There are a whole lot of places on people’s bucket list for Japan. And seeing the snow monkeys of Jigokudani is on a lot of lists. Ours included. We turned our trip here into an onsen town extravaganza that included visiting the local onsens, hiking in the woods, and seeing the Snow Monkeys. You’ll find the monkeys in the Jigokudani Monkey Park, which was created as a refuge in 1964 and it’s one of Nagano’s most popular places to visit. Here’s our guide to visiting Japan’s snow Monkey Park, the Jigokudani Monkey Park
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN COMPENSATED AND AFFILIATE LINKS MORE INFORMATION IN OUR DISCLAIMER
There are monkeys found throughout Japan’s islands, apart from Hokkaido. The indigenous Japanese macaque is the most northern non-human wild primate in the world. The macaques who make their home here in the Jigokudani Monkey Park are world-famous for soaking in the hot springs (I’m pretty sure that there aren’t any other monkeys in the world that do this). This troop of monkeys even appeared on the cover of LIFE magazine in 1970. (You can see them here).
EASIEST WAY TO VISIT
Day Tour from Tokyo to see Snow Monkeys
The easiest way to visit the snow monkeys and explore Nagano Prefecture is on a day tour with pickup and drop-off in Tokyo. See the snow monkeys bathing in a natural spring and enjoy lunch at a local Japanese restaurant.
This area is known as Jigokudani – it means Valley of Hell – and it’s named because of the hot springs in the area, and the sulfurous smell associated with the thermal warming. While hiking in the area an employee of the railway, Sogo Hara discovered the monkeys, who were starting to come into conflict with the human habitation in the Yamanouchi area, as humans began to move more into the wilderness areas. With the assistance of the Korakukan Inn (it’s still there and you can still stay there), Hara lured the monkeys back up the mountain and the troop eventually began to bathe in the outdoor hot spring pool at the inn. The monkeys are wild animals so a plan was hatched to build a separate hot spring pool for the monkeys so that the humans and animals could be separated.
Visiting the Jigokudani Monkey Park aka the Snow Monkey Park
You’ve got two ways that you can visit the Jigokudani Monkey Park, either independently, or on a tour. And to be honest, unless you want to come to Shibu Onsen and spend a couple of days here staying in the onsen town, then a tour is the easiest way to visit.
That said. We LOVED our visit to Shibu Onsen. (read about it here). However, I recognize that not everyone has the time, so here are the best ways to get to Jigokudani Monkey Park on a tour.
Our Visit to the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
We stayed in Shibu Onsen the night before our visit, and decided to eschew the local bus up from Shibu Onsen (and the offer of a ride from our ryokan), and walked up to the parking lot and entrance to the trail.
From the center of Shibu Onsen, it took just 30 minutes of slow walking (and lots of photo stops) to get to the entrance, then another 25 minutes to go from there to the ticket office.
There are information boards along the way and when we visited (March) it wasn’t busy at all, and we were able to walk at whatever pace we wanted.
The trail starts slightly steeply, but only for 20 meters, and then levels off and is well made and runs through the forest, coming out next to the river and across from the Korakukan Inn. You can cross one of the two bridges to the Inn.
At this point, you’ll see the Jigokudani geyser and an information board. After seeing this you can then cross back over the bridge and re-enter the forest and climb the steps to the information center and ticket office.
There are lockers here, and if you’re carrying food or bags that you don’t want to take into the Monkey Park, this is the place to deposit them.
There are information boards in the ticket office telling you more about the monkeys and how the park came around. It’s worth a read, either now on when you leave, as you leave through this area too. There are toilets here and it is warm (and dry) inside.
There are also lockers back at the parking lot before you begin the trail.
From here it’s just a short walk (5 minutes) to the hot springs pool and the Jigokudani Snow Monkeys! Get your cameras ready.
There’s a single pool where the monkeys gather and bathe. But the monkeys also clamber over the rocks, and walk around where the visitors are, and you might have even spotted them near the river as you walked up to the visitor center and ticket office.
