Nagano

Full-Day Private Nagano Tour: Zenkoji Temple, Obuse, Jigokudani Monkey Park

Nagano, Japan
Private Full Day Tour of Nagano Snow Monkeys Zenko ji Obuse Town and Onsen

From $197.41

Price varies by group size

Select Date and Travelers

-You will not receive a refund if you cancel.

  • 8 hours
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Explore the magnificent temples and natural wonders of Nagano on a full-day tour and benefit from the undivided attention of a private guide. Visit the famous Zenkoji Temple and Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, enjoy lunch (own expense) in Obuse Town, then choose a soak in the hot springs at Shibu Onsen.
  • Visit the stunning Zenkoji Temple and the traditional town of Obuse
  • Great-value tour includes hotel pickup and round-trip transport
  • Ideal tour for first-time visitors to Nagano or those short on time
  • Private tour ensures a personalized experience and the undivided attention of your guide

What's Included

  • Private tour with English-speaking (or other available language) tour guide
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels within Central Nagano only)
  • Transportation within Nagano City
  • Fuel surcharge
  • Food and drinks
  • Onsen (hot spring) fee: 700 JPY per person
  • Other optional activities for guests .
  • Entrance fee to Zenko-ji Temple, Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park for the guests

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • Nagano Station
    Kurita, Nagano, 380-0921, Japan

    Please kindly confirm with us again if your tour detail does not have meeting point

Start time

08:45 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park (Pass By)

Zenko-ji Temple (Pass By)

Obuse (Pass By)

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Minimum of 2 Adults per booking is required
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult.
  • A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
  • Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
  • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
  • Wheelchair accessible at most places (not including Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park)
  • For this tour, if we provide train tickets: we will send train tickets to the guests’ hotel in Tokyo (the hotel which guests are staying at before their Nagano trip). Please provide: 1) Hotel Name in Tokyo, 2) Guest Name who booked the hotel, 3) Confirmation Number, and 4) Dates of Stay at the hotel in Tokyo.
  • Snow Monkeys in warmer seasons: The snow starts to melt in March, and the snow monkeys may not bathe as often as they did in the winter to keep warm. Guests may see the snow monkeys taking a swim as the park staff gives them lunch, but unlike winter months, there are definitely days when the monkeys just do not feel like entering the bath. When it is warm and the sun is out, the monkeys tend to be more active and move around the area. The monkeys are more likely to be grooming in the warmer seasons. While Winter is not the only time to see snow monkeys, please note that they are wild animals and it is difficult to predict their behavior. You can still visit the Snow Monkey Park, but seeing the snow monkeys and watching them bathe is not always guaranteed.
  • Guests must provide information (name, age) of each guest. A current valid passport is required on the day of travel.
  • Age Requirement: Guests of all ages can attend this tour, but a booking must be made for each person. Adult pricing applies to guests age 12 to 99. Child pricing applies to guests age 6 – 11. Young child pricing applies to guests age 1 – 5. In this private group tour, there must be at least one person that is 18 years or older.
  • PLEASE FILL OUT THE TOUR FORM: After your booking, you will receive a link to the Nagano Form (within 48 hours) that asks for pertinent information required for this booking. Please ensure that this Nagano Form is completed accurately at least 7 days before  your tour date.
  • Once you’ve booked the Nagano Full Day Tour with Japan Awaits you’ll receive a form with a variety of itinerary options to suit your vehicle option and essential information to complete your booking.
  • How far in advance should I book?Preparing a customized tour requires some time, especially if reservations for restaurants or other venues are required. We recommend making a reservation as early as possible. Ideally, it should be 3 months before your travel date, or 1 month before the travel date at the very least. For Custom Tour bookings that are requested with less than 7 days before the travel date, we may not be able to arrange your custom tour in time so your booking request may be cancelled and you will receive a full refund.
  • Although this is a private tour, the tour guide will only wait for you for up to 30 minutes of start time before the tour is cancelled
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

