Best Nagano Snow Monkey Park Tours

An hour's drive from Nagano Station, at the end of a forest trail in a steaming gorge, wild Japanese macaques come down to a hot pool that was built for them. Going alone takes a train plus a bus before the walk even starts; a tour wraps the trip into one booking and usually adds lunch and a second stop. We kept five tours that start in Nagano, from a temple-and-sake coach day to a private car. Below is what each one costs and how long you really get at the pool, small print included.

  • Bathing season: December to MarchSnow on the rocks and monkeys in the water most days; in summer they stay around the pool but rarely go in
  • Book ahead in winterThe small vans fill weeks out; on Viator the Shibu Onsen tour is booked about two months ahead on average

In a hurry? Our top pick is the temple-and-sake day from Nagano Station at ~$139. The price covers a guide and lunch plus park entry, and Viator travelers rate it 4.9 from 1,159+ reviews. Book it here.

Book on GetYourGuide Book on Viator Compare all 5

The snow monkeys at a glance

  • About an hour from Nagano StationThe park sits above Shibu Onsen in Yamanouchi. Tours from the station take 6 to 9 hours with lunch and a second stop
  • A 1-mile walk each wayFrom the parking at Kanbayashi Onsen a cedar-forest trail of about 1.6 km leads to the pool in 25 to 40 minutes. Expect mud in the thaw and ice in winter
  • Entry ¥800 at the gate¥400 for children, free under 6. Four of the five tours include it; the private car leaves it to you
  • Monkeys most days, bathing never promisedThe troop comes down for the food the staff put out. Whether they get in the water depends on the cold, and in autumn fewer come down

If you only have a minute

Which Nagano snow monkey tour should you book?

If a friend landed in Nagano tomorrow and asked us which monkey tour to book, this is what we would tell them over a bowl of soba.

For most first-time visitors, the best snow monkey tour from Nagano is the Zenko-ji and sake day trip, from ~$139. A guide meets you at Nagano Station at 9:35 am and spends the morning with you at Zenko-ji.

After a sake tasting and a sit-down lunch you get about two and a half hours for the forest trail and the pool. Lunch and park entry are in the price, and it scores 4.9 out of 5 from 1,159+ Viator reviews (986+ on GetYourGuide).

Want a smaller group? The Obuse day keeps it to 12 at most, usually six to eight, from ~$158. For the shortest day with the fewest people, the Shibu Onsen soba tour takes seven guests at most from ~$127 and ends with a public bath.

Traveling with children in winter, the Shiga Kogen snow play day adds sledding before the monkeys for ~$164. If you want your own car and guide from the hotel door, the private Omotenashi tour starts at ~$132 per person.

No tour can promise monkeys in the water, and every one includes the same forest walk. Before you pay, look at the line-by-line costs and where each tour picks you up. Then see how long you get at the pool and what the listings play down.

Our pick

The snow monkey tour we would book: Zenko-ji first, then the monkeys

The group is big and the price sits mid-range. In exchange you see the most of Nagano on one ticket, with the city's great temple in the morning and a long afternoon at the pool while the monkeys settle.

A young macaque and an older one sitting close together in the steaming hot spring pool Our pick

Nagano: Snow Monkeys, Zenkoji Temple & Sake Day Trip, Snow Monkey Resorts

4.9 / 5 from 1,159+ reviews on Viator · 4.9 / 5 from 986+ on GetYourGuide

You meet the guide at Nagano Station in the morning, and twenty-five minutes later you are at Zenko-ji, a temple that has drawn pilgrims for about 1,400 years. The guide stays an hour and a half, enough time to explain why the place matters.

Next comes a short stop with a food tasting. After an hour's drive you sit down to lunch at a local restaurant, where vegetarian options are available if you ask.

In the afternoon you walk the 1.6 km cedar trail in with the guide. The tour allows about two and a half hours for the walk and the pool together, which is more than most give you.

Park entry and a sake tasting are in the price. The coach is back at Nagano Station by 5:30 pm, early enough for a Shinkansen to Tokyo or a night in town.

