EVERY ROUTE · EVERY FARE · 7 SEP 2026
The park sits at 850 m in a side valley with no station and no road to its gate. From Nagano Station there are exactly two public ways in — an express bus that goes the whole distance for ¥3,000 (≈$19), or a train and a local bus that do it for ¥2,150 (≈$14) — and both of them stop 1.6–2 km short. This page prices every leg, in both directions, including the ¥800 (≈$5.1) at the gate.
faresthe ¥800 (≈$5.1) gate, the same on both¥1,700 (≈$11) — what the direct bus adds
Both routes stop at the same place. Nothing on this page, and nothing on GetYourGuide, buys you out of the last 1.6–2 km.
Converted at ¥156 = $1, the reference rate on 4 Sep 2026. Prices were read on 7 Sep 2026.
QUICK ANSWERS — THE PAGE IN SIX LINES
Two public routes, one walk, one ticket window. Nothing else on this page changes that shape — a private car, a coach from Tokyo and a ¥3,000 (≈$19) bus all put you down at the same place, 1.6–2 km short of the monkeys.
Direct to the valley, no changes. No reservations, first come first served; extra buses added when full.
Local trains run the same line for ¥1,660 (≈$11) without the surcharge and take 70–80 minutes.
Or a taxi for around ¥1,700 (≈$11) — a single-source figure, so confirm it at the rank rather than budgeting on it.
Unpaved forest path with wooden steps near the entrance; no strollers, wheelchairs or suitcases. In winter it is packed snow and ice for its whole length.
Park hours are 8:30–17:00 from April–October and 9:00–16:00 from November–March; the park is open every day of the year, weather permitting · work backwards from closing time, not forwards from your arrival: the walk is 25–40 minutes each way and the monkeys are the part you came for · both routes charge the same fare in both directions, so every figure on this page doubles for a return · if the chain itself is the part you would rather not run, the guided version of exactly this day starts at the same station →
One vehicle, one fare, no reservation, and it is the only way into the valley that does not involve a change. It costs ¥1,700 (≈$11) more per return trip than the train, and for most people on a winter day that is money well spent.
This is the route almost every guided day trip uses too, which is why a tour from Nagano is rarely much slower than doing it yourself — and it is the same bus you would be sitting on → · the bus also serves Shiga Kōgen further up the same line: same express line; ¥3,200–3,800 (≈$21–24) to Shiga Kogen, ~70 min · the last departure back matters more than the first one out — check it at the bay before you walk up.
Nagano Dentetsu is a private railway that runs from under the JR station out to the ryokan valley. It is cheaper than the bus, slower than the bus if you take a local, and it hands you off to one more vehicle at the end.
The train is the cheaper route by ¥1,700 (≈$11) and the only one that stops where the ryokan are. It is also the route that can strand you: miss the connection at Yudanaka and the next local bus is up to 15 minutes of waiting plus whatever the timetable adds. A taxi covers the same gap for around ¥1,700 (≈$11) — single-source, so treat it as an order of magnitude, not a quote.
Children pay ¥830 (≈$5.3) on the train and ¥200 (≈$1.3) on the local bus · the limited express surcharge is ¥100 (≈$0.6) on top of the fare, not instead of it · Shibu Onsen sits between Yudanaka and the park, which is why people who sleep there walk to the 09:00 opening while the day-trippers are still on the shinkansen · tours that start at Nagano Station, priced against this day → · or the live calendar for the cheapest of them →
We checked it against a calculator rather than repeating what it says on the box. Both winter versions come to the yen exactly what the same tickets cost bought one by one.
Covers the Nagaden trains with the express surcharge, one return bus Yudanaka–park and park entry. Bought separately, those tickets are ¥1,760 × 2 + ¥390 × 2 + ¥800 = ¥5,100 — the pass price, to the yen. It saves nothing at all.
The same idea with the express bus instead of the train: ¥3,000 × 2 + ¥800 = ¥6,800 bought separately, against the same figure as a pass. Also exactly the same money. Children are ¥2,550 (≈$16) and ¥3,400 (≈$22).
The one version that is cheaper than its parts: ¥4,800 against ¥5,100 bought singly, so ¥300 (≈$1.9) saved, and ¥2,400 (≈$15) for a child. Valid 1 day, and it includes Nagaden trains + express surcharge + one round trip Yudanaka–park bus + park entry.
So the pass is a convenience, not a discount: one purchase instead of five, and no fumbling for a bus fare in the snow · Covers Hokuriku Shinkansen; does NOT cover Nagano Dentetsu trains or Nagaden buses — a Japan Rail Pass gets you to Nagano and no further · prices for winter 2026/27 had not been announced as of 7 Sep 2026, so check the current figure before you buy on the strength of this page · every guided tour on this site already includes its own transport, which makes a pass and a tour mutually exclusive purchases, never a stack.
WHAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY BUYING, EITHER WAY
In winter the pass costs exactly what the tickets cost, so what it sells is one purchase instead of five. A tour sells the same thing one step further — none, plus the ¥800 (≈$5.1) gate fee and somebody watching the last bus. It is roughly 3× the price of the day you run yourself, which is the number to decide on.
THE DAY YOURSELF: ¥5,100–6,800 (≈$33–44) · THE WINTER PASS: ¥5,100–6,800 (≈$33–44) · NEITHER INCLUDES A GUIDE, LUNCH OR A SEAT HELD FOR YOU
Wherever you are coming from, the last two hours are identical. This is only about how you reach the start line.
Hokuriku Shinkansen from Tokyo Station: 79–80 minutes on a Kagayaki, ¥8,340 (≈$53) reserved or ¥7,680 (≈$49) non-reserved. Then this page from the top.
The whole day, done yourself with reserved seats: ¥21,780–23,480 (≈$140–151) per person. The 359-review coach with lunch and the park ticket included is $151 (≈¥23,600) — within a few hundred yen of the same day, with the timing taken off your hands.
Kyoto–Nagoya 35 min ¥5,170 + Ltd. Exp. Shinano ~3 h ≈¥7,000–7,400; ~3.5 h total. That is a travel day each way, so the monkeys are an overnight trip from Kansai, not a day trip.
Everything on this page then applies from Nagano Station, and the ¥5,100–6,800 (≈$33–44) day is unchanged by how far you came to reach it.
Hakuba: ¥3,500 (≈$22) one way in winter, into Nagano East Exit bay 26, then this page. Shiga Kōgen sits on the same express line as the park — same express line; ¥3,200–3,800 (≈$21–24) to Shiga Kogen, ~70 min. Nozawa Onsen has a direct winter bus at around ¥1,400 (≈$9), one source only and reportedly once a day, so verify before relying on it.
Everything above ends at Nagano Station, which is where this page starts · the ¥800 (≈$5.1) ticket, the 1.6–2 km walk and the two routes out of the station are the same whether you slept in Shinjuku or in Shibu.
FROM TOKYO, THE ARITHMETIC ACTUALLY FAVOURS THE COACH
Doing the Tokyo day yourself with reserved seats is ¥21,780–23,480 (≈$140–151) a head. The coach is $151 (≈¥23,600) with the park ticket and lunch inside it — the same money, minus four ticket purchases and the risk of missing the last connection back. This is the one leg of this page where the tour is simply the better buy.
FROM KANSAI IT IS AN OVERNIGHT EITHER WAY, AND NO TOUR CHANGES THAT
Every route on this page ends at the same bus stop, and the gate is 1.6–2 km further on foot. Nobody drives to the monkeys.
From the Snow Monkey Park bus stop at Kanbayashi to the gate. There is no shuttle and no road: the same walk applies to a ¥3,000 (≈$19) bus ticket and to a private car that cost ten times that.
Unpaved forest path with wooden steps near the entrance; no strollers, wheelchairs or suitcases. In winter it is packed snow with ice under it, on a gradient, in the shade.
Boots with grip, or crampons over what you have. Boots, crampons and jackets rented/sold at the shop by the trailhead (Oct–May) — that is a single first-party source, so plan to bring grip rather than to rent it.
Small paid lockers at the trailhead shop; no large lockers — leave luggage at Nagano Station. Reported by one source; either way, a suitcase does not go up this trail.
The trail rules out strollers, wheelchairs and suitcases outright. A carrier works where a stroller does not. Bad knees, ice and 25–40 minutes downhill at the end of the day are the combination to plan around.
Doubling the walk and adding time with the monkeys is what turns a 41–60-minute bus ride into a five-hour outing. Park hours are 9:00–16:00 in November–March.
This is the single most common surprise on the whole trip, and the one thing no ticket, tour or vehicle removes · it is also why the park is quiet at opening: everyone arriving on the first buses is still on the trail.
Nothing you can buy makes this walk shorter
Every tour walks the same 1.6–2 km, and so does the private car at ten times the price. The walk is not for sale. What is worth knowing is what it is like underfoot, and what to wear on your feet in winter.
Two car parks, one of which is shut for the whole snow season. Neither is at the gate.
Parking at Kanbayashi is free, year-round, and it is the trailhead the walk above starts from. The Jigokudani car park is ¥500 (≈$3.2), closed 1 Dec–31 Mar — which is to say it is closed for exactly the months most people come. Winter tires or chains are the practical requirement on the valley road, and the reason most rental plans and most guided tours reach the same conclusion: park the car in Nagano.
A car does not shorten the walk. It saves you the bus fare and costs you the parking, the tires and the mountain road — and still leaves 1.6–2 km on foot.
Private cars with a driver, priced per vehicle →THE PARK ITSELF ASKS PEOPLE NOT TO DRIVE HERE
Its own notice tells visitors to come by public transport because parking is very limited and the wait can be long — and the nearer of the two car parks is shut for the whole snow season. Against a rental, winter tires, the valley road and that queue, being driven is the cheaper answer as well as the calmer one.
