TOUR REVIEW · FROM NOZAWA · 10 h
From Nozawa Onsen: Snow Monkeys and Zenko-ji Day Trip & Sake — the only tour that leaves from Nozawa Onsen
4.92 · 16 REVIEWS ON GETYOURGUIDE · MACHINOVATE JAPAN LTD.
One departure, from one ski village, with the ¥800 (≈$5.1) gate fee, lunch and a sake tasting in the price. Two and a half hours at the park, then Zenkō-ji.
- FOR
- Anyone staying in Nozawa Onsen. There is no second option from there, and the alternative is two buses and a train each way arranged yourself.
- NOT FOR
- Anyone not in Nozawa. From anywhere else this is a longer road to the same park for the same money.
- THE CATCH
- It scores 5.0 on guide, transport and value — on sixteen reviews. That is a small sample and this page is not going to pretend otherwise.
Prices, scores and review counts are a snapshot of 7 Sep 2026 from the operator’s GetYourGuide listing. Converted at ¥156 = $1, the rate on that date. Itinerary durations are the operator’s own.
What the $140 (≈¥21,800) buys — and what it doesn’t
Entry includedBoth lists are the operator’s own.
INCLUDED
- Transportation fee from / to Nozawa Onsen and all listed activities / attractions
- Snow Monkey Park entrance fee
- Lunch (vegetarian options are available)
- Sake tasting
- English-speaking guide
NOT INCLUDED
- Additional food, snacks & drinks
- Optional entrance fee to the inner sanctuary of Zenko-ji Temple
- Shinkansen / ‘Bullet Train’ tickets
- Accommodation
- Any guarantee the monkeys come down — park staff work to attract the monkeys during opening hours, but the monkeys may not show up at all on certain days
¥5,100 (≈$33) by train or ¥6,800 (≈$44) by express bus from Nagano Station, both including the ¥800 (≈$5.1) entry and the return — the park’s own totals. What that does not buy is the guide, the lunch or anything else on the list to the left.
$140 vs ¥5,100–6,800Where the paid day goes, in minutes
2 h 30 at the park of 9 h 10The operator publishes its itinerary by segment. Laid end to end and to scale, this is what a seat buys. It isn’t a complaint — it’s what the product is.
Every segment, in minutes
- Bus/coach · 1 h 10
- Jigokudani Monkey Park · 2 h 30
- Local restaurant · 45 min
- Bus/coach · 1 h 15
- Zenko-ji Temple · 1 h 30
- Secret stop · 30 min
- Bus/coach · 1 h 30
The ticket is included, which among the per-person tours is the difference between a $136 (≈¥21,200) day and a $136 day plus a queue at the window.
What the scores say — three numbers, not one star
guide 5.0GetYourGuide publishes the overall score across every review, and sub-scores once a listing has enough of them. Shown on a 4.0–5.0 scale so they can be told apart.
Reading it: this tour’s lowest of the three is guide at 5.0. Across the catalogue, value for money is the lowest score a listing publishes in 12 of the 16 tours that publish any. The thin ticks are those catalogue averages.
