[Spring Only] 1-Day Tour: Snow Monkeys & Cherry Blossoms in Nagano

**PLEASE NOTE – In the case that the cherry blossoms are not in bloom at any of the sites, we will contact you in advance to provide the option of switching onto our 1-Day Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake Tour or a full refund. In that case, we will notify you of the change in itinerary a minimum of 2 days in advance.

This tour combines a visit to Nagano’s Jigokudani Monkey Park with an afternoon of cherry blossom-viewing at some of Nagano’s best blossom spots. Known as ‘sakura’ in Japanese, the beautiful and fragile flowers are a must-see for any visitor to Japan, with Nagano’s countless blossom trees coming into bloom later than other areas – the perfect activity to combine with your visit to the Snow Monkeys in spring!

Highlights

• Visit the Jigokudani Monkey Park in the morning and learn all about what makes the resident monkeys so unique
• Enjoy lunch at a nearby restaurant (including vegetarian options)
• Spend an afternoon wandering beneath the cherry blossoms and experience the Japanese tradition ‘hanami’ or ‘flower viewing’ as we take you to some of Nagano’s best blossom sites, each selected for the quality of their bloom on the day of your tour
• Led by a locally-based guide and including transport and entry to all venues

Want to join this tour from Tokyo? It’s easy to do! Scroll to the bottom for our FAQs including train services that you can use to join the tour!

Description

The tour begins at Nagano Station at 09:35, where your guide will greet you and quickly have you on your way out of Nagano and headed toward the Jigokudani Monkey Park. Arriving nearby the park, your guide will take you along the forest trail which leads you to the Jigokudani Valley – rather dramatically translating to ‘Hell’s Valley’. Home to the only troop of monkeys in the entire world known to bathe in hot springs, there are no barriers separating you from the wild monkeys, making this a truly unique experience.

Spring is a great time to visit the park as expectant mothers give birth from mid-April to late-May, with between twenty to thirty babies welcomed into the troop every year. It’s an adorable sight to see, as the large glassy eyes of the newborns look-out at their world for the first time, often with as much curiosity about us as we have about them.

From there it’s time to head to lunch as your guide accompanies you to a nearby restaurant where you will be given a choice of meals including vegetarian options. You’ll have plenty of time to relax, enjoy your lunch and recharge before your guide has you board the bus again and get ready for the afternoon’s activity – ‘hanami’.

‘Hanami’ or ‘flower viewing’ plays a central role in Japanese culture and there no flower is more synonymous with this beautiful country more than its fabled cherry blossoms. Known as ‘sakura’ in Japanese, the fleeting bloom of the blossoms each spring is seen as symbolic of the fragility and passing beauty of life. Located in the cooler, mountainous region of northern Nagano, blossoms bloom later in this region than those in cities like Tokyo or Kyoto, typically blooming sometime from early to mid-April.

We monitor a variety of sites – some famous, some secret and local – and chose those in the best condition of bloom on the day of your tour. Each spot has its own unique atmosphere, variety of trees and types of blossoms – endearing this tour, perhaps more than any other, with its own uniqueness as venues varying from one day to the next. But rest assured, you won’t be left disappointed as we select the best possible sites!

As the afternoon draws to a close your guide will have you board the tour bus and begin your journey back to Nagano Station, where the tour is scheduled to conclude between 17:30 to 18:30, with drop-off at Hotel Kokusai 21 if required*.

*Tours will end at slightly different times depending on the chosen location for each day’s blossom-viewing. We monitored the blooming of the flowers in order to select the best possible location for each day’s tour.

MEETUP POINTS

This tour operates from two meetup points in Nagano City – Hotel Kokusai 21 and Nagano Station:

1 / HOTEL KOKUSAI 21 @ 09:10

The meetup point is at the entrance of Hotel Kokusai 21. Please note that this is group tour and there are other pick-up points therefore the tour will need to depart on-time. Please be at the entrance prior to the meetup time and look for the guide wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag. The tour will need to depart on-time.

2 / NAGANO STATION @ 09:35

The meetup point is inside the station, in front of the Information Board directly across from the Shinkansen ticket gates. Be sure to look for the guide wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag and ensure you are there prior to the meetup time as the tour will need to depart by 09:40.

NOTES

Included

• Transport from Nagano Station to the Snow Monkey Park and between all listed activities / attractions
• Snow Monkey Park entrance fee
• Lunch (vegetarian options are available)
• English-speaking guide

Excluded

• Shinkansen / ‘Bullet Train’ tickets to & from Nagano Station
• Additional food, snacks & drinks
• Accommodation (unless requested)

Other Information

• This tour involves a reasonable amount of walking and is therefore suitable to anyone of reasonable fitness. To access the monkey park guests must walk along a 1.6km / 1 mile forest trail. It takes most guests 20 to 25 minutes to walk in both directions. It is unsealed and in spring, typically dry and in good condition. Please wear suitable shoes for the walking forest trail and clothing suitable for changing weather conditions.
• This tour is not wheelchair accessible and may not be suitable for mobility-impaired travellers. Should you have any concerns about your ability to join the tour, please contact us to discuss prior to booking.
• There are a few days in the year that the monkeys might not come down to the park. While it is unlikely it is possible and outside of our control.
• Newborn babies typically appear in the park from mid-April onward. We cannot however guarantee that babies will be present in the park on the day of your tour.
• Blossom-viewing sites are selected upon which is in best condition on the day of the tour. Chosen site/s for an individual tour cannot therefore be confirmed until the morning of that tour.
• In the case that the cherry blossoms are not in bloom at any of the above-mentioned sites on the day of the tour, we will instead take you to Zenko-ji Temple and ‘sake’ tasting. In that case, we will notify you of the change in itinerary a minimum of 2 days in advance.
• This tour uses restaurants nearby the monkey park, including ‘Enza Cafe’ and ‘GOEN’. Operating days of those restaurants can vary so we cannot confirm which restaurant we will use in advance of the tour.
• Infants (0-5) are free of charge. An infant lunch is not included and the order will be made directly to the restaurant according to your needs. We also cannot guarantee that a seat on the tour transport will be available for infants and they may be required to sit in the lap of an adult.
• The tour application deadline is 1 day before the tour date at 17:00.