Tokyo to Nagano: Snow Monkeys & Zenko-ji Tour

Explore Nagano’s historic Zenko-ji Temple, savor sake, and witness snow monkeys in their natural habitat on this guided full-day tour.

Duration: 10 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Zenko-ji Temple - As one of Japan’s oldest, largest, and most significant Buddhist temples, Zenko-ji serves as the spiritual center of Nagano. With a history spanning nearly 1400 years, the temple is steeped in legend and myth, which your guide will help unravel as you explore the temple grounds, followed by some free time (if time allows).
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What's Included
  • Private transportation
  • Bottled water
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
  • All Tolls & Taxes
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
  • Entry tickets less than $10
  • Enter/Admission - Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park less than $10
Additional Information

Set off on a full-day private excursion from Tokyo to Nagano in a luxurious, air-conditioned vehicle, accompanied by an English-speaking driver-chauffeur. Discover the renowned Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park and the historic Zenko-ji Temple, with optional visits to Obuse, Shibu Onsen, or Nishimon Nagano. Benefit from door-to-door service, bottled water,…

Location
Zenko-ji Temple
I-491 Nagano Motoyoshicho
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(16 Ratings)
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1 star
Pathfinder657959
May 24, 2025
Flexible! - Unfortunately no monkeys for us but we took a detour to obuse instead before going to Zenkoji temple. So happy with the flexibility of the driver.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
887kylea
May 24, 2025
Enjoyable day in Nagano - Wonderful tour. Went to Snow Monkey Park, Obuse, and Zenko-Ji. Enjoyed everything quite a bit. Vicky was a wonderful guide. Explained the area very well, easy to work with, and communicated well with us ahead of and during our tour. I hope to return to Nagano to stay longer.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Snehahamiltonh
Apr 23, 2025
memorable visit to nagano - Vicky was very nice and helpful during our journey to Nagano. He took pictures of us as a family in front of the snow monkey park and was very flexible with timing when we wanted to have lunch and asked if there was more we wanted to see (he offered to extend the timeline). It was a really good experience
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Irmgard_m
Apr 16, 2025
Strongly recommend visiting the Snow Monkeys, but NOT with that particular Driver - The experience was awesome. The Driver was NOT. Drove reckless. Unsafe lane changes, that other driver hit the Horn. It's ok to drive fast, but stay at the fast lane. 80 km , but this Driver was driving 150km.
Review provided by Viator
Velda_m
Apr 14, 2025
Snow Monkeys and Cherry Blossoms - The experience was pleasant from beginning to end. The guide, Vicky, is a very nice man and made the day enjoyable. The Snow Monkey Park was a highlight of our trip. Be sure to wear shoes that can get muddy and not slippery as the 1.6k walk up to the park is muddy. But the beautiful forest and monkeys were worth the walk and mud. The Zenkoji Temple and garden were lovely. The cherry trees in bloom made the garden even better. After the thrill of seeing monkeys the quiet stroll through the temple grounds was delightful. All in all a wonderful day.
Review provided by Viator
Odyssey58760735500
Apr 12, 2025
Snow Monkey's! - Everything was great. Time was the only restriction. The company should communicate the distances between options more clearly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sarash9837yk
Mar 16, 2025
Magical time at snow monkey park - My boys and I had an amazing time with our tour guide Sunny, he was helpful and kind. We visited the snow monkey park and it was absolutely beautiful and amazing. Seeing the monkeys climb all over the mountains and soak in the natural hot springs was something will will never forget. We got very lucky to go on a day with light snow and it just made the whole experience magical. Sunny was great at answering all our questions and telling use about the history and provided a wonderful trip for us. I would use him again and highly recommend him.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brianvy6378gf
Feb 23, 2025
Up close with the snow monkeys - We came in February on a Sunday. Parking was full, so there was a longer hike than usual. It was very cold and the snow was sometimes slippery. But the hike was gorgeous! There are lots of monkeys, and Ben babies playing with each other. The monkeys are very photogenic and will sometimes walk right next to you! Totally worth seeing!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Laura
Apr 12, 2025
Snow Monkeys, Speed Temples, and 7-Eleven Cuisine - Booked this tour hoping for a magical day with snow monkeys and cultural stops—but it turned out more “race against the clock” than relaxing getaway. The driver (not a guide) picked us up bright and early, then we spent 4+ hours each way riding in the car. We did get to see the monkeys (absolutely adorable), and we made a pit stop at Zenkoji Temple—though with just 25 minutes there, we basically jogged through history. Lunch? A lucky grab at 7-Eleven. No guide, minimal explanations, but hey, the monkeys were worth it… and the car was comfortable
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tracyci9095ih
Mar 9, 2025
Monkey Trip - The snow monkeys are really worth the very long drive. Just go into it knowing that is the only thing you can do. There is no time for other activities. We felt rushed all afternoon—we had the impression we would be charged extra if the guide was late returning to Tokyo (we had never heard that one before). We did find the monkey park beautiful and the monkeys fascinating.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $538 (Per Group)
up to 13 guests
1 - Traveler
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).