Japan Awaits

Enjoy an exclusive 1-day excursion to Nagano city (in Nagano Prefecture) tailored for your group’s enjoyment. With a dedicated English-speaking guide, you’ll explore the city, visiting renowned sites like the snow monkeys, the iconic Zenkoji Temple, and concluding your day with a soothing soak in a traditional onsen (hot springs).

• Nagano City is well-known for hosting the 1998 Winter Olympic Games and while some of the former Olympic facilities can still be viewed in Nagano, the city has since evolved as a temple town revolving around the famous Zenkoji Temple, and is best to visit during the Spring Season (for cherry blossoms), Summer Season (for hiking and other outdoor activities), the Fall Season (for autumn foliage) and the Winter Season (for winter activities and for seeing the snow monkeys).
• 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 Station at 8:45 AM. You will either take public transportation (train and bus) or private chartered vehicle around town based on your booking.
• Explore the stunning Zenko-ji temple, indulge in a guided sake tasting and savor a delicious lunch in Obuse. Alternatively, visit the Snow Monkey Park to catch a glimpse of adorable monkeys soaking in hot springs or take a leisurely walk along a breathtaking path flanked by 400-year-old cedar trees and a frozen lake in Togakushi. With several itinerary options to choose from, you can select the one that best suits your preferences.
• Once you’ve booked the Nagano Private Full Day Tour: Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji, Obuse Town, Sake and Onsen, you’ll receive a form with a variety of itinerary options to suit your vehicle option and essential information to complete your booking.

Seasonal Recommendations for This Tour:

Spring Cherry Blossom (Sakura) Viewing: Mid-April to Early-May

Summer Outdoor Activities: Late-May to Late-September

Autumn Foliage (Koyo) Viewing: Early-October to Late-November

Winter Festivities: Early-December to Late-March

• Inclusions:
  • • Transportation within Nagano City (either public transportation or private chartered vehicle for your group only)
      – 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.
    • English-speaking tour guide
• Exclusions:
  • • Round-trip bullet train from Tokyo Station to Nagano Station (free for visitors with JR pass). Train tickets (for those who do not have JR pass) available as add-on at checkout.
    • Meals, snacks and drinks
    • Entrance fee to Zenko-ji Temple,  Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park for the guests
    • Onsen (hot spring) fee: 700 JPY to 1000 JPY per person
    • Other optional activities for guests (the guests would also have to cover the entrance fee for the tour guide for locations guest would like to visit that is not on the itinerary.

 Location Options:

• Snow Monkey Park
• Shibu Onsen
• Obuse Town
• Zenkoji Temple

  Availability:

• All year round, but especially recommended during Spring (for cherry blossoms), Summer (for outdoor activities such as hiking and cycling), Fall (for autumn foliage) and Winter (for snow monkeys and winter festivities).
• The monkeys enter the onsen all year round, but sometimes the park wardens will encourage the monkeys by throwing food into the pool, especially during the warmer seasons of the year. Please understand that these are wild monkeys so there may be times when the monkeys would not come out from the forest. 

  Location: Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture

  Time: 8:45 AM (may be earlier depending on availability, or later depending on location of hotel). The full tour is between 7.5 to 8 hours.

  Requirements:

• Must provide names of all guests and birth dates
• A current valid passport is required on the day of travel

Additional information:

• 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.
• For this tour, if we provide train tickets from Tokyo and return (add-on cost when booking): 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) Name of guest 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.

Winter in Nagano

In winter, the walking trail to the Snow Monkey Park may get slippery, so please wear winter shoes (sometimes provided by the hotel/ryokan guests are staying at). The temperatures in Nagano are much colder than Tokyo, so please prepare warm clothes.

Private Tour

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).

Payment

All bookings is payable via Stripe (Booking Checkout) or Flywire. Confirmations regarding your booking will be sent at least 10 days before your activity date.

Cancellation Policy

Standard Cancellation Policy:

How far in advance should I book?

Nagano City is a popular destination from Tokyo. We recommend making a reservation as early as possible and ideally, at least a month in advance.

When is it Peak Season and what does that mean for this tour?

There are many peak seasons in Nagano, but it is especially busy during the Autumn and Winter Seasons. During these peak seasons, there will be heavy traffic on the roads and may take two to three times the duration to travel between locations.

Other peak holidays include Golden Week (May 6th to 27th), the Obon Holidays (August 11th to 20th), and the New Year Holidays (December 28th – January 6th).

Why am I charged a service fee if I make a cancellation after you started planning the trip?