Most of the other visitors were respectful of the monkeys, there were no selfie sticks or idiots around. If someone got too close to a monkey one of the staff members was quick to ensure they moved away.
After we’d taken hundreds of photos, seen all the monkeys we wanted to see, and avoided all the monkey poop that we wanted to, we headed back to the ticket office and out of the park.
We were staying in Shibu Onsen and so crossed the bridge by the Korakukan Inn to the other side of the river, and took an alternative hike back to town. Some of that route was on the side of the road rather than on the trail, but it’s a quiet road and we didn’t encounter any traffic.
Essential Information on Visiting Jigokudani Monkey Park
When you first start to look at visiting the Snow Monkey Park it can be quite daunting as the directions look quite convoluted. It’s actually relatively simple. First, you get to Nagano, then you go onto Yudanaka station, then Shibu Onsen, then the Snow Monkey Park.
Everyone has to walk at least a mile to get there (and a mile back) from the parking lot, but the path is well-made and relatively flat. There are some steps to climb as you get closer to the park, but they’re not difficult. Here are the details that you need to know to visit the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park.
When to Visit Japan’s Snow Monkey Park
The Jigokudani Monkey Park is open 365 days a year. You can visit it any time of year. Obviously, outside of the winter months, there is no snow. But there are still monkeys. We visited in March. There was no snow. But the monkeys were still there and it was still a delight to see them.
It’s thought that the monkeys visit and sit in the hot spring pool because it aids relaxation and reduces stress, but clearly doing that in the heat of summer probably induces more stress!
So yes you can visit at any time of year. In Spring you’ll see the Cherry Blossoms. There are fall leaves in Autumn. And yes there’s usually snow in winter.
Will there be monkeys in the hot pool when you visit?
The monkeys of the snow park are wild animals and while it can’t be 100% guaranteed, they are usually here. They’re fed by park staff on a twice-a-day basis, plus before entering the hiking trail you can always check on the live webcam that’s displayed at the entrance.
You can also check them out right now. Here’s the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park Webcam.
Where is the Snow Monkey Park – Directions to Jigokudani Monkey Park
The Jigokudani Monkey Park, aka the Snow Monkey Park, is located in the small hot spring village of Kanbayashi Onsen, it’s about 50 miles (35 kilometers) from Nagano City, which is the hub that you’ll need to get to for your visit (unless you’re taking a tour to get here).
The closest town to the snow monkey park is Shibu Onsen, a popular onsen town in its own right (and well worth visiting).
How to Get to the Snow Monkey Park
Here are the different options for how to get to the snow monkey park. The main hub city to get to the Snow Monkey Park is Nagano. From Nagano, you can take a train or a bus to the Snow Monkey Park.
Trains from Nagano to Snow Monkey Park are run by the Snow Monkey Resort company – and the only place you can buy tickets for this train is from them. At the specific ticket counters in Nagano. I’ve written specifically about taking the Snow Monkey Express (that’s what the train is called).
You can also take a bus from Nagano to the Snow Monkey Park, they depart from the east side of Nagano Station, at bus stop number 23. The bus is run by the Snow Monkey Resort company (as pretty much everything is related to the park), and you can check the timetables and prices of the tickets here.
The closest town to Snow Monkey Park is Shibu Onsen. It’s a fabulous Onsen town and well worth visiting in its own right. My guide to Shibu Onsen and visiting the onsens is here (you need to stay in Shibu Onsen to use all but one of the onsens (and they really are quite magical and very different from other onsen towns we’ve stayed in).
Shibu Onsen to Jigokudani Monkey Park
The closest town to the Snow Monkey Park is Shibu Onsen and if you’re staying here then it’s perfectly possible to walk from the town to the monkey park (we did this), and stayed in Shibu Onsen for two nights to explore the area. You can see the route from the map and there are also signposts within the town so you can easily follow the route. Google Maps also works well here.
