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Snow Monkeys: Private Nagano Day Trip
5.0
5 Ratings
Tokyo
Embark on a private full-day tour to Mt. Fuji and its surrounding areas from Tokyo. Explore remarkable locations guided by a local English-speaking driver.
Duration:
12 hours
Cancellation:
1 day
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Highlights
- Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park - Ahhh, the main event! See the Japanese Red-faced snow monkeys in their (semi) natural habitat. Jigokudani literally translates to hell valley, turns out plants have a hard time growing with so much sulfur and heat in the water. I personally quite enjoy the unique scenery caused by the volcanic activity. It’s a 30 minute walk through an extremely beautiful forest to get to the monkeys. Please note that the snow monkeys are wild animals and move on their own schedule, this tour does not guarantee that we will see them. - Nagano Chausuyama Zoo - Since we’re in Nagano for the snow monkeys anyway, why not stop here to see some cute red pandas? Look I’m not trying to turn this into a safari, I’m just saying might as well haha - Zenko-ji Temple - A more traditional temple compared to some you may see in Tokyo. This temple is great as it gives you a more spiritual feel as there aren’t 10,000 tourists there :) - Zenko-ji Temple Nakamisedori - An elegant traditional path that leads to Zenkoji - Hakuba Goryu Ski Resort / Alpine Garden - Welcome to one of the best powder snow destinations in the WORLD!!! Hakuba is extremely well known in the off-piste community and is only a 2-hour drive from the snow monkeys! If you would like to ski in Hakuba I highly recommend making our trip a 2-day trip so you can fully experience everything. Just let me know if you want to extend your trip when you book! - Shiga Kogen Resort Gondola - This is purely a winter attraction, a ski resort! The Shiga Kogen area is right next to the snow monkeys and offers great snow:) - Togakushi Soba Museum Tonkururin - Nagano is one of the most famous prefectures for Soba, learn how to make traditional Japanese Soba from scratch:) - 2-339 Yaehara - Experience traditional Japanese sword-making with one of the best Katana makers in Jaan! - Endo Sake Brewery - One of more than 10 Sake breweries in the area where you can do tastings. - *Matsumoto Castle - One of Japan’s most treasured castles, it’s also one we can go inside! Its five-tiered, six-story main tower, built in late 16th century, is the oldest surviving castle tower in the nation.
What's Included
- Private transportation
- On-board WiFi
- In-vehicle air conditioning
- English speaking driver and guide
- Snow monkeys entry fee
- Fuel / Highway Tolls
What's Not Included
- Ticket for any activity (ropeway, cruise etc)
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Additional Information
Hi, I’m Kye. A Japan-born half-Australian semi-pro photographer who’s quick with a joke. Traveling through Japan can be awesome, but it can also be challenging. My boys and I are here to make your trip smoother, and more comfortable. Not to mention, memorable!
This page used to be one of our pages for our Mt Fuji trip, but I hope the reviews can give you an idea of our quality and character:)
Leave all your problems and anxiety about traveling around Japan with public transport at your hotel. With us, you’ll have a Native English and Japanese-speaking driver catering to all of your group’s needs.
With this day trip to Nagano, you can choose what you want to see or discuss what works best for your needs with me. I’ve put a few places in the sample itinerary to give you a few ideas;)
The standard car we use is a 2023 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. A Japanese luxury van is available as an option as well in case you want the extra space. Professional photography is included in this tour:)
Location
Tokyo
Your guide will be waiting for you in front of a black van wearing blue glasses
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(5 Ratings)
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Marty_p
Apr 30, 2024
Great tour - It was great to see the snow monkeys, Kye did a great job and the vehicle was comfortable.
Kye knew the perfect timing to see the snow monkeys
Review provided by Viator
Stacy_m
Mar 7, 2024
Excellent tour, worth the drive! - This was a fantastic experience! Kye was a wonderful guide, knowledgeable and fun. It is a long day trip from Tokyo but he made it go by quickly. I would recommend warm cloths and crampons in winter. Highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Jordann_f
Aug 11, 2023
Unforgettable day and view of Mt Fuji - Kye was a fantastic guide. He was super knowledgeable and speaks perfect English. He was able to answer all of our questions and more. We managed to see 2 shrines, a hilltop view and a lakeside view of my Fuji with fantastic visibility.
We left Tokyo at 8am. If we did it again we would go with Kye’s recommendation to leave earlier to beat the traffic and would have saved an hour of driving.
The van was a 6 seater, super luxurious and comfortable with strong AC, leg room, reclining functions and Netflix to keep us entertained.
We are so grateful to Kye who really made our day perfect. He was super flexible and accomodating to our needs and desires. He also gave us great tips of what else we should see and do in Tokyo for the remainder of our stay. We would recommend for all
Review provided by Viator
Patxoconnor
Aug 1, 2023
Great experience in the Mt Fuji area - Mt Fuji was spectacular and we really enjoying browsing around the shops in one of the local villages.
Review provided by Viator
Luciojr_r
Jun 29, 2023
An unforgettable immersion in timeless Japanese culture—without language and itinerary barriers - This tour was amazing! We were actually debating whether we needed a guide or not, but after today, we are so glad we chose to take this package!
We were able to see more scenic routes and take more memorable pictures because the tour guide was so flexible. We were originally supposed to stop by a traditional village first, but the tour guide saw at that time that we would have a good chance of seeing the peak of Mt. Fuji and altered the schedule to accommodate that. If he didn’t adjust, we might have not gotten a chance to see the peak at all.
The tour guide was good natured and highly responsive: when one of us got injured, he went out of the way to stop by a pharmacy to buy some bandages and medicine. He was really nice and directed us to the best spots to take pictures. On the drive back, he even gave suggestions for good and affordable food all around Tokyo, which was really helpful for us tourists!
We were able to see all the key spots and finished on schedule so we weren’t too tired by the end.
Learning about Japan during this tour was very relaxed, making it easier to remember rather than an uncomfortable information dump full of facts that you have no way of recalling. Having a native English speaker was definitely a great help.
The car also had a TV to stream Netflix with on the long drive back.
Also the complimentary peach water was so refreshing. 👌🏻
Review provided by Viator
