Nagano Snow Monkey 1 Day Tour with Beef Sukiyaki Lunch from Tokyo

Posted By : karenmM6294YT
Worth going again , wonderful experience, would get shoe clamps at the shop before the climb as the path was very slippery ,wrar shoes that don't slip on ice path.
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Posted On : 2024-03-16 15:29:53

Posted By : 969burtg
Despite the long drive, it was worth it to see the really cute monkeys. They are definitely not shy, though only one was taking advantage of the hot springs.
The sukiyaki lunch was one of the best of our stay in Japan.
I would recommend renting the spikes if the path is icy. I got away with trail shoes, but other people were slipping and sliding.
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Posted On : 2024-03-12 12:50:49

Posted By : Jeffrey_R
When we got to the snow monkey park there were so many monkeys in the hot spring and running around it was quite amazing. Better than expected. The 1.7km walk through snowy woods was all very beautiful
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Posted On : 2024-03-10 20:17:10

Posted By : Eliezer_A
Headed early in the morning to catch the monkeys on time. A good amount of hike going to the onsen for snow monkeys. Worth the long drive back and forth.
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Posted On : 2024-03-09 06:28:29

Posted By : Neil_M
It was quite cold and a little slippery on the icy walking track. You could get a grip that strapped to your shoes for $10 hire. How the monkeys survive in such a harsh environment.
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Posted On : 2024-02-29 00:55:05

Posted By : D3580DQliams
Guide was awesome, lunch was amazing and monkeys were cute. Long day but well worth it. Even got a surprise trip to the snow dome park in Kamakura village!
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Posted On : 2024-02-22 21:20:14

Posted By : Michelle_M
This was a brilliant tour! We travelled as a family (2 adults, 2 teens) in 2023.

The bus pick-up was easy to find and the bus itself was comfortable and cosy for a December 24th long drive with a cold early-morning start. It took about 4 hours with a few rest stops along the way to reach the lunch destination around 11:30am, and the Beef Sukiyaki was absolutely delicious. One of the nicest meals we had in Japan!

After lunch, we reached the starting point of the Snow Monkey Park walk at 1:00pm, and it's about a 45 minute walk through a gorgeous forested area. This was particularly lovely the day we went as it was so snowy. Take cleats and sensible shoes if you're going in Winter - lots of people were slipping on the ice so we were very grateful for ours, and they weren't at all expensive.

The guide sets off first to organise the tickets and then you make your own way in your own time, just knowing to factor in around 1.5 hours for the round trip walk, and that you need to be back at the bus by 3:30pm. This gives you a good hour with the monkeys if you walk at a decent pace. A few sections of the walk can be steep and with (icy the day we were there) stairs, so make sure you're in good health.

The Snow Monkeys themselves were just amazing - absolutely a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we were thrilled to see so many in the Onsen. The whole valley is spectacular - we hadn't expected it to be as large and beautiful as it was. We departed back to Tokyo right on time but weren't back in Shinjuku until closer to 8:00pm due to Sunday traffic.
My only criticism of the whole day was there was an overabundance of rest stops, at least 2 more than necessary, and had we not done that we'd have been back a lot earlier. Our tour guide was lovely and gave us just the right amount of information without overloading us or speaking constantly and the bus drivers (two!) were safe, friendly, and considerate.

We'd recommend this trip to anyone - so much easier to do it as a day trip from Tokyo than organising transport yourself and the lunch really was lovely (and a fun apple-themed gift shop included too!).

Thank you Viator for such a great experience!
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Posted On : 2024-02-03 21:06:10

Posted By : Anthony_H
Leaving aside the Snow Monkeys, our guide was a highlight of the tour. His name was Masa, he was always helpful and informative, and with a sense of humour. A long enjoyable day made better by Masa.
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Posted On : 2024-01-31 13:55:11

Posted By : 266cherf
An amazing day trip from Tokyo! Yes, the drive is long and so worth it to walk in the snow and see these wonderful animals. Truly the highlight to this visit. Our guide, Masa, was wonderful and let us relax on the drive with a well timed stop at the halfway mark of the drive in each direction. The drivers were so friendly, too. The Sukiyaki lunch was fresh and delicious. Everything was setup and ready for us upon arrival which helped us keep to the schedule. The snow monkey park was enchanting with fresh snowfall. Definitely check the weather and come prepared for cold and slippery footing. Crampons are available at the shop for those who show up in sneakers. The monkeys are fun to watch as they scramble around the hillsides and play in the hot water. They really don't care about the humans walking around.

Since I visited in late January, we also got to visit Kamakura snow huts. Hard to believe you'd want to enjoy dinner in a snow hut, but they are cool, especially as night fell and the lights were brought in.
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Posted On : 2024-01-28 17:33:34

Posted By : susansK7935DQ
One of the highlights of our Japan trip! Travel to the Snow monkey park takes around 4hrs and then it’s a 30min walk before you actually see any monkeys. The walk can be icy so ensure you wear appropriate shoes. The sukiyaki lunch was delicious and filling.
Our tour guide Keiji was engaging and played a Japanese trivia quiz with us while on the bus to pass some time.
Once at the park, you are free to roam, observe and take pics while the monkeys are not at all intrigued by the humans. A very well organised tour - highly recommended!
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Posted On : 2024-01-20 04:46:03