetsu Onsen resort
Valley of Geysers
Erupting wonders beneath Icelandic skies
8.3
Like a wilder version of Yellowstone at the far eastern end of Russia, the Valley of Geysers in Kamchatka has about 90 geysers along a canyon with steaming hot springs and mud pots. It was found in 1941 by the scientist Tatyana Ustinova and is reached by helicopter.
Highlights:
  • 📷 Capture the surreal geyser formations with a tripod
  • ☀️ Witness steaming vents erupting during sunrise
  • 🌋 Hike to the iconic Valley of Geysers viewpoint
Hokkaido
Volcanoes, powder snow and fresh seafood
9.3
On the northernmost main island of Japan, Hokkaido has many volcanoes and hot spring towns such as Jozankei near Sapporo and Sounkyo in a deep gorge. Outdoor baths called rotenburo are common in the region, so bathers soak in hot water while snow falls around them in winter.
Highlights:
  • 🚤 Explore historic Otaru Canal and its shops
  • 🏂 Ski or snowboard in world-famous Niseko resorts
  • 💧 Visit the spectacular Shirogane Blue Pond
Hakone
Onsen town with Fuji views and lake cruises
8.6
The smell of sulphur and white steam are part of Owakudani, a volcanic valley where eggs boiled in the hot springs turn black and are said to add seven years to a person's life. Hakone also has onsen inns with views of Mount Fuji and Lake Ashi.
Highlights:
  • 🚠 Take a scenic ride on the Hakone Ropeway
  • 🖼️ Explore stunning sculptures at Hakone Open-Air Museum
  • ♨️ Soak in relaxing waters of Hakone Onsen hot springs
Zao Onsen
Sulphur onsen, snow monsters and ski slopes
7.9
Zao Onsen is said to be about 1,900 years old, while its strongly acidic water has a sulphur smell and is known for making skin feel smooth. In winter the fir trees on the mountain freeze into shapes called snow monsters, so skiers finish the day in outdoor baths.
Highlights:
  • 🎿 Ski or snowboard on Zao’s scenic slopes
  • 🌋 View the stunning Okama Crater’s colour-changing lake
  • ♨️ Soak in Zao’s famous acidic sulfur hot springs
Dieng Plateau
Mist‑kissed highlands echo ancient rhythms
8.4
Dieng takes its name from a word meaning abode of the gods while the plateau, about 6,800 feet high, has Hindu temples from the 7th and 8th centuries beside bubbling craters. Sikidang crater has boiling mud and sulphur steam, while Telaga Warna, a lake, changes colour from green to blue.
Highlights:
  • ☕ Sample traditional Dieng coffee at local farm
  • 🏞️ Explore Telaga Warna turquoise lake at sunrise
  • 🚙 Ride a jeep across volcanic crater rim at dawn
Pamukkale
Cotton Castle of Thermal Pools
7.6
Walking barefoot on the white terraces is the rule at Pamukkale, which means cotton castle in Turkish, since shoes would damage the soft travertine stone. Above, Roman bathers once soaked in the ancient spa town of Hierapolis while today swimmers float among fallen marble columns in a warm mineral pool.
Highlights:
  • 🏛️ Explore ancient ruins of Hierapolis archaeological site
  • 🏊‍♀️ Swim in Cleopatra’s Antique thermal pool
  • 👣 Walk barefoot on Pamukkale’s famous white travertines
Kurokawa Onsen
Riverside bath hopping in a Kumamoto valley
8.8
Sulphur steam and the sound of the river are part of the narrow lanes in Kurokawa Onsen, a village in a forested valley where inns have riverside outdoor baths. A wooden pass called the nyuto tegata is good for three baths at different inns, so guests walk in yukata robes from one to the next.
Highlights:
  • 🏮 Enjoy seasonal lantern festivals lighting the village
  • 👘 Stroll the charming streets in traditional yukata robes
  • ♨️ Use the wooden pass for onsen hopping across baths
Shibu Onsen
Nine public baths and cobbled lanes
8.5
In the mountains of northern Nagano, Shibu Onsen is a village with nine public bathhouses, each with its own name and said to bring luck. Walkers in yukata robes and wooden sandals go from bath to bath while snow monkeys soak in hot springs at nearby Jigokudani Monkey Park.
