2-Day Snow Monkeys & Nagano Cultural Tour inc. Luxury Onsen Hotel

Running throughout the year, this engaging two-day tour combines a visit to the Jigokudani Monkey Park with some of Nagano’s most historic cultural attractions including Zenko-ji – one of the most important Buddhist temples in Japan – and guided ‘sake’-tasting in Nagano City on Day 1, then walking in the footsteps of Japan’s most celebrated artist, Hokusai Katsushika, including visits to the Takai Kozan Museum, Obuse Hokusai-kan Museum and to view his last and largest remaining ‘in-situ’ artwork – the giant phoenix of Gansho-in Temple on Day 2. Including accommodation at one of Nagano’s best hot spring hotels and led by a locally-based guide*.

Highlights

• Visit Nagano’s near-1400 year old Zenko-ji Temple followed by a guided ‘sake’-tasting, lunch and early afternoon visit to the Jigokudani Monkey Park on Day 1

• Experience traditional Japanese comfort and service with a night at the finest ‘ryokan’ (traditional guesthouse) in the Snow Monkey Park area including its acclaimed ‘kaiseki’ (multi-course fine dining) and unwind in the hotel’s refined ‘onsen’ (in/outdoor natural hot springs)

• Walk in the footsteps of Japan’s most celebrated artist, Hokusai Katsushika in this historic town of Obuse including visits to the Takai Kozan Museum, Obuse Hokusai-kan Museum and witness his last and largest remaining ‘in-situ’ artwork – the giant phoenix of Gansho-in Temple on Day 2

• Including transport lunch on both days, dinner, breakfast and led by a locally-based, English-speaking guide

*the minimum age to join this tour is 13. It is also worth noting that this tour includes a visit to the Hokusai-kan Museum in Obuse, Nagano and is not be to mistaken with the larger Sumida Hokusai Museum in Tokyo. They are two separate museums and with this tour taking place in Obuse, it will not visit the Sumida Hokusai Museum.

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!

Want to join this tour from Hakuba? In winter – from December to March – this tour can be joined from Hakuba – see below for details.

Description

The tour begins at Nagano Station at 09:35, where your guide will greet you and once all guests have arrived, you’ll be on your way to nearby Zenko-ji Temple. As a registered National Treasure, the temple is the most important cultural site in Nagano and one of the oldest and most important Buddhist temples in Japan. You will be guided around the temple before your guide will give you the opportunity to explore the surrounding precinct by yourself before leading you a guided ‘sake’-tasting. Home to a huge number of breweries, Nagano is synonymous with sake and no visit to the region is complete without delving into Japan’s most famous beverage (non-alcoholic options are also available).

Lunch is at nearby Monzen Terrace Enya with the menu varying my season, from your choice of a warming beef, chicken, or vegetarian hot pot in the winter months, to mixed vegetarian sushi plates and Nagano-style chicken or seasonal grilled vegetables through spring, summer, and autumn.

It’s then time to head-out of Nagano, as you are transported to the Jigokudani Monkey Park. Your guide will take you along the forest trail which leads to the park and into Jigokudani – rather dramatically translating to ‘Hell’s Valley’. Home to the only troop of monkeys in the world known to bathe in hot springs, there are no barriers separating you from the wild monkeys, making this a unique and memorable experience.

Your guide will introduce these truly curious creatures and provide you time to enjoy the unique experience of observing them at close proximity. Following your visit to the park, your guide will accompany you to your accommodation and say their goodbyes, leaving you to enjoy the comfort and indulgence of a traditional ‘ryokan’ (guesthouse).

Accommodation

Hotel Senjukaku is one of Nagano’s best hot spring hotels – a place to relax, unwind, and indulge in traditional Japanese service. Checking-in around 16:00, the late afternoon and evening are yours to enjoy including the indoor and outdoor hot springs and ‘kaiseki’ (traditional multi-course) dinner. Please note, that this tour comes with a Japanese Standard Room including futon (on-floor) bedding and private bathroom but does not have a hot spring in the room. You can choose to upgrade your room – dependent on availability – including rooms with Western-style bedding and in-room ‘onsen’ however please note that it will increase the price of the tour substantially.

Day 2 

The second begins with breakfast at your hotel before you are driven to nearby Yudanaka Station, from where you can take the limited express service to Obuse Station – a journey of only 25 minutes on a comfortable sightseeing train. Your guide will be waiting for you at Obuse. Once a thriving agricultural and merchant centre, Obuse is a historically important town now famous for its chestnut confectionaries, ‘sake’ breweries and connection to Japan’s most celebrated artist, Hokusai Katsushika.

Through his life, Hokusai produced tens of thousands of artworks and mastered several art forms including ‘ukiyo-e’ (floating world) woodblock prints, ‘surimono’ (soft printing), ‘manga’ (hand-drawn images) and ‘kakemono’ (paintings), producing some of Japan’s most famous artworks – most notably, his ‘Thirty-six View of Mount Fuji’ series including the ‘Great Wave Off Kanagawa. In 1844 at the age of 85, Japan’s self-proclaimed ‘Old Man Mad About Art’ walked himself to Obuse to seek the patronage of Takai Kozan, a wealthy Obuse merchant.

Led by your guide, you will visit the Takai Kozan Museum including Hokusai’s studio where he worked and taught while in Obuse followed by the Obuse Hokusai-kan Museum to view the artist’s original works. Lunch is at Kurabu, a popular local restaurant serving a tempting menu of traditional and modern Japanese after which, you can enjoy some time to yourself before heading to the final destination of the tour, Obuse’s Gansho-in Temple.

