Getting to Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
| Leg | How | Time | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nagano Station East Exit to Snow Monkey Park stop | Shiga Kogen express bus | Forty-one minutes | Two thousand yen |
| Snow Monkey Park stop to the park entrance | On foot along an unpaved path | About thirty minutes | No fare, on foot |
Coming in by Train via Yudanaka
Board the Nagano Dentetsu limited express at Nagano Station and ride thirty-eight minutes to Yudanaka Station. From Yudanaka Station, a local bus reaches the Snow Monkey Park stop in about ten minutes, where the walk in begins.
The Shiga Kogen express bus keeps its summer service from early April to early December, so check official information before visiting.
Hours and the Path Into the Park
Arrive during the summer hours, which from April to October run from half past eight in the morning to five in the afternoon. From November to March the park is open from nine in the morning to four in the afternoon.
Leave wheelchairs and carts behind, because the path into the park is unpaved and they cannot be used on it. In autumn the monkeys grow more active, and their movements around the park turn irregular.
Where to stay
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Seasons in the Valley
Time a winter visit for mid-December or later, when snow begins to pile up in the valley in a typical year. Heavy snow over one night is not unusual here. The monkeys soak in the hot spring to get through the harsh winter of the valley.
Visit between late April and late June, when the monkeys give birth. Because the valley sits high up, even midsummer days seldom turn hot.
Onsen Towns Near the Park
From Shibu Onsen, follow the Yokoyu River about two and a half kilometres upstream and you reach Jigokudani Yaen-koen, the park itself. If you are not staying overnight at an inn in Shibu Onsen, the Oyu is the bath that you can use.
Day-use bathing at the Oyu runs from ten in the morning to five in the afternoon. The day-use fee at the Oyu is eight hundred yen for an adult and five hundred yen for a child.
Kaede-no-yu, the hot spring at the Yudanaka railway stop, has natural spring water in an indoor bath and an outdoor bath. To begin the ride to the park in the morning, spend the night before in the city and compare places to stay in Nagano city.