Gunma Onsen Tour | 8-10 Days in Luxury Ryokans

Today is the first day of our journey into the heartland of Gunma's historical onsen towns. From Takasaki, we will take river paths heading to Maebashi City before climbing up the slopes of Mt Haruna. This massive stratovolcano is home to Ikaho Onsen Town. Perched on Mt Haruna's east side, Ikaho Onsen is home to mineral-rich waters that flow down the 365 stone steps in the center of town.

After a steady climb, we'll reach our home for the evening. Take a step back in time as you enter your ryokan hotel, put on traditional Japanese robes, and ease your body into a steaming hot spring bath. Meet back up before dinner to take a walk along the stone steps in our yukata robes and enjoy the sky's changing colors as the sun sets into the mountains.

Today, we will point our handlebars towards the caldera of Mt Haruna as we ride to the summit of this mighty volcano. A steady climb with rewarding views, Haruna's winding roads will lead us to its hidden caldera lake and a spectacular view of Mt Haruna Mini Fuji.

After a lap around the lake, we will enjoy a lake-side lunch before hopping into the gondola for a ride up Haruna Fuji for commanding views of the mountains that surround us. On a clear day, you can even see Tokyo & Mt Fuji over 100 miles (160km) away! From here, it's a thrilling downhill back into Ikaho Town for the evening.

After our kaiseki breakfast, we'll say farewell to Ikaho Onsen and set off over Mt Haruna once more, this time descending down the backside into the Agatsuma Valley. Ride through stunning forests before we start to trace the winding Agatsuma River up to the hidden enclave of Kawarayu Onsen.

Tonight, we have a chance to stay in traditional Japanese straw-thatch roof houses. This special ryokan is home to a collection of traditional buildings in the region, brought together to recreate the feel of a historical village. Don't let the rustic exteriors fool you though - these buildings have been meticulously brought up to modern hotel standards, and each feature amazing touches and details!

Today, we head even deeper into the Gunma Alps towards the famous onsen town of Kusatsu. Rated as the highest-quality onsen water in all of Japan, Kusatsu is also home to the largest hot water source in Japan with over 32,000 liters (8,500 gallons) of water per minute!

From the valley, it's a steady climb up a quiet backroad that will take us up to the high mountain plateau. The pass will take us over 1,200m above sea before we descend into town.

Kusatsu is know for the Yubatake hot spring fields that are the centerpiece of this town, and our ryokan will be right next to this iconic hot spring source.

After a morning soak and breakfast, we will set off on one of two routes - choose your adventure!

Option 1: Set off for an early start to climb Mt Kusatsu-Shirane, an active volcano that is the source of energy fueling Kusatsu Onsen Town. More than 1,000m later, we will reach the top of this massive mountain to Shibu Pass at 2,172m above sea level. This road is known not only for sweeping panoramic views, but also for getting up close and personal with geysers, steaming pools, and radiant heat coming off the mountain itself.

Once you summit, it's down hill back to town. Enjoy a simple lunch at the lodge at the top, or head back into town for more variety. Then, take the afternoon to wander the small streets and hop between onsen baths.

Option 2: Shiriyaki Onsen Loop - This option is one for the adventure-seeking kids at heart. Our route will take us even deeper into the mountains on very quiet and scenic forest roads. Trace rushing rivers that carve through mountains to a steaming hot-spring source.

Shiriyaki Onsen translates to Burning Butt Hot Spring. This is a hidden favorite for Gunma locals: just a river that's open to the public. There are no formal rules and the bath is considered mixed gender & clothing optional. Take a quick soak in this one-of-a-kind onsen before hopping back on the bikes and riding over to a delicious soba shop known for their homegrown maetake mushroom tempura. Then, on our way back to town, ride over rolling hills and all sorts of colored waters as we see several different sources of Kusatsu's onsen water.

*Ask us about adding a few extra nights in Kusatsu if you would like to do both routes!

On our final day, we will head out one last time by bike, mostly downhill, into Naganohara. Take the morning to explore more of Kusatsu, visit the beautiful Sainokawara outdoor onsen garden, or hop on the bikes early for some extra kilometers.

Once in Naganohara, we will stop to enjoy lunch and coffee and recount the highlights of the week before we say farewell until the next time!