Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano
Traveler rating
4.9/5
Based on 20 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano worth booking?
Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano is a 7.6-hour experience in Nagano, Japan, from $181 per person. It scores 75 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Strongly Recommended”, based on a 4.9/5 rating across 20 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 75 / 100
- Rating
- 4.9/5 (20)
- Duration
- 7.6 hours
- From
- $181 per person
Discover the best of Nagano on a full-day tour with an English-speaking guide. Visit the famous Jigokudani Monkey Park, home to Japan’s wild snow monkeys, and observe Japanese macaques up close in their natural habitat. Seasonal highlights include adorable baby monkeys in spring, energetic young monkeys in summer, and the iconic hot spring-bathing monkeys in winter. Explore the 1,400-year-old Zenko-ji Temple, one of Japan’s most important Buddhist temples, renowned for its National Treasure Main Hall and rich cultural heritage. Stroll through Nakamise Shopping Street with a local expert and uncover the stories behind Nagano’s traditional food culture. Learn about regional specialties such as oyaki, shichimi pepper, and miso while discovering historic shops and hidden gems. Combining nature, history, and local flavors, this tour offers a deeper insight into the culture and traditions of Nagano in a single unforgettable day.
What you get
About this experience
Discover the best of Nagano on a full-day tour with an English-speaking guide. Visit the famous Jigokudani Monkey Park, home to Japan’s wild snow monkeys, and observe Japanese macaques up close in their natural habitat. Seasonal highlights include adorable baby monkeys in spring, energetic young monkeys in summer, and the iconic hot spring-bathing monkeys in winter. Explore the 1,400-year-old Zenko-ji Temple, one of Japan’s most important Buddhist temples, renowned for its National Treasure Main Hall and rich cultural heritage. Stroll through Nakamise Shopping Street with a local expert and uncover the stories behind Nagano’s traditional food culture. Learn about regional specialties such as oyaki, shichimi pepper, and miso while discovering historic shops and hidden gems. Combining nature, history, and local flavors, this tour offers a deeper insight into the culture and traditions of Nagano in a single unforgettable day.
What's included
Included
- Nakamise Foodie Tour with a Zenko-ji Temple Local Expert
- National Government Licensed English Guide Interpreter
- Transportation during the tour (Bus)
- Monkey park admission fee
Not included
- Lunch
- Fees other than those listed in Includes
What you'll see and do
Zenko-ji Temple
Zenko-ji is one of Japan's renowned ancient temples with a history of about 1,400 years. Its magnificent architectural beauty and deep faith, including the Main Hall designated as a National Treasure, captivate visitors. A guide from the Bonsho-no-Kai authorized guide group will be in charge of guidance in the Zenko-ji Temple and Nakamise Shopping Street area. There will be an accompanying English-speaking guide in Zenko-ji Temple as well.
60 minutes here
Zenko-ji Temple Nakamisedori
The accompanying Zenko-ji Temple Local Expert will introduce the profound charm of the temple and Nakamise Shopping Street in its entirety. This is a special opportunity for foodies to gain a deeper understanding of historical shops and hidden gems that would be overlooked without commentary from the local Expert, and to get in touch with the essence of Nagano Prefecture’s food culture.
30 minutes here · Admission included
Zenko-ji Temple Nakamisedori
Free Time for Sightseeing and Lunch on your own. Take advantage of the knowledge gained from the commentary by Zenko-ji Temple Local Expert, and revisit some restaurants and foodie spots that caught your eye. This is a great opportunity to deepen your own unique Nagano culinary experience by savoring various flavors at a famous oyaki shop recommended by the guide, discovering more at a long-established shichimi shop, and trying new miso sweets.
60 minutes here · Admission not included
Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
Visitors here can get to see wild Japanese macaques up close amidst scenery that changes with the season. Delight in the adorable sight of cute baby monkeys during their birth season in spring, young monkeys full of life playing in summer, or wild monkeys taking a comfortable soak in the hot springs in winter. As monkeys are wild animals, please be sure to follow the observation rules.
150 minutes here · Admission included
For the last leg of the tour, enjoy a drive-in with plenty of food souvenirs of Nagano Prefecture. Behold a wide variety of seasonal fruits! Feel free to try some, and buy your family and friends some souvenirs fit for foodies. Bringing certain fruits back into some countries is prohibited. Please be sure to check on your own.
