Snow monkeys of Japan and Jigokudani Monkey Park
Have you seen the adorable Japanese macaques bathing in a hot spring? They are affectionately known as snow monkeys, and everyone can’t help but fall in love with them. Well, they owe a big part of their fame to the BBC and other top-notch TV channels. Ever since I saw snow monkeys on the BBC, seeing them in person has been on my bucket list. And finally, we are planning a trip to Japan to see the snow monkeys in their natural habitat. But somehow the experience was a bit different from what you see on TV.
When I saw the snow monkeys on TV, I had the impression that you need to go to a wild, remote location somewhere in the mountains to see them. But after doing some research, you find out that to see them you need to go to Jigokudani Monkey Park (Jigokudani Yaen Koen, 地獄谷野猿公苑) located in Nagano Prefecture and relatively easily reached by public transport.
Established in 1964, Jigokudani Monkey Park was created to protect the natural habitat of snow monkeys from the advancing farmlands. It offers visitors a unique opportunity to witness the remarkable Japanese macaques in their natural habitat.
Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park is located at the base of Joshinetsu Kogen National Park in Nagano Prefecture. It boasts a picturesque setting characterized by rugged terrain, dense forests, and geothermal hot springs. The landscape is especially beautiful in winter.
Best time to visit Jigokudani Monkey Park and see Snow Monkeys
Best season to visit Jigokudani Park
Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park is open year-round, and you can see monkeys in any season. But if you want to see snow monkeys bathing in a hot spring pool surrounded by snow, the best time to visit is in January and February. Many websites recommend visiting during the winter months from December to February. When planning your trip, keep in mind that January and February generally offer the most consistent snowfall. Also, in colder weather, there are more chances of seeing the monkeys bathing in the hot spring.
I visited Jigokudani Monkey Park twice: first in December during the Christmas holidays, hoping the park would be covered in snow. I started checking Monkey Park live camera to see if there was any snow a week before departure. Unfortunately, there was no snow. The surrounding area looked brownish without green or autumn foliage.
I kept checking the live cam after our visit: in January, there was a lot of snow, all the areas around the pool were covered by snow, and it looked gorgeous and serene. The second time we went at the end of January, there was a lot of snow, and the park looked magical. It was a completely different experience. Therefore, I believe it is better to plan your trip for January or February to maximize your chances of seeing the snow monkeys in a snowy landscape.
Best time of the day to avoid crowds
To avoid crowds, try visiting Jigokudani in the morning. From November to March, it opens at 9 am, and from April to October – at 8.30 am. It gets especially busy around 1 pm when day tours start arriving.
Jigokudani Park publishes Monkeys appearance forecast on their website. It’s a good idea to check it before your visit.
Jigokudani Snow Park: What to expect and our experience
Our first visit to Jigokudani Monkey Park in December
We came to the entrance about 10 minutes before opening. During the winter months, the park opens at 9 am. There was another couple waiting for the park to open. When we entered the park, there were no monkeys, and the man-made onsen pool was empty.
The place didn’t look the way you imagined after seeing all the beautiful photos and documentaries. The hot spring pool was smaller than I thought it would be, the area around it was muddy, and the landscape looked somewhat barren with some rocks and thin, leafless trees.
We walked around for about 15 minutes, not seeing a single monkey. I started feeling cold, and we decided to go to the souvenir shop. After about 10 minutes, a park staff member told us that monkeys were coming to the pool. What we saw was a park staff attracting the monkeys by throwing food, usually barley, and sometimes soybeans and apples. There were quite a lot of monkeys coming down the slope, some of them females with babies.
The monkeys started gathering around the pool. They were playing and grooming each other, and some of them were soaking in a hot spring pool. You can observe them up close as they mind their own business and are not bothered by the presence of humans. As it is strictly forbidden to feed the monkeys, they don’t see humans as a source of food and are completely disinterested in them.
I was a little disappointed, as my expectations were completely different, but that doesn’t mean I did not enjoy it. I still enjoyed observing the snow monkeys up close and spent a couple of hours there until the crowds started arriving. It gets especially crowded around 1 pm when the buses with tourists on a day trip arrive.
