Green Season Snow Monkeys: Baby Monkeys & Scenic Forest Walk

Duration4h 30m

TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesEnglish

Private tourOnly your group will participate

Overview

Begin with a scenic drive through beautiful orchards. Reach the park via a refreshing 30-minute (2km) walk along lush nature trails—a pleasant hike especially enjoyable in the green season. From May, you may spot adorable newborn baby monkeys! Enjoy 50 minutes observing the macaques relaxing in their natural habitat.

Your guide provides all essential info during the drive; there is no guided service during the walk or inside the park. As these are wild animals, sightings are not guaranteed, particularly during the mating and harvest seasons in October and November.

Next, visit the historic Tamamura Honten brewery (closed Sundays/holidays). Then, explore 1,350-year-old Shibu Onsen with your guide—keep an eye on the rooftops for local monkeys! Finally, visit Koku-gonji Temple (est. 825 AD), home to sacred spring water and 1,000 cherry trees. Returns to Iiyama around 5:40 PM and to Nozawa Onsen around 6 PM, subject to traffic.

Options

Iiyama Station Pickup

Duration: 5 hours: Winter (Dec~Mar): Depart 13:20 / Return 17:10 (4 hours)
Green Season (Apr~Nov): Depart 13:20 / Return 17:40 (4.5 hours)

Nozawa Onsen Pickup

Duration: 5 hours: Winter (Dec~Mar): Depart 13:00 / Return 17:30 (4.5 hours)
Green Season (Apr~Nov): Depart 13:00 / Return 18:00 (5 hours)
Starting point:
Nozawa Onsen (Chuo Terminal), Toyosato, Nozawaonsen, Shimotakai District, Nagano 389-2502, Japan

What's included

WiFi on board
Air-conditioned vehicle
Monkey Park Entry Tickets
Guided walks in Shibu Onsen

Luggage Space
Lunch
Umbrella / Rainwear

What to expect

Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
1h 50m · Admission ticket included

(13:50~14:40) The journey to the park involves a scenic 2km walk along an unpaved forest trail, surrounded by majestic cedar trees, offering a true immersion into Japan’s pristine nature.

The park itself is relatively compact; one hour is usually more than enough to see everything. However, please remember these are wild animals. You may encounter monkeys on the trail before even reaching the park entrance. We strongly recommend heading straight into the park first to see the main hot spring area. If you spend too much time with monkeys outside the gates, your time inside may be cut short.

For a unique experience, look across the river from the park to the historic inn. In winter, you can often see monkeys and overnight guests sharing the outdoor bath! This facility also offers day-trip bathing for ¥1,500. If your timing is perfect, you might even find yourself soaking in the hot spring alongside a curious snow monkey. Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Sake Storehouse Art Museum - Gallery Tamamura Honten
15m

[CLOSED on Sundays & New Year's Holiday]
(15:45~16:00) Established in 1805, this historic brewery boasts a legacy spanning over 220 years. Tamamura Honten produces both the award-winning traditional sake "Engi" and the pioneer of Japan’s craft beer scene, "Shiga Kogen Beer." Part of the magnificent 150-year-old wooden structure has been beautifully preserved and transformed into an art gallery. Here, you can immerse yourself in the owner’s curated art collection while enjoying tastings and shopping. Experience more than just a brewery, discover a true sanctuary of Japanese culture.
Shibu Onsen
40m

[STORES are CLOSED on WEDNESDAYS] (16:00~16:40)
With 1,350 years of history, Shibu Onsen is one of Nagano's oldest hot spring towns. Traditional wooden ryokans and stone-paved streets create a nostalgic atmosphere, with retro game parlors, shrines, and temples. Keep an eye out—local wild monkeys also live here, scurrying across the rooftops!

The town is famous for its nine communal onsens (Soto-yu). It is a local tradition to collect stamps from all nine onsens on a special "Tenugui" towel; completing the set is said to grant a wish. While these onsens are locked for overnight guests, visitors can experience the main onsen, O-yu, by purchasing a ticket for ¥800.

Shibu Onsen’s charm lies in its maze-like back alleys. On our tour, an expert guide will lead you through these secret paths, following the ultimate route designed to showcase the very best of Shibu Onsen’s historic charm without getting lost.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

Please wait at the outdoor seats adjacent to the cafe's takeaway counter at 1:50 PM. Since this is the last pickup stop, our arrival may be slightly delayed depending on traffic conditions.

Meeting point

The bus will arrive at the designated vehicle loading/unloading area in front of the Tourist Information Center. Please ensure you are at the exact location on time; the bus cannot wait for passengers who are inside the station or elsewhere. Missed departures are strictly non-refundable.

Meeting point

Please look for our bus among the buses parked in the North-side parallel parking area. Our guide will be right in front of the bus. Please ensure you are boarded at least 10 minutes before departure. The bus will depart promptly at the scheduled time. Missed departures are strictly non-refundable.

End point

For those not returning to Iiyama or Nozawa Onsen, Shibu Onsen will be the final drop-off point of the tour. While the scheduled arrival is 16:40, delays of 30+ minutes may occur in winter due to road conditions or group delays.

End point

While the scheduled arrival is 17:30, delays of 30+ minutes often occur in winter due to road conditions or group delays. As arrival times are not guaranteed, please avoid making tight Shinkansen or dinner bookings.

End point

While the scheduled arrival is 17:10, delays of 30+ minutes often occur in winter due to road conditions or group delays. As arrival times are not guaranteed, please avoid making tight Shinkansen or dinner bookings.

Additional information

Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
It is not allowed to bring Luggage (No luggage space in a vehcile). Please use coin lockers or storage service at the tourist information center in Iiyama Station..
No eating inside the vehicle
In the event of damages (vomiting etc.) which require the vehicle to be out of service for a duration and are caused by your party, a fee of up to ¥30,000 may be incurred.
Pickup time at Iiyama Station may be delayed if the participants are not coming on time at the first pickup point, Nozawa Onsen.
Rain gears are needed to be arranged by paricipants.
Return time at Iiyama Station will be 17:10~17:30 (Purchasing a train ticket before 17:30 is not recommended, the return time is subject to change depending on delays/weather conditions)
Return time at Nozawa Onsen will be 17:30~18:00 (subject to change depending on delays/condition of day)
Most shops in Shibu Onsen are closed on Wednesdays
Tamamura Honten (the brewery) is closed on Sundays
Please be aware that a medium level of fitness is required for about 2 km walk (one-way) to/from the park and anther 2 km walking tour in Shibu Onsen
The type of vehicle for the tour depends on the number of participants and can not be confirmed until the tour date.
The monkeys in the park are wild animals, and their appearance in the park is not guaranteed. In particular, the probability of seeing them drops significantly during October and November
Please be ready at the boarding point at least 5 minutes before departure. The bus will depart strictly on time. Please note that no refunds will be provided for any reason if you miss the departure.
Not recommended for travelers with difficulty walking for 2km (30 mins) to/from the Monkey Park (Total 4 km / 1 hr)
Not recommended for families with infants or small children during winter, due to the added difficulty of the walk up to the monkey park. We also are unable to take strollers onto the bus. For customers who have small children, we recommend the Private Tour.

Cancellation policy

All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.

Reviews

4.8 (75)