1-Day Tour: Snow Monkeys & Zenkoji Tomyo Lantern Festival

Combining a visit to Nagano’s world-famous Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park and evening exploration of the Zenkoji Tomyo Lantern Festival, this enjoyable tour marks the midpoint of winter and illuminates Nagano’s ancient heart! Including an early dinner at Monzen Terrace Enya, this tour brings warmth and light into the midst of winter.

Highlights

• Visit the world-famous hot spring-bathing Snow Monkeys of Jigokudani and enjoy observing these curious creatures in their winter playground
• Warm yourself on some of Nagano’s best ‘sake’ with a guided tasting followed by early dinner at Monzen Terrace Enya
• Explore Zenkoji – a registered National Treasure – at night, awash with the ‘Buddha’s Light’, light installations and ‘kiri-re’ paper lanterns
• Including pickup in both Hakuba and Nagano and led by an English-speaking guide

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

Description

This tour includes pickup at three points in Hakuba between 10:45 and 11:10 followed by Nagano Station at 12:15. Your guide will greet you at your chosen pick-up point, have you board the tour vehicle and on your way to the Jigokudani Monkey Park. Arriving nearby the park at 13:15, your guide will lead you to the trail entrance and then along the forest trail into the park.

Home to the only troop of monkeys in the world known naturally to bathe in hot springs, there are no barriers separating you from the wild monkeys, making this a unique and memorable experience. In the deep snow of winter, the monkeys like nothing more than a long, warming soak in the hot spring. Your guide will introduce these truly curious creatures and provide you time to enjoy the unique experience of observing them in close proximity.

In the deep snow of winter, the monkeys like nothing more than a long, warming soak in the hot spring. Your guide will introduce these truly curious creatures and provide you time to enjoy the unique experience of observing them in close proximity. Walking back out along the forest trail, you will then be transported back to Nagano City. As the evening takes hold, your guide will walk you to the temple precinct, where you will first enjoy a warming ‘sake’ tasting before heading to an early-dinner at Monzen Terrace Enya.

You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy your meal and get warm before heading to the nearby temple, where you guide will introduce you to the near-1400 year history of Zenkoji before allowing you time to explore for yourself and enjoy the temple’s Tomyo Lantern Festival.

For one week each February, the temple and nearby precinct emerge from the dark evening in vivid colors. The word ‘tomyo’ means to offer light to the Buddha and by illuminating the temple in splendid colors, the people of Nagano do just that. The festival also celebrates Nagano’s role as host of the Winter Olympics in February 1998.

Your guide will lead you along the ‘Omotesando’ (Pilgrims Road) and ‘Nakamise’ (shopping street) toward the temple. Cluttered with countless ‘kiri-e’ paper lanterns this is a beautiful stroll and builds anticipation for the temple and surrounding historic precinct. ‘Shukubo’ (traditional temple lodgings) in the streets around the temple also come to light, as their courtyards exhibit light installations – an Instagramers delight!

Following the festival, your guide will have you board the tour bus and head to Nagano Station with drop-off around 19:50 followed by drop-offs in Hakuba between 21:00 to 21:00, bringing the tour to a close*.

*For guests who join the tour in Hakuba, after drop-off at Nagano Station, the bus will return you to Hakuba where your day is scheduled to conclude around 21:00 to 21:10. Due to weather and road conditions in winter, we cannot guarantee the end time of tours. For guests want to book onward travel including train tickets during winter, please refer to Other Information for our recommendations.

MEETUP POINTS

This tour operates from two points in Hakuba along with Nagano Station, with the following meetup points:

1  / HAKUBA TOKYU HOTEL, WADANO @ 10:45

Please wait at the entrance of the hotel lobby. This is a group tour with multiple pickup points to follow. Your guide will not have time to look for you or ask reception to call your room. 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 by 10:50.

2  /  HAKUBA HAPPO BUS TERMINAL @ 11:00

Please wait inside the bus terminal and be sure to look for the guide wearing a SNOW MONKEY RESORTS tour tag. Please be waiting before the meetup time as the tour will depart by 11:05.

3  /  NAGANO STATION @ 12:15

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 12:20.

NOTES

Included

• Transport from / to Hakuba, Nagano Station and all listed activities / attractions
• Snow Monkey Park entrance fee
• Dinner (vegetarian options are available, please let us know beforehand)
• English-speaking guide including guided night tour of Zenkoji
• Sake-tasting (non-alcoholic options available)

Excluded

• Shinkansen / ‘Bullet Train’ tickets
• Lunch & additional food, snacks & drinks
• Accommodation (unless requested)

Other Information

• Please wear suitable shoes for the walking trail and suitable clothing for temperatures potentially below 0°C (and as low as -10°C). In winter, the trail leading to the park and park itself 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.
• This tour includes a large amount of walking and spends most of the day outside, where it will be cold. Due to these conditions, it is not wheelchair accessible and it may not be suitable for guests who are mobility impaired and cannot walk for 40 to 60-minutes at a time. Please note, in the monkey park there are few places to sit meaning that guests will be on their feet for around 2 hours by the time they walk in and out of the park. If you have any concerns about this, including your ability to join the tour, please contact us to discuss prior to booking.
• During the winter it is common to see the Snow Monkeys enjoying the hot spring bath, however from spring up to autumn there will be times where the monkeys play or eat in the water, however please note that the monkeys are wild animals and there is no guarantee that there will be monkeys in the bath.
• There are a few days in the year that the monkeys might not come down to the park. In such case we will provide an alternative activity.
• The transport used for this tour depends on the size of the tour group. For smaller tour groups, we will use the Nagaden Snow Monkey Express Bus service from Nagano Station and return using the Nagaden limited express service on the Nagaden Railway. For large groups, we may arrange our own transport i.e. small tour bus, from/to Nagano Station and all listed destinations.
• This tour includes dinner at Monzen Terrace Enya. The restaurant will update their menu each year meaning that the exact meal will vary however include the same number and types of dishes. We will keep this information and images up-to-date as the restaurant confirms their menu with us.
• Due to time constraints and in order to time our arrival for the evening illumination, this tour does not include lunch. Please make sure to have an early lunch or bring something to snack on during the day. There will also be an opportunity to buy a snack and / or drinks after exiting the monkey park and re-boarding the tour bus.
• 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 light installations at the festival change each year and may not be the same as those shown in images above.
• The tour application deadline is 1 day before the tour date at 17:00.