Our second visit to Jigokudani Monkey Park in January
Our second visit to Jigokudani Monkey Park at the end of January was a completely different experience. This time, the park was covered in a thick blanket of snow, turning it into a true winter wonderland. Compared to our first visit in December, when everything looked a bit bare, the snow made the whole place feel magical. The trees, rocks, and pathways were all coated in white; only the areas around the onsen and the river were not covered in snow. The snow monkeys didn’t seem bothered by the snow at all. Seeing them surrounded by snow made the experience even more special.
There is no fence to keep the monkeys inside the park. The monkeys are wild and free-roaming, even though the staff attracts them to the pool by offering food. They can come and go back to the forest as they please.
Practical Information
💡 Tip on visiting Jigokudani Monkey Park
You can combine your visit to Jigokudani Monkey Park with a day visit to Jigokudani Hot Spring Korakukan onsen, which is located just next to the park.
In fact, you can stay in this traditional ryokan. We only visited their onsen (it is open from 12 PM to 3.30 PM for a day visit for 1,500 yen per person), but it was a very special experience. There are separate male and female indoor baths, as well as mixed-gender outdoor bath. The baths are quite basic, but what makes this onsen unique is the presence of the famous snow monkeys near the outdoor bath.
We soaked in the outdoor bath, surrounded by snow-covered landscape, while the snow monkeys were playing or relaxing on the edge of the bath. It was almost a surreal experience.
Opening hours
Jigokudani Monkey Park is open 7 days a week, including during public holidays. However, it may close due to extreme weather conditions.
Opening hours are:
November to March: 9 am to 4 pm
April to October: 8.30 am to 5 pm
Entrance fees
Adults: 800 yen / USD 5.2
Child: 400 yen /USD 2.6
Parking
Jigokudani Monkey Park has a free parking lot. In Google Maps you can search for Jigokudani Yaen Koen Free Parking. It is open from 8.30 AM to 5 PM. From the parking lot, it takes about 30 minutes to walk to the park gates.
Where to stay near Jigokudani Monkey Park
Hot Spring Korakukan – perfect if you would like to share onsen with snow monkeys
The closest accommodation to the park is the traditional ryokan, Jigokudani Hot Spring Korakukan. It is located just next to the monkey park. We didn’t stay there as it books very fast, and you need to book it well in advance. Booking enquiries can be sent here. Please also note that there is no car access to the ryokan; it is only accessible by walking 2 kilometers through the forest.
However, we visited their onsen, which is open from 12 PM to 3.30 PM for day visits for 1,500 yen per person. It was a very special experience, as the monkeys were hanging out on the edges of the outdoor bath. But they were quite shy when we were there and wouldn’t get into the onsen
Yamanochi
There are plenty of accommodation options in the town of Yamanochi. I recommend staying at least one night near the park instead of making a rushed day trip from Tokyo.
You can stay in a pricier Shibu Onsen area or a more budget-friendly Yudanaka Onsen. Both are located within Yamanochi town.
Shibu Onsen is a historic, atmospheric onsen village with traditional ryokans. In Shibu Onsen, you can do the famous 9 Baths Trail, where overnight guests can hop between nine small public bathhouses in yukata and geta.
Yudanaka Onsen is closest to Yudanaka Station and has more accommodation options for all budgets.
How to get to Jigokudani Monkey Park by public transport
Jigokudani Monkey Park is located in Nagano Prefecture. The closest train station is Yudanaka Station in the town of Yamanouchi.
If you are very tight on time, it is possible to make a day trip to Jigokudani from Tokyo; however, you need to leave very early and be super organized.
Option 1. Shinkansen + Train + Bus /taxi
Step 1. Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano
Take the Shinkansen (Hokuriku Shinkansen) from Tokyo Station to Nagano Station, it takes from 1h 17min to 1h 49min depending on the number of stops. Shinkansen departs several times an hour. This trip is covered by the JR Pass. If you don’t have a JR Pass, the ticket costs 8,340 yen.
Step 2. Train from Nagano to Yudanaka Station
At Nagano Station, change to a train to Yudanaka Station (Snow Monkey and Yukemuri Express Services), it takes 44 min.
The Local Service stopping at all stations takes 70-80 minutes; in addition, you need to transfer trains at Shinshu-Nakano station.
This part of the trip is not covered by the JR Pass and costs 1,190 – 1,290 yen.
