The surroundings of Zao Onsen are rich with mountains and wilderness, and after a ride on one of the three cable cars departing from the hot spring village, it is possible to enjoy with ease trekking in summer or the brightly colored leaves in autumn.
In winter, those surrounding mountains turn into slopes for the top-class Zao Onsen Ski Resort, renowned in Japan for its large scale.

There are more than 80 accommodations available in Zao Onsen, including historical ryokan (traditional Japanese inns), hotels and other economical lodges to match all budgets and tastes.

Zao Onsen is easily accessible by Shinkansen bullet trains, airplanes or highway buses from some of Japan’s main international airports.