People say they monkey around. If monkey around means frolic in an onsen hot spring, then yes, yes they do. We wanted to witness this adorableness in person and traveled to Jigokudani Yaen Kลen (aka Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park) in Japan to do so.
The snow monkeys are Japanese Macaques native to northern Japan. They are famous for their red faces and hot spring antics. Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park is home to a number of these snow monkeys. The main attraction in the park is a man made hot spring where groups of monkeys swim, play or take a relaxing onsen.
We took two trains from Tokyo to reach the area near the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park- the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Nagano followed by a local train (Nagano Dentetsu Line Limited Express aka Snow Monkey Express).
(For more information about travel logistics here isย our detailed guide on how to visit the Japanese snow monkeys including when to visit, how to get there, where to stay and more.ย Although we visited on our own, there are also day tours to see the snow monkeys.)
Three hours later, we found ourselves at the Yudanaka train station greeted by a cute snowman.
Our driver picked us up and whisked us away to our seriously fabulous ryokan in Kanbayashi Onsen (Click here to see the latest prices or read our full review). Conveniently, Kanbayashi Onsen is only a 5 minute walk to the start of the trail leading to the monkeys.
We left bright and early the following morning hoping to reach the snow monkeys as soon as the park opened.
The actual trail was a 1.6 km (about 30 minute) walk on a snow covered forest path.
The path was a bit slippery and the temperature a bit cold but we found the walk quite pleasant. We’re used to Chicago winters though so take our opinion with a grain of salt.
Since we kept a quick pace and never encountered anyone on the trail, we figured we would be among the first people at the hot springs. We were wrong. A large camera-wielding crowd was already there.
Camera gear and lenses were everywhere.ย Even the snow monkeys got in on that action.
Despite the crowd, things were pretty orderly. ย We managed to position ourselves upfront and spent a delightful two hours viewing snow monkey antics. ย Some monkeys kept jumping in, some cuddled,ย some chased each other,ย some groomed each other and some enjoyed a soak in the onsen.
The snow monkeys were not afraid of humans. ย They went about their day as if the crowds were part of the landscape. ย They brushed past us often and were not hesitant to sit and chill a few inches in front of us.
Regardless of how close snow monkeys approached people, it is against park regulations to touch them. ย One man attempted to and was rewarded with hisses and swipes at his camera gear.
After a few hours in the cold, we popped into the souvenir shop to warm up beforeย heading back down the same trail we came from.
As it was lunchtime, we stopped by a cafe located between the park and our ryokan. ย We were amused by theย restroom sign.
Overall, this was one of our most memorable travel days- the entire experience was delightful. The snow monkeys at Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park were charming but so was the beautiful surrounding area.
Here are a few more photos of the snow monkeys:
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Just want to tell you I love the variety of things you write about. This was a delightful article–and very interesting. I have enjoyed others you’ve written as well. Keep it up–love to hear from you!
We’re happy you enjoyed reading…and thank you for the kind words!
We LOVED our visit to the snow monkeys while in Japan. Our trip was during May though so there wasn’t any snow. Now I need to go back to see them in the snowy weather!
I bet the surrounding area was beautiful in May though!
Hiya,
I am thinking of visiting the park at the end of May and was wondering if you would advise me whether it is worth a detour for at that time of year?
Many thanks
Lynda
Interesting trip report, keep up the good work. Thanks to you two beautiful ladies I can plan my future trips with fun activities to do. Your articles are the best on this site ๐
Let us know anytime if you need more info on something we covered…and thank you for such a nice compliment:)
Awesome photos. My wife definitely wants to return to Japan just to see the snow monkeys, so thanks for the inspiration and trip advice.
Can you tell us when did you visit? I couldn’t find that information in the post. It would be less fun to visit when there is no snow on the ground – you couldn’t call them “snow” monkeys ๐
-Scott, VacationCounts – Take More Vacation Time Off
There is usually snow in the area between December and March but best time is probably January or February- we went in the early part of Feb and they were true “snow” monkeys:) Your wife will love it!
Awesome photos!
Thanks!
Your photos are remarkable! What an amazing experience this must have been.
Thank you- this was definitely one of our favorite experiences!
Great post — I’ve seen pix of these monkeys before but now that I’ve seen your trip, it’s going into my bucket list. This kind of reminds me of the photo frenzy in Alaska when the bears come out to catch the salmon, but since it’s in Japan, I imagine it’s at least polite. And looking at your photos, it’s obvious you can get a good spot for photographing these little fellows.
We were pleasantly surprised how polite everyone was- no pushing or jumping in front of other people. Watching the bears catch salmon in Alaska is on our bucket list but we’ll have to prepare ourselves for the photo frenzy;)
AHHHH SO CUTE! Definitely on my Japan list of things to see! Great pics!
Thanks! The little ones especially are such cuties!
Hi, love your post! We are planning to visit the monkeys in October and are now more excited than ever. One quick question – could you please tell me the name of the “seriously fab” ryokan you mentioned? ๐ We would like to stay there if available. Thank you!!
We wrote about the ryokan here: http://thetravelsisters.boardingarea.com/jinpyokaku-ryokan-review-kambayashi-onsen-nagano-japan/ This ryokan was convenient as it was close to the start of the trail but there are many more options in the town near the train station as well. Hope you enjoy the monkeys as much as we did.
