How to Visit Jigokundani Snow Monkey Park in Japan
Now this was something I didn’t even know I needed to put on my Japan bucket list. But it was honestly a highlight of my three week trip. The Snow Monkeys are adorable and this is a must see. Especially in Spring as the park will be full of baby monkeys. So how exactly can you visit the Jigokundani Snow Monkey Park? Let me explain more…
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What is the Jigokundani Snow Monkey Park?
The Jigokundani Snow Monkey Park has been a popular place for tourists to see troops of wild Japanese macaque (known as snow monkeys) since it opened in 1964. The monkeys live independently in the nearby mountains and come down to the hot springs to bathe and hang out.
Due to the organic nature of this attracted, you are not guaranteed a monkey sighting. This isn’t a zoo so the monkeys aren’t owned or retained by the park. Rather they attract them through a regulated feeding routine so you are not allowed to bring food into the park or feed the monkeys.
We visited in April and the park was full of monkeys. Plus it was birthing season so there were lots of baby monkeys there too.
The hot springs are covered in snow almost a third of the year so if you visit in the winter season you might see the monkeys bathing to keep warm in the springs.
Where is the Jigokundani Snow Monkey Park?
The Jigokundani Snow Monkey Park is located in the Valley of Yokoyu River in the northern part of the Nagano prefecture. It is minutes from Shigu Onsen and around an hour from Nagano city centre.
How much does it cost?
A visit to Snow Monkey Park is very affordable and can easily be DIY’d without booking onto a tour. Tickets are ¥800/£3.76 for an adult ticket and ¥400/£1.88 for kids. Under 5s go in for free.
In total for entry and public transport from Nagano city centre, this attraction came to £23.28 each. Incredibly affordable and such a highlight of the trip.
You buy your ticket at the entrance of the park, which is a 40 minute hike from where you will be dropped off. Tickets can be bought with either cash or card and the process is very simple. You are not unlimited on how long you get to spend in the park but once you leave you cannot re-enter.
We spent about an hour walking around the small park watching the monkeys and taking hundreds of photos.
How do I get there?
You can get to Jigokundani Snow Monkey Park in a range of ways depending on your budget and where you are travelling from.
From Nagano City Centre
We visited the Snow Monkey Park from Nagano on our three week trip to Japan and it was super easy. There are multiple transportation options but the most cost effective and quickest way we found was via bus.
You can board a direct bus from Nagano train station to Snow Monkey Park. These run regularly and cost ¥2000/£9.41 each way. You need to purchase your bus ticket from the station at the kiosk inside but this is very well signposted.
The bus stop is outside the East exit of the station, outside on the ground floor. It takes around 50 minutes from Nagano to the Information centre. Then it is a 40 minute walk to the park.
Looking for somewhere to stay in Nagano? We stayed in this cute little hostel which was perfect for a couple of nights exploring the city and surrounding area. Check out Mash Cafe & Bed hostel here.
Getting back to Nagano
Now this is something we should have paid more attention to as when we rocked up to the information centre to buy our return bus ticket the next bus wasn’t for another 2 hours. Instead we ended up getting a 10 minute bus to the nearby Yudanaka train station. Where we caught a direct 50 minute train back to Nagano main station.
This cost us ¥2150/£10.11 so very slightly more than the direct bus from Nagano but saved us the 2 hour wait.
From Tokyo
It is possible to visit Jigokundani Snow Monkey Park from Tokyo but it would be a very long day. As on top of the 50 minute bus from Nagano, you would need to take a 1hr 35 minute bullet train from Tokyo main station direct to Nagano.
Do I need a full day for this?
No, absolutely not! If you are staying in Nagano or even closer to Jigokundani Snow Monkey Park you really only need a few hours for this attraction.
The “hike” from the drop off zone to the entrance is about 3km and takes roughly 10 minutes. It is uphill to begin with but then soon flattens out for the majority of the walk. The surroundings are beautiful so the walk in and of itself was great.
If you are thinking of visiting from Tokyo then you will probably need a full day to factor in transport time.
If you wanted to make a full day of, there are tens of day tours listed on GetYourGuide which feature the Snow Monkey Park plus other activities too like the Zenko-ji temple in Nagano, lunch and often a sake tasting.
What amenities do they have?
There are multiple public toilets available which are free to access and clean. There was a block at the drop off zone, another at the “start” of the hike and one at the entrance to the park.
Before you start on the main trail up to the park, there are a collection of small cafes and restaurants where you can drab a drink or snack. Plus there are two small gift shops if you fancy taking home a souvenir from your visit.
There you go, exactly how to visit Jigokundani Snow Monkey Park! This is a must add to your Japan itinerary if you are in the area. Have you been here before?
