Passeios por Zenkoji Temple

Thank you to tour guide Yama and the driver for their competent and friendly service, which allowed everyone (our group of 17 people) to have a wonderful day. The entire itinerary was very smooth, especially lunch, where the food was delicious and the environment was warm and elegant. We also had our own time at Zenko-ji Temple, and the sake tasting at Nishinomon allowed me to buy my favorite plum wine and miso, which made me very happy! Thank you.

We had an absolutely fantastic time with our guide Joyce. She was incredibly knowledgeable and it really helped us fully enjoy all the sights but also gave us some valuable insight into the history of the city. The oyaki restaurant felt intimate and we enjoyed sitting by the fire watching them cook. The sake tasting was also fun, we learned so much and ended up purchasing several things and sent them to our accommodation in Japan for free which was really convenient. During and after the fire ceremony, the monk leading it was kind enough to spend time answering all our questions about the temple. When you visit the main temple, don't miss out on the underground passage! Lastly, our stay at the Shukubo was the perfect way to round out our experience. The hosts were so kind, and both meals were absolutely delicious! She also gave us a great recommendation for lunch inside the station, Meijitei which had amazing local soba noodles and Katsu. Perfect fuel for our snow monkey visit! 10/10 recommend!

The trip was so much fun! One of the highlights was watching the monkeys soak in the hot springs—they were just chilling there, looking at us lazily, and it was so cute I couldn’t stop taking photos. The food was another big win; whether it was local snacks or full meals, everything tasted amazing—fresh, authentic, and so good I couldn’t get enough. Of course, the cherry blossoms were a must-see, blooming all over the place in stunning pink, like something out of a painting. Walking under those trees felt so special. And the guide? Such a nice person—always smiling, explaining things to us, and super patient with all our questions.

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.

It was cloudy until morning and cold enough to see our breath because it rained the night before the tour. However, thanks to our self-proclaimed weather fairy guide, Jeon Ara, we were able to see Mount Fuji on the way back to Tokyo. It was a breathtaking view that we encountered after a long wait, making for an even more pleasant end to our trip 🗻. It was great that Guide Jeon Ara adjusted the itinerary according to the weather and on-site conditions, rather than sticking to the planned order. We were also grateful for her recommendations for delicious snacks at each location and her accurate guidance and explanations 💗. I realized that seeing Mount Fuji is more difficult than expected and requires a lot of luck (😅). Since the temperature is about 5 degrees lower than in downtown Tokyo, the cherry blossoms will be in full bloom and the weather will be warmer until late April, so it would be a good time to visit in April 🌸.

¡Uno de nuestros días más memorables de nuestro viaje actual en Japón! ¡Todo fue sobre ruedas y nos divertimos mucho! Empezamos yendo a ver a los monos por la mañana (lo cual fue genial porque había menos gente). El almuerzo proporcionado fue excelente (podíamos elegir carne de res/mariscos/vegetariano para el plato principal). El templo y la degustación de sake estaban uno al lado del otro en Nagano, así que solo necesitamos tres traslados largos en autobús (aproximadamente 1 hora cada uno). Nuestra guía Lindsay nos dio mucho contexto tanto para el parque de monos como para el templo y facilitó la degustación de sake (probamos alrededor de 10 tipos de bebidas). Fue amable, accesible para preguntas adicionales y muy conocedora de las atracciones del tour y de otros lugares de Japón. ¡Recomiendo encarecidamente este tour!

Absolutely perfect ! The guide was awesome and very knowledgeable without being overwhelming. First, we had some oyaki in a very nice place with very nice people. Then, some sake tasting. After, we visited Zenkoji and had some free time before the fire ceremony. Finally we learned about the tea ceremony at Tsumugi which was incredible. We slept at Ryōshōin Shukubo for the night. Midori-san was so nice and so helpful. The food was incredible. The next day, we went to the morning ceremony then to the crypt. The guide was extremely energetic at 6am and seemed a little bit miffed at realising that the guide we had the day before had basically told us a lot about Zenkoji already. Everything was seriously great and I definitely recommend. Even the terrible weather we had couldn't put a damper on that wonderful day.

amazing tour guide and driver. Joyce is very knowledgeable, friendly and professional in doing what she need to do. the lunch is amazing. and she also give good recommendations of where are the local good food after we depart from nagano. but price for this tour is on a higher side.