Price
from ~$139 per person (about $142 on Viator)
Duration
About 8 hours, 9:35 am to 5:30 pm
At the park
About 2.5 hours with the walk
Rating
4.9 / 5 (Viator) · 4.9 / 5 (GetYourGuide)
Meeting point
Nagano Station; a Hakuba shuttle December to March
Walking
1.6 km each way to the pool, plus the temple
Group
A coach group, not private
Cancellation
Free up to 24 hours, pay later on both sites
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Live availability and prices on GetYourGuide

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How the day runs, step by step

The order below follows the listing and what recent guests describe. On a day when the monkeys stay up in the forest, guides have swapped in a nearby onsen town.

From Nagano Station

  • Meet the guide at Nagano Station at 9:35 am (an extra 9 am start opens on busy winter days)
  • About 1.5 hours at Zenko-ji with the guide
  • A short stop with a local food tasting

Into the mountains

  • An hour's drive and lunch at a local restaurant
  • The cedar-forest trail to Jigokudani, about 2.5 hours with the walk
  • Sake tasting along the way (20 and over only)
  • Back at Nagano Station by 5:30 pm

What the price covers

The ticket covers the guide and lunch as well as every ride between Nagano and the park gate. Getting to Nagano itself is up to you.

Included
  • Transport from Nagano and between the stops
  • An English-speaking guide all day
  • Snow Monkey Park entry and lunch
  • Sake tasting, and the Hakuba shuttle in winter
Not included
  • The Shinkansen to and from Nagano
  • The inner sanctuary at Zenko-ji (optional)
  • Extra snacks and drinks
  • A private group (up to 99 share the day)

Between us, before you go

This is a popular tour. On winter days the coach is full, and the railing by the pool gets crowded for a while.

A few recent guests wished for more time at the temple. In the autumn mating season some saw only a couple of monkeys, none of them in the water. Many reviewers still praise their guide by name.

Wear boots with grip and bring a small bag you can carry on the trail, since the listing rules out heels and sandals. Our guide to dressing for the trail covers the cold and the ice.

Why it beats going on your own

Doing the park yourself means juggling the Nagano Dentetsu train or a bus with a timetable, and nobody explains what you are looking at. On the tour every transfer is handled and lunch is booked. You also see Zenko-ji with a guide on the same day without rushing either place.

If you would still rather go alone, our step-by-step DIY route covers the train and the bus.

Who we would not send on it

If you dislike groups, you will be happier in a seven-seat van with soba in Shibu Onsen or on one of the private options from Nagano. Families with young children in winter may prefer snow play at Shiga Kogen before the walk.

Book it if

You are in Nagano for a day or arriving on a morning Shinkansen, and you want the temple and the monkeys without planning a single connection. A guide meets you at the station. Lunch and entry are prepaid, and you are back in time for an evening train.

Skip it if

Ready for the steam and the snow?

Both sites sell the same day for a few dollars' difference, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before. You can also reserve now and pay later on either, so use whichever account you already have.

GetYourGuide Viator

The day itself

How a snow monkey tour from Nagano runs

Two things shape the day more than anything else. One is whether you meet a group at Nagano Station or get collected in a van or a private car. The other is the month, since deep snow brings the monkeys into the water and a green summer mostly keeps them dry.

Style · meet at the station

A guided day out of Nagano

Zenko-ji and sake, Obuse small group, Shiga Kogen snow play

7–9 ha fixed start at Nagano Station with the guide and lunch included

You step off the train and hand the planning to a guide. Lunch and a second stop fill the hours around the park, and in exchange you keep to a fixed start and a group's pace.

Style · picked up

A small van or your own car

Soba and Shibu Onsen or a private car with a guide

4–9 hpickup at a station or your hotel; seven guests at most, or only your party

Fewer people at every stop and a looser timetable. The van tour meets at the park at 10 am and offers free pickup from three stations. The private car comes to your hotel and lets you choose the afternoon.

