If you have a day to spare on your trip to Tokyo, consider visiting the Jigokudani Monkey Park (地獄谷野猿公苑 Jigokudani Yaen Kōen). The park is located in Yamanouchi (a Northern Nagano Prefecture).
MONKEY PARK LIVE CAM
Check out the Monkey Park live cam (taken once every hour) here. Here’s the shot of us taken by the live cam when we were there! Can you spot us?
HOW TO GET THERE?
Getting to the Monkey Park. Photo courtesy of http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6027.html
Expect to spend at a minimum 3+ hours for travel time to the park and another 3+ hours back to Tokyo.
Assuming you are using a JR Pass…
Option 1:
JR Tokyo Station –> Nagano Shinkansen to Nagano Station (~100 minutes) –> Nagaden Railway to Yudanaka Station (~45 minutes) –> Nagaden bus to Kanbayashi Onsen-Guchi (~15 minutes) –> walk to the Monkey Park (~30 minutes).
- Total Time: ~3 hours 50 minutes one way (actual time will be more due to waiting time for trains/buses).
- Total cost: ~3,460yen per person round trip on Express Nagaden train OR ~2,760yen per person round trip on Local Nagaden train. Breakdown: FREE (Shinkansen JR Pass) + 2460yen (Nagaden Railway) + 500yen (bus roundtrip) + 500yen entrance fee.
Option 2:
JR Tokyo Station –> Nagano Shinkansen to Nagano Station (~100 minutes) –> Nagaden Express bus to Kanbayashi Onsen-Guchi (~50 minutes) –> Walk to the Monkey Park (~30 minutes).
- Total Time: ~3 hours one way (actual time will be more due to waiting time for trains/buses).
- Total cost: ~3,100yen per person round trip. Breakdown: FREE (Shinkansen JR Pass) + 2600yen (bus roundtrip) + 500yen entrance fee.
The walk to the park from Kanbayashi Onsen-Guchi, is through a hiking/walking trail that’s about 1.8km (or 1.1 miles). The walk takes about 30 minutes or so to get there. More details about getting there located here. The option that works best will likely be dependent on your schedule and budget. For example, you might have to wait an hour to catch the express bus, so you will choose to take the Nagaden Railway option etc…
REASONS TO GO…
- The monkeys are adorable.
- You’ve probably never seen snow monkeys (aka Japanese Macaques) before.
- Snow monkeys are not afraid of humans. You can get really close to them and take lots of pictures of them.
- You can also stop by one of the many onsen ryokans located in that area and experience bathing in hot spring baths or even stay the night at onsen ryokans.
- Snow monkeys dipping in onsens. I should not need to say more.
REASONS NOT TO GO…
- The trail to the park will require some amount of physical fitness (ability to walk 1.1 miles along a walking trail in a forest).
- You will need to set aside an entire day for this trip (unless you go early in the morning and don’t spend too much time at the Monkey Park so you can get back to the city for the second half of the day).
- For those who are using JR passes, this trip will cost ~3,100yen per person. For those without JR Passes, this trip will cost ~11,110yen per person.
- It could get very cold at the park during winter months and might be hot/smelly during summer months (according to some visitor forums).
{our photo gallery located here}
- Costs above assumes you have a JR pass. If not, your Nagano Shinkansen trip will cost an additional ~8,160yen round trip per person.
- Suica Cards don’t work on Nagaden railway or buses, so make sure you have cash to pay for the tickets.
- Eat a full breakfast and bring some snacks & drinks along with you. There will not be any food for sale at the Monkey Park.
- Once you get to Kanbayashi Onsen, there is a 1.8km or 1.1 miles hike along a forest trail. During winter, this trail will be covered in snow, so wear proper shoes for hiking/walking. It should take ~30 minutes for a leisurely hike along the trail.
- Don’t forget your camera!
Let us know about YOUR experience at the snow monkey park!
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44 Comments
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We want to make this trip in a weekend this coming month. Do you know of any places to stay the night that aren’t too expensive in the area ? We are also bringing our 10 month old baby.
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We saw some ryokans in the little village where we boarded the bus to head to the entrance of the park. Search for “onsen” or “ryokan” to get started. Yudanaka Onsen seems like a promising place to stay. Be sure to wear shoes with good grip if you’re bringing a little one (i guess, even if you’re not, you should wear good shoes so you dont slip on the snow) 🙂 Best of luck!
Jeremy & Shirlene recently posted..{Croatia} Plitvice National Park, a One of a Kind Must Visit Destination
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Hello!
Thanks for the very informative write up and lovely photos.
