Source: Wikimedia Commons · Stanislav Beloglazov, CC BY-SA 4.0
The park is three legs from Tokyo and the last one is a bus. Then there is a 30-minute walk in snow, a gate that shuts at 16:00 from November, and a last bus off the hill at 17:00. The order decides whether the day works.
1Three legs, and the last one is a bus
Jigokudani sits in a gorge 850 m up in northern Nagano, at the end of a 2 km footpath above Kamibayashi Onsen. Nothing drives to the gate. The access page lays the trip out: Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano, fastest 79 minutes; Nagano Dentetsu to Yudanaka, 38 minutes by express; a bus to the Snow Monkey Park stop, then the walk.
That bus is the leg people get wrong. Route 20, the Kamibayashi line, leaves Yudanaka station six times a day (09:18, 10:48, 11:53, 13:33, 15:58 and 18:43) and reaches the park stop ten minutes later. Miss one and the next is an hour away, which is most of a monkey.
Source: Wikimedia Commons · Mister0124, CC BY-SA 4.0
From 5 December 2026 to 5 April 2027 there is a second way in, and in the snow season it is the better one. The Ex24 express runs from Nagano station's east exit to the park stop in 50 minutes, every 20 to 30 minutes, first at 08:00 and last at 13:30. It is capacity-controlled: buy the combined bus-and-admission ticket online before you travel, because the counter at the east exit stops selling once a departure is full and nothing can be paid on board.
The train route stays open all winter and is the cheaper of the two. It is also an hour slower each way, which is what you are paying the express bus to skip.
Source: Wikimedia Commons · くろふね, CC BY 3.0
2Which ticket actually covers it
| Ticket | Adult / child | What it covers | What it leaves out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snow Monkey Pass | ¥4,800 / ¥2,400 | One day unlimited on the Nagano Dentetsu line, one local-bus round trip between Yudanaka and the park stop, admission once; express unreserved charge included | Tokyo to Nagano; the Ex24 express bus. Sold 1 April to 30 September 2026, valid on the day of purchase |
| Snow Monkey Pass for Bus | ¥6,800 / ¥3,400 in winter; ¥4,800 / ¥2,400 in summer | The Ex24 express between Nagano east exit and the park stop, return, plus admission once | The train; the Yudanaka local bus. On sale to 4 December 2026 at the east exit counter |
| Legs bought singly | ¥1,660 + ¥100 each way on the train | Nagano to Yudanaka, plus the express charge; the local bus and the gate are separate | Nothing, and nothing is bundled |
| JR EAST PASS | ¥35,000 for 5 days / ¥50,000 for 10 | Tokyo to Nagano on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, and the rest of JR East | Every metre of the Nagano Dentetsu and every bus |
The pass most guides recommend is the rail one, and it is a summer product: a 2026 sales window of 1 April to 30 September, valid on the day of purchase, and no winter window posted. Last winter it was pulled altogether from 30 December to 4 January, because the park was past capacity and a prepaid ticket guaranteed nothing.
None of the rail tickets touch the shinkansen. Tokyo to Nagano is JR East's own fare, sold separately, and it is the largest single line in the day's cost.
3The shinkansen leg
Three trains work the line. Kagayaki is all reserved and stops least, Hakutaka carries unreserved cars 1 to 4, and Asama, the slowest, has unreserved cars 1 to 5 and the most departures. The park's access page quotes 79 minutes for the fastest of them; the bus timetable's own connecting train leaves Tokyo at 06:16 and reaches Nagano at 07:43.
The reserved-seat charge is not one number. JR East moves it by season: ¥200 off in the quiet weeks, ¥200 on in the busy ones and ¥400 on at the peak. Unreserved costs ¥530 under the normal-season reserved charge, all year. The same seat is four different prices across twelve months.
Coming back, the last two trains out of Nagano are the 21:17 Asama and the 22:11 Kagayaki. Both are far later than anyone needs on a monkey day, and both matter if the mountain closes in.
4The one-day timing that works
Sixteen minutes past six out of Tokyo, Nagano at 07:43, the 08:00 bus, the park stop at 08:50, and 30 to 35 minutes on the path: the gate at about 09:20, twenty minutes after it opens. The timetable asks for 20 minutes between train and bus, and this connection has 17.
Source: Wikimedia Commons · Suicasmo, CC BY-SA 4.0
Four hours in the park is generous; two is normal. Buses back leave the park stop every 20 to 30 minutes from 11:00. These are the two that matter.
| Leave the park | Nagano east exit | Shinkansen | Tokyo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14:40 | 15:35 | 15:52 | 17:28 |
| 16:30 | 17:25 | 17:56 | 19:20 |
| 17:00, the last bus | 17:55 | 18:17 | 19:48 |
Miss the 17:00 and the day stops being a day trip. The last shinkansen is 22:11, the local bus has finished, and the road from Kamibayashi Onsen runs 15 km over a mountain pass to Yudanaka. That is a taxi, or a room in Nagano.
