Things to do in Nagano Station

Five-star rating for our Australian friend and guide, Kieron. He arrived at the meeting point early. Today, it was just my family and me, so it felt like a VIP tour. My family doesn't speak much English, so today was also a day of paid English practice 😂 (Kieron mentioned his main job is a high school foreign language teacher). He was very talkative and could even understand our not-so-perfect English. Because there weren't many people, he took us to several extra sights and viewpoints along the way. The weather was a bit cloudy today, but thankfully it didn't rain heavily, so it was quite comfortable. Throughout the trip, he also provided explanations about Japanese history, culture, architecture, and plants.

This is a great way to see Nagano and the snow monkeys. The tour is often self directed as you get brought to a place, told a little about the history and architecture, and get the rest of the time to wander. My tour guide seemed a little nervous but he did a great job. Definitely worth my money.

What to bring: Drinks and snacks, waterproof shoes, waterproof jacket, umbrella, hat, phone cross-body strap, backpack, wet wipes. We went on a small tour with our Alpan guide, just 11 of us. It started at 8:00 AM and ended at 1:30 PM. First, don't go to the snow wall; go to the pond first and walk as far as you can. You can see everything at the snow wall in about 25 minutes round trip. You can see the pond with melted ice, the hot springs in the distance, and if you're lucky, even the mascot bird. The bird poses well, so you can comfortably take photos. Although it was a very quick tour, I'm satisfied. I'm thinking of going again personally during the upcoming winter season. Alpan guides are the best! If you get an Alpan guide, your trip will be much easier.

Hassle free travelling. Have your own transport for pick up and drop off. Do not expect too much commentary from the guide. Only essential information. Just one additional piece of information. Food purchase is by cash. Card is acceptable for purchase of souvenirs.