1-Day Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake in Nagano
Overview
Take in some of the highlights of Nagano with this engaging tour starting with a visit to Zenko-ji 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!
Inclusions
- Transportation fee from Nagano to the Snow Monkey Park and between activities/attractions
- Lunch (vegetarian and vegan options available, please try to let us know in advance)
- Sake tasting
- English-speaking guide
- Entry/Admission - Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
What to expect
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. A registered National Treasure, 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 time to explore for yourself (time-permitting).
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: MONZEN TERRACE ENYA, Japan, 380-0841 Nagano, Daimonchō５７２
Nagano is Japan's second largest producer of 'sake', meaning no trip to the region is complete without sampling some of the local breweries. Your guide will introduce to the complex and warm world of sake with a guided tasting and while there also treat you to a delicious lunch at one of Nagano's favorite restaurants.
Duration: 1 hour 20 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 the walk about you, wrestle with each other, endlessly groom, and of course, soak in their favourite 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 endeavour to give our guests 1 hour in the park to observe the monkeys.
Duration: 2 hours
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. A registered National Treasure, 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 time to explore for yourself (time-permitting).
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: MONZEN TERRACE ENYA, Japan, 380-0841 Nagano, Daimonchō５７２
Nagano is Japan's second largest producer of 'sake', meaning no trip to the region is complete without sampling some of the local breweries. Your guide will introduce to the complex and warm world of sake with a guided tasting and while there also treat you to a delicious lunch at one of Nagano's favorite restaurants.
Duration: 1 hour 20 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 the walk about you, wrestle with each other, endlessly groom, and of course, soak in their favourite 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 endeavour to give our guests 1 hour in the park to observe the monkeys.
Duration: 2 hours
Additional information
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- 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 approriate and you are dressed accordingly for the season.
- 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, larger coach or train 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, Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal and Hakuba Base Camp in Echoland. This service is only available from 2021/12/15 until 2022/03/31 and may not be available every day between those dates. We apologise 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 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. Please note that the restaurant may change their menu from time-to-time and the tour lunch may different to images shown on this page.
- This tour includes ‘sake’ tasting in Nagano City. The venue can change depending on the time of year. You must be a minimum of 20 years of age to consume alcohol on the tour.
- 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
- Any vehicles operated by Snow Monkey Resorts, will include a plastic partition in the vehicle that will totally separate the driver from the passengers.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 80 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
Jason_S
June 2023
Kirin was an amazing tour guide that made our experience wonderful. This is a “must do” if you are visiting Japan.
Kirin was an amazing tour guide that made our experience wonderful. This is a “must do” if you are visiting Japan.Racheal_T
May 2023
This was a really good tour but it could be a fantastic tour with a bit of tweaking. All of the destinations were good but we had way too much time at the snow monkeys. They’re great to see but you really only need about 30minutes of photo opportunities and watching them. It also would’ve been gr...
This was a really good tour but it could be a fantastic tour with a bit of tweaking. All of the destinations were good but we had way too much time at the snow monkeys. They’re great to see but you really only need about 30minutes of photo opportunities and watching them. It also would’ve been great to get more info at the temple around what was happening as there were a few ceremonies of some description going on but he didn’t talk to us about it. Only other thing was the food. They need to change this. There are so many options to go too that would be more rustic and authentic. Regardless I would still recommend this tour to people. We had a great time.O2437EQjasonw
March 2022
This was the be perfect tour. History, followed by an amazing lunch and then an afternoon with the snow monkeys. All three of our kids were happy, which is a rare feat. A truly magical day in nagano.
This was the be perfect tour. History, followed by an amazing lunch and then an afternoon with the snow monkeys. All three of our kids were happy, which is a rare feat. A truly magical day in nagano.jamesaN7629HI
February 2022
This tour was an incredible experience. Peter was an amazing guide and was super knowledgeable about all aspects. He definitely has a lot of personal passion for Japanese culture and was so willing to share it. I am super grateful to him for opening up this world to me!
This tour was an incredible experience. Peter was an amazing guide and was super knowledgeable about all aspects. He definitely has a lot of personal passion for Japanese culture and was so willing to share it. I am super grateful to him for opening up this world to me!Journey05352616674
February 2022
I booked a tour with Peter and Snow Monkey Resorts based on the recommendation of a friend and I'm so glad I did! Every part of the tour was perfect. Peter and the company flexed to accommodate our group, making the trip possible in the first place. From there, every stopbwas great. Pick up was e...
I booked a tour with Peter and Snow Monkey Resorts based on the recommendation of a friend and I'm so glad I did! Every part of the tour was perfect. Peter and the company flexed to accommodate our group, making the trip possible in the first place. From there, every stopbwas great. Pick up was easy, and communication was great. We first visited the temple where Peter provided the kind of context for what we were seeing that really made the visit different from other temples I've seen in the past. Sake and lunch were both super good and very fun. From there, the Snow Monkeys did not disappoint. The whole process was so easy through the tour and the background and fun details Peter provided again made a big difference on how interesting and fun it all was. Overall, an great time. The tour is well organized and my group of 4 had so much fun. Peter is very informed on all the stops, but we also had a lot of fun and interesting conversation between stops. For a group of 23-year-olds we had a great time. I would recommend to anyone!Chunchun W
February 2022
Peter was the perfect host. Started with him agreeing to give us a tour when there was no available booking initially and being so flexible with the time. We went to Zenko-ji Temple, then did some sake tasting and lunch, and ended with the snow monkeys. The temple was one of the coolest parts bec...
Peter was the perfect host. Started with him agreeing to give us a tour when there was no available booking initially and being so flexible with the time. We went to Zenko-ji Temple, then did some sake tasting and lunch, and ended with the snow monkeys. The temple was one of the coolest parts because Peter was genuinely interested in what he was telling us and, being from Australia himself, was able to relate our experiences as westerners to Japanese religion and culture. The transportation to the snow monkeys and back to Nagano station was a great opportunity to get to know and converse with Peter about Japan in general and his experiences. A great tour that went above and beyond expectations. Peter has my recommendation for anyone traveling to Nagano!