Nagano Snow Monkey Private Tour from Tokyo
- 12 Hours
- Free Cancellation
- Hotel Pickup
- English
- Private Vehicle
Wild macaques in the hot spring at Jigokudani, plus Shibu Onsen and Zenko-ji
Highlights
- Wild macaques bathing in the hot spring pool at Jigokudani, the only troop on earth that does it
- The 1.6 kilometre forest path in, which keeps the crowds thinner than the photographs suggest
- Shibu Onsen's narrow lane of wooden inns and nine public bath houses
- Zenko-ji in Nagano city, holding a statue hidden from view for 1,400 years
- A private car for a day that takes eight hours of driving to reach
About this tour
A snow monkey tour from Tokyo is the longest day we run, and the reason is simple geography. Jigokudani sits in the mountains of northern Nagano, about three and a half hours out, and the monkeys are the only wild primates in the world that bathe in a hot spring. Hotel pickup is included and the price covers the whole vehicle rather than each seat.
What you see in Nagano
Jigokudani Monkey Park is the reason for the day. The troop lives free on the mountain and comes down to the pool on its own terms, so you watch wild animals rather than a display. Lunch is in Yudanaka below the park. Shibu Onsen is the old spa street next to it, wooden inns three storeys high and nine public bath houses along one narrow lane. On the way back the day stops at Zenko-ji in Nagano city, a temple older than the shrine records that name it, holding a Buddhist statue nobody has been allowed to see for 1,400 years.
How the day is paced
Pickup is early, and this is a twelve hour tour with around eight hours of driving in it. There is no shorter way to do it. The monkey park also involves a walk of about 1.6 kilometres each way along a forest path to reach the pool, which is flat but unpaved and can be icy in winter. Your English-speaking guide walks it with you.
Who this tour suits
Right for anyone who came to Japan for this one photograph, and for wildlife photographers, who usually want the full ninety minutes at the pool. It is not the right day for a toddler or for anyone who cannot manage the forest path. Our drivers hold a Japan Class 2 commercial passenger licence, and your English-speaking guide is the same person driving the car, at no extra charge.
Best time to see the snow monkeys
December to March is when the photograph everyone knows becomes possible, with snow on the rim of the pool and steam in the cold air. The monkeys live there all year and still bathe in summer, but the scene is green rather than white and fewer of them go in. January and February are the strongest and the coldest. Bring boots with grip, because the path freezes.
Includes
- Private vehicle with an English-speaking driver guide
- Hotel pickup and drop-off within Tokyo's 23 wards
- Fuel, expressway tolls and parking
- 12 hours of private car and guide, counted from pickup
- Lunch and drinks
- Jigokudani Monkey Park admission; price confirmed for your date before purchase
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
- Extra time beyond 12 hours, JPY 5,000 per 30 minutes, paid online by card
Full Itinerary
Approx. total driving time: 8 hours
Meeting Location
Suggested pickup time 7:00 am
Frequently Asked Questions
No. They are wild and come down when they choose, most reliably in cold weather. In winter the pool is usually busy with them. In summer far fewer go in, though the troop is still around the park.
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