Shiga Kogen is a ski area in the mountains of Nagano. One tour from Nagano Station adds time in its snow to the walk to the hot pool.
The short answer
The snow monkey tour with Shiga Kogen is a Machinovate day of about nine hours from the Kokusai 21 area at Nagano Station, with sledding and snow play up in the ski area and lunch. It suits families and anyone who wants to play in the snow without skiing. If temples and sake interest you more than snow, the Machinovate tour with Zenko-ji from the same station is the better day.
Pick the day you want to see the monkeys, or the first and last day of your trip. We look at the booking calendar of every tour from Tokyo, Nagano and the ski resorts and list the ones that still take bookings.
Starts at: Nagano
Starts at: Nagano Station or Hakuba
Both tours on this page leave from Nagano Station and both end at the hot pool of Jigokudani. They part ways over what fills the rest of the day: a ski area in the mountains, or a temple and a sake tasting in the city.
| Photo | Tour | Starts at | Besides the park | Length of the day | Lunch | Reviews ↕ | Price ↕ | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji and Sake from Nagano Machinovate Japan Ltd | Nagano Station or Hakuba | Zenko-ji with a guide, sake tasting | 8 to 12 h | Included | ★ 4.9 (992) | $137per person | Book now |
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Snow Monkeys and Snow Fun in Shiga Kogen Machinovate Japan Ltd | Nagano Station, Kokusai 21 | Sledding and snow play in Shiga Kogen | About 9 h | Lunch | ★ 5.0 (55) | $163per person | Book now |
Each price is the one GetYourGuide or Viator shows right now, taxes and fees included. Shared tours are charged per person and private tours usually per vehicle; the line under the price tells you which.
Open a card for the start point, the stops and what the tour leaves out.
From Nagano Station via Yudanaka to the monkey park and the snow of Shiga Kogen, in about nine hours.
A winter day from Nagano Station that pairs the monkey park with time in the snow at Shiga Kogen. The itinerary passes Yudanaka on the way.
The meeting point is the Kokusai 21 area at Nagano Station.
Nagano Station (Kokusai 21).
Facts from the tour listing on the booking platform, checked in November 2026.
Where each tour starts and ends, how you get there from Tokyo, the time at the park and whether ticket and lunch are part of it. "Not stated" means the listing does not say.
| Tour | Starts at | From Tokyo | Whole trip | Time at the park | Ends at | Park ticket | Lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow Monkeys and Snow Fun in Shiga Kogen | Nagano | Shinkansen to Nagano on your own | 9 h | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Lunch |
| Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple and Sake Day Trip from Nagano | Nagano Station or Hakuba | Shinkansen to Nagano on your own | 8–12 h | 3 h | Back at the start point | Included | Lunch |
Taken from the tour listings, checked in November 2026. The length of the whole day is the operator's figure.
Zenko-ji, a sake tasting and lunch instead of the ski area.
Zenko-ji with a guide, sake tasting, lunch and the park ticket.
A group day trip that starts in Nagano, not in Tokyo. Pickup is at Nagano Station or, for skiers, at hotels in Hakuba. The day combines Zenko-ji temple in Nagano city, a sake tasting, lunch and the walk to the monkey pools at Jigokudani.
Guests coming from Tokyo take the Shinkansen to Nagano on their own; the train is not part of the tour.
Nagano Station, or hotel pickup in Hakuba (Happo area) for the Hakuba option.
Facts from the tour listing on the booking platform, checked in November 2026.
The tour meets at the Kokusai 21 area of Nagano Station and drives towards Yudanaka in the valley. Up in Shiga Kogen there is time for sledding and playing in the snow; no ski kit is needed. The walk to the monkeys is part of the day as on every tour, 30 to 40 minutes each way on a winter path of packed snow, so wear boots with grip. The path to the park.
Shiga Kogen is a ski area, and its season for 2026 to 2027 is given as 5 December to 5 May. The snow play needs snow, so this is a winter tour; check the dates on the booking page before you plan around it. The listing does not say whether the park ticket is included, so look at the inclusions when you book. In winter, tickets may need to be reserved for a time slot.
For families this is the tour with the most for children to do besides watching the monkeys. Expect a long day outdoors: on the path to the park, temperatures can drop to around minus ten degrees in winter. Dress children in layers, with waterproof gloves for the sledding. Prams cannot be used on the forest path.
The review below covers both halves of the day: the snow play up in Shiga Kogen and the walk to the pool.
“The snow scooters at the park were very fun, and lunch was great! The snow monkey park was absolutely beautiful, and the monkeys made it even better. My husband and I enjoyed the hike itself as much as we enjoyed watching the monkeys. … We did this as a day trip from Tokyo and highly recommend!”
Real traveller reviews from GetYourGuide.
At Nagano Station, in the Kokusai 21 area. From Tokyo you take the Shinkansen to Nagano yourself.
No. The tour is about sledding and snow play, not skiing.
About nine hours from Nagano Station.