Nagano weather and bathing monkeys, month by month

  • How often the monkeys go in the water
  1. Jan37°F high3 °C

    Deep snow, the pool at its busiest

  2. Feb40°F high4 °C

    Coldest mornings, steam everywhere

  3. Mar50°F high10 °C

    Snow thinning, bathing depends on the cold

  4. Apr63°F high17 °C

    Melt and mud, cherry blossom in town

  5. May73°F high23 °C

    Fresh green, the first babies

  6. Jun79°F high26 °C

    Birth season, rainy weeks

  7. Jul84°F high29 °C

    Warm and green, a cool forest walk

  8. Aug87°F high31 °C

    The hottest month, go early

  9. Sep78°F high26 °C

    Mating season starts, fewer come down

  10. Oct67°F high19 °C

    Autumn color, the quietest pool

  11. Nov54°F high12 °C

    Cold returns, the troop comes back

  12. Dec43°F high6 °C

    First snow, bathing picks up

Temperatures are typical daytime highs in Nagano city; the park, higher up, runs several degrees colder. The bars are our rough reading of how often the troop bathes, from listings plus guest reports. No month comes with a promise, and the highlighted ones suit the classic steaming scene. The year in detail.

How long you get at the park, walk included

  • Meet at Nagano Station
  • Picked up
  • Can run longer

Times come from the listings and include the walk of 25 to 40 minutes each way, so the time at the pool itself is roughly an hour less. The dashed end shows where a private guide can stay longer if the monkeys are busy.

  1. Get to Nagano firstNo tour includes the Shinkansen. The station meetings are timed for the early trains from Tokyo. Where each tour starts.
  2. Check the group sizeThe temple day is a coach group; the Obuse day takes 12 at most and the Shibu Onsen van seven.
  3. Mind the gate feeFour tours include the ¥800 entry. The private car does not, and neither does lunch on that one.
  4. Dress for the trailBoots with grip and warm layers, plus a small bag. What to wear.

The bathing-season guide goes month by month, from deep snow to the first babies of late spring.

How to choose

How to pick the right snow monkey tour

The monkeys are the same on every tour. What changes is the size of the group on the trail with you and what fills the rest of the day. Where you start matters too.

Where you start

Three tours meet at Nagano Station and one at the park gate with free pickup. The private car comes to your hotel. Pickup points, tour by tour.

Group size

The Shibu Onsen van takes seven and the Obuse day 12 at most. The private car carries only your party, while the temple day is a coach. Private and small-group options.

The second stop

Zenko-ji, a sake brewery in Obuse, a public bath in Shibu Onsen or the slopes of Shiga Kogen. What each add-on is like.

Who is coming

Strollers stay behind and children under 6 enter free. The snow play day suits under-13s best. Planning the day with children.

Ski week

Hakuba skiers can ride the temple day's winter shuttle. The private car collects guests from hotels in Nozawa Onsen or Myoko. A rest day from skiing.

Price

From ~$127 for the Shibu Onsen van to ~$164 for snow play and the monkeys, per person. Every price in one table.

Everything else to do in and around Nagano

The 5 tours

Five snow monkey tours from Nagano, side by side

We read every snow monkey listing that starts in Nagano on both booking sites and kept the five we would book ourselves, each a different kind of day. Every card puts the price and the catch next to the rating, with a button for both sites.

Visitors walking up the Nakamise shopping street toward the gate of Zenko-ji temple Our pick

Nagano: Snow Monkeys, Zenkoji Temple & Sake Day Trip, Snow Monkey Resorts

The one we'd book for a first visit, and the one with the most happy reviews.

Your guide meets the group at Nagano Station at 9:35 am and starts with an hour and a half at Zenko-ji. A tasting stop and lunch come next. After that you get about two and a half hours on the trail and at the pool. Sake and park entry are included.

  • DurationAbout 8 hours, back by 5:30 pm
  • OperatorSnow Monkey Resorts (Machinovate Japan)
  • RatingViator 4.9 (1,159+) · GetYourGuide 4.9 (986+)
  • Meeting pointNagano Station; Hakuba shuttle December to March
  • StrengthsA guided temple visit and the monkeys in one day, lunch included
  • Ideal forFirst-timers arriving by Shinkansen

Good to know: A coach group of up to 99, so the pool railing can be busy. Sake is for 20 and over only, and the tour does not suit wheelchair users. What the day costs.