Founded in the 15^th century, Gansho-in is the setting for Hokusai’s last masterpiece – the striking ‘Happo Nirami Dai Hou-ou Zu’ (‘Phoenix Staring in Eight Directions’) on the temple ceiling – and a fitting end to your two days exploration and a truly memorable experience of the masterful hand of Hokusai. 

MEETUP POINTS

This tour operates to and from Nagano Station throughout the year with the option of joining from Hakuba only in winter, from December to March (see below for details):

1 / HOTEL KOKUSAI 21 @ 09:10 — All Year Round

Please wait at the entrance of the hotel lobby. This is a group tour with multiple pickup points to follow. Please ensure you are at the hotel entrance prior to the meeting time – as the guide will not have time to wait or have reception call you room – and look for the guide wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag. The tour cannot wait and will need to depart on-time.

2  /  NAGANO STATION @ 09:35 — All Year Round

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.

3  /  PATIO DAIMON / ZENKO-JI AREA @ 09:55 —  All Year Round

The meetup point is outside of the restaurant called ‘Monzen Terrace Enya’. Please stand on the wooden decking / outdoor seating area directly in front of the restaurant and be sure to look for the guide wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag. Please also ensure you are there prior to the meetup time as the tour will need to depart by 10:00.

The following three MEETUP POINTS IN HAKUBA ARE ONLY AVAILABE IN WINTER from December until March. Should you wish to join the tour from Hakuba after that date, please contact us prior to booking to enquire if we can accommodate your request. Please note, we are unable to return you to Hakuba following the end of the tour on Day 2:

1  / HAKUBA TOKYU HOTEL, WADANO @ 07:40 — Winter Only

Please wait at the entrance of the hotel lobby. This is a group tour with multiple pickup points to follow. Please ensure you are at the hotel entrance prior to the meeting time and look for the guide wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag. The tour cannot wait and will need to depart on-time.

2  /  HAKUBA HAPPO BUS TERMINAL @ 07:55 — Winter Only

Please wait inside the bus terminal and stay warm. Several tours operate from the bus terminal be sure to look for the guide wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag and confirm that you’re joining the correct tour. Please ensure you are at the terminal before the meeting time. The tour cannot wait and will need to depart on-time.

NOTES

Included

• Transportation from Nagano to/from all listed destinations and activities

• Entry fees to the Jigokudani Monkey Park, Takai Kozan Museum, Hokusai-kan Museum and Gansho-in Temple

• Lunch on both days (vegetarian options are available)

• Accommodation at Hotel Senjukaku (standard room with futon bedding) inc. dinner and breakfast)

• English-speaking guide to all listed destinations and activities

Excluded

• Additional food, snacks & drinks

• Private hot spring option at hotel (however it can be arranged at check-in for additional JPY1500 for 45 min. per group)

• Shinkansen / ’Bullet Train’ tickets to & from Nagano

Other Information

• The minimum age to join this group tour is 13 years and older. Experience tells us that younger children will not be engaged by the content of the tour on Day 2. Should you wish to book a group tour suitable for younger children, please refer to our ‘Tours’ main page where you will find a range of options including our Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake Tour; 1-Day and 2-Day Snow Monkeys & Snow Fun Tours; Snow Monkeys & Cherry Blossoms and other tours suitable for guests of all ages.

• This tour includes a reasonable amount of walking over the two days, including a 1.6 km / 1 mile unsealed trail leading to and from the Jigokudani Monkey Park. It is suitable for anyone of reasonable fitness.

• This tour is not wheelchair accessible and may not be suitable for mobility-impaired travels. Should you have any concerns about your ability to join the tour, please contact us to discuss prior to booking

• This tour uses different forms of transport. Tours can be conducted by public transport, microbus, larger coach or train depending on the season and size of the group.

• From mid-December until early-April the trail and park are likely to be affected by snow and ice. Please ensure that you are wearing suitable shoes/boots and warm clothing. If required, rental boots are available close to the monkey park and crampons (metal spikes that attach underneath your shoes/boots) can also be purchased. From mid-December until early-March please wear suitable clothing for temperatures potentially below 0°C (and as low as -10°C).

• During the winter it is common to see the monkeys enjoying the hot spring there is no guarantee that there will be monkeys in the bath including from spring to autumn.

• There are a few days in the year that the monkeys might not come down to the park.

• This tour includes lunch at Monzen Terrace Enya on Day 1. On rare occasions it may not be possible to use this restaurant in which case we would switch to another, comparable location. Please note that the restaurant may change their menu from time-to-time and the tour lunch may different to images shown on this page.

• This tour includes ‘sake’ tasting in Nagano City. The venue can change depending on the time of year. You must be a minimum of 20 years of age to consume alcohol on the tour.

• Both the Takai Kozan Museum and Hokusai-kan Museum rotated their exhibitions seasonally therefore we cannot guarantee which artworks will be on display at the time of your tour. This however will not affect the tour experience.

• This tour includes lunch at Kurabu on Day 2. On rare occasions it may not be possible to use this restaurant in which case we would switch to another, comparable location. Please note that the restaurant may change their menu from time-to-time and the tour lunch may different to images shown on this page.

• This tour includes a Japanese Standard Room with traditional futon (on-floor) bedding. It is possible to upgrade your room and/or extend your stay at Hotel Senjukaku. Please send us your preferred length of stay if this is what you’re looking for.

• If you wish to apply as a single traveller, the hotel applies an additional fee of +JPY11,000 to the tour price.

• Pricing of this tour varies depending on which date you choose to stay at Hotel Senjukaku and the hotel rate on that day noting that weekends, public holidays and other peak times equate to higher accommodation rates.

• This tour is booked by request. Once you submit your booking request, we will reply within 24 hours but typically, much sooner.