Jigokudani Monkey Park tours

Lunch buffet was shabu shabu, time allocated for lunch was short for buffet style at approximately 1 hour or so. Guide was a local, not much talking except for telling of destination and meet up time. Hike up to see the monkeys took about 45 mins to 1 hour each way. Some parts were quite steep. The museum trip was meh, nothing much to see. Highlight of the trip was the monkeys

We were staying at Karuizawa so this was a day trip out for us. Instructions where to meet were clear and our guide, Joyce, arrived early to meet us. She explained the dos and don'ts clearly and would keep time for us. she answered questions patiently and would suggest what we could try on our own. I would say we made the right choice! When the day started, it was only lightly snowing but as the day progressed, the forecast became heavy snow. The snow fun part was my daughter's favourite, as she exclaimed, so soft and fluffy! it's a small area cordoned off for children/ beginners but the equipment provided is sufficient for adults to use (sleds/ sledding bikes). we had enough time to play and have lunch and walk around for a bit. Then we were off to another ski resort for the ski lift ride. I have a phobia of height so I stayed behind to wait for them. My daughter enjoyed the ride up and down. we then headed for the snow monkey park. it's a long walk in but to me, the highlight was the walk in, then the snow monkeys. it was so serene and beautiful! we had enough time to wander around to take photos before heading out. Joyce introduced us to this apple pie from enza cafe (own expenses) and it was so good! the driver also did a good job driving safely despite the icy conditions and snowing. however, while this is doable for most people with minimal fitness, it can be tiring as some parts involved walking upslope on snow.

We absolutely adored this tour in Nagano. Kieran our guide (a fellow Australian) was super friendly and a great tour guide who gave us a glimpse into life in Nagano and Japan. Zenkoji Temple is super special - I highly recommend undertaking Kaiden Merguri (Traversing under the temple - mimicking Buddhas footsteps and emerging out of darkness into light) it was one of my highlights. Seeing the Snow Monkeys was very lovely too. There were so many and it was great observing them. Overall, Nagano was one of our favourite cities in Japan and this tour is a big influence on that choice.

It was great! In the end, everything was worth it for the monkeys. Lunch was typical for a tourist tour but still delicious. The walk to the monkeys is very long and was very slippery and tiring due to the ice and snow. Not everyone even made it up to the monkeys. This caused the return journey to be delayed by over an hour. You shouldn't be completely unathletic if you want to see the monkeys. But in the end it was just a great experience that was definitely worth it despite the cold, wetness and effort.

Fantastic trip to Nagano Prefecture to the Snow Monkey Park. Even though we were delayed due to traffic problems, our hosts made every effort to make the trip enjoyable. We had a delicious lunch in Nagano and then proceeded to the park. Be aware to get to the park requires a very steep and ice/snow covered hike with steep inclines and some treacherous terrain and may not be suitable for some. After a 40 minute hike you are rewarded with fantastic views of many family groups of snow monkeys bathing and eating around the hot spring. AMAZING! A must see for animal lovers!

It was a fun day tour from Tokyo to Nagano. Our guide Endo was very kind and he was good at explaining to us the tour and what to expect. The food was great too. We have a lot of fun at the snow resort. The spectacular view from the snow resort chairlift was amazing. Everything was great! Definitely will recommend this tour!

I can’t remember our Guides name but she was from Uruguay and had moved in the past few years to just outside Nagano. she was incredibly knowledgable, friendly, and had great English. I would 10/10 recommend this tour in the first place, but if you get that guide you are bound to have an incredible day. loved every moment!

Highly recommend this trip! The bus ride was about 4 hours but there was one 10-15 minute rest stop. Lunch was really good and filling. We experienced snow fall after lunch. The hike to the hot springs to see the Snow Monkeys was about 30-45 minutes. We really only had 30 minutes to see them before we had to hike back down. The snow monkeys were every where! So surreal as the snow started falling as well.