THE SAMPLE4 quotes from the 8 reviews GetYourGuide shows first, out of 16. The platform surfaces its best-rated reviews first, so this is not a cross-section — it is the top of the pile, with the caveats left in.147 OF THE 157 REVIEWS THE PLATFORM SHOWS FIRST ACROSS 21 TOURS HERE ARE FIVE-STAR
«Kei was an absolutely amazing guide, and we loved our trip so much! The lunch was much better than we expected considering it wasn’t the main attraction, and it was in a beautiful old building with breathtaking architecture. The timing for the monkey tour wasn’t too crowded and the temple was wonderful! Highly recommen»5 ★Kira · United States · March 6, 2026
«Such a great tour with Dillon! He took the time to talk to each of us and tailored the trip to our small group, being flexible with time spent at each location. He is very knowledgeable and sought out answers to unfamiliar questions. Highly recommended a great day experience!»5 ★Hammond · Australia · March 5, 2026
«It was a great experience, made only possible by an awesome guide Endo!»5 ★Lisa · Australia · January 20, 2026
«This day trip was more than beyond our expectations. It was an amazing experience for family, so easy to sit back on the beautiful bus and lets our guide take us….and it just seemed like it was an upscale tour. Our tour guide was a beautiful, sweet woman that knew history about everything where she took us from the tem»5 ★Lori · United States · January 12, 2026
underlined = the caveat inside the review, kept on purpose
Who this tour isn’t for — in the operator’s own words
Read before bookingA significant amount of…
A significant amount of walking is required to get to and from the Snow Monkey Park, along an unsealed forest trail so please wear appropriate shoes / boots
The trail and park…
The trail and park are likely to be affected by snow and ice. Please ensure that you are wearing suitable shoes/boots and warm clothing. If required, rental boots are available close to the monkey park and crampons can also be purchased
Follow the Snow Monkey…
Follow the Snow Monkey Park rules at all times. Guests are not permitted to touch, hold, feed or bathe with the monkeys at any time. There are no barriers separating the monkeys from visitors to the park. Please ensure you keep a minimum distance of 1 to 2 meters between yourself and the monkeys. Your guide will explain the rules prior to entering the park
During the winter it…
During the winter it is common to see the snow monkeys enjoying the hot spring, however please note that the monkeys are wild animals and there is no guarantee that there will be monkeys in the water at the time of your visit
If this isn’t quite it — the ones that might be
Same catalogueEvery card links to that tour’s own page on this site, with its own verdict.
Nagano: Snow Monkeys & Togakushi Shrine Two-Spot in-One Day
8 hours from Nagano · park entry paid at the gate.
$202 PP · $403 FOR ONE4.9 · 45 REVIEWSTHE REVIEW →IF YOU ARE SLEEPING IN TOKYOTokyo: Luxury Private Snow Monkey Park & Zenko-ji Tour
1 day from Tokyo · park entry paid at the gate.
$526 PER VEHICLE4.7 · 213 REVIEWSTHE REVIEW →ANOTHER DAY IN THIS CATALOGUETogakushi & Best of Nagano: Snow Monkeys, Obuse and more
5 - 8.5 hours from Nagano · park entry paid at the gate.
$131 PP · $255 FOR ONE4.7 · 18 REVIEWSTHE REVIEW →Is it worth it? And 4 more honest answers
Is the $140 (≈¥21,800) tour worth it?
Against ¥5,100–6,800 (≈$33–44) for the same journey alone, it buys transportation fee from / to nozawa onsen and all listed activities / attractions, snow monkey park entrance fee, lunch (vegetarian options are available). 16 reviewers rate it 4.92, and its lowest sub-score is guide at 5.0.
How much time is spent with the monkeys?
2 h 30 at the park by the operator’s own itinerary, and that includes the 1.6–2 km trail in and out.
Is the park entry included?
Yes — the ¥800 (≈$5.1) adult ticket is in the price.
Are the monkeys guaranteed?
No. Park staff work to attract the monkeys during opening hours, but the monkeys may not show up at all on certain days; appearances are particularly sporadic in autumn — no operator and no price changes that.
Are the reviews on this page representative?
No, and we say so: they are 4 of the 8 reviews GetYourGuide shows first, out of 16. The platform surfaces its best-rated first. What can be read honestly is the overall score and the sub-scores, which it computes across all of them.
If the shape of the day suits you, this is where to book it — live dates and the operator’s own calendar, at the price above.
LIVE DATES · $140 (≈¥21,800) · MIN 2 · 10 HOURS · 4.92 / 16
2 h 30 at the pool, and everything the day wraps around it
That is the product. If it is the day you want, 16 people before you rated it 4.92. If you want the park to be the whole day, the itineraries page has a plan for that.
Check dates, $140, min 2