Yamanouchi Reviews

Amazing place, relaxing and watching the snow monkey's wandering around

3.2 km back and forth, it is difficult to walk because of snow and mud.

Beautiful setting, a very nice walk in. A few staircases, but nothing to long or steep. The young monkeys are very cute, and overall there were more monkeys than we expected. Almost got discouraged to go after seeing the lonely planet entry, but glad we ignored it and went. Access is easy from Nagano, get the snow monkey pass, and take the snow monkey express and a bus, then it's a half hour to 45 min walk in.

It takes about 25 minutes to walk from the place where you get off. The scenery is very special. The monkey is not afraid of being born and will pass by the tourists at any time.

A bit small and hard to get to - almost 30 mins walk from the entrance and the path is muddy and snowed in, so wear hiking shoes or snow boots. Worth the visit though.

You can always meet a wild monkey. But in my old memories, I felt like I was just walking along the river.
This time, there were many foreigners.

Not your average tourist spot!

This is a must see for visitors to Japan. The setting and surrounding town are absolutely beautiful and the people are as kind and friendly as can be. The park itself is stunning and the monkeys are plentiful and fascinating. It is not a zoo; the monkeys very much behave naturally despite their comfort around humans. It is a great opportunity to observe monkey behavior up close in a beautiful natural setting. For less than $10, this is one of the highlights of our trip for sure.

It's worth going to but highly recommend to go early, it less crowded

Hands down my favorite experience in Japan. It was strange to get so close to the monkeys. Whatever you do, do not point at them. Do not stare at them in the eye. One stupid tourist pointed at one and he showed his teeth. They are really long and sharp! Do not be stupid. Just enjoy the snow monkeys. Take your photos and leave in peace.

Visit snow monkey here. Prepare easy-to-clean shoes to go there. A pathway to the park quite slippery due to snow and slush. Do not touch or try to catch monkey.

I did not see any monkeys in the hot spring because I visited there in early summer. Instead, most monkeys hold babies and are cute.
It costs 500 yen at the parking lot and 800 yen for admission. I think that people with bad legs can not go because the way to the site is bad.

Monkeys are very cute and not afraid of people. Although it was not snowing, monkeys were bathing. When you finally come out, you can see the skeleton specimen of the monkey, and a piece of fur can be touched.

Being so close to the monkeys is an adorable experience! The countryside around the facilities is beautiful too. Access is not easy but that's understandable. Be informed that the park is not that huge. But definitely worth it.

Fantastic experience. #1 tourist attraction in Japan.

If you love monkeys this is a must visit! We got to see so many baby monkeys with their mamas as well.

Although it is very tired, it is worth to take a look.

We went to Jigokudani in the middle of winter. I highly recommend visiting during the snowy months, too; the monkeys were plentiful and always eager to jump into the hot springs. The only downside is that the park and surrounding town appears to be mostly catered to Western tourists. That could be a plus for some people, I suppose, but it's certainly not the best place to immerse yourself in Japanese culture.

Still, Arashiyama made a wonderful side trip for a couple of nights.

You can see monkeys up close. The appearance of being soaked in hot water is very cute.

Beautiful and relaxing .. In winter I think it's more fun to see the monkeys swim in the onsens

Good for little hiking. You should prepare snow shoe in winter. It's very slidly. Monkey is not good just normal monkey walk and drink.

Hot spring for a group of Japanese monkeys. Interesting.
It is hard to find, so it is worth walking into the forest in the valley.

Nothing special, because there is no snow, no monkey sinking in water

Amazing place. Be aware that those monkeys can be aggressive.

100% recommended place.

Without a doubt if you have the possibility of going through Nagano this is one of your must-see visits.

The place is very unique.

To get there you need to take a walk in the forest of about 2km. At the beginning it is a bit of a slope but very little and then the great part is done in plain.

Recommended to go with good mountain shoes and more if it is wet since it forms a lot of mud.

It s beautiful after the snow is on the trail, but can you see the monkey hot springs?

It was a great hike to the park from the bus stop. It was not very cold and we arrived at the time of feed. That ment that no monkey was in the water. Still great experience. Monkeys are playng and running around. It was worth to see.

Anyway cute!
A lot of monkeys, a good distance and a great healing place! However, be careful as you get intimidated if you get too close!

A lovely park to go to winter surrounded by nature (vegetable and animal) to go with iron paintings because, but, the slippery snow / ice are the bread of each day. A recommendable 100%

You can see wild monkeys at a very close distance. Since it is wild, it is not always seen, so it is recommended to check in advance on the homepage etc.

