Private Tour
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
On this tour, spend a full-day in Nagano exploring the city and enjoying what this quaint town has to offer. Your English-speaking tour guide will pick you up from your hotel or Nagano Train Station at 8:45 AM. You will either take public transportation (train and bus) or private chartered vehicle around town based on your booking.
Immerse yourself in the city's culture and visit major Nagano attractions such as Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, the famous Zenkoji Temple, Hokusai Museum, Obuse Town, and relax in a traditional onsen/ hot spring (optional).
Wheelchair accessible
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Children must be accompanied by an adult.
A current valid passport is required on the day of travel
Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Wheelchair accessible at most places (not including Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park)
For this tour, if we provide train tickets: we will send train tickets to the guests’ hotel in Tokyo (the hotel which guests are staying at before their Nagano trip). Please provide: 1) Hotel Name in Tokyo, 2) Guest Name who booked the hotel, 3) Confirmation Number, and 4) Dates of Stay at the hotel in Tokyo.
Snow Monkeys in warmer seasons: The snow starts to melt in March, and the snow monkeys may not bathe as often as they did in the winter to keep warm. Guests may see the snow monkeys taking a swim as the park staff gives them lunch, but unlike winter months, there are definitely days when the monkeys just do not feel like entering the bath. When it is warm and the sun is out, the monkeys tend to be more active and move around the area. The monkeys are more likely to be grooming in the warmer seasons. While Winter is not the only time to see snow monkeys, please note that they are wild animals and it is difficult to predict their behavior. You can still visit the Snow Monkey Park, but seeing the snow monkeys and watching them bathe is not always guaranteed.
Guests must provide information (name, age) of each guest. A current valid passport is required on the day of travel.
Age Requirement: Guests of all ages can attend this tour, but a booking must be made for each person. Adult pricing applies to guests age 12 to 99. Child pricing applies to guests age 6 – 11. Young child pricing applies to guests age 1 – 5. In this private group tour, there must be at least one person that is 18 years or older.
PLEASE FILL OUT THE TOUR FORM: After your booking, you will receive a link to the Nagano Form (within 48 hours) that asks for pertinent information required for this booking. Please ensure that this Nagano Form is completed accurately at least 7 days before your tour date.
Once you’ve booked the Nagano Full Day Tour with Japan Awaits you’ll receive a form with a variety of itinerary options to suit your vehicle option and essential information to complete your booking.
How far in advance should I book?Preparing a customized tour requires some time, especially if reservations for restaurants or other venues are required. We recommend making a reservation as early as possible. Ideally, it should be 3 months before your travel date, or 1 month before the travel date at the very least. For Custom Tour bookings that are requested with less than 7 days before the travel date, we may not be able to arrange your custom tour in time so your booking request may be cancelled and you will receive a full refund.
Although this is a private tour, the tour guide will only wait for you for up to 30 minutes of start time before the tour is cancelled
Japan Awaits is a licensed tour operator in Japan, with hundreds of registered and vetted tour guides nationwide. We offer tours in any location in Japan and manage all details, including transportation and tickets. Visit Japan Awaits to learn more about our tours or inquire about a custom experience today.
Private Vehicle option: The tour guide and driver will pick up guests from hotels located within a 10km radius of Nagano Station.
Public Transportation option: Please be aware that the tour will commence at Nagano station.
Cancellation Policy:
Cancellation fee of 100% is charged if cancelled 14 days or less before the event
Cancellation fee of 50% is charged if cancelled 21 days or less before the event
Cancellation fee of 25% is charged if cancelled 30 days or less before the event
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Private Vehicle option: visit 3 attractions within Nagano City
Hotel pickup and drop-off (selected hotels within Central Nagano only)
Private tour with English-speaking (or other available language) tour guide
Public Transportation option: visit 2 attractions within Nagano City
Transportation within Nagano City
Food and drinks
Onsen (hot spring) fee (if applicable)
Other optional activities for guests .
Entrance fee to Zenko-ji Temple, Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park for the guests
This activity ends back at the meeting point.
Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park
The Jigokudani Monkey Park (地獄谷野猿公苑, Jigokudani Yaen Kōen) offers visitors the unique experience of seeing wild monkeys bathing in a natural hot spring. The park is inhabited by Japanese Macaques, which are also known as Snow Monkeys.
Zenko-ji Temple
Zenkō-ji is a Buddhist temple located in the city of Nagano, Japan. The temple was built in the 7th century. The modern city of Nagano began as a town built around the temple.
Private tour : The tour will start at Nagano Station at 8:45 AM with private vehicle.
Public Transportation : Train, Bus or other public transportation within Nagano City
Public Transport+Train ticket: Public Transportation (train, bus or other public transportation) within Nagano City and train tickets from/to Tokyo
Private Vehicle w/ Tokyo train: Private tour also includes round-trip bullet train from Tokyo (must be booked 2 weeks from tour date).
70 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
John C,
Apr 16, 2025
- Viator
It was a private tour with a great guide. Hori knew a lot about the region as well as the snow monkeys. Managed some great photos and then had an interesting walk around Obuse before a Sake tasting session. Worth the cost of the private guide as we were also interested in learning about the Nagano Prefecture and Hori was able to do this for us.
Natalie P,
Mar 16, 2025
- Viator
Our tour guide was Hori and he was absolutely fantastic! His knowledge of the area and history behind everything was great. Our experience was so much fun. The hike was icy when we went in March so I definitely recommend having good traction shoes or spikes to go up and down the path. It is well worth the walk to see the monkeys in their natural habitat. The Zenko-ji temple was beautiful and wonderful to walk around.
David F,
Nov 30, 2024
- Viator
By far the best part was visiting the snow monkey park. This is one of the most fun things you can do in Japan if you’re an animal lover. Way better than an owl cafe.
BrianMegan K,
Sep 22, 2024
- Viator
We had a wonderful day with Hori! He was very knowledgeable about Nagano and we saw some beautiful landmarks. Our favorite was the snow monkey park!
Shibaji S,
Apr 8, 2024
- Viator
Our guide Horiuchi-San was an absolute gem, he was knowledgeable, well-prepared, and is great company! The tour driver (I forgot his name) was just great, he drove safely and was very friendly. The lunch spot was just great, great food and atmosphere. Horiuchi-San messaged us a few days before the tour introducing himself and giving us a brief summary of what we will cover. Moreover, his instructions on the meeting time and spot were clear and unambiguous. We took the train from Tokyo to Nagano on the morning of and had no issues finding Horiuchi-San in the Nagano station. At the end of the tour, he accompanied us to the train station and saw us off. The tour itself was exactly as described. Moreover, Horiuchi-San gave extensive descriptions as we drove to the site, then accompanied us to the site while continuing to provide a local's perspective of the rich cultural heritage. He also gave us many recommendations on shopping as we visited the marketplaces, and in Obuse town. He also injected humor into the conversation and made us feel at home, it was like traveling with a friend! We will for sure return to Nagano as the area has so much to offer, and hope to meet Horiuchi-San again.
Operated by Japan Awaits