      Traveler Photos

      See more

      Reviews

      5.0
      59 reviews
      Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
      0
      0
      0
      0
      0
      Reviews by Viator travelers.
      Showing 1-10 of 59 reviews
      Highly recommend this tour if you are in Tokyo or Nagano!
      Shibaji_S, Apr 2024
      Our guide Horiuchi-San was an absolute gem, he was knowledgeable, well-prepared, and is great company! The tour driver (I forgot his name) was just great, he drove safely and was very friendly. The lunch spot was just great, great food and atmosphere. Horiuchi-San messaged us a few days before the tour introducing himself and giving us a brief summary of what we will cover. Moreover, his instructions on the meeting time and spot were clear and unambiguous. We took the train from Tokyo to Nagano on the morning of and had no issues finding Horiuchi-San in the Nagano station. At the end of the tour, he accompanied us to the train station and saw us off. The tour itself was exactly as described. Moreover, Horiuchi-San gave extensive descriptions as we drove to the site, then accompanied us to the site while continuing to provide a local's perspective of the rich cultural heritage. He also gave us many recommendations on shopping as we visited the marketplaces, and in Obuse town. He also injected humor into the conversation and made us feel at home, it was like traveling with a friend! We will for sure return to Nagano as the area has so much to offer, and hope to meet Horiuchi-San again.
      Amazing day tour of snow monkey park and Nagano
      Christy_D, Jan 2024
      We had the best day ever with Hori seeing the snow monkeys, Obuse town and the famous temple in Nagano. Our guide was very knowledgeable, friendly and adaptable to make sure all of our needs were met. The sites were fascinating, and this was one of the best days of our time in Japan. We highly recommend this tour and our guide.
      Well worth it
      Fiona_S, Jan 2024
      Our guide Hori was very knowledgeable and well prepared. We had a great day and highly recommend this tour. The snow monkeys were amazing and the local food delicious.
      Excellent private tour Snow Monkey park and Nagano area highlights
      Amanda_H, Dec 2023
      Great day trip with Mutsumi. As we had booked a private tour, she checked at the start what we were most interested in and then adapted the day to suit. We had a lovely time, would highly recommend.
      Nagano Tour
      Linda_M, Oct 2023
      Great tour. We really enjoyed the Jigokudani Monkey Park. Our tour operator and driver were the best.
      Snow monkeys without the snow
      Mario_P, Sep 2023
      Being a nature lover, the snow monkeys of Nagano were among the last unique experience left in my bucket list. Although September is clearly not the ideal time for it, my brothers and I enjoyed the walk in the forest before reaching the park and there were enough monkeys frolicking in the pond to make it a worthwhile experience. After that we were treated to an excellent tonkatsu, chestnut ice-cream and sake degustation which made for a very nice day. Our guide Hitomi was very accommodating, and gave us good advice on how to optimize our tour content. She was also very friendly and used a translating software a lot to make sure my brothers, whose english is very basic, could understand her explanations in french. I strongly recommend this tour on, if possible, a more adequate time of the year.
      Amazing experience with fantastic tour guide!!!
      James_P, Aug 2023
      Mutsumi was a great tour guide! She was informative and very easy to spend a day with! She explained all the history and significance of each spot we visited. The monkey park was inceredibkw highlight of our entire trip to Japan. They were so close and accessible we could not have had a better up close experience. The Zenjoki temple was also breathtaking. Understanding the history and importance of that site was truly impactful. The temple grounds were so impressive and peaceful. Highly recommend this tour and Mutsumi in particular. She was great!
      Monkey fun
      Jesse_A, Aug 2023
      Truly a full day exploring Jigokudani and Obuse. Mr. Hiro was our guide for the day and met us at our ryokan. He is from the neighboring city to Nagano called Suzaka and is very familiar with the surrounding area. He was like a kind grandpa with our two kids (aged 7 & 9). He is very, very punctual. He gave plenty of insight on the different areas of Nagano. Jigokudani was certainly the highlight of the trip. The monkeys were very cute and entertaining. Mr. Hiro asked several questions for us to the groundskeeper. Lots of great photo ops and a neat little gift shop. We had a ramen lunch nearby. Obuse was a pleasant little town. We went to the museum that showcased Hokudai’s work. Definitely a quaint area that can be seen in a half a day at most. Overall a great experience.
      Unique wonderful experience. Nature and culture
      Gillian_B, Jan 2023
      The monkeys were incredible and the scenery fantastic. Our guide Fumiko and her friend were great. We are older and they adjusted pace and level of assistance accordingly. Couldn’t have done it without them. Many thanks
      Best part of our trip!
      Kiran_S, Jan 2023
      Our tour guide, Emi was absolutely wonderful! So kind and full of knowledge. The visit to see the snow monkeys was an unforgettable experience-felt like you were in a National Geographic magazine! I highly recommend booking this activity.
      Great Private Tour
      Alice, Feb 2020
      Great day trip spent with Toru to see the snow monkeys, Obuse and Zenkoji. His knowledge, experience and energy made it a fun filled day.
      Monkeys, soba and saki!
      Sarah_D, Jan 2020
      WeiWei was wonderful and very knowledgeable about the local towns, foods, culture and monkeys :) She was very patient as we stayed with the monkeys for over an hour taking photos and observing them. We had a great time with her, and highly suggest booking a private tour, so you can go at your own pace with the monkeys, saki tasting, and a bit more of a local's experience.
      Overall Experience
      Edmund_L, Jul 2019
      Tour guide was informational and thorough. He took us to a cherry farm and tasted some cherries fresh from the orchard. The Snow Monkey Park was something to experience. Tour guide was able to chase an overly aggressive monkey away. He took us to a Soba restaurant and it was delicious. We felt safe with his driving.
      Overall Experience
      Edmund_L, Jul 2019
      Tour guide was informational and his recommendation for lunch was awesome. Took us to a cherry farm during our tour. This was a private tour. We felt safe with him. Even chased an overly aggressive snow monkey away.
      Great experience, totally worth it
      KeziahRae_B, Apr 2019
      We had an amazing tour guide. Great experience, totally worth it. Perfect tour for groups and families.
      Our tour guide Mr Ilhom is...
      KimWah_L, Feb 2018
      Our tour guide Mr Ilhom is wonderful! He showed concern about our needs. And explained to us the itinerary very well. We made special request to the Strawberry farm, he checked and brought us there. What a great trip. We have lots of Strawberry! We also enjoyed the lunch he brought us to. Udon and Soba, was delicious. Not forgetting the dessert, Mont Blanc, my favourite! We wil recommend friends and come back again.

      Compare Similar Experiences

      1 / 3
      Current
      No Photo
      Full-Day Private Nagano Tour: Zenkoji Temple, Obuse, Jigokudani Monkey Park

      59

      8 hours
      Free Cancellation
      From
      $197.41
      No Photo
      Nagano Private Two Day Tour

      28

      2 days
      Free Cancellation
      From
      $447.47
      No Photo
      1-Day Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake in Nagano

      519

      8 hours
      Free Cancellation
      From
      $144.77
      No Photo
      Private Yatsugatake Highland Guided Electric Bike Tour

      0

      4 hours 30 minutes
      Free Cancellation
      From
      $213.45

      Explore Similar Things to Do