Highlights:
  • 👘 Stroll historic streets wearing yukata robes
  • 🐒 Visit Jigokudani Monkey Park to see bathing snow monkeys
  • ♨️ Soak in nine unique public hot spring baths
Unzen Onsen
Volcanic hot spring town with steaming hells
7.4
In late April and early May red azaleas bloom on the slopes of Unzen, while the steam fields of Unzen Jigoku have walking paths past bubbling vents and boiling pools. Visitors eat eggs cooked in the hot steam and soak in milky sulphur baths at nearby inns.
Highlights:
  • 🍱 Relax among mountain scenery and enjoy local onsen cuisine
  • 🔥 Wander through the dramatic Unzen Jigoku “Hell Valley” geothermal area
  • ♨️ Soak in Unzen’s steaming sulfur hot springs in a traditional ryokan
Aso-Kuju National Park
Giant caldera, active volcano and highlands
8.1
Farmers and volunteers burn the grass on the slopes of Mount Aso each early spring in a custom called noyaki, which keeps the meadows open for cattle and horses. The Aso caldera is one of the biggest in the world, with an active crater at Nakadake and hot spring villages like Uchinomaki.
Highlights:
  • 🐎 Ride horseback across the grasslands of Kusasenri Plateau
  • 🥾 Hike the Kuju Mountains for sweeping views of lush valleys
  • 🌋 Peer into Mount Aso’s active volcanic crater and feel the heat
Izu Peninsula
Hot springs, volcanic coast and beaches
8.3
Bathers in Izu wash carefully before getting into shared baths, a custom that keeps the water clean for everyone, while many towns have free foot baths called ashiyu beside the road. In Shuzenji a small bath called Tokko no Yu sits in the middle of the river and dates from the 800s.
Highlights:
  • 🌸 Explore Izu Kogen highland's flower gardens
  • 🏔️ Watch the sunset over Suruga Bay from Cape Koganezaki
  • 🛁 Soak in Atami's famed hot spring baths
Izu
Shuzenji hot springs, wasabi and Amagi hikes
8.1
In February the early blooming Kawazu cherry trees are pink along the river in Izu, so bathers soak in outdoor hot springs under the blossoms. The peninsula has hundreds of springs at towns such as Atami, Shuzenji and Ito, many with views of the sea.
Highlights:
  • 🌸 Walk the Path of Bamboo along Shuzenji's river
  • 💧 Hike to the stunning Joren Waterfall
  • ♨️ Relax in the healing waters of Shuzenji Onsen
Matsuyama
A hilltop castle and Japan's oldest hot spring
8.3
The sound of a drum from the roof of Dogo Onsen Honkan and steam from its baths are part of a morning in Matsuyama. The wooden bathhouse was built in 1894 over hot springs said to be some 3,000 years old, while visitors soak and then drink tea in a tatami room.
Highlights:
  • ⛩️ Explore Ishiteji Temple and its historic tunnel
  • ♨️ Relax in Dogo Onsen, Japan's oldest hot spring
  • 🏯 Visit Matsuyama Castle with panoramic city views
Yamanashi
Mount Fuji's north side, lakes and wine
9.4
Outdoor baths at hotels around Lake Kawaguchi have views of Mount Fuji across the water, so bathers soak in hot spring water while the snowcapped volcano is reflected in the lake. Yamanashi also has Isawa Onsen in the Kofu basin, fruit orchards and houtou, a hearty noodle stew.
Highlights:
  • 🌅 Explore Lake Kawaguchi's sunrise reflections of Mt. Fuji
  • 🍇 Pick grapes and peaches in Yamanashi's fruit orchards
  • 🚡 Taste hōtō, Yamanashi's hearty flat noodle stew
Kawah Ijen
Erupting beauty amid lush volcanic landscapes
At night the Kawah Ijen crater has electric blue flames caused by sulphur gas burning as it escapes from cracks in the rock, below a turquoise lake of acid water. Hikers start the two hour climb around 2 am with a guide while miners carry baskets of yellow sulphur down the rim.
Highlights:
  • ✨ Stargaze over Ijen's night sky from the summit terrace
  • ⚒️ Witness sulfur miners extracting crystals near the lake
  • 🌋 Trek to the crater rim at dawn for turquoise lava glow
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