You can observe Japanese macaques in front of you. I feel like I've entered Monkey Mountain.

There is plenty of free parking at the entrance. If arriving on a cold day or if it's been raining it's worth while to rent some shoes and pants. Available at the gate . The trail gets very muddy and wet. From the entrance the initial 30 meters is pretty steep and then flattens out to me a 15 - 20 minute walk to the park entrance. Once you pay and enter it's another 5 minutes until you arrive at the main site. Very busy with tourists which takes some of the magic away but definitely worth the visit

small but nice and good information got a privet tour

Many cute monkey children
Little monkey is cute

Touristy place, it's not very tidy and clean to be a so visited spot.. The walk through the Bush is nice.

Worth checking out. Monkeys everywhere.
Very scenic and work having plenty of space on the camera. Just load up the pockets of other vending machine coffees to keep the hands warm ;)

I went to Golden Week. I want to come again when there is snow.

Just awesome ! Many monkeys in a beautiful setting. It plays, it removes lice, it bathes, it sleeps ...

Undeniably unique and worth the effort to get here.

The park is superbly maintained but extremely small (hint: you can cover it in less than 10 minutes). The macaques are a sight to behold, but it becomes a boring sight after a while; most of them are fighting for food (thrown by the park More

I must come once in a lifetime! The scenery is beautiful. The monkeys are so cute!! The rest places are also well maintained. There is no violation of the rules of the public. Unfortunately, it is not cold enough. There are not many monkeys jumping into the soup~

Amazing experience. Would highly recommend to anyone visiting Japan - especially during the winter months. Definitely better to see the monkeys in their natural state.

Walk less than 2km from the parking lot. Careful attention is required in winter because the scaffolding is also frozen. Also, don't forget to take measures against the cold because it is very cold.
It is a spot with many foreign tourists.
The appearance of the monkey in the hot spring is very cute.

One monkey. The season was early in the first week of November. If it snows, you can see monkeys taking a bath I will try again. However, the road is bad and it is difficult to walk, so please wear proper shoes. The autumn leaves were beautiful.

You can see the monkeys up close, they go around and don't mind the humans. There are a lot of monkeys but they don't go much in the pool unless it's cold.

Such a beautiful place and had ton of fun with the kids. couple side note when accessing the park. The closest parking/route to the park is close in the winter until April. The closet parking to get there is use the free parking at Kanbayashi. There are bus (once per hour) cost 190 yen one way to the same parking from Shibu onsen. The monkey has a entry fee 800 yen for adults. The 30 minutes trail walk to the park can be very muddy and slippy after rain.

Quiet an interesting experience to see those monkeys out in wildlife, enjoying the war hotspring water during the cold period. It is a bit of a walk from the parking lot to get there and there are many people on the same mission. Bring good shoes as the path can be very muddy during the warmer period.

You can reach to the park by public transport like Bus/Train or by Car. If you are coming by Bus then you need to walk for long 45mins walk and if you are coming by Car then it is just 1.6KM distance that can be covered in around 20mins. There is free car parking at the base and lots of small restaurants if you need to refuel or get a drink.

The park is a long trek up hill about 1.6km trail so be prepared to climb and wear comfortable shoes. Winter time the real can be slippery so good shoes is a must! There are some steps but mostly natural trail that's about 1.5m wide.

The monkeys are so cute and adorable it's definitely worth the hike.

Loved this place would love to come during different times

You can observe the snow ape very closely. It is worth visiting. It takes about 25 minutes to walk from the entrance to the park entrance. In winter, there are snow and ice, and you need to wear suitable shoes.

I was here and very amazed by the monkeys here. They're not very friendly, but not scary either, so it's safe for children to come here

Wonderful, magical place with Japanese Macaque monkeys aplenty! We watched them play and swim in the hot spring. There were many babies! The trail up to the reserve is a bit muddy this time of year, but we had no trouble with it.

Excellent day out, especially on a sunny winter day with snow covering everything. The walk from the bus stop is not hard, and the forest trail is beautiful. The monkeys are territorial and can be aggressive but will ignore you if you stay out of their way.

The path you have to walk to get to the park is beautiful, peaceful, full of nature, and truly enjoyable. However, the park itself, the place where you can see the monkeys is quite underwhelming. The best way I could describe it is "tourist trap". The onsen (hot spring) is man-made; there's a river nearby, and you can see all the pipes that feed the hot spring running along the river. The place is incredibly crowded with tourists, which clearly upsets some of the monkeys.

