Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake in Nagano day tour

We loved this tour! It was fun but also easy and stress free having Dillon as our guide, and transportation via bus to all sites. Dillon had an incredible wealth of knowledge about all things Snow Monkeys, Sake, and Zenkoji Temple. We enjoyed this experience and is a highlight of our trip! Be mindful the walk to see the monkeys is long but worth it, and if you do the dark passage at the temple, it takes up a bit of your free time that you may otherwise prefer to use for exploring shops and food options.

This tour was more than just a stop to see the snow monkeys—it transformed our Hakuba-to-Tokyo relocation day into an unforgettable adventure. With the option of pickup in Hakuba, luggage stored, and drop-off at Nagano Station, everything flowed effortlessly, letting me fully enjoy the moment without stress. The guides, Sijung and Endo, were incredible—easygoing, naturally engaging, and full of insight. Their stories, tips, and playful humor made the day lively yet relaxed, and they helped me notice details I’d have missed on my own, like the matriarch of the monkeys, making the encounter truly special. Every part of the day was rewarding: wandering Zenko-ji Temple, tasting local sake, savoring a shabu-shabu lunch, exploring streets and shops, and strolling the forest to see lively monkeys. Optional free time extras like the temple tunnel or apple pies added delightful surprises Thanks to the Snow Monkey Resorts team, a routine travel day became immersive, joyful, and deeply memorable.

excellent. visiting the anow monkey is a must when in Nagano. its a long walk, but worrh it. Kevin and Teddy, our tour guides were very good. the included lunch, shabushabu was likewise very good. a choice of beef, or seafood or vegetarian. its easier when joining a tour for this activulities. no stress aa compared to do it yourself trip.

My group and I loved this tour, it was very complete, the guides were very friendly and helpful, I would definitely book with them again, we will carry the experience in our hearts! 🫶🏻 After the snow monkeys we stayed in Yudanaka and our guide was kind enough to show us where we could find the bus, he even gave us prices and schedules, they really made us feel very safe, thank you very much Hiroshi San for the experience✨🙏🏻

It was an excellent and fun experience going on the tour. The guides (Dillon and Brett) were very warm and welcoming, always looking out for everyone, making sure that everyone is having an amazing time. Have to give a big thumbs up to Dillon for making the stops very interesting with all the details and stories behind the places, like the sake brewing and temples

Our tour guides Shin-san and Endo-san were great and ensured the whole tour ran smoothly. Great tour itinerary that allows you to see the key attractions in Nagano within a day. The lunch included in the tour was also delicious, located in a beautiful restaurant. Highly recommend!

Amazing experience! We explored the temple and learned about the history, we did a sake tasting then drove an hour to the monkey park where we had a delicious hot pot for lunch and then saw the monkeys. the walk to see the monkeys was steep and slippery and did go on for a fair bit, so keep that in mind if you have an mobility issues, however, the experience this tour provided was amazing and both tour guides were very friendly and helpful!

This tour is awesome. It’s a big day but due to it being spread out and a few bus rides we weren’t tired at all. Lunch was incredible and our tour guide Kevin was fantastic, very knowledgeable and a great guy. Definitely recommend!

eeing the snow monkeys were indeed the highlight of the tour. However, the trip to Zenko-ji was another highlight as this 7th century temple is beautiful. With the folklore shared out by Kay regarding the temple (my groups’s tour guide for first half of the tour), it made joining the tour worthwhile vs visiting such a historical site on your own. The other highlight worth mentioning was lunch at Hotaru-Tei was simply fantastic and delicious. The Snow Monkey Park experience is worth the 25 mins hike up. Beware of falling snow from the trees during winter season, although they add onto the overall experience + the scenery was straight out of a movie set. Do be in appropriate shoes when hiking up during snowy season as the trail is iced up with a mix of sleet + snow + mud. Seeing the monkeys uncaged, roaming freely and dipping in the onsen made the trip worthwhile. The monkeys are very calm around the crowd but do take heed of the advice provided by the tour guided! This tour is highly recommended!

highlight was definitely the snow monkeys! So wonderful experience to see them in their zone, soaking in the onsen and wandering around the humans. Hahaha. Lunch provided was also in a beautiful restaurant and the hotpot was soooo good.