1-Day Snow Monkeys & Snow Fun in the Shiga Kogen Tour

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This adventurous one-day tour combines a visit to the world-famous Snow Monkeys of Jigokudani with 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! ** This tour is only available during Winter Season. From December 22, 2025 to March 31, 2026. **

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ITINERARY

Meeting / Pickup Point

You can start this experience at the following places :

1. HOTEL KOKUSAI 21 ** Pick up time : 08:20AM
Agatamachi-576 Minaminagano, Nagano 380-0838, JP

2. NAGANO STATION ** Pick up time : 08:45AM
Kurita, Nagano 380-0921, JP

3. YUDANAKA STATION ** Pick up time : 09:30AM
Hirao, Yamanochi, Shimotakai District, Nagano 381-0401, JP

4. SHIBU ONSEN VISITOR CENTRE ** Pick up time : 09:35AM
2112-1 Hirao, 下高井郡山ノ内町 Shimotakai District, Nagano 381-0401, JP

5. HOTEL SENJUKAKU, KANBAYASHI ** Pick up time : 09:40AM
1410 Hirao, Yamanochi, Shimotakai District, Nagano 381-0401, JP

Start time

8:20 am

End point

The tour concludes at Nagano Station between 17:30 and 18:00 with a drop-off in Kanbayashi, Shibu, Yudanaka and Kokusai along the way (if required).

What To Expect

Discover Shiga Kogen, Japan's largest ski resort, and enjoy exciting activities like snow-scooting, snow-biking, and sledding amidst the stunning snow-covered landscape. Take a break for lunch at a local restaurant within the resort before heading to see the world-famous Snow Monkeys of Jigokudani, where you can learn all about what makes these fascinating creatures so unique. The tour offers multiple pick-up points in Nagano City, Yudanaka, Shibu, and Kanbayashi Onsen, all conveniently located near the monkey park.

This adventurous one-day tour combines a visit to the world-famous Snow Monkeys of Jigokudani with morning of fun in the deep powder snow of Shiga Kogen – Japan’s largest ski resort!

This tour has multiple meetup points in Nagano City along with Yudanaka, Shibu and Kanbayashi Onsen. Your guide will have guests board the bus quickly and on its way 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!

You will be transported to the ski fields of Maruike - one of Shiga Kogen's many ski areas - for a morning of snow fun, with an activity area sectioned-off for you to enjoy using snowscoots, snowdrives, and good old-fashioned sleds and tubes. Suitable for the whole family, guests who get their confidence up have the option of heading-up a nearest ski lift, accompanied by the guide.

While there, you’ll have time to have lunch at a nearby restaurant, looking onto the ski field. Your guide will provide you with a lunch coupon which can be used to select your lunch at the restaurant with options including katsu curry, katsudon, hamburger steak, pizza, sansai soba, and different types of udon. Plenty of choice to warm yourself before heading out of the mountains and toward your next stop, Kanbayashi Onsen – home of the Jigokudani Monkey Park.

Arriving at Kanbayashi around 13:20 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 16:00 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).

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Public transportation nearby
Infant seats available
The temperature of winter months in Shiga-kogen Highlands is cold and can be minus 5 – 10 degree. Please be dressed in warm, waterproof clothing and boots for snow activities. There are rentals for snow outfits (snow jackets, pants, gloves, snow boots) available for ¥500 each. You can pay the fee to your guide on the spot.
Children from 3 years old and up can join this tour.
Infants (3-5) are free of charge. (No tour meal is included. Please order foods directly to the restaurant.)
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
Guests are required to follow the Snow Monkey Park rules at all times. Guests are not permitted to touch, hold, feed or bathe with the monkeys at any time. There are no barriers separating the monkeys from visitors to the park. Please ensure you keep a minimum distance of 1 to 2 meters between yourself and the monkeys. Your guide will explain the rules prior to entering the park.
Not wheelchair accessible
Not stroller accessible
Not suitable for pets
Infants must not sit on laps
The tour itinerary can be reversed and we may visit the ski resort in the morning followed by lunch and monkeys in the early afternoon, 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.
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.
There definitely is a possibility, depending on the situation, to take this tour when staying in the Yudanaka or Shibu area; Please note that the meeting point will be Yudanaka Station; The time of meeting will change as well as the time of return; Please make sure to let the local supplier know at the time of booking as to where you are staying so they can inform you of the time
The temperature of winter months in Shiga Kogen is cold and can be minus 5 – 10 degree. Please be dressed in warm, waterproof clothing and boots for snow activities. There are rentals for snow outfits (snow jackets, pants, snow boots) available for ¥500 each in our stock. 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.
08:20 AM is start time from Hotel Kokusai 21
Another available start time is from Nagano Station from 08:45 AM, Yudanaka Station from 09:30 AM, from Shibu Onsen on 09:35 AM, from Kanbayashi Onsen on 09:40 AM
This tour is only available during Winter Season. From December 22, 2025 to March 31, 2026.
Maximum participants: 15
SNOW MONKEY RESORTS