Nagano to Jigokudani without a tour

Two ways from Nagano Station

Without a tour, two public routes link Nagano Station with the park. The first is the Nagano Dentetsu railway to Yudanaka, followed by a short local bus ride to the Snow Monkey Park stop at Kanbayashi Onsen.

The second is an express bus from the station's east exit that runs to the park in about 45 minutes. Either way, the last stretch is on foot, along a forest trail of about 1 mile (1.6 km).

The train route passes through Yudanaka, which is handy if you are staying there. The express bus saves you a change, but check its timetable at the station before you plan the day around it.

The Nagaden train to Yudanaka

The Nagano Electric Railway, known locally as Nagaden, runs from Nagano to Yudanaka in about 45–50 minutes on an express. Local trains stop more often and take longer. The line passes through Obuse on the way, so you could break the return trip there for chestnut sweets.

Nagaden is a private railway with its own ticket gates, and a JR Pass does not cover it. Ask at the ticket window if you are unsure which ticket an express needs. Yudanaka is the end of the line, so you cannot overshoot it.

The bus to the trail

From Yudanaka, the local bus reaches Kanbayashi Onsen's Snow Monkey Park stop in about 10–15 minutes. A short uphill walk then brings you from the stop to the parking area where the trail begins.

Miss a bus and a taxi is the fallback. The express bus from Nagano drops you in the same area, so the two routes merge at the trailhead.

Cards are not always accepted, so carry yen in cash for the bus and the gate. Draw it in Nagano before you leave.

The trail and the gate

The trail runs about 1 mile (1.6 km) through cedar forest and takes 25–40 minutes. It is gentle for most of the way, with a few steps near the end.

In the thaw it turns muddy, and in winter it can be packed ice, so wear boots with grip. Our trail guide walks it section by section, while the page on clothing covers boots and layers.

At the gate, entry is ¥800 for adults and ¥400 for children, free under 6. Hours are roughly 8:30 am to 5 pm in summer, shortening to 9 am to 4 pm in winter.

The park rules are strict. You may not feed or touch the monkeys or stare into their eyes, and food stays out of sight along with any plastic bags. Selfie sticks are not allowed near them, and drones are banned.

The monkeys are wild Japanese macaques, and park staff put out food so the troop comes down most days. Bathing is never guaranteed and happens mostly in cold weather, roughly December to March. A few days a year the troop does not come down at all.

A day plan that works

1. Take a morning express from Nagano to Yudanaka, aiming to reach the park before the tour groups arrive in late morning
2. Ride the local bus to the Snow Monkey Park stop and walk up to the trailhead
3. Walk the trail in 25–40 minutes and pay at the gate
4. Give the pool an hour or two, longer if the troop is lively
5. Walk back out, stopping at the Enza cafe near the gate for apple pie if you want a break
6. Have lunch in Shibu Onsen or Yudanaka, then catch an afternoon train back to Nagano

Check the last bus and train back before you set off. Winter is the tight season, because the park closes earlier and the light goes fast.

What it costs against a tour

On your own you pay the train and bus fares both ways plus the ¥800 gate, then buy your own lunch. That adds up to a fraction of any tour price, so the question is what the difference buys.

Our pick, from ~$139, adds a coach from Nagano Station and a live guide who spends 1.5 hours with you at Zenko-ji. Lunch and park entry are inside the price, along with a sake tasting.

Yadoroku's soba and Shibu Onsen tour, from ~$127, picks up at the station in a van for seven people at most. On top of the park it adds a soba lunch and a public bath. The full price comparison sets every tour next to what it includes.

When going alone wins, and when a tour does

A night in Shibu Onsen or Yudanaka tips the balance toward going alone. You can be at the gate soon after it opens, before the morning tours arrive, and come back in the afternoon light if the first visit was quiet.

Inn guests in Shibu Onsen also get to use the town's nine small public bathhouses. Going without a tour makes sense on a tight budget as well, or whenever you want to stay at the pool as long as you like.

A tour is the better call when you want Zenko-ji and the monkeys on the same day without juggling timetables. The same goes for deep winter if you want snow play at Shiga Kogen, since the road up is no place for a first-time snow driver.

On a tour someone else arranges lunch and a guide explains what you are seeing. Guides also have a fallback when the monkeys stay away, and reviewers of our pick and of Yadoroku describe being taken to a nearby onsen town instead.

If you are still deciding, the bathing-season guide helps you pick a month. Second stops such as Zenko-ji get compared in the add-on guide.

A guide for part of the day

There is a middle path. Trip Designer's guided walk, from ~$111, meets at the Yudanaka Station ticket gate at 12:20 pm and rides the bus up with you. The outing lasts 3 hours 15 minutes for eight people at most and includes a stop at the Kaede no Yu foot bath.

That leaves about 40 minutes in the park, and the listing is non-refundable. One reviewer said it felt like having no guide at all. If you are coming to Yudanaka by train anyway, our page on start points shows which other tours meet there.