15 minutes here
Where it starts and ends
Meeting point
Nagano
Meet your guide holding a JTB Sunrise Tours sign in front of the Nagano City Tourist Information Center on the 2nd floor of Nagano Station.
Hotel pickup
No pickup: everyone meets at the start point.
Ends at
Tour ends upon arrival at Nagano Station around 5:30 PM.
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Languages
- en
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Tue, Thu
- Group size
- Up to 9 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- JTB Global Marketing & Travel Inc.
Know before you go
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- The tour itinerary and inclusions have been revised for tours departing on or after December 1, 2026
- The order of activities and arrival times may differ depending on road conditions and congestion at destination
- Depending on the number of participants, a route bus, sedan, or taxi van may be used instead. Seats on the bus may not be designated
- This is a hard walking tour covering about 50 minutes of walking each way between the Shiga Kogen Roman Museum and Jigokudani Monkey Park
- Observe the Japanese macaques' way of life and behavior that vary by the season
- The sight of Japanese macaques soaking in hot springs can be seen until around March. While it may also not be seen depending on the weather or time, etc., refunds will not be issued for this reason
- As monkeys are wild animals, their behavior can be unpredictable, and they cannot be fed or touched. The park may be suddenly closed due to weather or seasonal conditions, Japanese macaques' behavior, or other reason. There may be a sudden tour cancellation in such cases. A full refund will be issued if the tour is canceled
- Bringing certain fruits back into some countries is prohibited. Please be sure to check on your own
- Please note that we are unable to provide special support for those with trouble walking, or small children
- As Jigokudani Monkey Park is situated 850 meters above sea level, temperatures are cooler than on the plain, so please participate wearing warm clothing. Also, the walking path may be frozen and slippery if there is snow in winter. Please wear winter boots or other non-slip footwear. If it is determined by the accompanying guide that cold weather measures, etc. are insufficient, customers may be recommended to rent equipment from a rental shop near Jigokudani Monkey Park. In such cases, expenses must be shouldered by customers
- A guide from the Bonsho-no-Kai authorized guide group will be in charge of guidance in the Zenko-ji Temple and Nakamise Shopping Street area. There will be an accompanying English-speaking guide in Zenko-ji Temple as well
- Drivers do not work as guides
Photos
What travelers are saying
Outty’s summary of the themes that recur across 20 traveler reviews. Written by us, not quoted from reviewers.
The guide
5 mentionsTravelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works.
Food and drink
5 mentionsThe tastings and food stops are a highlight for most reviewers.
Physical effort
2 mentionsExpect real walking or climbing: reviewers mention the effort involved.
Traveler reviews
20 verified traveler reviews for Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Sun's out, Monkeys out
Fumiko was a fantastic guide, she was informative and friendly. We got to ask a lot of questions and have a lot of laughs through our broken japanese. It was a solid full day, not too difficult for walking, but we were tired because it was hot and sunny out. We got really lucky and had Fumiko all to ourselves, but we ran behind schedule when we were waiting for Soba in Obuse (it was tasty and worth it, i wish i had more time to go back there and explore more). We purchased our own souvenirs and food, but everything else is included in the ticket price. The biggest highlight was all the baby monkeys running around at the Monkey Park, but I personally really enjoyed the historic Miso brewery (as a foodie).
via Tripadvisor
Sunrise sustainable tour
We were lucky with the weather Had an interesting tour of the miso brewery and a superb tour of the monkey park We were lucky to see hundreds of monkeys Thank you for this earth friendly tour It was excellent
via Tripadvisor
Monkey-mania!
We had a great time on this tour. We took the bullet train from Tokyo to Nagano and were met at the station. We then boarded a small bus for the tour. The miso soup portion was surprisingly very interesting with a tour of a large, family-owned business. The buildings were fascinating and built in the 1800's. We then were taken to an older portion of town with many restaurants for lunch. Then to the main part--the snow monkeys. We booked this tour in April after the snows had melted. I didn't know what to expect, but it did not disappoint. First of all, there is a lot of walking to get to the monkeys. It is listed as a 50 minute walk and is over a mile. If there is snow, you are hiking through the snow on a wide trail. It is through a beautiful cedar forest. There is some uphill walking and stairs, but no one had to stop to rest. You then enter into the park and from then on, it is money-mania. There were hundreds and hundreds of them everywhere. None were in the hot springs since it was too hot outside, but they were all over. Mothers and babies. Old and young. They are oblivious to the humans and dart around people and all over the hillside. It is sort of like getting into the giant monkey cage at a zoo. But the monkeys ignore the tourists and seem focused on their own monkey-dramas. After about an hour at the park, we hiked back to the bus. There are restrooms at the monkey park and also at the parking area. We were driven back to Nagano station and said good bye to our English speaking host Humie and our nice driver. We really enjoyed this tour as it got us out of Tokyo for the day, gave us a chance to enjoy the bullet train, and let us see more of the quieter part of Japan, away from the big city. Plus so many monkeys!