If you are staying the night then your ryokan or hotel will most likely offer to pick you up (ours did), and while we took them up on the option when returning to the train station, we walked from Yudanaka station to Shibu Onsen on arrival. My guide to the best ryokans in Shibu Onsen is here.
If you’re driving, there is a parking lot close to where the bus drops and this is marked on the map. There is also a paid parking lot on the other side of the river (and closer) to the ticket office. However, this is a SMALL road and it is usually closed in the winter months. I’ve marked the parking lot (that requires payment) on the map, and this is the route that we walked back to Shibu Onsen.
If your hotel or Ryokan host offers you a ride up to the monkey park, and the road is open, it is likely to be this parking lot that they will drop you off at.
Yudanaka Station to Jigokudani Monkey Park
The closest train station to the Snow Monkey Park is Yudanaka station, where the Snow Monkey Express train arrives. This is a 5-kilometer (3.1 mile) walk, you can take a taxi (there is an approximate rate to get here and it is published in English and Japanese and you can see it on the side of the buildings here).
There is also a local bus that departs from Yudanaka station once an hour. The timetable is displayed outside the train station and you can find the current timetable here. The bus takes 15 minutes to go from Yudanaka Station to the parking lot for the snow monkeys.
Nagano to Jigokudani Monkey Park
There are two public transport options from Nagano to the Snow Monkey Park, the first is the train, the Snow Monkey Express Train which runs on the Nagano Dentetsu line from Nagano to Yudanaka. This line is private and is NOT covered by the JR Pass. However, this is an easy way to get here, you will then have to go from Yudanaka Station to the Snow Monkey Park (see details above). I’ve covered details of how to take the Snow Monkey Express train here. The Snow Monkey Express train is NOT covered on JR Passes.
There are also express buses that run from Nagano directly to Snow Monkey Park. They drop off at the parking lot. There are buildings with lockers here for luggage if you are moving on straightaway. There are also lockers in the souvenir shop at the entrance to the park.
Tokyo to Snow Monkey Park
If you’re traveling independently and not taking a day trip here, then you’ll want to get from Tokyo Station to Nagano. Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano (it’s about 90 minutes). You can use your JR Pass or buy tickets separately (Klook is the best option).
Kyoto to Snow Monkey Park
As I mentioned Nagano is the hub city for visiting Snow Monkey Park. First you need to get from Kyoto to Nagoya. You will then need to get a train from Nagoya to Nagano before finally catching the Snow Monkey Express to Yudanaka (the Nagano to Yudanaka Snow Monkey train is not covered on the JR Pass). You can buy tickets to get you from Kyoto to Nagano here.
Osaka to Snow Monkey Park
You’ll want to take the Shinkansen from Shin Osaka to Nagoya Station (less than an hour) and then transfer to the JR Shinano Limited Express, which takes you to Nagano. From Nagano, see the options above. Get tickets for these trains here on Klook, or they’re covered on your JR Pass (but the Nagano to Yudanaka train is not).
Opening Hours of the Snow Monkey Park
The opening hours of the Snow Monkey Park vary between the seasons.
November to March: 09:00 to 16:00
April to October: 08:30 – 17:00
The best time to visit is between 10:00 and 14:30. Feeding times tend to be 10:00 to 10:30 and about 14:00 to 14:30.
The park is open 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Although the park may close for emergencies, such as extreme weather.
Tickets and prices for visiting the Snow Monkey Park
- Adults (18 years & over) = JPY800 per person
- Children (aged 6 to 17) = JPY400 per person
- Infants (aged 0 to 5) are free of charge
Access to the Snow Monkey Park
From where you leave your rental car, or the bus to where you can see the Snow Monkeys is a 1 mile (1.6 kilometer) walk. It takes about 30 minutes to go in one direction. (so an hour round trip) The path is flat and easy to walk on – if there is no snow. If there is snow it’s slippery. If there is a lot of snow you’re going to want boots. There is a rental station at the entrance where you can rent boots if you don’t have your own.