~$139per person
GetYourGuide Viator
A red-faced macaque with a frosted coat looking up from the misty edge of the hot pool Small group

Snow Monkeys, Obuse & Sake: A Perfect Day in Nagano, o8Experience

For couples who want a guide but not a coach.

A van from Nagano Station takes six to eight guests on most days, 12 at most, to the monkeys first. Lunch follows in the old merchant town of Obuse. A historic brewery there pours two sakes, and on the early departure you can add Zenko-ji.

  • DurationAbout 7–8 hours, back around 3:30–4:40 pm
  • Operatoro8Experience
  • RatingViator 5.0 (29+) · GetYourGuide 5.0 (11+)
  • Meeting pointBeck's Coffee inside Nagano Station, 8:45 or 9:45 am
  • StrengthsA small group at a calm pace, free time for chestnut sweets
  • Ideal forCouples and friends who dislike crowds

Good to know: They wait ten minutes at most, then it counts as a no-show with no refund. No luggage or strollers are allowed, and the tour does not suit travelers over 75. The Hokusai Museum costs extra. About $162 on Viator. Finding the meeting point.

~$158per person
GetYourGuide Viator
A row of red-faced macaques sitting at the edge of the pool with snowy rocks behind them Fewest people

Snow Monkey Park, Soba Lunch and Shibu Onsen Tour, Yadoroku

The tour that ends in hot water for you too.

A small van carries seven guests at most and gives you two hours at the park, with apple pie at the cafe by the gate. Then the group drops down to the old hot-spring town of Shibu Onsen for soba and a soak in one of its public baths.

  • DurationAbout 6–7 hours
  • OperatorYadoroku (SHIBS TOURS on GetYourGuide)
  • RatingViator 5.0 (34+) · GetYourGuide 5.0 (16+)
  • PickupFree from three stations (Nagano, Yudanaka, Iiyama)
  • StrengthsThe smallest group; soba and a bath included
  • Ideal forTravelers who want a slow, local day

Good to know: 10 am is the time at the park, so the pickup time depends on your station. The bath runs about 42 °C (108 °F) and swimsuits are not allowed. Babies under 1 cannot join. Often shown reduced to about $102 on GetYourGuide. More on Shibu Onsen.

~$127per person
GetYourGuide Viator
A family laughing as they slide down a snowy slope together on a tube Winter with kids

1 Day Tour: Snow Monkeys & Snow Fun in Shiga Kogen, Snow Monkey Resorts

Sleds in the morning, monkeys in the afternoon, children asleep on the way home.

A bus climbs to Shiga Kogen, the big ski area above the park. In a roped-off area you spend an hour and a half sledding and tubing or riding the snow bikes and scooters. Lunch is next to the slopes, then you come down to the park for nearly three hours with the walk.

  • DurationAbout 9 hours, winter only
  • OperatorSnow Monkey Resorts (Machinovate Japan)
  • RatingGetYourGuide 5.0 (55+) · Viator 4.9 (101+)
  • Meeting pointNagano City or Yudanaka Station
  • StrengthsSnow play and the monkeys; fees and lunch included
  • Ideal forFamilies with children under 13

Good to know: Snow clothing costs ¥500 per item to rent and there is no skiing. Teenagers may find the play area small. If the road up is closed, the day switches to Zenko-ji without notice. About $168 on Viator. With kids.

~$164per person
GetYourGuide Viator
Macaques bathing and sitting on rocks in the hot pool below a snow-covered slope Private

Snow Monkeys & Best of Nagano, Private Car and Guide, Omotenashi Travel

Your own guide at your own pace, and photos with everyone in them.

A driver and an English-speaking guide collect you at your hotel for a half day at the park. The full day adds a second stop of your choice; Togakushi with its soba is one option and Zenko-ji another. The guide photographs your group along the way.

