Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Zenko-ji Temple, I-491 Nagano Motoyoshicho, Nagano 380-0851 Nagano Prefecture
As one of the oldest, largest, and most important Buddhist temples in Japan, Zenko-ji is the spiritual heart of Nagano.
The temple's near-1400 year history is full of legend and myth which your guide will help you unlock as they guide you around the temple precinct followed by free time (time-permitting).
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Nishimon Yoshinoya, 941 Nishinomoncho, Nagano 380-0857 Nagano Prefecture
Home to a huge number of breweries, Nagano is synonymous with sake and no visit to the region is complete without delving into Japan’s most famous beverage. Your guide will treat you to sake tasting and introduce you to the fascinating world of this classic Japanese beverage.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, 6845 Heion, Yamanouchi-machi, Shimotakai-gun 381-0401 Nagano Prefecture
Established in 1964, Nagano's world-famous Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park is home to the only troop of monkeys in the world known to bathe in hot springs. With no barriers between you and the monkeys (don't worry, they are very calm) this is a unique opportunity to observe these curious creatures in close proximity as they walk around you, wrestle with each other, endlessly groom, and of course, soak in their favorite hot spring! Your guide will introduce you to everything that makes them so unique and famous while giving you plenty of time to explore for yourself.
Please note that estimated time at the monkey park includes walking in and out along the forest trail - 1.6km each way / 25 minutes each way in summer, slightly longer in winter. We endeavor to give our guests 1 hour in the park to observe the monkeys.
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes
See Availability.
1: Nagano station JR Ticket Office, Kurita, Nagano, 380-0921, Japan
2: Hakuba Tokyu Hotel, 4688 Hokujō, Hakuba, Kitaazumi District, Nagano 399-9301, Japan
3: Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal / Happo Information Center, Japan, 399-9301 Nagano, Kitaazumi District, Hakuba, Hokujō, 大字北城八方5734-1
8 hours(approx.)
Returns to original departure point
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Infant seats available
Most travelers can participate
This tour includes a reasonable amount of walking including to and from the monkey park along a 1.6km (1 mile), unsealed forest trail. Please sure your footwear is appropriate and you are dressed accordingly for the season. The trail includes 2 different staircases, and therefore is not wheelchair accessible.
Guests are required to follow the Snow Monkey Park rules at all times. Guests are not permitted to touch, hold, feed or bathe with the monkeys at any time. There are no barriers separating the monkeys from visitors to the park. Please ensure you keep a minimum distance of 1 to 2 meters between yourself and the monkeys. Your guide will explain the rules prior to entering the park.
This tour uses different forms of transport. Tours can be conducted by microbus or a large bus depending on the season and size of the group.
From mid-December until early-April the trail and park are likely to be affected by snow and ice. Please ensure that you are wearing suitable shoes/boots and warm clothing. If required, rental boots are available close to the monkey park and crampons (metal spikes that attach underneath your shoes/boots) can also be purchased. From mid-December until early-March please wear suitable clothing for temperatures potentially below 0°C (and as low as -10°C).
During the winter it is common to see the monkeys enjoying the hot spring however from spring up to autumn there will be times where the monkeys play or eat in the water, however please note that the monkeys are wild animals and there is no guarantee that there will be monkeys in the bath.
There are a few days in the year that the monkeys might not come down to the park, arrive late or leave early. While this is unlikely, it is possible and is outside of our control.
*Winter only* Guests in Hakuba can join this tour using our shuttle service from / to Hakuba Tokyu Hotel in Wadano and Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal. This service is only available from 2023/12/15 until 2024/03/31 and may not be available every day between those dates. We apologize that bookings from / to Hakuba cannot be accepted outside of these dates. When using this shuttle service please note that your guide will join and depart the tour at Nagano Station.
*Winter only* This tour is scheduled to conclude at Nagano Station by 17:30 (and by 18:45 for guests joining from Hakuba in winter). However, due to weather and road conditions in winter we cannot guarantee the end time. For guests booking shinkansen tickets to travel to Tokyo after the tour in winter, we ask that you do not book any service earlier than the 17:56 Kagayaki (reservation only) or our recommendation of the 18:23 Hakutaka. For guests booking onward tickets to other destinations we also recommend doing so for times of 18:00 or later.