Step 3. Bus or taxi from Yudanaka Station to Jigokudani Monkey Park
At Yudanaka Station, take a local bus to Snow Monkey Park bus stop. The bus runs approximately once an hour until noon. There are fewer frequent services in the afternoon. The ride takes about 10 minutes. Please check the timetable before leaving, as it changes depending on the season or day of the week. It seems that it also changes every year. You can check the timetable at Yudanaka Train Station or the Information Center across the road from the station.
Alternatively, at Yudanaka Station, you can take a taxi; the ride is about 10 minutes, and a taxi can take you closer to the park entrance than a bus.
Option 2. Shinkansen + Bus
Step 1. Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano
Take the Shinkansen (Hokuriku Shinkansen) from Tokyo Station to Nagano Station, it takes from 1h 17min to 1h 49min depending on the number of stops. Shinkansen departs several times an hour. This trip is covered by the JR Pass. If you don’t have a JR Pass, the ticket costs 8,340 yen.
At Nagano Station, go to the East Exit, where you can take a bus running to the Snow Monkey Park Bus Stop approximately once an hour. It takes 42 minutes, and the ticket costs 1,800 yen.
Walk to the park gates
From the bus stop, it is about a 30-minute walk through the forest to the park entrance. In winter or if it rains, the path can be muddy and slippery, and if it gets colder, it can become icy, so make sure to wear good sturdy footwear. The path is flat, and the walk through the forest is delightful and peaceful.
What Are Snow Monkeys and Why They Are Famous
It was a lot of fun observing snow monkeys and their interaction with each other. You are not allowed to feed them, so they are absolutely disinterested in humans and are unfazed by human presence.
Japanese macaques, also known as snow monkeys, are the northernmost living primates on earth other than humans. They have thick, dense coats and are known for their adaptation to cold weather. This is the only native monkey species in Japan; they can be found in several forested areas around the country. But Jigokudani snow monkeys are unique; they are the only troop known to enjoy hot springs in winter. In winter hot spring temperature is 41 degrees Celsius, but in summer, the park staff lowers the temperature to 30 degrees Celsius by mixing it with cold water.
Jigokudani has about 160 monkeys who belong to the same troop. They sleep up in the mountains, and in the morning, they descend to Jigokudani Park, attracted by the food. In winter, they can enjoy the warm water of hot springs. In the evening, they head back to the mountains. In winter, you’re much more likely to see them soaking in the hot springs, especially on colder days.
FAQs
The best time to visit is in winter, with January and February offering the most reliable snowfall and the highest chances of seeing the monkeys soaking in the hot spring pool.
Snow monkeys are just regular Japanese macaques, but if you want to see hot spring-bathing snow monkeys, Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park in Nagano Prefecture is the only place to do it. Other places where you can see Japanese macaques are Minoh Park in Osaka and Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayma in Kyoto.
Yes, Jigokudani Monkey Park is absolutely worth visiting, especially for nature lovers and wildlife photographers. If you come in winter, you will have a rare opportunity to see snow monkeys up close as they relax in natural hot springs.
The nearest town to Jigokudani Monkey Park is Yamanouchi in Nagano Prefecture. It’s a small mountain town that is a perfect base for visiting the park and the surrounding Shiga Kogen highlands. The larger nearby city is Nagano City, which is about one hour away from Jigokkudani Park by public transport.
Yes, it is possible to visit Jigokudani Monkey Park on a day trip from Tokyo, but a bit challenging. It requires an early start and careful planning around public transport. Alternatively, you can take a day tour from Tokyo or visit the park from Nagano.
Japanese snow monkeys or Japanese macaques, including those at Jigokudani Monkey Park, are wild animals, not pets. They are generally not dangerous as long as you observe them respectfully and follow park rules. Unlike macaques in many other places in Asia, they usually ignore visitors. I believe it’s strictly forbidden to feed monkeys there. But remember that they’re wild animals and can become aggressive if they feel threatened, approached too closely, or given food. To stay safe, don’t get too close to them, never give food or touch them, and avoid direct eye contact.
No, it’s strictly forbidden to touch snow monkeys at Jigokudani Monkey Park. These monkeys are wild animals, and feeding or trying to touch them can make them aggressive. When visiting, follow the park rules and keep a respectful distance, don’t feed or touch them, and avoid direct eye contact.
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