Cute Snow Monkeys at Snow Monkey Park, Nagano, Japan 🇯🇵
#japantrip
📍Snow Monkey Park (Jigokudani Yaen Koen), Nagano, Japan
Visited the popular Snow Monkey Park in Nagano of Japan and this is indeed once in a lifetime experience! It was quite a long and steep hike to the park, but the walking pathway was really well maintained. We were there during winter and the entire place was filled with fluffy white snow, which might be a little slippery so be sure to wear comfortable and suitable shoes. The snow monkeys were cute and not offensive. Some of the snow no monkeys soaked their bodies in the hot onsen pool while some were just scattered around in the park. We could get really close to the snow monkeys and this experience was just amazing!
If you're a nature lover who doesn't like tiring vacation like me, this place is perfect. Do stay at the nearby onsen town, mosy of the ryokan/hotel would drive you to the park. Best to visit during winter time.
The Wild Monkey Park in Nagano is a must-see attraction in Nagano. The admission fee is 800 yen per person. This time I stayed at the Japanese-style hotel in Yudanzhong Yicha. There is free shuttle bus round-trip to and from the public park. The hotel and train station are very convenient. However, all hotels and self-driving people must walk a lot of muddy roads for about 20~25 minutes before they can reach the ultimate ticket gate to see the monkey soak in the hot spring. Pay attention to the little slippery sole and the shoes will get dirty! This time, I entered the park on April 18th. It was not the snow season. The temperature was only about 6 degrees. The monkeys in the park jumped into the spring less to soak, but they kept bowing their heads to drink spring water. I don't know how to solve it?
Hell Valley Wild Ape Park is famous for its Japanese snow monkeys, and like people, they also like hot springs, which have the only monkey-specific hot springs in the world. Hell Valley Wild Ape Park is located on the opposite side of the hotel "back music hall" of Hell Valley Hot Springs. It is very interesting to see the monkey king and mother monkeys and little monkeys in the hot springs. The nearby Hell Valley Hot Springs is a good place to soak in the soup. The Hell Valley Fountain, designated as a national natural monument, is worth a visit. The hot springs at the bottom of the river are up to 20 meters high, which is a natural fountain.
Be sure to plan the time because at least 40 or 50 minutes up the mountain and about half an hour down the mountain. There is a meal for feeding the monkeys at noon and 3:50 pm. The latest shuttle bus back to Nagano at night is more than six o'clock, but basically see the monkeys eating and you can go down the mountain to catch four:50. That bus is four or five, and I can't catch it. I can only take it at six o'clock.
Hell Valley Wild Apes Gongyuan lives in a group of macaques, very cute, soaking in the hot spring pool in winter
Very cute group of macaques, soaking in hot springs and looking envious