  • DurationHalf day of 4–5 hours, or up to about 9.5 hours
  • OperatorOmotenashi Travel
  • RatingGetYourGuide 4.8 (58+) · Viator 5.0 (8+)
  • PickupYour hotel in Nagano city or a nearby town such as Nozawa Onsen
  • StrengthsDoor to door, with the afternoon your choice
  • Ideal forFamilies and ski-resort guests with luggage

Good to know: The price is per person and falls as the group grows. Park entry (¥800) and lunch are not included. About $132 for the half day on Viator. Private tours compared.

~$132per person
GetYourGuide Viator

A small heads-up. These are GetYourGuide and Viator affiliate links, so when you book through one we earn a little commission and you pay exactly the same. It keeps this guide going and never touches our ranking or the catches we point out.

Before you go

Eight things about snow monkey tours that no listing puts in big letters

None of these sits at the top of a booking page, and each one decides whether you come home with steamy photos and warm feet or wondering where the monkeys went.

What you should know

  1. Bathing is a winter thing. From about December to March the monkeys use the pool most days. In summer they sit around it but rarely get in, and in the autumn mating season fewer come down at all. Month by month.
  2. Every tour includes a walk. The park has no road to the pool. Count on about 1.6 km each way on a forest trail with a few steps. Depending on the month it may be muddy or icy. The trail in detail.
  3. "Snow monkey tour" never means the Shinkansen. All five start in Nagano or nearby, and getting there is your job. The station meetings suit the early trains from Tokyo.
  4. Strollers and big bags stay behind. The trail is no place for wheels, and the Obuse tour refuses luggage outright. Nagano Station has coin lockers.
  5. The monkeys are wild. Touching and feeding are banned, as is staring into their eyes, and food belongs out of sight. Expect them to stroll right past your legs anyway.
  6. Entry is not always in the price. Four tours pay the ¥800 gate fee for you. The private car does not, and it leaves lunch to you as well. The full price.
  7. Time at the pool is shorter than it looks. A listing's two hours include the walk in and out, so you get roughly an hour with the monkeys. More than enough on a good day.
  8. The cold is real. Winter mornings at the park sit around -5 to -10 °C (14 to 23 °F). Boots with grip matter more than a fancy coat. What to wear.

Everything in one table

Five snow monkey tours, catch included

Each row puts a tour's strength right next to its catch.

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns →

Tour Ideal for Price At the park Starts at Operator and rating Strength and catch Book
Zenko-ji, sake and monkeys (our pick) A first visit by train ~$139 About 2.5 h, 8 h in all Nagano Station, 9:35 am Snow Monkey Resorts
Viator 4.9 (1,159+)
GetYourGuide 4.9 (986+)		 Temple and sake with a guide. A big coach group.
GetYourGuideViator
Obuse and sake, small group Couples, no crowds ~$158 About 2 h, 7–8 h in all Nagano Station, 8:45 or 9:45 am o8Experience
Viator 5.0 (29+)
GetYourGuide 5.0 (11+)		 12 at most, Obuse lunch. Ten-minute wait, then no refund.
GetYourGuideViator
Soba and Shibu Onsen A slow day and a bath ~$127 About 2 h, 6–7 h in all The park at 10 am, free pickup Yadoroku
Viator 5.0 (34+)
GetYourGuide 5.0 (16+)		 Seven guests at most, then a bath. Pickup time varies by station.
GetYourGuideViator
Shiga Kogen snow play Winter with children ~$164 About 2 h 45, 9 h in all Nagano City or Yudanaka Snow Monkey Resorts
GetYourGuide 5.0 (55+)
Viator 4.9 (101+)		 Snow play before the monkeys. Winter only, snow gear extra.
GetYourGuideViator
Private car and guide Families, ski stays ~$132 About 2 h or longer Your hotel, about 9 am Omotenashi Travel
GetYourGuide 4.8 (58+)
Viator 5.0 (8+)		 Door to door at your pace. Entry and lunch not included.
GetYourGuideViator

About the numbers. Prices are per-person "from" rates in US dollars (the lower regular one when a tour is on both sites), and ratings are what each site showed when we compared. Travel dates and group size move them a little, as do offers, so peek at both. The booking page has the final word.

Who went

Reviews from travelers who walked the cedar trail

Fourteen travelers, some who found the pool full of steaming monkeys and some who came on a dry-fur day, on what won them over and what they would do differently.

