The coast is close to central Noboribetsu, while the hot spring area and Hell Valley lie farther inland, a short 15-minute bus ride away. Many hotels in Noboribetsu Onsen offer bathing sessions for day visitors, with a choice of baths. If a day-use bath is important for your trip, confirm current availability before you arrive; offerings may change. More than 10,000 tonnes of water containing natural minerals are supplied to the hotels and inns in the hot spring town within the municipality.

Getting to Hell Valley and getting around

A bus runs from Noboribetsu Station to Noboribetsu Onsen Bus Terminal; from there, the walk to the Hell Valley boardwalks takes five minutes. Noboribetsu Hell Valley can be reached by bus or car within the municipality. Check current timetables if travelling by bus. You can also explore Noboribetsu’s primeval forest on foot. Warm, flowing streams are a good way to warm tired feet. The forest walk offers a different experience from the valley’s bleached rocks, steaming pools and smell of sulfur. Local access conditions may vary; check them before taking a walk in the forest.

The Hell Festival in August

The Noboribetsu Hell Festival takes place toward the end of August in the Noboribetsu hot spring area, every year on the last Saturday and Sunday of the month. During the festival, lanterns and food stalls line the main street, and costume and festival-float parades make their way through town. The festival is based on the legend that the lid of the hell cauldron opens in Jigokudani, and Enma-Daiō comes to Noboribetsu Onsen with demons. If you want to plan your trip around the festival, check the specific event dates.

Culture and experiences in the municipality

Noboribetsu municipality has other destinations with different points of interest. The Noboribetsu City Museum of History displays historical everyday objects and materials relating to the Katakura family and their retainers, who moved from the Sendai domain to Noboribetsu from 1869 onward. The collection thus points to a specific chapter in local history.

Noboribetsu Date-Jidaimura offers a different historical perspective: this theme park is devoted to Edo-period culture (1603–1867) and includes around 100 buildings. Attractions include traditional dances and performances featuring ninja and samurai. The museum and theme park offer different perspectives—from everyday history and the Katakura family to Edo-period culture.

Noboribetsu Marine Park Nixe is home to Crystal Tower, an eight-metre-high tank inhabited mainly by Napoleon fish. At the Aqua Tunnel, visitors can experience a walk on the seabed. The park also offers a penguin parade as well as dolphin and sea lion shows; times may vary.

For the wider travel overview: Niseko.