Yamanouchi Reviews

The monkeys were very lovely and tame. The view was absolutely mesmerising and if you're here during winter season, please do have yourself a pair of waterproof shoes.

Need good snow / hiking boots for the climb but the monkeys are so worth it!

Very nice and beautiful, but make sure you visit when there is snow. Otherwise you won't enjoy it as much.

It is really a very beautiful spot and natural landscape, but the whole ground is slippery when it encounters snowmelt in winter, so be very careful, especially if you bring children and the elderly, because in the forty-minute journey, I have several times Slip carefully, but it's worth it when you see the beautiful scene

The most famous macaque park in Japan, where macaques bathe in the spa, in winter it's beautiful!

A long walk up so make sure you have warm clothes and solid hiking boots as there may very well be snow and ice. Once you get there though it is incredible. The snow monkeys are totally wild, but they are not afraid of people so you can get quite close to them take pictures and see them in hot spring.

The road to where the monkeys are is steep.
But monkeys, especially child monkeys, were so cute that they were worth going.

I must see, especially in the winter. Go when they open to see them eating.

Worth the visit, the walk up is beautiful and scenic, the monkies are beautiful and fun to be around and make for some truly wonderful photographs. Don't just focus on the pool though, the surrounding areas are equally, if not more interesting, in terms of monkey activities. More like an open air zoo than a wildlife park though,as the monkies are fed by the staff. It gets very packed along the day so expect lots of elbows in your photos. If you visit the entrance shop along the day be aware its very hot and your lenses will steam up and take quite a while to clear.

Saw the photos of the park millions of times, but quite a different experience to see it yourself. The park is really natural where the snow monkeys are free to roam around (in fact, we "met" many of them outside the park!).

If go via car, you need to walk around 2.5km (around 30min) from the parking area. The walking track is flat, but very slippery during winter. I was told you can also take a bus which bring you much closer. Although the bus is very infrequent (about 1 every hour), so you need to plan ahead.

The park itself is quite small, but many monkeys. We visited during winter and you can watch them bathing in the hot spring. Have to say I envy them!

Overall a great experience. The only "downside" is the number of parking slots is limited, but it is understandable.

Great experience. Monkeys are completely unphased by people. Steep steps and a long walk but worth it.

Amazing! Well, I love monkeys anyway, but here, you can see them roaming free, not caring if you are there or not.

It's wonderful. An absolute go to for everyone! Hundreds of wild monkeys just playing (or should I say monkeying around) between the visitors. You have to keep your distance, about 1 metre (3 feet). But while watching one monkey, the next just wanders right by you.

This park is so big, but the spot where you can see the monkeys is limited enough with spending within an hour. The monkeys are too cute just like babies doing their things without any attention to the human even when we get very close to them. Ofcourse you can not touch them but believe me, you will be so relaxing with the naughty boys, super models, cool gentlemen in this monkey society. The walking trail in the forest to the spot is so fresh and a bit epic. This pic is the most typical scene to have when you go to this park.

It's close to the monkey, so if you follow the prohibitions, you can enjoy it very much.

It is worth timing your visit to go on a cold day in order to see the monkeys in the water. Nice visitor center remodel! The cafe at the bottom of the hill is not to be missed either - reliably good chicken karaage, fresh garden salad, thick slab of tempura sweet potato, and vanilla soft serve. Wow!

Even during summer you can enjoy the monkies, they come pretty close and don't shy away for some nice pics! Would definetly recommend to go there for half a day.

This was a great experience although its a bit touristy. Best to visit in the morning when they first opened. Of course the photos were best when there's a pile of snow around.

It is quite a bit of a trek to the baths area and I do suggest considering renting the snow boots at the park entrance. (There is a elderly man trying to sell you spikes at the bus drop off spot but you can walk a quick 10mins to the park info booth and rent the boots for 800yen.) From there its about a 30min trek to the monkeys. The views were great! We didn't stay too long as we wanted to catch the highspeed bus back to Nagoya.

The best deal is to get the Snowmonkey Park Pass (3500 for 2days) includes transport and high speed buss and park entrance fee. You need to purchase this at the Nagano Dentetsu ( get out of Nagoya Shinkasen station). After my research I think the best way is to take the express bus option as it gets you directly to the park from Nagano. The train option requires you to change to another bus somewhere and of course takes longer. However there are limited runs, so please double check the express bus schedule. During ski season they have an earlier bus on Saturdays that takes you to the park just after 9. Also check the live stream cameras of the park to check conditions before you go.

A lot of Curious! ! I really have a hot spring! The best timing that overlaps with the rice time! ! Because of less snow? The road was muddy and it was hard to walk but it will be a good memory!

The monkey was too hot to take a hot spring.
But from the moment I entered the park, I met a lot of monkeys (laughs).
It's NG to touch, but I got closer to it!
There were a lot of small monkeys and it was cute.