★★★★★Zenko-ji, sake and monkeys

We stepped off the Shinkansen at nine, found the guide by the ticket gates and were standing in front of Zenko-ji half an hour later. The temple visit was far more than a photo stop: our guide walked us through why pilgrims have come for centuries and where to queue for the dark passage under the hall. Lunch was a tray of small dishes with a vegetarian version for my sister. At the park the monkeys were in the pool, steam everywhere, one baby asleep on its mother.

MOMaeve O. · Galway, IrelandMonkeys in the pool
★★★★★Small group with Obuse

Two sakes in Obuse and a slice of chestnut cake, then a monkey that sat a metre from my boots. Masa kept the pace kind.

TKTomás K. · Prague, CzechiaMonkeys in the pool
★★★★☆Zenko-ji, sake and monkeys

Well run and the guide knew her temple history inside out, but this is a big group. At the park we were one of several coaches on the trail and the railing by the pool was three deep for a while. Wait ten minutes and it thins out.

RWRachel W. · Leeds, EnglandMonkeys in the pool
★★★★★Soba and Shibu Onsen

Seven of us in the van, so nobody waited for anybody. Umut timed the walk so we reached the pool before the big groups, and later he showed us how the onsen stamp towel works. My parents, both in their seventies, loved the bath in Shibu Onsen more than they expected to. The soba lunch was excellent, and the apple pie at the cafe by the gate was the warm thing we needed after an hour standing in the snow.

JHJae-won H. · Busan, South KoreaMonkeys in the pool
★★★★★Snow play at Shiga Kogen

Our kids are seven and ten and the snow play at Shiga Kogen was their highlight, which I did not expect on a monkey tour. We rented snow pants up there for a few hundred yen each. After lunch the forest walk felt long to the younger one, but the monkeys were bathing and he forgot his legs immediately. Back in Nagano by early evening, with everyone asleep on the bus.

LBLena B. · Hamburg, GermanyMonkeys in the pool
★★★★★Private car and guide

Booked the half day so we could catch an afternoon train. Hotel pickup, private car, monkeys, back by lunch.

ASAisha S. · Toronto, CanadaMonkeys in the pool
★★★★☆Soba and Shibu Onsen

October, so the pool was empty and only a handful of monkeys sat on the rocks above it. The guide warned us in the van and suggested a stroll through Shibu Onsen afterwards, which was lovely. Go in winter if bathing is the point.

PGPierre G. · Lyon, FranceA dry-fur day
★★★★★Small group with Obuse

As it happened, we were the only two booked that day, so it turned into a private tour at small-group price. Masa adjusted everything: longer at the park because the monkeys were busy grooming at the water, a quick lunch in Obuse, then the sake brewery where we tasted two sakes and bought a bottle to take home. He dropped us at Zenko-ji afterwards and came back for us, which we did not expect.

DNDaniel N. · Melbourne, AustraliaMonkeys in the pool
★★★★★Zenko-ji, sake and monkeys

A cold, bright day with snow on the cedars. Hiroshi made the temple feel alive and the monkeys did the rest.

MFMariana F. · São Paulo, BrazilMonkeys in the pool
★★★★★Private car and guide

We were staying in Nozawa Onsen for skiing and wanted one day off the slopes. Our guide picked us up at the hotel door, which saved working out trains and buses from the village. After the monkeys we chose Togakushi for the afternoon, where we walked the cedar avenue and ate soba before getting back to the hotel by dark. He also took photos of the four of us, the first ones of our whole family on this trip.

KJKenji J. · Honolulu, United StatesMonkeys in the pool
★★★★★Soba and Shibu Onsen

Pickup at Iiyama Station worked well off the Shinkansen. A small van with no crowds, then a soak in an old bathhouse.

SESofia E. · Stockholm, SwedenMonkeys in the pool
★★★★☆Snow play at Shiga Kogen

Snow scooters were fun for an hour, though teenagers will want more than the roped-off area. The real reason we came was the monkeys, and they turned up in numbers. Lunch by the ski fields was filling.