This tour includes lunch at one of Nagano's outstanding restaurants. Please note that the restaurant may change their menu from time-to-time. Please let us know of any food allergies in advance so we can arrange accordingly.
This tour includes ‘sake’ tasting nearby at Nishinomon Yoshinoya. You must be a minimum of 20 years of age to consume alcohol in Japan.
Infants (0-5) are free of charge. An infant lunch is not included and the order will be made directly to the restaurant according to your needs.
Train schedule from Tokyo station to Nagano station| Tokyo: 07:20 –> Nagano: 08:43 by Kagayaki (reservation required*)| Tokyo: 07:24 –> Nagano: 09:14 by Asama| Tokyo: 07:52 –> Nagano: 09:30 by Hakutaka
Train schedule from Nagano station to Tokyo station| Nagano: 17:55 –> Tokyo: 19:20 by Kagayaki (reservation required*)| Nagano: 18:22 –> Tokyo: 20:00 by Hakutaka
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 46 travelers
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Posted By : christophersU2944YT
Had a great experience, the guide was fantastic. Very knowledgeable , lunch was very tasty . The tour is well thought out with a great mixture of activities. The monkeys are worth it alone . The temple is amazing .
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Posted On : 2024-05-15
Posted By : Kylie_B
A fabulous day . Kei is very knowledgeable , helpful, pleasant and a beautiful lady. Seeing the Snow monkeys was awesome. Sake tasting and temple tour were great. It was good to learn more about the history and culture of the Japanese people.
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Posted On : 2024-05-13
Posted By : V7015ZLjanet
Great, well organized tour! Despite it being a full day tour time flew by. Very lovely lunch and definitely a more active tour. Wonderful guide :)
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Posted On : 2024-05-13
Posted By : johnsK1689CH
Great tour! Loved visiting the shrine, wished we got to stay a bit longer, half an hour did not feel like enough time, especially since it was such a massive temple. The sake tasting was excellent, loved the variety and explanation of each we got. Finally, the reason to book this trip, the snow monkey park was better than we'd hoped for! They were everywhere and amazing to see, just mind the smell, it's quite bad in the park.
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Posted On : 2024-05-12
Posted By : welli82
Lin, our tour guide of the day, is amazing. She is well knowledge about Nagano, the culture and even all about the temples. Lin is very friendly and very helpful to us all.
She is really loving her job and I can really tell how passionate she is about her job.
Looking forward to take Snow Monkey tour next time, to explore more about Japan.
Thank you, Lin ! 🥰🥰
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Posted On : 2024-05-08
Posted By : michaeldB9845SF
Great views, great experiences. Good communication and thoughtful guides - Jens and Endo.
Making sure all members are safe and gathered before moving to next venue
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Posted On : 2024-05-07
Posted By : 275siobhans
I had never done an organised tour before and it was brilliant! Great way to explore and learn especially if travelling solo. Our guide Kevin was great. Highly knowledgeable about the tour and Japan in general. The tour had a great balance of organised guided moments and free time.
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Posted On : 2024-05-03
Posted By : lyndseybanthorpe
We had a great experience with our tour guide Jens. He was very knowledgable about the sights we visited and delivered his knowledge in an interesting and easy to digest way. He was happy to entertain our (many) questions throughout too!
The full day tour was very well paced with the perfect balance of guided and free time. We thoroughly enjoyed the same tasting and the restaurant for lunch was delicious hosted in a stunning venue.
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Posted On : 2024-05-03
Posted By : innesk2022
Stunning day in every respect! Jens was a brilliant guide. Despite the early rain, Zenko-ji Temple was lovely. Jens knowledge about the replica statue was great. The saki tasting was a great experience to. The lunch was so well organised, with the place names on the tables etc, and the food was so good. But the day only got better! The weather fined up and the snow-monkey's came out to play - about 250 of them. Just the best experience ever! We spent another 14 days touring Japan, but nothing beat this day!
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Posted On : 2024-05-01
Posted By : anselm22018
Kieren was an awesome guide. He was knowledgeable in all aspects regarding the tour. I recommend visiting the monkey park when it is snowing! The cute monkeys swimming is a joy to watch!
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Posted On : 2024-04-29
