This exciting one-day tour combines a visit to the famous Snow Monkeys of Jigokudani with a morning of fun in the deep powder snow of Shiga Kogen - Japan's largest ski resort! Including lunch and led by a locally-based, English-speaking guide, this tour follows a simple equation: snow monkeys + lots more snow = big fun in Shiga Kogen!
Group tour operated by Snow Monkey Resorts Tours.
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The Highlight
- Discover Shiga Kogen - Japan's largest ski resort! - and have fun snow-scooting, snow-biking, and sledding in the beauty of the snow-covered landscape
- Enjoy lunch at a nearby restaurant and experience Nagano’s renowned food culture
- Visit the world-famous Snow Monkeys and learn all about what makes them so unique
- With two pick-up points in Nagano City as well as Yudanaka Station - nearby the monkey park!
The Experience
- This tour has two meetup points in Nagano City along with Yudanaka Station. Your guide will have guests board the bus and head high into the mountains. As Japan’s largest and highest ski resort, Shiga Kogen’s proximity to the monkey park make it the perfect destination to experience Nagano’s powder snow!
- After a quick stop at our rental shop for those who want to borrow gear such as jackets, pants, and snowboots, you will be transported to the ski fields of Maruike - one of Shiga Kogen's many ski areas. You will have around 2 hours of free time to play in the snow, with an activity area sectioned-off for you to enjoy using snow scoots, snow drives, and good old-fashioned sleds and tubes.
- After an eventful morning in the snow, it is time to head toward your next stop, Kanbayashi Onsen – for a filling lunch and the well anticipated Snow Monkey Park visit.
- Your well-deserved lunch awaits (restaurant location may vary) and you will enjoy "nabe," meaning "hot pot" in Japanese. Nabe is a classic winter food in Japan and a perfect way to warm up on a cold winter day. To suit individual preferences, you may choose between beef, seafood, or vegetarian nabe. In addition, your meal will include assorted tempura, miso soup, sushi, and tea/coffee. This beautifully prepared, filling lunch is designed to match the season and highlight the best of Nagano's renowned food culture.
- After lunch, your guide will lead you along the forest trail in the monkey park, where you’ll be introduced to these truly curious creatures. As the only troop of monkeys in the world known to bathe in hot springs, the monkeys of Jigokudani have reached global fame and observing them go about their monkey business – foraging, wrestling, grooming and of course, soaking in the hot spring – is a must see when in Nagano!
- You’ll have plenty of time to enjoy with the monkeys before heading-out of the park and boarding the bus around 16:15 with the tour concluding back at Nagano Station around 17:30 with drop-off at Yudanaka Station (if required) along the way and Hotel Kokusai 21 (please note, due to weather and road conditions in winter, tour end times cannot be guaranteed).
Guide Services
Languages Spoken by Guides
- English
Itinerary
- 08:20Hotel Kokusai 21
- 08:45Nagano Station
- 09:30Yudanaka Station
- 10:30After visiting the rental room to borrow winter wear (optional), arrive at Maruike Family Ski Park and begin snow fun activities. The lunch venue is located a short drive away from the snow play area.
- 12:00Enjoy a delicious hot pot lunch designed to highlight the best of Nagano. Restaurant location may differ based on availability.
- 13:30Begin your walk to the monkey park.
- 14:10Arrive at the park (depending on your speed along the trail) and enjoy observing the monkeys in their winter habitat. Your guide will point-out just what makes the monkeys so unique while also allowing you plenty of time to enjoy for yourself.
- 15:40Your guide will lead the tour out of the park and back-out along the trail.
- 16:15Board the bus and begin the journey back to Nagano.
- The tour concludes at Nagano Station between 17:00~17:30 with a drop-off in Yudanaka along the way (if required).*Please note, due to weather and road conditions in winter, we cannot guarantee our exact end time but should be back at Nagano Station by 18:00 at the latest.
Price Details
How to Use
- Voucher will be sent via email. Please show your e-voucher at designated location.
Purchase Notice
- The temperature in Shiga Kogen is cold and could be as low as -5°C to -15°C. Please be dressed in warm, waterproof clothing and boots for snow activities. If required, clothing including snow jackets, snow pants, and snow boots can be rented from us (JPY 500 per piece). Please note that there is limited availability for snow outfits, so if you have waterproof, warm clothes fit for snow activities, please bring these with you on the day of the tour.
Guests are required to walk in and out of the monkey park along a 1.6km / 1 mile trail. In winter, the trail and park will be affected by snow and ice. This walk should not be attempted by anyone who is mobility impaired, in a wheelchair or cannot confidently walk an extended distance over snow and ice. Snow fun activities also require guests to be of reasonable fitness and mobility to enjoy. If you have concerns about your or a member of your groups ability to handle the conditions, please contact us to discuss prior to booking. Rental boots (JPY 800) are available close to the monkey park, if required. Crampons (metal spikes that attach underneath your shoes/boots) can also be purchased, if required.
The transport used for this tour depends on the size of the tour group. For smaller tours groups, we will use the express train service from Nagano Station to Yudanaka Station followed by a private vehicle to and from the ski resort. For large groups, we may arrange our own transport i.e. small tour bus, from / to Nagano Station and all listed destinations.
- The tour itinerary can be reversed and we may visit the monkeys first followed by lunch and Shiga Kogen, depending on weather and road conditions and other factors on the day. We do so in an effort to provide guests the best possible experience on the day.
- 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.
- This tour does not include skiing or snowboarding, nor is there the time to arrange your own skiing and snowboarding while at the resort.
- There are a few days in the year that the monkeys might not come down to the park or that the monkeys leave the park early. While this is unlikely to happen, it is possible and is outside of our control.
- While unlikely, should weather or road conditions make it impossible to access Shiga Kogen, we would switch the activity to a visit to Zenko-ji Temple. As we cannot confirm weather conditions until the day of the tour, we would not be able to notify guests of the change in advance.
- If snow conditions are inadequate to conduct the tour, we will endeavour to notify guests in advance of the day and provide the option of switching to our 1-Day Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake 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.
- This tour is insured however as the guest, you are required to have your own travel insurance which covers snow activities including riding chairlifts and using snowdrives, snowscoots, sleds, and tubes. Please confirm that your insurance policy covers this activity prior to the tour.
Important Booking Information
Tour Information Organizer (Planning & Operation) Machinovate Inc. (Brand: Snow Monkey Resorts) License No: Nagano Prefecture Governor Registration No. 2-562 Address: 2159 Kurita, Nagano City, Nagano, 380-0921 Japan
Agent (Sales) H.I.S. Co., Ltd. License No: No. 724 by the Commissioner of Japan Tourism Agency
Minimum number of participants: 2
Emergency Contact (Day of Tour) For immediate assistance on the day of your tour, please contact the local operator, Machinovate Inc., directly: Tel: (+81) 26-219-6272
Contact (Sales Office) Address: Sumitomo Fudosan Shinjuku Central Park Bldg. 11F 6-13-1 Nishi-shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0023 JAPAN Tel:+81-70-1735-1547(10:00-18:00, Weekdays only) Tour Operations Manager: Kyota Kasai (Responsible for transactions regarding this travel contract)
Terms and Conditions Please ensure you read and understand the following documents before booking: Travel Terms and Conditions (Organizer)