The gathering of wild monkeys, in the cold winter, and humans, soaking in the warm hot springs, and enjoying the comfort of the hot springs, is a very special place.

A must see site. Monkeys are pretty fearless around humans. Still, there are stupid humans trying to get too close or trying to get monkeys to touch them. No monkeys actually lounging in water while we were there, but many we at the pool's edge.

Such a cool experience. One of my 14 year old son s favorite experiences of the trip. He would have stayed for many more hours than we had. The walk in was easy although a bit slippery in the snow but so worth it!! So many monkeys of all ages and personalities. I felt like we were watching a monkey soap opera with some love, fighting, and general funny antics from the many monkeys there. They walk right by you but really ignore everything but each other and the environment. Really really cool experience.

Watching monkeys have a bath was the best thing I have ever witnessed on my entire life.

So thrilled to see this place! The monkeys were peaceful and close. I was able get some decent photos. Beautiful snow covered walk. Nice facilities to rest and snack. Thank you.

An animal lovers heaven, especially for those who are in to photography. Nothing too domesticated or invasive, very close proximity to the animals. For cameras a 50mm already gets you great shots and anything above 200mm is almost redundant.

Lovely monkey onsen park. Nice walkway through the large three wood. Admission fee is 800 yen but really worth it.

A unique experience, but not the most interesting one.

Worth to walk upto the 2 kilometers monkey onsen!
There were lot of monkeys bathing !
Better to wear snow boots, avoid plastic covers / bottles!

Without snow and only mud, we should have given it a miss. Why monkey around when a nice onsen awaits in your hotel. The muddy track must be improved before luring the Olympic tourists.

Very unique and quite well organised. A long (1.6km) and slippery walk to the monkey spa. You may be able to manage a monket encounter without paying the entry fee, but it is well worth it.

Visiting the snow monkies is a must do but remember they are wild animals and not tourist show animals...show respect. The walk to get to the monkey park through typical japanese lamdscapes of pines and maples just adds to the experience

Visited on a rest day during a snowboarding trip to Hakuba Valley. Completed the trip on a guided tour and it took up most of the day.
Nice walk, little less than 2kms to reach the furthest point and where the snow monkeys relax in the hot spring. Went on a cold and cloudy day which is best to see multiple monkeys in the hot spring.

It's a classic. Monkeys, snow, what more do you need?

The distance between the monkeys and the tourists is exquisite, and the two are keeping good manners. You will be healed by the lovely appearance of a baby monkey.

The monkey is cute, but the road on the way is frozen and slippery slipping is dangerous with ordinary soles

Loved loved loved!!! I can't say it enough. One of the best experiences of my life.

Went in mid december and there was plenty of snow, highly recommend hiring snow boots or grip ons as it gets very slippery on the trail. Was such a great experience, it something you simply have to do! Monkeys were great and completly ignoring all humans which made a nice change from other countries monkey populations. Had a great experience! Dont forget your camera!

It is also interesting to see the people who are gathering!

I walked the forest road for 30 minutes.
I thought it was not hot in the summer evening, but I ran into feeding time and saw many monkeys.
It wasn't in the hot spring though.

Awesome experience watching the snow monkeys. Trail is 30-40 mins walking. In the wintertime, buy or have shoes with clip on spikes. Plenty of black ice on the trail.

Really fun and great experience for kids. It gets crowded so I would try to get there at opening or after 2pm.

Although it's a nice walk to and from the park there were more people than monkeys! I went on Saturday, so perhaps other days or not so busy. Still, the scenery is nice and I was able to get some nice photos and videos of the monkeys. I saw monkeys all over Shiga Kogen in the wild. Bottom line is I think this place is worth a visit if you take a day off from the slopes as there's nothing else to do anyway :-)

It is a pity that I can not see a monkey in a hot spring in the winter when it is summer, but still it is a valuable experience to see a monkey near here. You can unwind when you see a monkey taking a nap slowly or watching her grooming.
Traffic is good, but the way to get to the parking lot is narrow and it is good to have a person with confidence in driving as it is difficult to exchange cars coming from across. The parking lot is 500 yen, and it will become a public garden when walking for about 10 minutes. There are also gravel roads along the way, so sneakers are recommended. Admission fee is 800 yen.

Super cute monkeys!!! About 2km walk to the park. The easiest way is to take a. Bus from Nagano train station.

Beautiful! I recommend visiting it while it is snowed. Nice experience to see animals in their natural habitat

I am surprised at the number of foreign tourists. You may not be able to board the return bus unless you check the time in advance and line up at the bus stop early.

I absolutely love this place. You have to visit this place when you visit Japan. I took a bus from Nagano bus station to the Snow monkey park. The hike to the top took about 30 minutes but it was worth it. The monkeys were so cute but do not get too close to them as they may scratch you. If you are visiting this park during winter, you can step into the room with a heater to stay warm. There is a Jigokudani onsen near the Snow Monkey Park and a halal cafe when you exit the park.

