Snow Monkey Park, Soba Lunch and Shibu Onsen Tour

Overview

Available languages

Japanese

English

Turkish

Mobile ticket

We’ll begin with a visit to the famous Snow Monkey Park, where you can watch wild Japanese macaques enjoying a soak in the hot springs—set in the peaceful mountains of Nagano.

After the walk, we’ll head over to the nearby Shibu Onsen area, a beautiful historic hot spring town. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant here, featuring freshly made soba noodles and other regional specialties.

After lunch, you’ll have time to unwind in one of Shibu Onsen’s public baths. The mineral-rich waters are said to have healing properties and offer the perfect way to relax.

And for a bit of extra fun, there’s the chance to collect stamps from different hot springs using a special towel—a local tradition that adds a playful touch to your visit.

Whether you're here to relax, explore, or enjoy good food and drink, this tour offers a great mix of what makes Nagano special.

Optional free pick-up support available upon request.

Our tours start from April 15, 2025.Join us for an amazing experience

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby

Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

What To Expect

Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park

We’ll begin with a visit to the famous Snow Monkey Park, where you can watch wild Japanese macaques enjoying a soak in the hot springs—set in the peaceful mountains of Nagano. Important Notice about Snow Monkeys Please note that in September, October, and November, the snow monkeys visit the park less frequently compared to other months. On rare occasions, the number of monkeys may be very low or none at all. In such cases, we will guide you to a nearby beautiful waterfall as an alternative experience.

2 hours • Admission Included

Located just a short walk from the Snow Monkey Park, Enza Cafe is the perfect spot to grab a snack. If you like sweet treats, we recommend trying the apple pie here.

10 minutes • Admission Not Included

What‘s Included

Onsen Entrance fee

Free shuttle service provided

Soba Lunch in Shibu Onsen

Admission Fee (Snow Monkey Park)

Onsen stamp towel

Snacks

Pickup points

Shibu Onsen Kadoya

2201 Hirao Yamanouchi-machi Japan

Hotel Iwatoya

Tsubame Onsen, Myoko Japan

Shiga Kogen Olympic Hotel

Ichinose Shigakogen, Yamanouchi-machi Japan

Koishiya Ryokan

2277 Hirao, Yamanouchi-machi Japan

Options

Tour +Towel + Yukata (Rent)

Tour +Towel + Yukata (Rent): Yukata Rental: A traditional Japanese robe that you can rent to wear while exploring the charming streets of Shibu Onsen.
Pickup included

Snow Monkey Park, Shibu Onsen & Soba Lunch

Pickup included

Tour + Onsen Stamp Towel

Onsen Stamp Towel: This special towel is offered to guests visiting onsens in Japan, allowing them to collect stamps or seals from each onsen
Pickup included

Reviews

5.00

15 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Fantastic day
Lian A,,Jan 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
This was excellent. Our guide was knowledgeable, patient and generous. He showed us around, told us lots of local stories and got us into the best places. We thought we could do this on our own… but we were so glad to have a guide with us. We did this with our 9 year old and she had a great time. We saw so many monkeys, got great photos, and the lunch was the best Soba Ive had in Japan. The onsen at the end of the day was perfect. Highly recommend this tour.
Must do
Susan W,,Dec 25, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
This tour was wonderful. The guide had planned the tour when the monkeys were being fed by the park attendant. All these monkey started running down the hillside. It was so cool. The soba noodle lunch was very good. The guide was knowledgeable and really wanted to make us happy. Definitely worth your time in Japan.
Would definitely...
Liam F,,Nov 20, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Would definitely recommend this tour, our guide Umut was lovely and personable. We really enjoyed the waterfall view and would recommend other travellers to take this stop if they have time to spare on their trip.
It was magical and would do it again!
chrishQ3026CC,,Nov 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We loved the hike through the woods and got to see the Snow Monkeys. We also went to see the waterfall and took a dip in several of the Onsen. It was magical and would do it again!
Great trip
Madhuri R,,Nov 16, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
Wonderful spent the with our guide Umut and visited the snow monkey park and Shibu Onsen. It was a great experience. Umut made the whole day very special sharing his experiences adapting to Japan and sharing the local cultural norms. We had a wonderful soba lunch at a local restaurant at the Onsen village run by a Japanese couple. Umut went above and beyond his regular duties when after the tour I discovered that I had left my jacket somewhere. He backtracked our steps, found my jacket and hand delivered it to my hotel the next day!! Thank you!!
Snow Monkeys and Shibu Onsen tour
Owen W,,Nov 11, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00
We had a great day. We were the only people on the tour for the day and our guide Umet was very friendly and knowledgeable. We saw the snow monkeys and visited local onsen. We were advised about the temperature of the onsen at Shibu Onsen and chose the coolest temperature number 9 which was still very hot. Lunch was at a very traditional Japanese restaurant, small and cosy sitting on the floor. A great day overall and definitely recommend this tour.
Best way to visit Snow Monkey Park
amysN5715CR,,Oct 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Guide Umut Haner from Shibs Tour picked us up in a van and took us to the park. He was very knowledgeable about the park and, being local, the area and Japanese culture. This time of year is not guaranteed to see monkeys, but we were very fortunate that there were more than 100 individuals. On the way back to the car park, we stopped for the hand-held apple pies, made from fresh local apples. They were delicious! The hike was pretty easy and only took about 20 minutes from the car to the Monkey Park. Afterwards, we had time to see Kanmandaki falls that isn't accessible to view in the winter. Then, we had an amazing lunch and time in onsen. It was a great way to relax. We highly recommend this tour.
Snow Monkeys
Moonah,,Oct 22, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
We had a great experience with Umut of Shibs Tours! Although there are few snow monkeys at the park in October we were lucky enough to see one. The beautiful scenery made for a peaceful and memorable day. Lunch was a highlight — the soba noodles were absolutely delicious, and we were pleasantly surprised by the fantastic apple pie! Umut was an excellent guide — knowledgeable, friendly, and made everything run smoothly.
Nagano Adventure
Petealoo,,Oct 21, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
A very nice tour. Even though we didn’t see snow monkeys, we enjoyed walking in the park. The soba lunch was delicious, and the Shibu Onsen very relaxing. Our guide, Umut, was friendly, helpful, and flexible.
The best of Shiba onsen
charity lorenzen,,Sep 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Had a wonderful time! Apparently September is not a great time to see snow monkeys but our guide was very knowledgeable and accommodating. He advised us to wait a little bit for the monkeys ro show up and they did! The soba lunch was delicious. The weather was too hot to sit in onsens so our guide took us to a gorgeous waterfall instead. Highly recommend this excursion!