1-Day Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake in Nagano
Description
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!
Tour Options
Itinerary
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).
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.
After a filling lunch at a local restaurant, be ready to be WOWed by the monkeys! 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.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- 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.
Reviews(1,142)
Our guide Kay was the absolute best! We had an incredible experience at our fabulous lunch, shopping in Nagano, visiting the temples, and of course, the monkeys! It was raining on our visit which was even better. We were worried that with the hot weather and thunder we would have no luck seeing monkeys but it could not have been better! The monkeys were out and about and very social. This was an absolute highlight of our trip. We had a fantastic day and recommended the excursion to other friends who are visiting this month!
We had an amazing experience on this tour! Everything was very well organized and definitely worth the price. The lunch was delicious, and the temple was honestly the most beautiful one we’ve seen during our trip to Japan. Our guide, Jake, was very friendly, knowledgeable, and made the whole experience even more enjoyable. And of course, visiting the snow monkeys was such a unique and memorable experience! We highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Nagano. Absolutely worth it!
Thank you so much for the 5-star review! We are thrilled to hear that Zenko-ji was the most beautiful temple you’ve seen during your trip to Japan and that you enjoyed the delicious lunch and snow monkeys. Jake will be delighted to know his friendly, knowledgeable guidance made your day so memorable. Thank you for recommending us, and we hope to see you on a tour with us again in the future!
Amazing experience. The tour is well curated with a few unique activities. Best lunch I had in all of Japan. The monkey park was definitely the highlight of the trip. Our guide was fun, friendly and knowledgeable.
Thank you so much for the glowing review! We’re thrilled to hear that the day stood out for you, especially given how much incredible food Japan has to offer, as calling that lunch the best you had is high praise! It’s fantastic that the snow monkeys lived up to the hype and that our guide helped bring the day to life with their local insights and energy. Curating a seamless, memorable experience is always our goal, so knowing every part of the tour hit the mark for you means the world to our team. Safe travels on your next adventures, and we hope to welcome you back to Japan again someday on one of our many excursions!
Very knowledgeable and super kind and friendly guide, Kunihiko Endo . Speaks very good English, too.
Nice way to see more of Nagano, taste sake and also see the cute monkeys in their natural habitat. The guide, Tom, spoke English very well and was informative and knowledgeable. The sushi lunch was WOW, a big surprise, it was of a high quality in a beautiful place. I really recommend this tour!
Thank you so much for the fantastic recommendation! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a great time exploring Nagano with us, from the sake tasting to seeing the monkeys up close in their natural element. It’s awesome that the sushi lunch caught you off guard in the best way possible, as we take a lot of pride in picking spot-on local dining spots, so hearing that it was a highlight is music to our ears! Thank you again for joining us, and we hope to welcome you back for another unique adventure in Japan!
We spent the day with our guide visiting Zenkō-ji Temple and Jigokudani Monkey Park, and it was one of the highlights of our time in Nagano. He was incredibly knowledgeable, but what made the experience special was how naturally he shared that knowledge. We learned about the history of the temple, local customs, wildlife management, education in Japan, agriculture, and the surrounding ecology, all through relaxed conversation rather than a rehearsed lecture. Every question was met with thoughtful, insightful answers. He was friendly, engaging, and genuinely curious about our perspectives as well, which made the day feel like an exchange rather than simply a tour. We came away understanding not just the places we visited, but the people and culture behind them. I would enthusiastically recommend this tour to anyone visiting Nagano. Thank you for such a memorable day.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a thoughtful and detailed review! Hearing how much you enjoyed the open, conversational flow of the day truly warms our hearts. Our goal is always to create meaningful cultural connections rather than just listing facts, so knowing that your discussions spanned everything from local agriculture to everyday life in Japan means the world to us. Our guides know that an engaging approach and genuine curiosity are essential to a great day, as that mutual exchange of perspectives is what makes guiding so rewarding. Thank you again for joining us in Nagano and for your enthusiastic recommendation. We hope the memories from your time at Zenkoji and the Snow Monkey Park stay with you for years to come! We look forward to seeing you on your future Japan trips!
One of the best days of my life, I saw too many monkeys, both babies and adults, they look very cute swimming in the water. The guide was a key point to achieve the journey, the sake and the food were delicious.
¡Muchas gracias por compartir una reseña tan maravillosa! Nos alegra muchísimo saber que fue uno de los mejores días de tu vida. Ver a los monos, especialmente a los bebés nadando y disfrutando del agua, es siempre un espectáculo increíble. Nos llena de orgullo saber que tanto la comida como la cata de sake estuvieron deliciosas y que nuestro guía desempeñó un papel tan importante para que todo saliera perfecto. Agradecemos mucho que hayas elegido explorar Nagano con nosotros, ¡y esperamos tener la oportunidad de darte la bienvenida de nuevo en el futuro!
Everything was good and he explain us everything perfectly
Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! We are so glad to hear that you had a good experience and that your guide explained everything so well throughout the day. Clear and helpful insights make all the difference when exploring Zenkoji, tasting local sake, and visiting the monkey park, so knowing your guide delivered on that means a lot to us. Thank you again for joining us in Nagano, and we hope you enjoy the rest of your travels in Japan!
We had done a trip through getyourguide the day before and the guide Hiroshi was fantastic so knowledgeable and made our trip into the mountains memorial so we booked direct through the company with the same guide to visit zenkoji temple and the snowmonkeys which included a delicious lunch again the guide made this trip he was so friendly very knowledgeable and informative which made our trip fantastic 😀 😊
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're absolutely delighted to hear that you enjoyed both of your tours with Hiroshi. It's especially rewarding to know that your first experience was memorable enough that you chose to book a second tour directly with us! As you already know very well, Hiroshi is very passionate about sharing beauty of Nagano with others, and we're so pleased that his knowledge and friendly personality helped make both days such a fantastic experience. As we're sure they'll mean a lot to him, we've already passed on your warm words along to him Thank you again for choosing Snow Monkey Resorts. We hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you back to Japan for another adventure in the future!
We had an amazing experience with our guide, Endo! Not only did he take us to see the incredible snow monkeys, but he also showed us the beautiful temples of Nagano, treated us to a delicious local meal, and introduced us to a wonderful sake tasting. Throughout the day, he shared fascinating stories about the history of Nagano and its Buddhist temples, making every moment even more meaningful. Thanks to Endo’s kindness, knowledge, and enthusiasm, we had an unforgettable stay in Nagano. We highly recommend this tour!
Thank you so much for your considerate review! We're so happy to hear that you had such a memorable experience with Endo. It's fantastic to know that you were able to enjoy everything Nagano has to offer. It's a place we love and are just ecstatic to hear that you loved it as well. Endo is very passionate about sharing the history, culture, and traditions of the region, and we're so pleased that his knowledge and enthusiasm helped make your day that much more special. We'll be sure to pass along your kind words to him. Thank you for choosing Snow Monkey Resorts. We hope to welcome you back to Nagano again someday!
