How To Get To The Jigokudani Monkey Park

Within easy reach of Nagano City, the Jigokdauni Monkey Park is one of the region’s most popular all-year-round destinations. Often referred to the ‘Snow Monkey Park’, it is home to a curious troop of monkeys most famous for their hot spring-loving antics of winter while spring, summer and autumn all offer their own reasons to visit. On this page you will find the following information:

— Where is the Jigokudani Monkey Park?

— How to Get to the Monkey Park

— Accessing the Park from Nagano Station

— Tours and Charters to the Monkey Park

— 25 Things to Do Around the Park & Where to Stay

The monkey park is open every day of the year with a slight variation of hours across seasons. For opening hours, pricing, rules and more, see our ‘Snow Monkey Park Information’ page. To access the park, visitors must walk along a 1.6km / 1 mile unsealed trail through a forest. For anyone of reasonable fitness, this walk is easy and pleasant. The trail is well-maintained and mostly level however in winter, it will be affected by snow and ice making it harder to navigate. For further information, see our ‘Information About The Walk To The Snow Monkey Park’ page.

Based in Nagano, we are the region’s No.1 tour and charter operator offering both group and private tours to the park along with the option of just transport and/or accommodation. Our vehicles and drivers are all fully certified and our guides are all locally-based. For more information, scroll to the bottom of the page.

WHERE IS THE JIGOKUDANI MONKEY PARK?

The Jigokudani Monkey Park – often referred to as the Snow Monkey Park – is around 35KM / 50-minutes to the north-east of central Nagano City. Open every day, the monkeys come to the park through the year making it one of Nagano’s most popular attractions, When heading to the park using public transport, it will be easiest to do so from Nagano Station, from where an express bus runs directly to Kanbayashi Onsen – where the park is located – or alternatively, you can take the Nagano Dentetsu railway to Yudanaka Station – the nearest train station to the park – and from there, take a local bus to the park. Both options take around 50 to 55-minutes in total to get here. The park is located in the small hot spring village of Kanbayashi Onsen, which itself is located in the wider region of Yamanouchi – a region including the park, multiple hot spring villages, Shiga Kogen Ski Resort, the smaller ski resorts of Kita-Shiga Kogen and Joshinetsu Kogen National Park. Within easy reach of Nagano City, visiting the monkey park as a day-trip is easy while also providing lots of reasons to stay in the area on a multi-day visit.

HOW TO GET TO THE MONKEY PARK

If you’re headed to the monkey park using public transport, you are almost certain to do so via Nagano Station. As a stop on the Hokuriku Shinkansen line running from Tokyo to Kanazawa, Nagano Station is the nearest major station to the park. From Nagano Station, visitors have the choice of using a direct express bus directly to the park or alternatively, a train to Yudanaka Station followed by short local bus ride to the park. For full details of how to get there from Nagano, see ‘Accessing the Park from Nagano Station’ below. For directions from other popular starting points, click on the location below:

SHIGA KOGEN – NOZAWA ONSEN – MADARAO – MYOKO KOGEN – HAKUBA – MATSUMOTO – MATSUMOTO AIRPORT – KAMIKOCHI – TAKAYAMA – KARUIZAWA – KANAZAWA – YUZAWA – NAGOYA – KYOTO – OSAKA – MOUNT FUJI –TOKYO

Visitors heading to the park from Shiga Kogen will not need to come through Nagano Station – although they already may have to have reached Shiga – and in some cases, visitors heading to the park from Nozawa Onsen, Madarao and Myoko Kogen may not need to come through Nagano. But in all other cases, Nagano Station will be your point of transfer when accessing the the park from further afield. For international visitors, it should be noted that the bus and train services to the park are not covered by any Japan Rail (JR) Pass.

ACCESSING THE PARK FROM NAGANO STATION

As mentioned above, most visitors heading to the park will do so via Nagano Station. Once at the station, you have two options for getting to the park using public transport. Both options take you to Kanbayashi Onsen, where the monkey park is located:

— EXPRESS BUS direct from the station to Kanbayashi Onsen

— TRAIN to Yudanaka Station followed by LOCAL BUS to Kanbayashi Onsen

Both options take around 45 to 55-minutes to reach Kanbayashi Onsen and drop you at the bottom of the village, from where it’s a 5 to 10-minute walk (depending on the season) to the entrance of the trail leading to the park. Let’s look at each in turn:

VISITING THE MONKEY PARK BY EXPRESS BUS

Operating to and from Nagano Station, the Nagaden Snow Monkey Express Bus runs all year round and with additional services during the peak season of winter. After stopping nearby the monkey park, many express buses continue onto to Japan’s largest ski resort, Shiga Kogen. In doing so, it connects two of the regions most popular destinations – the Jigokudani Monkey Park and Shiga Kogen – directly to the station. The bus takes just over 40 minutes to reach the park from the station and around 55 minutes for the return journey. The bus operates from Bus Stop No.23, outside the station’s East Exit. Tickets are bought on the bus from the driver. Cash only. To check the bus schedule, please refer to our ‘Nagaden Express Bus Timetable’ page.

VISITING THE MONKEY PARK BY TRAIN

The park can also be reached using the Nagano Dentetsu Line. Also operating from Nagano Station, Nagaden has express and local services to the terminus of Yudanaka Station. The journey takes approximately 45 minutes. Local services from Nagano to Yudanaka take substantially longer and require passengers to transfer trains. As such, we always recommend using an express service to reach Yudanaka. For the train schedule, see our ‘Nagano Dentetsu Line Timetable’ page.