Wow, this is so awesome! Great photography of those cheeky guys. I bet this was an incredible experience.
Thanks! Definitely one of our all time favorite travel experiences.
I have always wanted to visit the snow monkey park in Japan. Fascinating! I didn’t realize the path to get there. Something to make sure tourists know. Great photos too!
wow, great pics u took. was wondering how many hrs u spent there? i would love to bring my 2 kids this december.. ๐
Hi Ann,
We spent about 2 hours watching the monkeys (not including walking time) but there is no need to stay that long. Your kids should love it!
Amazing article! I have never been there! I am going to visit Japan soon. I can`t wait. I have a list with all the destinations I want to visit. I think this monkey park will be prioritize. Best regards!
You will love it- have a great trip!
Such sweet faces. This is something I have wanted I have always wanted to do and is high on my bucket list. You are so lucky to have seen the Snow Monkeys!
Definitely “bucket list worthy” for us- and they were such cuties:)
Those monkeys are so cute. I would love to see them. They look pretty nice. I want to visit Japan some day. It’s the other side of the world, but hopefully some day soon. You have taken great pictures.
Thanks! We’d love to have many more travels to Japan too- it’s one of our favorite places.
Thanks!
Hi – love the pics, story and helpful info. I’m going myself in February so should have good snowy scenes! I see some tripods in the pics. Do you think they are necessary? Also, did you explore the town you were in? I’m thinking of stopping on the way back in the town of Obuse. Did you visit?
Diane, sorry we missed your comment before! Hope it’s not too late but we didn’t think tripods were necessary- most people did not have them and those who did were not using them consistently. Also, we did not have the time to stop in Obuse but wish we had as we heard it is a charming town. Have a great trip!
This was great!! I’m planning my trip to Japan next year and stumbled on your post ๐ Was it hard using the train from Tokyo (we plan to stay there) to Nagano? – For example, were the signs hard to read or to translate?
Thank you! ๐
Hi Luda,
I don’t remember it being difficult to get the train from Tokyo. I believe there are English signs as well as Japanese at the train station.
When we arrived to the train station there was an English speaking employee that wrote down in Japanese the train we wanted so that we could purchase tickets. The Japanese are very helpful and polite so I don’t think you should have any issues.
We were just there for New Year’s, my second visit. It’s such a magical place!
It really is a magical place! You are lucky to have visited twice. We would love to visit the snow monkeys again someday!
Love them! Great photos too! I could watch monkeys play for hours, they are hilarious, crazy and adorable! Wonderful post.
Thanks! They really are adorable and fun to watch. If it was not so cold that day we would have stayed more than a couple of hours.
I’m heading to japan next week. Do you think there will still be snow and snow monkeys around? Also, are the trains from Japan to the park covered in the JR pass?
How exciting! It is still winter in Japan so it is very likely that there will still be snow on the ground. (The monkeys can be seen year round even if there is no snow.)
With respect to the trains only 1 of the 2 trains you need to take to get to the park is covered in the JR pass-the first train between Tokyo and Nagano is covered by the JR pass but the train between Nagano to Yudanaka is not covered.
Let us know if you have any more questions and have a great trip!
Thank you so much for the reply!! Do you know how much the 3rd train is from Nagano to Yudanaka? Alsi, can you walk to the park from Yudanaka?
You only need to take 2 trains each way. The train to Nagano to Yudanaka is 1,260 yen (around $11USD). Not sure if you are familiar with hyperdia.com but you might find it useful. You can use it to look up train schedules and prices in Japan. Let us know if you have any other questions.
Hi Travel Sisters,
When you say you traveled on your own. You only pay the entrance fee? Thank you! You site is really helpful!
*your site is really helpful
Thanks! We paid for the entrance fee plus public transportation (2 train tickets each way).
Dear Travel Sisters,
Your blog is superb and extremely helpful!
My wife and I will be in Jigokudani Yaenkoen (Snow Monkey Park) on 22nd March 2017. In your opinion will a day suffice?
I’m a keen amateur photographer and would love to spend about 4-5 hours photographing these magnificent creatures. What are the crowds like? I’m a bit concerned that large crowds might prevent me from taking decent photographs. Your photos are brilliant by the way. Did you bring along a tripod?
I know you can’t predict the weather but do you think there might be a chance of snow in late March? Thanks and I look forward to your reply.
Hi Sacha,
Thanks for the kind words. A day would suffice to take photos of the snow monkeys especially if you are able to stay long enough at the park. There are the crowds so it is hard to get a good spot but if you wait around long enough people will leave and you can move to a better spot. Would also recommend going right when the park opens.
We did not bring a tripod. We saw a few people with one but in some spots a tripod would be hard to use. Also will be easier to get closer to the snow monkeys without a tripod.
There might be a chance of snow in late March – hopefully it will happen. Let us know if you have more questions.
We just published a detailed guide on how to visit the Japanese snow monkeys including when to visit, how to get there, where to stay and more:
https://thetravelsisters.com/japanese-snow-monkeys-jigokudani-snow-monkey-park-japan/
Seems like they the most innocent monkeys in the world. Its a worth visit place. One needs to be careful while walking, as the ground is very slippery.
Thank you for your interesting and informative article. I’m just wondering whether you think there will be snow there in early December – around the 10th?