Travels Luxurious
Japanese macaques sitting in a steaming hot spring pool surrounded by snow at Jigokudani

Nagano

Snow monkeys, Shibu Onsen and farm lunch

Best December to March, monkeys visit year-round

Duration
12 hrs
Group size
1 to 6 guests
Transport
Private vehicle
Pickup
Your hotel
Price
From $430 / group

The macaques at Jigokudani come down the valley to sit in a hot spring pool. They are wild and unfenced, and the park is reached by a 1.6 km forest trail from the car park.

Snow makes the photographs, but the monkeys are there all year. Around the park, Shibu Onsen is a stone-paved village of wooden bathhouses that has been in use for well over a thousand years, and the valley farms serve lunch from their own fields.

Hour by hour

The day, stop by stop

  1. 06:00

    Hotel pickup in Tokyo

    A long drive north-west. Comfort stops roughly every ninety minutes.

  2. 09:30

    Obuse village

    Chestnut sweets and the Hokusai museum, as a leg-stretch before the mountain.

  3. 10:45

    Jigokudani trailhead

    The 1.6 km forest path to the park. Gentle gradient, icy in winter, crampons provided.

  4. 11:15

    Jigokudani Monkey Park

    An hour by the pool. The troop is used to people and ignores them completely; your guide keeps the group at the right distance.

  5. 13:00

    Farm-to-table lunch

    A valley farm restaurant: local pork or mountain vegetables, soba milled nearby, and apples in season.

  6. 14:30

    Shibu Onsen village walk

    Stone lanes, wooden inns and steam from the public baths. A footbath stop for anyone who wants one.

  7. 15:30

    Zenko-ji temple, Nagano city

    One of the oldest temples in the country, and the pilgrim street leading up to it.

  8. 16:30

    Return to Tokyo

    Back at your hotel by around 20:00.

Where you'll go

The places on this day

Included

  • Private vehicle with an English-speaking driver-guide
  • Hotel or accommodation pickup and drop-off in the pickup area
  • Fuel, tolls, parking and driver expenses
  • Bottled water on board
  • Itinerary planning before the day, including dietary and prayer needs
  • Crampons for the winter trail

Not included

  • Meals and drinks, unless listed in the itinerary
  • Entrance fees to shrines, museums and observation decks
  • Personal shopping
  • Gratuities, which are never expected
  • Travel insurance
  • Monkey park admission, around 800 yen
  • Public bath entry in Shibu Onsen

Good to know

Season

Best December to March for snow on the monkeys. They visit the pool all year, and summer visits are quieter.

Walking level

Moderate. The 1.6 km forest trail each way is the main effort, and it is uneven in winter.

Weather

Deep snow and ice on the trail from January. Waterproof boots make the walk much easier.

Questions about this tour

Can we skip the trail if someone cannot walk it?
The park is only reachable on foot. We can leave part of the group at the café by the trailhead, which is comfortable and warm.
Are the monkeys always there?
Almost always in winter, when they are fed near the pool. In hot summer weeks they sometimes stay in the forest for part of the day.
Is this too long a day with small children?
It is our longest tour. With children under six we usually suggest an overnight in Nagano instead, which we can arrange the route around.

You might also like

Enquire

Ask about this day

Enquiry about Snow monkeys, Shibu Onsen and farm lunch

Regions of interest

Nothing is paid online. We confirm availability and details with you first.

From $430 / group

WhatsAppEnquire about this tour