Snow monkeys from Nozawa Onsen
Jigokudani Monkey Park as a day trip from the village: the direct bus, tours, the forest walk, tickets and the best time to see the monkeys in the hot spring.
Day trip · Checked Oct 2026
The short version
- Jigokudani Yaen-kōen (地獄谷野猿公苑) is in Yamanouchi, about 50 minutes by car from Nozawa Onsen.
- Last winter a daily direct bus left Nozawa at 9:48 and came back at 15:15, ¥2,000 each way.
- From the Snow Monkey Park bus stop it is a 35-minute walk on an unpaved forest path.
- Winter hours 9:00–16:00. Monkeys bathe from about December to March, but are wild and sometimes do not appear.
Personally I'd suggest a rest day mid-week, ideally after fresh snow, and a tour if you have young kids: the tour handles transport and admission, and you avoid the parking.
Option 1: the direct bus
Nagaden Bus ran an express from Nozawa Onsen via Iiyama Station to the Snow Monkey Park stop every day from 6 December 2025 to 6 April 2026. This is last season's timetable; the 2026–27 one had not been published in October 2026.
| Stop | Outbound | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Nozawa Grand Hotel | 9:45 | 15:20 |
| Nozawa Onsen (Central Terminal) | 9:48 | 15:15 |
| Iiyama Station | 10:15 | 14:50 |
| Snow Monkey Park | 10:50 | 14:15 |
Fares last season: Nozawa Onsen to Snow Monkey Park ¥2,000, Iiyama to Snow Monkey Park ¥1,400. That gives you about three and a half hours between buses, enough for the walk in, an hour or more at the park and the walk out.
Option 2: a tour or transfer
The Nozawa Onsen tourism portal lists two local operators for monkey trips, IXSM Travel and Nozawa Onsen Kōtsū, and recommends them in winter because the last stretch is through snowy mountain roads and parking fills up. If you book a tour, park admission is arranged for you.
Option 3: drive
The park's free car park is at Kanbayashi Onsen, a 35-minute walk from the park. The narrower forest road via Shibu Onsen to the paid Jigokudani car park is closed in winter. You need winter tyres and experience on snowy roads.
The walk in
The path from Kanbayashi is about 2 km, roughly 30 minutes, mostly flat with some slopes, and unpaved. The park itself has slopes and steps. Wheelchairs and carts cannot be used, and pets are not allowed. In winter I'd wear waterproof boots with good grip and leave the pram at home; carry small children in a carrier.
Hours, tickets and the monkeys
- Open every day. Winter (November–March) 9:00–16:00; April–October 8:30–17:00. Arrive at least 30 minutes before closing.
- The fee page lists adults (18+) ¥800, children 6–17 ¥400, under-5s free with a guardian. The park posted a fee revision notice on 20 September 2026, so check the current price when you book.
- Online tickets are for a set date, on sale up to three months ahead. From December to April, online ticket holders get priority entry.
- The monkeys are wild. The park posts a weekly arrival forecast and live cameras, and warns that on some days they do not come down at all.
- You cannot bathe with the monkeys: the park is not a bathing facility.
Back in Nozawa
On the bus you are back in the village mid-afternoon, in time for a soak in one of the free village baths and an early dinner. Planning the week? See when to go and which lift ticket to buy around a rest day.
Questions people actually ask
- How far is the snow monkey park from Nozawa Onsen?
- About 50 minutes by car, according to the Nozawa Onsen tourism portal. Last winter's direct express bus took about an hour from the village to the Snow Monkey Park stop, then it is a 35-minute walk.
- Is there a bus from Nozawa to the snow monkeys?
- Last winter (6 December 2025 – 6 April 2026) Nagaden ran a daily express: Nozawa Onsen 9:48, Snow Monkey Park 10:50; back at 14:15, arriving Nozawa 15:15. ¥2,000 each way. The 2026–27 timetable had not been published when I checked.
- When do the monkeys bathe?
- The park says the monkeys go into the hot spring when it gets cold, from about December to March. They are wild, so on some days they do not come to the park at all.
- Do I need to book tickets?
- Book online if you are going on your own. Tickets are for a set date, on sale up to three months ahead, and from December to April online ticket holders get priority entry. Tours from Nozawa include admission.
- Can I take a pram or wheelchair?
- No. The park says the path and grounds are unpaved with slopes and steps, and wheelchairs and carts cannot be used. Pets are not allowed.
Checked Oct 2026 against: Jigokudani Monkey Park: hours and fees · park access · first-time visitor guide · Nagaden Nozawa–Snow Monkey Park express (2025–26) · Nozawa Onsen portal: monkey tour.
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