BCBen C. · Wellington, New ZealandMonkeys in the pool
★★★★★Zenko-ji, sake and monkeys

It was June with no snow, and I half expected a quiet park. Instead there were babies everywhere. They clung to bellies and tumbled on the rocks while the adults groomed in the shade. Hardly anyone went in the water, which our guide had told us to expect before we even left Nagano Station. The sake tasting on the way was small and generous, and the lunch had more courses than I could name.

HLHannah L. · Chicago, United StatesA dry-fur day
★★★★★Small group with Obuse

Muddy trail and happy monkeys, so bring good boots. Fine lunch in Obuse with a vegetarian plate that was not an afterthought.

YTYuki T. · SingaporeMonkeys in the pool

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Boots laced

Book the Zenko-ji and sake day for your snow monkeys

If you have one day in Nagano and want the monkeys plus a reason to remember the city, we would book this one. A guide explains Zenko-ji as you walk it, and lunch is a proper sit-down meal. After that comes a long stretch at the pool while someone else handles every connection.

More than a thousand travelers rate it 4.9 out of 5 on Viator. Both sites let you hold a place now and pay nearer the day, with free cancellation until 24 hours before. Bring warm layers and boots that grip.

~$139

per person · about 8 hours · from Nagano Station

GetYourGuide Viator
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
  • ✓ Reserve now, pay later on both sites
  • ✓ Lunch with a sake tasting, park entry paid
  • ✓ Winter shuttle from Hakuba

Good to know

Why monkeys bathe in Nagano, and what you are looking at

Five minutes of background makes the steam and the pecking order around the pool far easier to read.

Jigokudani Monkey Park lies in a narrow gorge of the Yokoyu River above the old spa towns of Shibu and Kanbayashi, about 2,800 feet (850 m) up. Its name means hell valley, a nod to the steam that hisses out of the cliffs all year.

Few places let you walk up to wild monkeys sitting in a hot spring, and visitors have been coming since the park opened in 1964.

01The northernmost monkeys

The Japanese macaque lives farther north than any other primate apart from people. Thick grey-brown coats get them through winters of deep snow. Their faces turn a deeper red in the cold and again in the mating season, and the troop at Jigokudani numbers well over a hundred. The bathing months.

02A pool built for the troop

The monkeys learned to bathe in the 1960s, when young ones followed food into a hot spring near an inn in the valley and others copied them. The park then gave them a pool of their own.

Staff still put out food so the troop comes down from the forest most days, which makes a visit fairly reliable. The animals stay wild and return up the slopes at night.

03Rank in the water

A macaque troop has a clear order. Higher-ranking females and their families tend to hold the warmest spots, and you will see youngsters edge in and get chased off. Mothers carry babies through the spring and early summer, and grooming fills most of the time in between. Walking in to the pool.

Ask visitors what stayed with them and few mention the first photo. They remember the minute a monkey walked past their boots on the path as if they were part of the furniture.

04Shibu Onsen below

Shibu Onsen, a few minutes down the valley, is a town of wooden inns and nine small public bathhouses, and guests stroll between them in robes and wooden sandals.

Two tours on this page end there, and it is the obvious place to stay the night if you want the park at opening time. Shibu Onsen and the other add-ons.

05Nagano and the Olympics

Nagano grew up around Zenko-ji and hosted the 1998 Winter Olympics, with events up at Shiga Kogen and in Hakuba. The Games brought the Shinkansen, which is why the snow monkeys are now an easy day from Tokyo and a rest day for skiers. Ski-resort pickups.

06Manners at the pool

Touching and feeding the monkeys are off limits, and so is staring into their eyes. Food and plastic bags stay packed away. Leave selfie sticks and drones at home.

Give them room on the path and let them pass. Park staff enforce the rules, which helps explain why the monkeys stay so calm around visitors. The family guide has more on keeping small hands in pockets.

1964Jigokudani Monkey Park opens

850 mAltitude of the pool

1.6 kmForest trail each way

¥800Adult entry at the gate

Rather plan the trip yourself by train to Yudanaka and the local bus? The no-tour route lays out the connections and timings.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions about snow monkey tours from Nagano

Fourteen questions we hear again and again, with the full answer.