An afternoon at Zenko-ji fits between the bus and the train if you take a morning bus back: the temple is 20 minutes from Nagano station by bus, and the station has lockers for a bag that should not go up a snowy path.
Source: Wikimedia Commons · くろふね, CC BY 4.0
5The 30-minute walk in
The bus stop is not the park. From Kamibayashi Onsen the path is about 2 km and 30 minutes; the park's route diagram prints 35 from the stop itself. It climbs, and the park is direct about the surface: unpaved, with steps, slopes and level changes, and no wheelchair or pushchair can use it. There is no shuttle for the last stretch, in any season.
Source: Wikimedia Commons · z tanuki, CC BY 3.0
From December the path is under snow and packed into ice at the shaded corners. Boots with a grip, or a pair of the strap-on spikes sold at the Yudanaka shops, are the difference between a walk and a fall. Trainers are not enough, and the park has no indoor space to sit out a soaking.
6Opening hours and the fee
| Season | Open | Last entry | Adult / child |
|---|---|---|---|
| April to October | 08:30–17:00 | Arrive by 16:30 | ¥800 / ¥400 |
| November to March | 09:00–16:00 | Arrive by 15:30 | ¥800 / ¥400 to 30 Nov 2026 |
| Groups of 20 or more | — | — | ¥680 / ¥340 |
| Disabled-person handbook | — | — | ¥400 / ¥200 |
Adults are 18 and over, children run from primary school to high school, and under-sixes are free with a parent. There is no senior discount, and an annual pass is ¥5,000 and ¥2,500.
The gate price changes on 1 December 2026: ¥1,000 for adults and ¥500 for children, ¥840 and ¥420 for groups of 20 or more, ¥500 and ¥250 with a disabled-person handbook, and the annual pass at ¥6,000 and ¥3,000. Web tickets, which the park sells through the winter, run ¥880 and ¥440, or ¥740 and ¥380 for groups, and they cannot carry the handbook discount. A December trip pays the new price, not the one on most pages.
No day of the year closes the park, though weather can shut it without notice.
From December to April a web ticket gets you through the gate ahead of the queue. The counter takes credit cards and e-money, not QR or barcode payments, so a phone-only wallet is not enough.
Source: Wikimedia Commons · y_a_s_u_, CC BY-SA 3.0
Rules are few and enforced. No touching, no feeding, no pets of any kind, guide dogs and assistance dogs included. It is not a bath and nobody joins the monkeys in the water. Children stay within arm's reach.
Jigokudani Yaen-koen 地獄谷野猿公苑
- Address
- 6845 Hirao, Yamanouchi-machi, Shimotakai-gun, Nagano 381-0401 · Map
- Hours
- 08:30–17:00 April to October; 09:00–16:00 November to March
- Closed
- None — open every day, though weather can close it at short notice
- Website
- jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp
7When the monkeys come down
This is a feeding station, not a zoo. The park says so: staff get the ground ready for the gate, and some days no monkey walks in at all. Autumn is the worst of it, because the troop ranges wide and keeps no routine.
Source: Wikimedia Commons · Asteiner, CC BY 3.0
The pool is a way of surviving the cold, not a habit: the monkeys are not in it around the clock, and winter is when they need it. Snow cover and a hard frost fill the water; a mild December or a day of heavy rain can leave it empty and the troop in the trees.
So December to March is the window, January and February are the best of it, and no ticket is refunded because the pool is empty. The bus operator writes that condition on the ticket page, twice.
8Money and small practicalities
Cash does the last mile: the local bus and the shops on the road up. Nagaden's trains cannot be entered with an IC card at all, though the ticket machines take one as payment, which is not the same thing as tapping through a gate.
Send the suitcase ahead. A 2 km path through snow is not a place for wheels, and the lockers at Nagano station belong to whoever gets there first on a December morning. The luggage forwarding guide has the counter hours and the cut-off for a same-day delivery.
Dress for a gorge at 850 m in January, under snow for about a third of the year: waterproof gloves, a hood that stays up in wind, and a layer you can take off in a bus that is overheated.
Keep reading Suica, PASMO or ICOCA: which IC card to actually buy in 2026
9Staying the night instead
Yudanaka is the railhead, so a night there turns the day into a morning at the pool without a 06:00 alarm. The buses leave from outside the station, and Shibu Onsen is four minutes up the same road: the 09:18 bus reaches it at 09:22.
