Nagano's Best: Wild Snow Monkeys, Ancient Zen & Sake
Price From $152.17 per person
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Take in some of the highlights of Nagano with this engaging tour starting with a visit to Zenkoji Temple – one of the oldest and most important Buddhist temples in Japan - followed by sake tasting and lunch at a nearby restaurant. It's then time to head to the Snow Monkey Park and its world-famous hot spring-bathing monkeys! All led by a locally-based English-speaking guide, this tour is a great way to see the best that Nagano has to offer and get up close and personal with its most famous furry residents!
Reviews
Reviews and Rating (Tripadvisor)
5 stars
Reviews by Tripadvisor travelers
HA_N, 12/4/2025 4:14:00 AM
Tour guide is nice , friendly and knowledgeable. The tour is very well organised.A very pleasant experience
Robert_H, 12/2/2025 4:48:36 AM
Perfect time allotted to visit Zenkoji Temple. Guide Dylan's summaries were concise and informative. A brief walk to sake tasting; Dylan's explanation of how sake was made and their various tastes added depth to the visit. A 50-minute minibus ride to a delicious lunch (hot pot, tempura, sushi, miso) was followed by the 30-minute walk (~1.3km) up a well-prepared trail to the Snow Monkey Onsen. During our visit there were dozens of monkeys (but no snow). A quiet bus ride returned us to the meeting point in Nagano Station. Dylan was an outstanding guide. 10/10 experience.
Sarah_S, 12/1/2025 4:29:44 AM
This tour exceeded all my expectations! First of all, there were so, so many monkeys. Our tour guide, Dylan, was extremely knowledgeable and made our entire tour a fantastic experience from start to finish.
Voyage311559, 11/30/2025 2:41:35 AM
The tour bij de tempel was very interesting and after that ee went to a Sake tasting place sake .after that we had a very nice lunch nearby the snowmonkey park . De lunch was delicious and the food looks lovely .The monkey snowpark was a great experience , a nice walk through the forest to arrive at the park. We saw many beatifull snowmonkeys running around and not scared for people . very sweet. Our guide was Kieron and he shared al his information and told us about Living in Japan . It was a great day !!! Thanks again .Kees and Mirjam Starink
V9779EJstevenw, 11/29/2025 4:56:00 AM
Amazing tour, the best we have done in Japan. The tour guides knowledge of that area was a stand out. The guide was relatable and engaging. The lunch was great, a lovely selection of Japanese dishes. Presented beautifully. The tour was the perfect length to fit everything in. The only part of the tour that could be improved was the size of the bus. It was somewhat cramped for space
jordankV4141JS, 11/29/2025 3:02:18 AM
Very good tour, highly recommended. Sake testing was good and the lunch stop had some very nice fresh sushi and hot pot, was definitely suprised with how many monkeys there was
Elijah_C, 11/27/2025 9:35:22 AM
This was a great tour and just what me and my friend were looking for. Kevin is a very knowledgeable guide and a lot of fun. I highly recommend this to anyone that’s in the area.
Yoda2610, 11/27/2025 3:26:48 AM
Glad that I took this day trip. 2 big highlights for me - the delicious japanese lunch at the beautiful Hatarutei restaurant and of course the snow monkey park. Lucky to see many monkeys at their onsen and around the park. Kevin, the tour guide was great too.
Elizabeth_T, 11/26/2025 7:13:48 AM
This trip was fantastic. Even though we had rain it didn’t detract from the whole day. The lunch was delicious and above what I expected. The snow monkeys are a joy to watch and entertained us so that we don’t even realise that we were so wet.
Michelle_B, 11/25/2025 8:36:31 AM
A walk in the woods. A unique wildlife experience. A delicious hot meal in a carefully restored hostel. A glimpse into the arrival of Buddhism in Japan 1,400 years ago at an ornate and awe inspiring temple. A visit to a Nihon-shi brewery and tasting delicious sake. I couldn’t have spent a more pleasant day, this was easily one of the highlights of my trip. Kevin was our guide, he shared his knowledge and enthusiasm for his adopted country’s history easily and with great sensitivity and respect. Highly recommend this tour, it had a little of everything in perfect balance.
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- 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 mid December until end of March 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 19:00 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. 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
- Please note, there may be possible changes in the itinerary/included experiences due to local events, weather, restaurant availability, or other unforeseeable factors.
- Please note that it is the responsibility of each guest to secure their own way back to their specific hotel after being dropped off at one of the four possible drop off points in Hakuba during the winter period, as our large bus cannot drop off at individual accommodations.
Departure point
Please wait at the bus lot directly next to La Vigne Hakuba, not at the hotel entrance. Make sure you arrive before 08:10 and look for the guide carrying a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour sign or badge. The tour cannot wait and will need to depart on-time, so please be punctual.Return details
Take in some of the highlights of Nagano with this engaging tour starting with a visit to Zenkoji Temple – one of the oldest and most important Buddhist temples in Japan - followed by sake tasting and lunch at a nearby restaurant. It's then time to head to the Snow Monkey Park and its world-famous hot spring-bathing monkeys! All led by a locally-based English-speaking guide, this tour is a great way to see the best that Nagano has to offer and get up close and personal with its most famous furry residents!Redemption
・There will be a significant amount of walking required (1.6 km one way) to get to and from the Snow Monkey Park, along an unsealed forest trail so please wear appropriate shoes/boots. ・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 Snow Monkeys enjoying the hot spring bath, 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. In such case we will provide an alternative activity. ・This tour includes lunch at Monzen Terrace Enya. On rare occasions it may not be possible to use this restaurant in which case we would switch to another, comparable location. ・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. ・The start and finish of the tour are arranged according to the bullet train (called Hokuriku Shinkansen) timetable. See below for specific timetables on the bullet train departure and arrival times to/from Nagano Station. Departing from Tokyo Station – Arriving at Nagano Station: • 07:20 – 08:43 Kagayaki (reserved seats only) • 07:24 – 09:14 Asama • 07:52 – 09:30 Hakutaka Departing from Nagano Station – Arriving back to Tokyo Station • 17:55 – 19:20 Kagayaki (reserved seats only) • 18:22 – 20:00 Hakutaka24 hours before travel date - 100% refund
Less than 24 hours before travel date - 0% refund