13 Best Hot Springs In The World - International Traveller

Remote Arctic archipelagos, bustling urban centres and bleak lava fields. Which of these hot springs would you pick?

Who doesn’t love a soak in a hot spring? But our addiction is nothing new. Our ancestors have sought out sulphur-rich baths for thousands of years. Clearly, humanity is on to a good thing when stepping into these dreamy pools. Here are our top picks to add to your bucket list.

1. Blue Lagoon – Grindavík, Iceland

In a bleak field of cooled lava on the Reykjanes Peninsula, this otherworldly milky blue pool (a blend of seawater and underground water) is the most beloved of Iceland’s many geothermal spas.

Visitors can expect to leave this man-made lagoon with picture-perfect skin, thanks to the high levels of silica in the Blue Lagoon, which makes smearing its white mud on our faces so deliciously tempting.

The Blue Lagoon in Iceland — The Blue Lagoon is beloved in Iceland. (Image: Jeff Sheldon)

2. Manikaran Hot Springs – Himachal Pradesh, India

This peaceful hot spring on the Parvati River in India beckons religious visitors and tourists from all over the world. Hindus and Sikh pilgrims have religious myths associated with the sacred site, and temples are nearby. At over 1700 metres, some of the waters here can be hot enough to cook dal, but there are plenty of places you can enter the water safely.

Manikaran Sikh sacred site. Himachal Pradesh, India — Hindus and Sikh pilgrims have religious myths associated with Manikaran Hot Springs. (Image: f9photos via Getty Images)

3. Pamukkale – Denizli, Türkiye

Pamukkale in Türkiye is named for its towering white tiers, with ‘Pamukkale’ translating as ‘cotton castle’. Waters full of calcite carbonate minerals have created awesome terraced basins, mineral forests and frozen waterfalls.

Along with the ancient spa town of Hierapolis above the thermal springs, Pamukkale is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Natural travertine pools and terraces in Pamukkale. Cotton castle in southwestern Turkey — Pamukkale translates to ‘cotton castle’. (Image: murat4art via Getty Images)

4. Hakone National Park – Yamanashi, Shizuoka and Kanagawa Prefectures, Japan

A stone’s throw from Mt. Fuji, the Hakone National Park is chock-a-block with natural hot springs, best known in Japan as onsens.

The ancient and active Hakone volcano heats up the underground water, making the perfect environment for the park’s many public onsen and private ryokan baths.

Hakone National Park natural hot springs in Japan — Hakone National Park is chock-a-block with natural hot springs. (Image: Yusheng Deng)

5. Banff Upper Hot Springs – Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

In the heart of the Canadian Rockies on Sulphur Mountain, the Banff Upper Hot Springs are famous for their combination of hot waters rich with sulphate, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate and sodium. Visitors can relax their muscles away while taking in the snow-capped mountains all around them.

The buildings and pool of the Banff Upper Hot Springs. — Relax and take in the snow-capped mountains all around you. (Image: wwing via Getty Images)

6. Rotorua Hot Springs – Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand

An active lifestyle makes this volcanic park in New Zealand a must-see for travellers, with hot springs, geysers and mud pools all fighting for your attention.

Because of the mineral-rich water, Rotorua has long been popular among visitors, as well as having spiritual significance for the local Māori people.

Rotorua Hot Springs in New Zealand — Rotorua has spiritual significance for the local Māori people. (Image: Graeme Murray)

7. Svalbard Thermal Springs – Svalbard Archipelago, Norway

The Arctic is not a place you might associate with anything close to heat. But upon the Svalbard Archipelago, between Norway and the North Pole, thermal activity has created springs at the edge of Bockfjorden.

At 25 to 28 degrees Celsius, they are more akin to warm springs than hot springs but are much warmer than the frozen glaciers around you. Keep an eye out for the polar bears!

Aerial shot of Svalbard in Norway — Thermal activity has created springs at the edge of Bockfjorden. (Image: Chris Havard)

8. Glenwood Springs – Colorado, USA

The US has never been one to do halves, and that comes to the size of their hot springs as well. Glenwood Springs in the Rocky Mountains is one of the largest mineral hot springs pools in the world. Its iron and mineral-rich water has been attracting health-conscious visitors for centuries.

The springs themselves are surrounded by the peaks and forests of Roaring Fork Valley.

Glenwood Hot Springs, Colorado, USA — Glenwood is one of the largest mineral hot springs pools in the world. (Image: Lynn Grae)

9. Hot Water Beach – Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand

It’s a DIY hot spring at this Kiwi beach. Famously, visitors can lie on the sand and dig a pit in the sand. Because of the underground geothermal activity, warm waters bubble up to fill it. Just make sure it is not too hot before you hop in.

Hot Water Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand — Visitors can lie on the sand for a natural spa bath. (Image: Matt Crawford)

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10. Thermae Bath Spa – Bath, England

Come to take the waters? Everyone from the Romans to Jane Austen’s best-loved characters travelled to Bath in England for its mineral-rich waters filled with calcium and sulphur.

While you can’t go in the original Roman baths any longer, Thermae Bath Spa is just next door and is fed by the same – but cleaner – water.

Thermae Bath Spa in Bath, England — Thermae Bath Spa is fed by the same – but cleaner – water as the original Roman baths. (Image: Visit Britain)

11. Széchenyi Thermal Bath – Budapest, Hungary

The Széchenyi Thermal Bath is situated within a gorgeous, butter-yellow neo-baroque building from the early 20th century in Budapest’s Városliget City Park. But it’s not just a pretty face.

The medicinal bath is one of the largest in Europe and is rich in calcium, magnesium and sulphate. Try to get here in winter to bathe in 38-degree water surrounded by drifting snow.

Széchenyi Thermal Bath in Budapest, Hungary — Széchenyi Thermal Bath is rich in calcium, magnesium and sulphate. (Image: Yoav Aziz)

12. Saturnia – Tuscany, Italy

The springs of Saturnia are most famous for their natural terrace formation, with smooth sections of limestone and individual basins in which to relax.

Known as the Cascate del Mulino or Waterfalls of the Mill, this part of southern Tuscany has been visited for thousands of years for its supposed healing properties.

Saturnia in southern Tuscany, Italy — Saturnia has been visited for thousands of years for its supposed healing properties. (Image: Mark Pisek)

13. Huanglong – Sichuan Province, China

The hot springs of Huanglong are world famous for their tumbling travertine terrace. Thanks to the mix of minerals, algae, temperature and seasonal temperatures, the light refracts and creates a gorgeous interplay of glowing turquoises, mint greens, porcelain whites and foggy yellows that wind down the curving hillside for almost four kilometres. As a protected UNESCO World Heritage site, you cannot swim in the ‘Yellow Dragon’ pools.

Huanglong hot springs in the northwest part of Sichuan, China. — The hot springs of Huanglong are world famous.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

13 hot springs so incredible, you’ll never want to leave the water