Once at Yudanaka you need to jump-on a Nagaden local bus for the final leg of your journey to the park. Two local bus lines – the Kanbayashi Line and Shiga Kogen Line (which also continues onto Shiga Kogen Ski Resort) – head to stops nearby the monkey park. The ride is only around 8 minutes. The ride back from the park takes a little longer – around 15 minutes – due to a different route and stops. Yudanaka is a small station and the buses operate from directly outside. You can’t miss them! For the local bus schedule, see our ‘Nagano Dentetsu Local Bus Timetable’ page.

WHICH OPTION IS BEST FOR ME – BUS OR TRAIN?

Put simply, both options work well and both are covered by the Snow Monkey Pass (see below). Regardless of which option you choose, you’ll enjoy an easy and enjoyable trip to and from the park. But each option also has its strength.

For visitors who want to head straight to the park without needing to switch from train to local bus at Yudanaka including travelers with luggage, the express bus is a good option as it heads directly to the park from Nagano Station. The large coaches which operate on this line have storage underneath, allowing passengers to stow their luggage as they are transported to and from the park – a particularly useful option if you are staying in the area around the park.

Using the train requires you to then jump on a local bus once you arrive at Yudanaka Station, however this is easy enough. The positive of using the train – particularly when you have the Snow Monkey Pass – is that you can jump on and off the train as much as you like, and combine your visit to the park with other popular destinations including Zenko-ji Temple, historic Obuse town including the Hokusai Museum, and Yudanaka and Shibu Onsen. The journey itself is scenic with express trains offering great views of the surrounding landscape and plenty of room to relax.

TOURS AND CHARTERS TO THE MONKEY PARK

As Nagano’s No.1 tour operator, we are proud to offer multiple tours that combine a visit to the Snow Monkey Park with other fun local activities. No matter the season, we can help you make the most of your time in Nagano. Whether with your family or friends, or on your own, we are sure to have something that suits your needs!

1 Day Tour

1-Day Tour: Snow Monkeys, Zenkoji Temple & Sake in Nagano
Period	All Year Round
Time	09:35 – 17:35
Meeting Place	Nagano Station Hakuba (winter only)
Adult Rate	¥17,800
Child Rate	¥11,000

Our most popular offering is our “1-Day Tour: Snow Monkey Park, Zenkoji Temple and Sake in Nagano“. Guests on this delightful excursion will first be treated to Sake Tasting and a guided tour of the historic Zenkoji Temple in Nagano, including lunch at a nearby restaurant.

With the first half of the tour complete, you will then depart for the Monkey Park on our private tour vehicle. Once you have arrived your guide will lead the way up to the place the Monkeys call home, before you once again board the bus and return to your starting destination.

1 Day Tour

1-Day Tour: Snow Monkeys & Snow Fun In Shiga Kogen
Period	December to March
Time	08:45 – 17:30/18:00
Meeting Place	Nagano Station Snow Monkey Park Area
Adult Rate	¥21,800
Child Rate	¥13,300

For those guests coming in the Winter, we also offer the “1-Day Tour: Snow Monkeys & Snow Fun in Shiga Kogen“, combining exciting snow activities such as sledding and riding snow scoots with a visit to the Monkey Park. Lunch is also included, making for the perfect day trip for anyone looking to experience what winter in Nagano is all about!

1 Day Tour

[Spring Only] 1-Day Tour: Snow Monkeys & Cherry Blossoms in Nagano
Period	April
Time	09:35 – 17:30/18:30
Meeting Place	Hotel Kokusai 21 Nagano Station
Adult Rate	¥17,800
Child Rate	¥11,000

Another unforgettable tour is our “1-Day Tour: Snow Monkeys & Cherry Blossoms in Nagano“. Including two of Japan’s most amazing natural spectacles, the blooming of the Cherry Blossoms and the hot-spring loving monkeys of Jigokudani, this offering is the easiest way to enjoy a relaxed spring day in Nagano.

Private Tour

[START FROM NAGANO CITY] Private Snow Monkey Tour
Period	All Year Round
Time	09:00 to 17:15 ~ 18:30
Meeting Place	Any location in Nagano City
Price	¥122,000 ~ / group

For those who want a more customized experience, we also offer private tours of the Snow Monkey Park and nearby attractions such as Zenkoji Temple. For more information, please click the link above or send us an inquiry describing your ideal itinerary.

CHARTER A VEHICLE TO THE SNOW MONKEY PARK!

For those interested in private charter services, we would be pleased to provide a vehicle and propose an itinerary to suite your needs! Please see our charter page and send us your trip details so we can can start planning your journey together.

25 THINGS TO DO AROUND THE MONKEY PARK & WHERE TO STAY

Often referred to as the Snow Monkey Park, you’d be forgiven for thinking the park is only open and the monkeys only venture there in winter. While it’s true they are most famous for their winter antics, the monkeys come to the park all year round and there are just as many reasons to visit in spring, summer and autumn. Located in the beautiful rural enclave of Yamanouchi and within easy reach of Nagano City, visiting the park can be easily combined with plenty of nearby destinations and activities, as a day-trip or multi-day visit. Our ’25 Things To Do Around The Jigokudani Monkey Park & Where To Stay’ page has lots of tips and suggestions of what’s on offer and the best area to stay when visiting the monkeys.