I will be going to the park this January 2-3. We will be going with our baby boy (we will probably carry him on our back with a baby carrier) and his 2 grandmas (they are relatively fit). Can I ask if it is safe to get tickets at the JR tokyo station on the actual day we leave from Tokyo to Nagano or do we have to purchase tickets before hand? We have 6 people in the group so i want to make sure we have everything ready.
For the Nagaden Express bus to Kanbayashi Onsen-Guchi – how and where do we buy tickets? Also, the JR passes you mentioned, which ones are they? Are they the Suica ones you get at the airport?
Thanks for your help!!!!
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Hi – re: getting tickets to get to nagano, I can’t tell you definitively whether you should get it ahead of time or not. It really depends on the time, season etc… It is right at New Year’s that you’re going there. I’m not sure too how much ppl travel during that time. For us, we always try to get tickets ahead of time if we can. If you’re using a JR Pass, it’s also good to just get all the tickets early on at the ticket office (you redeem these tickets by showing them your JR pass and they issue you individual trip tickets).
Here’s more info on the JR pass that we wrote about:
https://www.idelish.com/2010/12/22/japan-getting-around-in-tokyo/
We got the JR pass for long distance travel. Taking the Shinkansen for example would be something you’d use your JR Pass for. These are different from Suica card (which is more like a prepaid card for use locally on subways, buses around the city).We bought the express bus tickets at the rail station. If you went all the way to Yudanaka Station for example, there will be bus lines outside the station. You then pay cash to get the express bus tickets to head to Kanbayashi Onsen-Guchi on the “shiga kogen bus line”. This is what we did.
Another option is for you to take the bus from Nagano Station. I’d expect there to be a booth to buy the tickets there too before you board the bus.
Also keep in mind to get the return bus schedule when you’re buying tickets so you know when to expect the return bus. We didn’t do that last time, so had to ask around to figure out when the next bus will be arriving to pick us back up. It was quite a long wait for us and at some point, we were worried, there wasn’t going to be a bus back. So be well prepared and ask for the schedule.
Hope this helps!
Jeremy & Shirlene recently posted..{Hungary} Buda Castle, Parliament and Fisherman’s Bastion – Stunning Sights in Budapest
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I’ve recently been there! I’m so glad we went. Our friend Tokiko recommended it to us. You took some really special photos!
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So glad you got to visit the park! This is one of our most memorable trips and we’d love to go back one day. Hope you got some beautiful photos too!
Jeremy & Shirlene recently posted..Welcome to Idelish v2.0!
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I am so looking forward to going to this place! It’s been on my list for years. So great info, guys, definitely very useful! What month of the year did you visit the park and was it really cold?
Irina recently posted..Looking To Learn Scuba Diving? Why Not Some Place Nice?
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We went in December and it was really cold. There’s a little hut at the monkey park that is heated. We’d stand in the hut when we got too cold and then head out again to photograph the monkeys. Make sure you wear gloves and scarves! Bring one of those hand warmers (the type we use for skiing?) to help with the cold!
Jeremy & Shirlene recently posted..{Tips} If nothing else, take these 3 photographs on your travels
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The monkeys are very cute and adorable not like other breeds, their face are pinkish looks lovable.
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Hot tubbing snow monkeys?! They really have the best life:)
eva hamori recently posted..Canadian Expat In Hungary – Things That Make You Go Huh??-
They sure do!
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{India} Thiksey Monastery is a “Must Visit” in Leh
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You don’t need to hear how great your pictures are again, but they really are. I really want to see the snow monkeys! But probably won’t make it to Japan in the winter. Are they still snow monkeys in the summer? 🙂
Gerard ~ GQ trippin recently posted..kickin’ it in mykonos-
Thanks Gerard! Hey – we don’t mind getting feedback on our photos at any time – good OR bad! Keep them coming 🙂 yeah the snow monkeys are still there in summer but from some forums we saw when we were researching the area, it might not be as “comfortable” to visit during summer. Apparently it may be a bit more ‘smelly’ if you go during summer – no issues at all during winter. I think winter time might actually be more beautiful though with the snow in the background.
TIP: Be friends with the staff that feeds these monkeys. They helped us get some good shots by throwing their feed at a certain spot so the monkeys would gather there for us to take pictures 😉
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{India} Thiksey Monastery is a “Must Visit” in Leh-
Great tip. Thanks!
Gerard ~ GQ trippin recently posted..my job quit me. now what?-
You’re welcome! Looking forward to your next travel plans!
Idelish (Jeremy & Shirlene) recently posted..{India} Thiksey Monastery is a “Must Visit” in Leh
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we miss japan and the adorable snow monkeys chilling at hot springs! –> {Japan} Snow Monkeys @ Jigokudani Monkey Park http://t.co/0l4dvQUt
