My Go-To Yokohama Day Trip — And Why I Turned It Into a PDF
I've taken more people around Yokohama than I can count. Friends from Spain — I lived there for about three years, and they'd come to visit Japan with a packed itinerary and one free day to fill. My wife's family from Denmark, who ask for a Yokohama day every time they visit Japan.
Every time, I'd send a string of voice messages explaining the same route. Start here, eat at this place, don't miss the onsen, end up in Noge. It worked. People kept sending me photos at the end of the day. Nobody has disliked it yet.
Eventually it made more sense to just write it down.
Why I keep taking people to Yokohama
Yokohama is 30 minutes from Tokyo by train. It's easy to visit, easy to navigate, and there's enough to fill a proper day if you know where to go.
The route I take people through — Motomachi in the morning, the waterfront, the onsen, and then Noge in the evening — works because of the sequence. Each part of the day sets up the next. The morning is slow and easy, the afternoon is about being out in the city, the onsen is where you reset, and Noge is how it ends: skewers, a drink, and no rush to be anywhere.
I've done this enough times to know it holds up.
An onsen in Minato Mirai
No onsen travel guide I've ever seen mentions Yokohama. It's not what the city is known for, and most people assume you have to go to Hakone or Beppu for a real hot spring experience.
But Manyo Club, right in Minato Mirai, does something quietly unusual: they truck in hot spring water every day from Atami and Yugawara — two of Japan's most famous onsen towns — and pipe it directly into the baths. The water from both sources has been called bishin no yu, "beauty water," for centuries, for the way it softens and smooths your skin after a soak.
Inside, you can choose which source to bathe in on different floors. On the rooftop, there's a foot bath garden with a full view of the Minato Mirai skyline — the Ferris wheel, the towers, the bay. In summer, there's an outdoor BBQ area. After bathing, I usually end up in the relaxation lounge: deep chairs, the view in front of you, free manga to flip through. You don't need to bring anything — towels, robes, shampoo, and hair dryers are all provided.
It works for couples (the foot bath is a good option if one person isn't into full onsen), for families with small children, and for anyone who wants to spend the middle of a long day doing something that isn't walking.
I include this as an Onsen Sommelier, not just as someone who likes a hot bath. The quality of the water here is genuinely worth going out of your way for.
How the day ends
After the onsen, Noge.
Noge is Yokohama's classic after-work drinking district — narrow streets, hand-painted signs, izakaya that have looked the same for thirty years. I've been going there for years, and I recently found a yakitori spot I keep coming back to: Yasubei. Counter seats, charcoal grill, skewers ordered a few at a time. Start with the negima — chicken and scallion — and a beer. Simple and exactly right.
The point of Noge isn't any single place. It's the pace. You eat, you drink, you move to the next spot. By the end of the night you've had three kitchens, two different drinks, and a conversation with someone at the counter you didn't plan on having.
I always tell people this is the part of the day I most want them to experience. It's the part that feels least like tourism.
Why I made this PDF
My custom Yokohama itinerary takes up to seven days to put together — I ask about your travel companions, your interests, your pace, your dietary needs, and build something tailored around your trip. That's the right option if you want something built specifically for you.
But not everyone has a week's lead time. Some people are in Tokyo this weekend and want to know where to go tomorrow.
The Yokohama Day Trip PDF is for them. It's the exact route I'd walk a friend through — Motomachi in the morning, the waterfront, the onsen, and Noge to close out the night. Every restaurant recommendation, every practical tip, a Google Maps link with all the pins ready to go. Download it now, use it this weekend.
Get the Yokohama Day Trip PDF — ¥1,000 →
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Quick tips
- Getting there: Take a train to Motomachi-Chukagai Station. Suica or Pasmo IC card makes the whole day easier — buy one at any major station.
- Onsen: No need to bring anything to Manyo Club. Shower at the wash stations before entering the bath. If you have visible tattoos, check their site before going.
- Noge timing: Most spots are walk-in. Arriving around 6pm helps you avoid a wait.
- Cash: Bring yen, especially for Noge. ATMs at 7-Eleven and Lawson accept foreign cards.
- Pace: The spots in this itinerary are 10–20 minutes apart on foot. Comfortable shoes matter more than you'd expect.
Want something built around your specific trip instead? I make personalised Yokohama day trip itineraries based on your travel style, companions, and dates — delivered as a PDF within 7 days.