The first 20 meters of the trail is more upwardly inclined than the rest of it, so you know if you can get along that part you’ll be fine (honestly, it’s barely anything!!)
You actually buy your ticket about 25 minutes AFTER the walkway entrance that you can see in the photo above. There are lockers here (where you’re going to want to leave any food that you have in your bag for sure), and there’s also a shop and toilet. If it’s cold when you’re visiting, this is a great place to take a break and warm up.
Buying Tickets for the Snow Monkey Park
If you’re traveling independently, you’ll buy tickets at the ticket booth (I’ve marked it on the map), about a 25-minute walk from the “start” of the walkway, where the parking lot is for the snow monkeys.
How long does it take to walk from the entrance to the Snow Monkeys?
It takes about 30 minutes at an average speed to walk the 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) from the entrance (as close as you can get with a car) to the pools where you’ll find the snow monkeys of Jigokudani.
How long do you need to visit the Snow Monkey Park?
From the point where we set off, from leaving the road, to seeing the Snow Monkeys it took us about 25 minutes to walk. We spent about 30 minutes watching the monkeys and then walked back.
I’d recommend allowing at least 90 minutes for your visit, although you can stay as long as you want. You will likely want to time your visit around feeding time (which is between 10:00 and 14:00) and that’s when you have the best chance of seeing the monkeys, who, let’s face it, are here for two things. Hot water bathing. And food.
Where to stay to visit the Snow Monkey Park
There are two onsen towns near the Jigokudani Monkey Park, Shibu Onsen and Yudanaka Onsen. And there are places to stay in both towns. I’d recommend Shibu Onsen, for the sheer variety of places to stay, the onsens themselves, and some great places to eat.
Rules for Visiting the Snow Monkey Park
The rules for visiting are simple. And they’re in place for both your safety and the protection of the monkeys, which are wild animals.
- Keep distance between you and the monkeys.
- Do NOT touch the monkeys
- Do NOT try to scare the monkeys
- Never get between a mother and baby.
- Do NOT bring food and never offer food to the monkeys
- Don’t bring animals (cats, dogs etc) into the park
- No Drones or Selfie Sticks allowed
Map for Visiting the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
You can also see the full map for visiting Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park here.
Travel Tips for Exploring Japan
- Considering travel insurance for your trip? World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 adventure activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation, and more.
- Get online immediately with an eSIM for Japan
- Take the right POWER ADAPTER to Japan
- Download and install a VPN BEFORE you travel to Japan > discount coupon here
- Read our guide to the Japan Rail Pass here
- Buy your Japan Rail Pass before you arrive in Japan
- You can buy JR Passes from Klook > check details here
- Or buy JR Passes from JRailPass here with delivery in 24-48 hours (including to your hotel in Japan)
- Book the best tours and guides in Japan on, GetYourGuideand Klook
- Want to know what its like at a Maid Cafe?
- Our guide to visiting the Snow Monkeys of Jigokudani
- Read about experiencing Sumo Practice in Japan
- Read about staying in a Ryokan town in Japan
- Learn to cook Japanese food in Chef’s kitchens in Japan
- Read about ATM fees in Japan here.
- Save money in Japan with a Wise debit card
- Find the right accommodation for you via Booking.com
- Book an incredible ryokan experience in Japan
Final Words on Visiting the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
While we were planning this visit to Japan we knew that there wouldn’t be snow when we arrived in the Shibu Onsen area, and so had to decide whether we thought visiting the Snow Monkeys would be worth it. Definitely. We loved our visit to Shibu Onsen and the snow monkeys. It’s worth the trip, but if you’re short on time, this is a place that you can easily visit on a day trip.
We receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads using our affiliate links. We do not represent World Nomads. This is not a recommendation to buy travel insurance.
ASocialNomad is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, and amazon.ca. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