Source: Wikimedia Commons · くろふね, CC BY 3.0
Shibu is for the bath circuit and the lane itself, and it puts you 10 minutes from the park stop in the morning. Yudanaka is plainer and closer to the train. Nagano city is the third option: a business hotel by the station, Zenko-ji in the evening, and both the shinkansen and the bus on the doorstep for an early start.
Source: Wikimedia Commons · Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0
Keep reading Onsen in Japan 2026: the rules, the tattoos and the first dip
10Questions and answers
The connection, the ticket, and what happens if the pool is empty.
Can you see the snow monkeys as a day trip from Tokyo?
Yes, with a 06:16 shinkansen from Tokyo. That reaches Nagano at 07:43, the 08:00 express bus puts you at the park stop at 08:50, and 30 to 35 minutes on foot gets you to a gate that opens at 09:00. The last bus off the hill leaves the park at 17:00 and puts you back in Tokyo at 19:48.
How much does the Snow Monkey Park cost?
¥800 for adults 18 and over and ¥400 for children from primary to high school until 30 November 2026, then ¥1,000 and ¥500 from 1 December, with under-sixes free with a parent. Groups of 20 or more pay ¥840 and ¥420 on the new price, a disabled-person handbook halves it, and a web ticket is ¥880 and ¥440. The park takes credit cards and e-money but not QR or barcode payments.
Does the Snow Monkey Pass cover the shinkansen?
No. The ¥4,800 pass covers one day of unlimited travel on the Nagano Dentetsu line, one round trip on the local bus between Yudanaka and the park, and admission once. Tokyo to Nagano is a separate JR East ticket. The pass is also a summer product: the 2026 sales window ran from 1 April to 30 September.
How long is the walk from the bus stop to the park?
About 2 km, or 30 minutes from Kamibayashi Onsen and 35 minutes from the Snow Monkey Park bus stop by the park's own route diagram. The path is unpaved with steps and slopes, and the park states that wheelchairs and pushchairs cannot use it.
Can I do it without a car?
Yes. Every route to Jigokudani is public transport plus the walk. In winter the Ex24 express runs from Nagano station's east exit to the park stop every 20 to 30 minutes; the rest of the year the way in is the Nagano Dentetsu to Yudanaka and route 20 to the park stop, six times a day.
Are the monkeys guaranteed to be in the hot spring?
No. The park is a feeding station, not a zoo, and it says outright that some days no monkeys appear. The pool is a way of surviving the cold, so December to March gives the best odds, and a warm winter or heavy rain can leave it empty. No ticket is refunded for an empty pool.
What time does the park open and close?
08:30 to 17:00 from April to October and 09:00 to 16:00 from November to March. It closes on no day of the year, though weather and the monkeys can shut it at short notice, and visitors are asked to arrive 30 minutes before closing. From December to April, web ticket holders get priority at the gate.
Can I touch or feed the monkeys?
No. The park forbids touching and feeding, bans pets including assistance dogs, and points out that it is not a bath: nobody gets in the water with the monkeys. Keep children within arm's reach.
| For the monkey day | Why before you go | Check tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel in Nagano | The 06:16 out of Tokyo only works if you are already up; a room by Nagano station turns the same day into a 07:43 start | Trip.com |
| Airport transfer | A same-day arrival from Narita or Haneda does not make the first shinkansen, so the transfer has to land the night before | Kiwitaxi |
| Japan eSIM | The express bus runs to capacity and the ticket is bought online on the morning, so the phone has to work at Nagano east exit | Airalo |
Keep reading
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Sources
- Jigokudani Yaen-koen — opening hours of 08:30 to 17:00 from April to October and 09:00 to 16:00 from November to March, no closing day, the request to arrive 30 minutes before closing, and the warning that weather can close the park at short notice (jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/guide)
- Jigokudani Yaen-koen — admission of ¥800 for adults 18 and over, ¥400 for primary to high school, free under six with a parent, ¥680 and ¥340 for groups of 20 or more, ¥400 and ¥200 with a disabled-person handbook, annual pass at ¥5,000 and ¥2,500; credit cards and e-money accepted, QR and barcode payments not (jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/guide)
- Jigokudani Yaen-koen — the fee revision taking effect on 1 December 2026: adults ¥800 to ¥1,000, children ¥400 to ¥500, groups ¥680 and ¥340 to ¥840 and ¥420, annual pass ¥5,000 and ¥2,500 to ¥6,000 and ¥3,000, with web tickets at ¥880 and ¥440 and no handbook discount on a web ticket (jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/information/information-3104 and /guide)
