Nagano Day Tour: Snow Monkeys, Temple & Sake Tasting

Watch monkeys soak in a hot spring with no barriers between you and them

This 8-hour guided tour of Nagano begins at Zenkoji Temple, one of Japan's oldest Buddhist temples, moves through sake tasting at a local brewery, and culminates at Jigokudani Monkey Park, where you observe wild monkeys bathing in natural hot springs. An English-speaking guide leads the entire day. Transport between all three stops, lunch at a local restaurant, and park entry are included. The walk to the monkey park covers 1.6 km along a forest trail with staircases, and you'll have roughly an hour to watch the monkeys up close.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Zenkoji Temple1h 30m
2. Jigokudani Monkey Park3h · entry included

Explore Nagano's temple, sake, and monkeys

• Visit Zenkoji Temple
• Sake tasting at local brewery
• Lunch at nearby restaurant
• Walk to Jigokudani Monkey Park
• Observe hot spring-bathing monkeys
• Return from monkey park

The experience

If you're arriving in Nagano with a free day and no transport arranged, this tour picks you up from the station and builds the whole itinerary around you. The morning starts at Zenkoji Temple, where nearly 1,400 years of Buddhist history sit in the temple precinct: your guide walks you through the site and leaves time to explore on your own. The temple is the spiritual center of the region, and the guide unpacks the legends and stories that shaped it.

From there you head to a local sake brewery for tasting. Nagano is sake country, and the guide introduces you to how the beverage is made and what separates one style from another. Lunch follows at a restaurant in town, with vegetarian and vegan options available if you request them in advance. The meal gives you a break before the afternoon's main event.

The final stop is Jigokudani Monkey Park, established in 1964 and home to the only troop of monkeys in the world known to bathe in hot springs. You walk in along a 1.6 km forest trail (about 25 minutes in summer, longer in winter), and spend roughly an hour in the park watching the monkeys move around, groom each other, and soak in the water. There are no barriers between you and them, though the park rules require you to keep a distance of 1 to 2 meters and never touch or feed them. Your guide explains the rules before you enter and stays with you to point out what makes these monkeys unique. The walk out follows the same trail, and the tour concludes back at Nagano Station by early evening.

What’s included

• An English-speaking guide leads you through all three stops.
• transport from Nagano Station to Zenkoji Temple, the sake brewery, Jigokudani Monkey Park and back to the station.
• entry to the monkey park.
• sake tasting at a local brewery.
• and lunch at a restaurant with vegetarian and vegan options available on request. In winter, a shuttle service from Hakuba is available for an additional option.

Options for this experience

6 options

Starts at Nagano StationGuide in English · 09:35Meeting point at Nagano Station: at the Information Board, directly across from the shinkansen (bullet train) ticket gates, at 09:35. Starting point: Nagano Station, Kurita, Nagano, 380-0921, Japan

Starts at Happo Bus TerminalGuide in English · Available from 15 Dec · 07:55Happo Bus Terminal in Hakuba: Join this tour from the Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal. Departure at 7:55 AM, where our staff will be holding a Snow Monkey Resorts sign. Starting point: Hakuba Happo Bus Terminal / Happo Information Center, Japan, 399-9301 Nagano, Kitaazumi District, Hakuba, Hokujō, 大字北城八方5734-1

Starts at Hakuba Tokyu HotelGuide in English · Available from 15 Dec · 07:40Hakuba Tokyu Hotel: Join this tour from the Hakuba Tokyu Hotel. Departure at 7:45 AM, where our staff will be holding a Snow Monkey Resorts sign. Starting point: Hakuba Tokyu Hotel, 4688 Hokujō, Hakuba, Kitaazumi District, Nagano 399-9301, Japan

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Starts at Tsugaike bus stopGuide in English · Available from 15 Dec · 07:20Join from Tsugaike Kogen: Join from the Tsugaikekogen Heights bus stop. Departure at 7:20 AM, where our staff will be holding a Snow Monkey Resorts sign. Starting point: Tsugaike Kogen, Chikuniko, Otari, Kitaazumi District, Nagano 399-9422, Japan

Starts at La Vigne, EcholandGuide in English · Available from 15 Dec · 08:10Join this tour from the bus lot next to La Vigne. Departure at 8:10 AM, where our staff will be holding a Snow Monkey Resorts sign. Starting point: HOTEL LA VIGNE HAKUBA by Onko Chishin, 1116 3020 Hokujō, Hakuba, Kitaazumi District, Nagano 399-9301, Japan

Starts at Nagano StationGuide in English · Available from 29 Jul 2027Meetup location at Nagano Station: at the Information Board, directly across from the shinkansen (bullet train) ticket gates, at 09:00. Starting point: Nagano Station, Kurita, Nagano, 380-0921, Japan

Options with the same name differ in details you'll see when you pick a date.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 07:20, the last at 09:35

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (13 to 90 years) · Child (6 to 12 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupUp to 45

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Snow Monkey Resorts Tours (Machinovate Japan Ltd.)

Is this one for you?Book this if you're arriving without a car and want three separate sites (temple, sake brewery, monkey park) connected by a guide who handles all the driving and timing. You just show up and move through the day.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 12 years); Infant (under 6): free.

What is Zenkoji Temple and why is it important to Nagano?

Zenkoji Temple is one of the oldest, largest and most important Buddhist temples in Japan, with nearly 1,400 years of history. It sits at the spiritual heart of Nagano, and your guide will walk you through the temple precinct and share the legends and stories connected to it.

Will I definitely see monkeys bathing in the hot spring?

Monkeys bathe in the hot spring most often in winter, but from spring through autumn they may play or eat in the water instead. The monkeys are wild animals, so there is no guarantee they will be in the bath on any given day, though it is common to see them in the park.

How much walking is involved in getting to and from the monkey park?

The walk to Jigokudani Monkey Park covers 1.6 km (1 mile) along an unsealed forest trail with two staircases. In summer this takes about 25 minutes each way. In winter it takes longer due to snow and ice. Wear appropriate footwear and dress for the season. Rental boots and crampons are available near the park if needed.

What's included in the tour price?

The tour includes an English-speaking guide, all transport between Nagano Station and the three stops, entry to Jigokudani Monkey Park, sake tasting, and lunch at a local restaurant with vegetarian and vegan options available.

Can I join this tour if I'm staying in Hakuba instead of Nagano?

Yes, from mid-December through early March a shuttle service runs from Hakuba Tokyu Hotel and Happo Bus Terminal. Your guide will meet you at Nagano Station and depart from there, and the tour concludes by 19:00 for Hakuba guests. This service may not run every day during those dates.

What time does the tour end, and can I catch a train to Tokyo afterward?

The tour is scheduled to conclude at Nagano Station by 17:30 (19:00 for Hakuba guests in winter). In winter, weather and road conditions may affect the end time, so if you're booking a shinkansen to Tokyo afterward, book the 17:56 Kagayaki or later. The 18:23 Hakutaka is recommended.