Jigokudani Monkey Park
地獄谷野猿公苑
The only place on Earth where wild monkeys soak in a natural hot spring, at the end of a snowy forest trail
About Jigokudani Monkey Park
Jigokudani Monkey Park is where the famous snow monkey photos come from: wild Japanese macaques sitting chest-deep in a steaming onsen pool while snow settles on their fur. The troop of around 160 monkeys lives free in the mountains of Yamanouchi and comes down to the valley because the park feeds them, so they ignore visitors almost completely and carry on grooming, squabbling, and bathing at arm's length. The catch is that bathing is a cold-weather behaviour. From roughly December to March the pool is busy and the scenery is white; in summer the monkeys are still around but rarely in the water. Reaching the pool means a 1.6 km walk through cedar forest from the road, which is half the charm and, in winter, half the challenge.
Essential Tips
Winter is the point. The monkeys bathe reliably from roughly December to March; in summer they are present but almost never in the water. Plan accordingly and do not expect the postcard scene in July
The only way in is a 1.6 km forest trail from the road, 30-40 minutes each way. In winter it is packed snow and ice: wear boots with grip or buy attachable traction spikes near Nagano Station (¥1,000-1,500)
Arrive at opening (around 9 AM in winter). Organized tours from Tokyo and Nagano arrive after noon and the pool-side viewing area gets tight
Admission is ¥1,000 adults, ¥500 children from December 1, 2026 (¥800 and ¥400 before), cash only at the gate, or ¥880 and ¥440 as web tickets. There is no ticket machine on the trail, so have coins or small notes ready
Check the official live camera before committing. The monkeys are wild and very occasionally stay in the mountains, especially on mild days outside winter
Simplest access: the express bus from Nagano Station East Exit to the Snow Monkey Park stop, about 40 minutes, then the trail. Alternative: Nagano Dentetsu train to Yudanaka (45 min, ¥1,230, not JR Pass covered) plus a short local bus
Using the train? The Snow Monkey Pass (about ¥3,600, valid 2 days) bundles Nagaden trains, local buses, and park admission and beats buying pieces separately
Do not touch or feed the monkeys, do not stare directly into their eyes, and keep all food and plastic bags zipped away; they will investigate anything crinkly
No selfie sticks near the monkeys and no flash at close range. The animals ignore calm humans; keep it that way
Toilets exist only at the trailhead and park entrance, not along the trail
Pair the park with a night in Shibu Onsen (Kanaguya or Yoroduya, book 1-2 months ahead for winter weekends) or, on a day trip, with Zenko-ji back in Nagano city before dark
Dress warmer than you think for standing still at the pool; the valley sits at around 850 m and winter days stay below freezing
Don't Miss
The Bathing Pool at Arm's Length
The onsen pool sits in the open with no barrier between you and the monkeys, and because the troop has been watched by humans for sixty years, they treat visitors as furniture. In cold weather you can stand two metres from a macaque dozing in the steam with snow piling on its head. Watch the pool edge for the best moments: mothers dunking reluctant infants, juveniles bombing in, seniors staking out the hottest corner.
The Forest Trail Itself
The 1.6 km approach through tall cedar forest is not an obstacle, it is the opening act. In winter the path is a packed-snow corridor with the valley steaming ahead of you; monkeys often appear along the trail before you reach the gate. Budget 30-40 minutes each way and treat the icy stretches with respect.
The Steaming Valley Floor
Jigokudani means Hell Valley, named long before the monkeys made it cute. From the park you can see steam venting from the riverbanks and a natural hot spring fountain shooting from the valley floor below the ryokan. In freezing weather the whole gorge smokes, which is exactly why the monkeys chose it.
Shibu Onsen After the Monkeys
The Edo-period onsen town of Shibu Onsen is a short bus or taxi ride back down the valley: narrow cobbled lanes, wooden ryokan, and nine public bathhouses that overnight guests tour in yukata with a wooden key. Kanaguya, the most photographed ryokan in town, has been operating since 1758. Pairing the park with a Shibu Onsen night turns a long day trip into the best overnight in Nagano.
What to Do Here
Winter Morning Day Trip from Nagano
The classic snow monkey run. Take the express bus from Nagano Station East Exit (about 40 minutes) or the Nagano Dentetsu train to Yudanaka plus a local bus, walk the forest trail, and have the pool in good light before the tour groups land after noon. Back in Nagano by mid-afternoon with time for Zenko-ji before dark, which makes this one of the best-value single days in the region.
Tips:
- Wear boots with grip. Attachable traction spikes cost ¥1,000-1,500 at outdoor shops near Nagano Station and are worth every yen on the icy trail
- The express bus is the simplest route: Nagano Station East Exit to the Snow Monkey Park stop, then the 1.6 km trail
- Check the park's live camera over breakfast; if the pool is empty on a mild day, consider swapping your plans
- Buy the Snow Monkey Pass (about ¥3,600) if using the train: it covers Nagaden trains, local buses, and park admission over 2 days
- The gate and trailhead area have the only toilets; go before you start walking
Overnight in Shibu Onsen
Stay in a wooden ryokan in Shibu Onsen, do the nine-bathhouse circuit in yukata after dinner, and reach the park at opening the next morning ahead of every day-tripper from Tokyo. The town is 10 minutes by bus or taxi from the trailhead, and ryokan staff will drive you to the trail in the morning if you ask. This is the itinerary the day trip cannot match.