You can see where the wild monkey is in the hot spring at close range.
I walk a narrow and steep mountain path to a hot spring. I recommend you go with easy walking clothes and shoes.

A great place for a day trip with kids. It's really fun watching the monkeys enjoying themselves in the onsen.

We went October 2019. We saw 1 monkey up close in stairs. Not on hot spring.

We only stayed for 1 night. The day we arrived there were no monkeys. The sign at the gate tells you before you walk up.

The next day we arrived at 9. Beautiful easy walk for most of it. A few parts had stairs for a couple of metres.

We had to wait 30minutes before we saw a monkey - yes 1 monkey . (they are nomadic and in the wild so we knew we may not see any).

Definitely worth it if you LOVE monkeys like me.

I came when it was pouring and cold, so could've had a better experience if it wasn't for the bad weather. The hike up to the mountain was pleasant, not to steep or slippery despite the rain. There weren't a lot of monkeys, perhaps they're all hiding due to the cold and definitely not in the water (onsen) as advertised, but nonetheless worthwhile to visit.

Anyway, the monkeys have a gentle personality and are cute! I'm glad I went.
The monkeys there are so adorable and they are not scared of human beings. So they will sit next to you or do n t mind if you are around.

Waiting for the snow monkey to soak in the hot spring

Because there are no monkeys, there is no admission; but the road from Snow Monkey Resort to the entrance to the Monkey Garden is not too long, and it is easy to walk. However, it is almost a lot of people who want to walk on this road. We; almost no Japanese tourists.

A MUST DO! Climb not too bad and all worth it. Our giude was super and driver safe.

It s raining on the road here. Although I am soaked, I can see you enjoying the hot springs, and I feel happy.

Pictures do not do this place justice. Was an incredible experience. I think the monkeys love getting there photos taken more then we love taking them ;)

On a cold winter day, we can see monkeys onsen. The walk into the atmosphere is very good. This is a good place to start.

Be sure to dress warm! 1.6Km walk and very slippery path.

Monkeys everywhere! They didn't seem to mind the attention either.

Monkey in hot spring. Recommended to check bus time. The walk from bus stop to peek at monkey bathing is around 1hour depending on walking speed

Good for trekking with kids. Parking was not enough. Monkeys are friendly.

Get up close and personal to the snow monkey. Even during seasons where there are no snow, they are pretty active doing their monkey business.

The walk towards the monkey park thru a cooling forest trail was also very nice.

The area before the trail has many cafe and soba stores

It's a very nice walk through a beautiful cedar forest to the entrance of the park. A small group of monkeys frequent the area just before the climb to the entrance. Inside the park there are several picturesque onsen pools that the monkeys hang out in. Bring a long lens if you want good photos. We went on a rainy Saturday with no snowand it was very crowded

the baby monkeys were very cute and a good excersise

In summer, there is no monkey that took in the bath, but you can see small monkeys playing around the bath. It is very pleasant.

It's basically a zoo/ feeding frenzy, but we saw a lot of monkey's!

Love the hike, the snow and the monkeys! Wonderful place!

Interesting to see those monkeys gathered around the pool. They can be very aggressive if you get too near them

The monkey park was well worth visiting. It was great fun seeing the monkeys run around the snowy hills and bathe in the hot springs. We were very lucky with when we went, as there was fresh snow on the ground, and it was sunny.

There is about a 30 minute walk from the bus stop up to the monkey park, but it is similar to a very simple bush walk (though it can be a bit icy in winter).

As we neared the monkey park, we could already see monkeys running around on the paths and in the snow. There were quite a few monkeys enjoying the hot springs on the cold winter s day.

The area can get crowded with tourists, so try to go as early as possible.

The park is very small despite some of the pictures making it seem big! Be aware that the monkeys are not always roaming in the designated area for tourists. We were lucky to have come to the park during feeding time to see lots of monkeys. I think this would be better visiting in winter.
The park does do a good job of informing you if monkeys will be visible so you don't waste your ticket.

Worth the trek if you like monkeys! You can get very close to these tame monkeys and their cute babies. The road into the park has a difficult first 100m but is very flat afterwards. Apparently late September is low season for seeing animals, we went in late December and there were at least 50!

I have to walk a lot on the mountain road, but it's worth it! It was fun enough to go again.

One of the best places we went in Japan. So secluded and beautiful in the mountains with almost tame monkeys who just sit around and walk right past you. Incredible!!

Is pretty cool but considering that the monkeys really aren't in there pure natural habitat, they are fed by the owners of that land it would be cooler to see them in the wild in a more natural habitat

It takes about 90 minutes to walk, and it takes about 3 minutes to go back and forth. It is recommended to eat Takino or bring wild food before entering the park, and walk to local food fields along the way. It is worth a look

It is obviously amazing to see the monkeys, but would have liked it if people stayed further away (maybe a barrier?) so they arent putting cameras right in their faces!