How much does a snow monkey tour from Nagano cost?

Prices run from ~$127 per person for the small Shibu Onsen van to ~$164 for the winter snow-play day at Shiga Kogen. Our pick with Zenko-ji and sake costs ~$139. The private car starts at ~$132 per person but leaves the ¥800 entry and lunch to you. The cost guide lists every extra.

Which snow monkey tour from Nagano is the best?

For most first-timers we would pick the temple-and-sake day from Nagano Station. It includes a guided morning at Zenko-ji and lunch before about two and a half hours at the park, and more than a thousand Viator reviewers rate it 4.9. For a smaller group the Obuse day caps it at 12 and the Shibu Onsen van at seven.

Will the monkeys be in the hot spring?

In winter, most days. The troop uses the pool when it is cold, roughly December to March. Summer visitors see them near the water but seldom in it, and fewer come down during the autumn mating season. No operator can promise bathing, and a few days a year the troop stays in the forest. Month by month.

How far is the walk to the snow monkeys?

About 1.6 km (1 mile) each way from the parking at Kanbayashi Onsen, 25 to 40 minutes on a forest trail with a few steps. It is muddy in the thaw and icy in winter, and strollers do not work on it. The trail in detail.

Do the tours include the Shinkansen from Tokyo?

No. All five start in Nagano or nearby, so you ride to Nagano yourself. The station meetings at 8:45, 9:35 and 9:45 am suit the early trains from Tokyo, and the Shibu Onsen tour can also collect you at Iiyama, one stop further on. Where each tour starts.

Can I visit Jigokudani without a tour?

Yes. Take the Nagano Dentetsu line to Yudanaka and a local bus to the park stop, or the express bus from Nagano Station. From the stop you walk the trail and pay ¥800 at the gate. A tour saves you the connections and usually adds lunch and a second stop. The do-it-yourself route.

Are snow monkey tours good for kids?

Yes, if they can walk the trail or ride in a carrier. Children under 6 enter free and older ones pay ¥400. The Shiga Kogen tour adds an hour and a half of snow play that suits under-13s best, and the private car brings the family door to door. More for families.

What should I wear to the snow monkey park?

In winter, dress in warm layers with a hat and gloves, and wear waterproof boots with grip because the trail is icy and the mornings sit well below freezing. Heels and sandals do not belong on the trail in any season. Pack light and bring yen for the cafe. Boots and layers.

Is there a private snow monkey tour from Nagano?

Yes. Omotenashi Travel sends a driver and an English-speaking guide to your hotel for a half day or a full day, from ~$132 per person depending on group size. Park entry and lunch are extra. Private tours compared.

Can I see the snow monkeys from Hakuba or Nozawa Onsen?

Yes. The Zenko-ji and sake day runs a shuttle from Hakuba from December to March, and the private car picks up in Nozawa Onsen and Myoko. Iiyama Station, close to Nozawa, is a pickup point for the Shibu Onsen tour. Ski-resort day trips.

Can I combine the monkeys with Zenko-ji or Shibu Onsen?

Yes, most tours do. Our pick spends an hour and a half at Zenko-ji, and the Obuse day can drop you at the temple on its early departure. The Shibu Onsen tour ends with a soak, while the private full day lets you pick one extra stop. Comparing the add-ons.

Can I touch or feed the snow monkeys?

No. They are wild animals, and the park rules ban touching and feeding them. Staring into their eyes is out too. Keep food and plastic bags packed away and give them room on the path, and they often walk close by on their own.

Can I cancel a snow monkey tour for free?

On both GetYourGuide and Viator, all five tours on this page cancel for free up to 24 hours before the start. The Obuse day treats anyone more than ten minutes late as a no-show with no refund, so build in time after your train.

How long do I get with the monkeys?

The listings give two to two and three-quarter hours at the park, and that includes the walk of 25 to 40 minutes each way. So expect roughly an hour at the pool itself, a little more on the private tour if the monkeys are busy.

Read before you travel

Guides to the snow monkeys from Nagano

Ten questions that keep coming up, each answered at full length.