Snow Monkeys and Cherry Blossoms - Full-Day Tour

Your adventure begins at Nagano Station, where your guide will greet you with a big smile and get you on your way out of Nagano and head toward the incredible Jigokudani Monkey Park!

Arriving near the park, your guide will take you along the forest trail which leads you to the Jigokudani Valley – rather dramatically translating to ‘Hell’s Valley’. Home to the only troop of monkeys in the entire world known to bathe in hot springs, no barriers are separating you from the wild monkeys, making this a truly unique experience.

Spring is a great time to visit the park as expectant mothers give birth from mid-April to late May, with between twenty to thirty babies welcomed into the troop every year. It’s an adorable sight to see, as the large glassy eyes of the newborns look out at their world for the first time, often with as much curiosity about us as we have about them.

From there it’s time to head to lunch as your guide accompanies you to a nearby restaurant where you will be given a choice of meals including vegetarian options. You’ll have plenty of time to relax, enjoy your lunch and recharge before your guide as you board the bus again and get ready for the afternoon’s activity – ‘Hanami’.

‘Hanami’ or ‘flower viewing’ plays a central role in Japanese culture and there no flower is more synonymous with this beautiful country more than its fabled cherry blossoms. Known as ‘sakura’ in Japanese, the fleeting bloom of the blossoms each spring is seen as symbolic of the fragility and passing beauty of life. Located in the cooler, mountainous region of northern Nagano, blossoms bloom later in this region than in cities like Tokyo or Kyoto, typically blooming sometime from early to mid-April.

We monitor a variety of sites – some famous, some secret and some local – and choose those in the best condition of bloom on the day of your tour. Each spot has its own unique atmosphere, variety of trees and types of blossoms – endearing this tour, perhaps more than any other, with its own uniqueness as venues vary from one day to the next. But rest assured, you won’t be left disappointed as we select the best possible sites!

As the afternoon draws to a close your guide will have you board the tour bus and begin your journey back to Nagano Station, where the tour is scheduled to conclude between 5:30pm to 6:30pm, with drop-off at Hotel Kokusai 21 if required.

Important information

There are a few days in the year when the monkeys might not come down to the park. While it is unlikely it is possible and outside of our control.

Newborn babies typically appear in the park from mid-April onward. We cannot however guarantee that babies will be present in the park on the day of your tour.

This activity is subject to adequate weather conditions and may be subject to changes. Blossom-viewing sites are selected upon which is in the best condition on the day of the tour. Tours will end at slightly different times depending on the chosen location for each day’s blossom viewing. If the cherry blossoms are not in bloom at any of the selected sites on the day of the tour, you will go to Zenko-ji Temple and ‘sake’ tasting but will be notified in advance.