Is very interesting. The animals are also fed in summer. Otherwise they would have been gone for many visitors.

This is a special place. It was so much fun to see the monkeys. I would recommend visiting this place if you're in the area. The walk up is wonderful because you stroll through the cedar forest.

A valuable spot where you can see wild monkeys soaking in hot springs. However, it was a bit disappointing that monkeys were entering the hot spring by spreading the food in the hot spring.
In addition, it is necessary to walk the mountain road for about 20 minutes on foot from the parking lot, but on bad weather or the day after rainy weather, the mountain road becomes muddy and your shoes and lower body will be miserable. There are some parts that can not be helped because it is in the mountains, but we want to improve it by laying and paving gravel.

So worth it. Amazing park. Monkeys everywhere, even when there is barely any snow. It's also very beautiful. Take the train to Yudanaka station which is a beautiful ride. Then when you get to the station people will point you straight to the bus stand which has English and is only about 350yen. You don't need a guide for this trip.

A must winter visit!

I can t believe I only visited this place on my 3rd visit to Japan. During winter it s amazing, the walk to the park and the park itself is a snow filled paradise with awesome monkeys. My only complaint would be that there is a lot of people, however this is just expected given the location and notoriety, so it s not that big of a deal.

In winter you start your journey to the park by walking through a beautiful forest on a snow-covered path. There are great views along the way. It is not a difficult walk but it is long so be prepared for that.

The park itself is well worth the small entrance fee. You can spend as long as you want in the monkey area, unfortunately there are restrictions on the camera equipment you can bring in, so no selfie sticks/ tri-pods and gimbals (grey area). There is the risk of the monkeys not being there as I have read from some reviews, however we visited on a day where monkeys where everywhere which made for a great experience.
Be sure to follow the rules, so no food or drinks.

The entire trip is day tripable from Tokyo, however there are plenty of accommodation options nearby if you want to spend the night.
Overall be sure to check out the photos for this review, and this is defiantly worth a visit!

Just gotta loved the snow monkey! You can save Get a 2 days pass (bus/train and park fees). Be careful as the trail can be slippery and icy. Bring a crampon or a hiking pole.
Witnessed a senior who fell during the hike up to the monkey area. The park ranger and the emergency staff respond with a amazing professionalism.

To see absolutely, to go there very early, to see at the opening time to have the least possible people on the spot. Remember to take good shoes. The place is accessible only after a long walk.

The park is nice but the surrounding area is simply amazing, especially in winter!

the walk in is brutal especially during winter (1/6/2012), it took us 40 min. but once you're there, it truly is amazing.

Smaller than expected but nonetheless completely worth it. After a nice hike through the forest ending up at the clearing where the monkeys are just hanging around is quite rewarding. The animals choose to ignore you even when you/or they themselves get close.

Nice place to visit. Be prepared to walk about 4km or almost 2 miles. Path is snow covered in the winter. The snow monkeys are great and will walk amongst people without bothering anyone. The story behind how this attraction started is pretty interesting as well.

Worth seeing the monkeys if you are in the area. Thoroughly enjoyed the experience and the views

I think you shouldn't recommend elder people to go there if you don't want them hurt their knees

I think I have to go. But really, personally, think nothing.
The hot spring is a man-made pond.

Its unique but over hyped to see monkeys swimming in onsen. Lots of monkeys but they were used to tourists. Be prepared for a long walk. Visited on Sunday so it was crowded.

The one and only place to visit on your journey, through sibhu onden. Be warned it is a 30 min walk from the car park on slippery track, but we'll worth it.

Nice walk in the forest before arriving at the park entrance. Monkeys that were there by the hundreds, before and after the fee entry. We spent several hours watching them in their natural environment at the ready! Site visits were not excessive at this time of the year.

Even though there were no monkey's due to warmer weather, the walk through the park was stunning!

It was snowing when we did the 40 minutes hike to see the monkeys at the hot spring but it was worth the hike. All the monkeys were there and they were so cute grooming each other and carrying their babies on their back.

Wonderful. Great animals and you can spend as much time as you want, in no way bored. The animals are fed by the staff, otherwise there would probably be too little food for the numerous monkeys there. It's worth it!

There is a lot of walking to get to the monkey park itself so we aware of this especially if you're bringing children. Also if you go in winter you will NEED shoes with good grip. You can hire this there but better to be prepared :) There More