via Viator
Simple and friendly tour
Its a simple and friendly trip. Everyone can enjoy this trip to see Nagoya city and monkey which was very beautiful. This time of the year is great time to visit Nagoya
via Tripadvisor
We had a small group. Our...
We had a small group. Our guide was fantastic! Very friendly and a Nagano local, gave great recommendations. The miso brewery and lunch town were small and kinda interesting. The snow monkey park is a real highlight, beautiful hike to get there and monkeys walking all around. We were there in the spring and saw babies wrestling each other.
via Viator
Good to know
- Duration
- 7.6 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Tue, Thu
- Price range
- $181 to $29,800
- Hotel pickup
- No pickup, meet at start point
- Booked in 30 days
- 7
- Verdict
- Strongly Recommended
Who runs this experience
Operated by JTB Global Marketing & Travel Inc., who run 52 experiences we rank across 8 cities, with an average Outty Ranking of 66.6.
See everything JTB Global Marketing & Travel Inc. runsWhy this scores 75
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Nagano.
How much does Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano cost?
+
Prices start at $181 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Nagano usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano take?
+
Plan for about 7.6 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Nagano is not rushed.
Is Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano worth it?
+
It holds an Outty Ranking of 75 out of 100, which we label "Strongly Recommended". That score blends traveler sentiment (4.9/5 across 20 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Nagano, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano?
+
Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano suitable for kids and families?
+
Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 7.6-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano?
+
Around 7 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Nagano can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
+
Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Nagano and add a light layer if any part of the 7.6-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano start and how do I get there?
+
The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Nagano within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Nagano?
+
On Outty we rank every Nagano experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include 1-Day Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake in Nagano, 1-Day Tour from Nagano and Matsumoto Kamikochi & Matsumoto Castle, 1-Day Snow Monkeys & Snow Fun in Shiga Kogen Tour. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Nagano?
+
Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Nagano?
+
Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
+
Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
What is included in Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano?
+
Included: Nakamise Foodie Tour with a Zenko-ji Temple Local Expert; National Government Licensed English Guide Interpreter; Transportation during the tour (Bus); and Monkey park admission fee. Not included: Lunch; and Fees other than those listed in Includes. Always check the voucher for the final list before you travel.
Where is the meeting point for Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano?
+
Meet your guide holding a JTB Sunrise Tours sign in front of the Nagano City Tourist Information Center on the 2nd floor of Nagano Station. Hotel pickup is not included, so plan your own transport and arrive 15 minutes early.
What languages is Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano offered in?
+
It runs in English. Pick your language when choosing a date and time, as not every departure runs in every language.
Will I get instant confirmation and a mobile ticket for Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano?
+
Confirmation is sent by the operator after booking, usually within 48 hours; if it is not confirmed you are not charged. Mobile tickets are accepted, so you can show the voucher on your phone.
Is Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano wheelchair or stroller accessible?
+
The operator notes: Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap; and Not recommended for pregnant travelers. If accessibility is critical, contact the operator after booking to confirm arrangements for your date.
What happens to Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano if the weather is bad?
+
It generally runs rain or shine, so dress for the forecast in Nagano. Standard cancellation terms apply: free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start.
What do travelers say about Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano?
+
Across 20 reviews averaging 4.9 out of 5, recurring themes include the guide, food and drink. Travelers single out the guide as the reason the experience works. One thing to know: Expect real walking or climbing: reviewers mention the effort involved.
Ready to lock in your spot?
Pick a date, choose your group, and see the exact price for Snow Monkey Park, Zenko-ji Temple & Foodie Tour from Nagano.
Pick your date