AND IT STILL ENDS WITH THE SAME WALK — SEE SECTION 06
Doing it yourself is five tickets and two timetables. Some people want exactly that; for everyone else, here is what the same day costs with the chain handled — and how close the two numbers are.
TICKET INCLUDED
Starts inside Nagano Station, 8 - 12 hours, and the ¥800 (≈$5.1) park ticket, the transport, lunch, Zenkō-ji and a sake tasting are all in the price. Rated 4.9 from 965 reviews — the most-reviewed snow monkey tour on GetYourGuide.
TICKET INCLUDED
A coach from Shinjuku and back, 1 day, with the park ticket and a sukiyaki lunch included — no shinkansen seat to reserve and no connection to miss. Rated 4.6 from 359 reviews.
From Nagano the arithmetic is close: $140 (≈¥21,800) against a ¥5,100–6,800 (≈$33–44) day you assemble yourself. What the difference buys is the ticket bought in advance, lunch, a second stop and somebody else watching the clock. From Tokyo it is closer still — $151 (≈¥23,600) against ¥21,780–23,480 (≈$140–151).
LIVE DATES · $140 (≈¥21,800) · FROM NAGANO STATION, 965 REVIEWS
LIVE DATES · $151 (≈¥23,600) · THE COACH FROM SHINJUKU, TICKET AND LUNCH IN
Both figures are per person and both include the ¥800 (≈$5.1) park ticket · a tour does not shorten the 1.6–2 km walk, and no tour on this site claims to · all 21 tours compared, with the day you can do yourself as a row in the same table →
Two ways. The Nagaden express bus leaves from JR Nagano Station East Exit, bay 23 and runs to the Snow Monkey Park stop in 41–60 minutes for ¥3,000 (≈$19), with no reservation. Or take the Nagano Dentetsu train to Yudanaka (38–45 minutes on the limited express, ¥1,660 (≈$11) plus a ¥100 (≈$0.6) surcharge) and the local bus from there (10–15 minutes, ¥390 (≈$2.5)). Both end at the same stop, 1.6–2 km and 25–40 minutes on foot from the gate.
Allow about five hours for the round trip with time at the park: 41–60 minutes on the bus each way, 25–40 minutes walking each way, and an hour or so with the monkeys. The train route runs 38–45 minutes plus the 10–15-minute bus, or 70–80 minutes if you take a local train.
¥5,100–6,800 (≈$33–44) per adult from Nagano Station, park entry included. The low end is the train and local bus both ways; the high end is the express bus both ways. Add ¥8,340 (≈$53) each way if you are starting in Tokyo, which makes the day ¥21,780–23,480 (≈$140–151).
For convenience, sometimes; for money, almost never. The winter train version at ¥5,100 (≈$33) and the express-bus version at ¥6,800 (≈$44) each cost exactly what the same tickets cost bought separately. Only the ¥4,800 (≈$31) summer pass is cheaper than its parts, by ¥300 (≈$1.9).
Covers Hokuriku Shinkansen; does NOT cover Nagano Dentetsu trains or Nagaden buses. It covers the shinkansen as far as Nagano; the express bus and the Nagano Dentetsu train are both private and both charged separately, so budget ¥2,150–3,000 (≈$14–19) each way beyond it.
To the trailhead, yes — from Yudanaka it is around ¥1,700 (≈$11), though that is a single-source figure worth confirming at the rank. To the park itself, no: the road ends at Kanbayashi and the last 1.6–2 km are on foot for everybody.
JR Nagano Station East Exit, bay 23. From the shinkansen gates, follow signs to the East Exit and come out at street level; the bays are directly outside. No reservations, first come first served; extra buses added when full, so on a January morning the queue is the timetable.
Kanbayashi Onsen car park is free, year-round and sits at the trailhead. The Jigokudani car park is ¥500 (≈$3.2), closed 1 Dec–31 Mar — closed for the whole snow season. Winter tires or chains are the practical requirement on the valley road either way.
No. The trail is an unpaved forest path with wooden steps near the entrance; no strollers, wheelchairs or suitcases. A child carrier works where a stroller does not, and luggage is best left at Nagano Station.
Not usually — the guided day trips from Nagano use the same road and the same trail. What they change is the ticket, the timing and the queue: the $140 (≈¥21,800) day trip includes the ¥800 (≈$5.1) entry and holds the schedule for you, against a ¥5,100–6,800 (≈$33–44) day you run yourself.
Every figure above is the public fare or the published entry price · the guided day out of Nagano Station, with live dates →
¥5,100–6,800 (≈$33–44) to do the day yourself out of Nagano Station, or $140 (≈¥21,800) to have the tickets, the timing and the lunch handled. The 1.6–2 km on foot are in both.
OR THE NINE TOURS FROM NAGANO · FROM TOKYO · ALL 21 TOURS COMPARED
$140 (≈¥21,800) · Nagano day trip · 4.9 (965) · ticket included
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