Tips:
- Kanaguya (since 1758) and Yoroduya are the historic picks; book 1-2 months ahead for winter weekends
- The nine public baths are free for overnight guests; your ryokan lends the key that opens them
- Bath number nine, O-yu, is the big one, said to grant good fortune if you finish the full circuit
- An early start from Shibu puts you at the pool 2-3 hours before the tour buses
Green Season Visit
Be honest with yourself about summer: the monkeys are almost always present because the park feeds them, but they have no reason to sit in hot water, so the famous bathing scene mostly does not happen. What you get instead is a pleasant forest walk, baby monkeys born in spring tumbling around the riverbanks, and a fraction of the winter crowds. Worth it if you are in Nagano anyway; not worth building a trip around.
Tips:
- Spring babies (born roughly April to June) are the green season's real draw
- Longer summer hours (about 8:30 AM to 5 PM) make it easy to combine with Shiga Kogen hiking
- Mosquito repellent helps on the forest trail in July and August
- Very occasionally the monkeys stay in the mountains and skip the park; the live camera tells you before you commit
Snow Monkey Photography Session
The monkeys ignore humans, hold poses for minutes at a time, and sit in rising steam against white snow. Few wildlife subjects anywhere are this cooperative. Work the pool edge at monkey eye level for the classic portraits, and keep shooting during snowfall, which is when the best frames happen.
Tips:
- No selfie sticks, tripods extended into the pool area, or flash close to the animals; handheld at eye level works best anyway
- Falling snow beats blue sky for atmosphere; do not cancel because of the forecast
- A short telephoto (70-200mm equivalent) gets tight portraits without crowding anyone
- Cold kills batteries fast; keep a spare in an inside pocket
- Never touch, feed, or stare directly into a monkey's eyes, and keep food and plastic bags zipped inside your pack
Plan Your Visit
Opening Hours
winter
Around 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM (November to March)
summer
Around 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM (April to October)
note
Times shift slightly with daylight and weather; the official site posts current hours and a live camera of the pool. The park is open year-round with no fixed closing days, but heavy snow can occasionally close the trail.
Best Time to Visit
A winter weekday morning, December to March, arriving at opening. Cold weather sends the monkeys into the water, morning light is best in the steep valley, and the organized tours from Tokyo and Nagano land after noon.
Avoid:
January and February weekend afternoons, Lunar New Year week, and any winter afternoon after the tour buses arrive
Nearby
Kanbayashi Onsen
The small onsen hamlet at the trailhead, with the park entrance path, parking, and a couple of ryokan and cafes for a post-walk warm-up.
1.6 km
Shibu Onsen
Edo-period onsen town with cobbled lanes, historic wooden ryokan, and a nine-bathhouse circuit for overnight guests. The natural overnight pairing.
2.5 km
Yudanaka Onsen
The railhead onsen town where the Nagano Dentetsu line ends; more modern than Shibu, with a free footbath outside the station.
3.5 km
Shiga Kogen
Japan's largest connected ski area in winter and an alpine hiking plateau in summer; buses continue up from the Snow Monkey Park stop.
10 km up the same road
Gallery
The scene that made the park famous: the pool works December to March, when the cold drives the monkeys in
The 1.6 km approach trail: 30-40 minutes each way, and icy enough in winter to justify traction spikes
The troop treats visitors as furniture, so portraits at two metres are normal here
Hell Valley earning its name: geothermal steam vents kept this gorge warm long before the park existed
Shibu Onsen, 10 minutes down the valley: stay overnight and beat every tour bus to the pool
History
founding
The park opened in 1964 after a very Japanese property dispute: the local macaque troop, displaced by ski development higher up the mountain, discovered the outdoor baths of Kanbayashi Onsen's ryokan and started using them. Rather than drive the monkeys off, a local railway employee named Sogo Hara championed building them a dedicated pool in the valley, with daily feeding to keep the troop out of the human baths and away from surrounding farms.
significance
A 1970 LIFE magazine cover of a macaque soaking in the steaming pool made the snow monkeys internationally famous, and they have been a fixture of nature documentaries ever since. Japanese macaques are the northernmost-living non-human primates in the world, and Jigokudani remains the only place where wild monkeys habitually bathe in a natural hot spring. Researchers have studied the troop continuously for decades, making it one of the best-documented wild primate groups anywhere.
name Origin
Jigokudani means 'Hell Valley', a common name for Japanese geothermal areas where steam vents and boiling water break through the ground. The steep gorge smokes year-round, which looked infernal to earlier generations and looks like a private spa to the monkeys.
Getting There
Nagaden Express Bus from Nagano Station
Station: Nagano Station East Exit to Snow Monkey Park stop
Walk: 30-40 minutes on the 1.6 km forest trail from the bus stop
The simplest route: around 40 minutes direct, timed reasonably for a morning arrival. Not JR Pass covered. In winter the buses fill up, so be at the stop early.
Nagano Dentetsu Train + Local Bus
Station: Nagano Station (Nagaden platforms) to Yudanaka Station, then bus to the Snow Monkey Park stop
Walk: 30-40 minutes on the forest trail from the bus stop
45 minutes to Yudanaka, then a short bus ride up the valley. Not JR Pass covered; buy at the Nagano Dentetsu counter inside Nagano Station. The Snow Monkey Pass (about ¥3,600, valid 2 days) covers this whole route plus park admission and is the better buy.
Car or Taxi
Station: Kanbayashi Onsen parking area
Walk: 30-40 minutes on the forest trail from the parking area
There is no road to the park itself; everyone walks the final 1.6 km. In winter the mountain roads need snow tires or chains, so the bus is usually the saner choice.
Location
6845 Yamanouchi, Shimotakai District, Nagano 381-0401
Nearest: Yudanaka Station (Nagano Dentetsu Line), then bus; or direct express bus from Nagano Station (1.6 km forest trail from the Kanbayashi Onsen trailhead, 30-40 minutes on foot)
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