- Jigokudani Yaen-koen — the park as a feeding station where some days no monkey appears, autumn ranging as the least predictable season, and the pool as a cold-weather behaviour rather than a permanent one (jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/guide)
- Jigokudani Yaen-koen — access: Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo at 79 minutes, Nagano Dentetsu express at 38 minutes to Yudanaka, bus 15 minutes, and the 2 km Kamibayashi Onsen footpath at about 30 minutes with unpaved surfaces, steps and slopes, closed to wheelchairs and pushchairs (jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp/access)
- Jigokudani Yaen-koen — the site at 850 m under snow for about a third of the year, the rules against touching, feeding and pets including assistance dogs, and the web ticket priority from December to April (jigokudani-yaenkoen.co.jp)
- Nagano Dentetsu — SNOW MONKEY PASS at ¥4,800 adult and ¥2,400 child, sales from 1 April to 30 September 2026, valid on the day of purchase only, covering the whole line for one day, one Nagaden local-bus round trip between Yudanaka and the Snow Monkey Park stop and one park admission, with the unreserved express charge included and the express bus excluded; ticket machines only, no counter sales (nagaden-net.co.jp/info/ticket)
- Nagano Dentetsu — fares revised on 1 December 2025: Nagano to Yudanaka at ¥1,660 adult, an express charge of ¥100 adult and ¥50 child, a seat reservation at ¥300, and the ¥1,200 private room; IC cards cannot be used to ride the line, while the ticket machines accept transport IC, credit cards and QR payment (nagaden-net.co.jp/hubfs/unchin_20251201.pdf and /info/ticket)
- Nagano Dentetsu — the suspension of SNOW MONKEY PASS sales from 30 December 2025 to 4 January 2026 because visitor numbers passed the park's capacity, with the same treatment for the Snow Monkey Pass for Bus (nagaden-net.co.jp/news/snow-monkey-pass)
- Nagaden Bus — Snow Monkey Pass for Bus at ¥6,800 adult and ¥3,400 child in winter and ¥4,800 and ¥2,400 in summer, on sale to 4 December 2026 at the Nagano station east exit counter, covering the express between the east exit and the Snow Monkey Park stop return plus one admission, and excluding the Yudanaka local bus; no refund when no monkey is present (nagadenbus.co.jp/ticket-otoku/2022/01/snow-monkey-pass-for-bus.php)
- Nagaden Bus — 2026-2027 winter timetable: the Ex24 express between Nagano station east exit and the Snow Monkey Park stop running every 20 to 30 minutes from 5 December 2026 to 5 April 2027, 50 minutes each way, departures from Nagano at 08:00 through 13:30 and from the park at 11:00 through 17:00, capacity-controlled boarding, the combined web ticket in advance, and no on-board or convenience-store payment (nagadenbus.co.jp/news/2026/10/2026-2027.php and its Ex24 timetable)
- Nagaden Bus — route 20 Kamibayashi line timetable revised 1 October 2026: Yudanaka at 09:18, 10:48, 11:53, 13:33, 15:58 and 18:43 reaching the Snow Monkey Park stop ten minutes later; the 09:18 calls at Shibu Onsen at 09:22 (nagadenbus.co.jp/local/diagram/diagram_p.php?route=NKN01)
- JR East — Tokyo station Hokuriku Shinkansen departures for Nagano in the November 2026 timetable, from the 06:52 Asama; Nagano departures for Tokyo with the last at 21:17 (Asama) and 22:11 (Kagayaki); Kagayaki all reserved and Asama carrying unreserved cars 1 to 5 (timetables.jreast.co.jp and jreast.co.jp/en/multi/routemaps/hokurikushinkansen.html)
- JR East — season pricing of the reserved-seat charge at ¥200 off in the quiet season, ¥200 on in the busy season and ¥400 on at the peak, with unreserved at ¥530 under the normal-season reserved charge all year (jreast.co.jp/kippu/1201.html)
- JR East — JR EAST PASS at ¥35,000 adult for five days and ¥50,000 for ten, covering the Hokuriku Shinkansen between Tokyo and Joetsu-Myoko (jreast.co.jp/en/multi/pass/eastpass.html)
- Zenko-ji — the temple office at 491-i Motoyoshi-machi, Nagano 380-0851, telephone 026-234-3591, window open 09:00 to 16:30 (zenkoji.jp)
- Fares, hours and timetables are current as of 31 October 2026.
- Photographs: the Jigokudani pool, Stanislav Beloglazov, CC BY-SA 4.0; Nagano station platform, Mister0124, CC BY-SA 4.0; Yudanaka station and Shibu Onsen, くろふね, CC BY 3.0; the Kamibayashi Onsen bus stop, z tanuki, CC BY 3.0; Zenko-ji, Suicasmo, CC BY-SA 4.0; the macaque in the pool, Asteiner, CC BY 3.0; the park interior, y_a_s_u_, CC BY-SA 3.0; Nagano station, くろふね, CC BY 4.0; Nakamise, Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0 — all via Wikimedia Commons