Snow monkeys from Hakuba: the rest-day trip, done right.

My pick

Personally I’d suggest doing it on your way out rather than as a there-and-back from Hakuba. Bags on takkyubin, bus to Nagano, monkeys in the morning, and the shinkansen to Tokyo in the afternoon. If you would rather keep it simple, a tour with Hakuba pick-up costs more but removes the bus queues.

Getting there on your own

Nagaden’s 2026–27 winter timetable runs the Ex24 Snow Monkey Park express from Nagano Station East Exit every 20–30 minutes from 8:00 to 13:30, and back from the park from 11:00 to 17:00. Nagaden asks you to buy the “express bus + park entry” set ticket online in advance; same-day tickets at the “Aruyo” counter at Nagano Station East Exit may not be sold once web sales hit capacity. The Ex23 Shiga Kogen express no longer stops at the Snow Monkey Park. You can also go by Nagano Electric Railway to Yudanaka (38 minutes on the limited express) and a 15-minute local bus.

Snow Monkey Resorts lists the express-bus Snow Monkey Pass (return bus and one park entry) at ¥6,800 adult and ¥3,400 child for the 2026 winter season, and the regular express bus fare at ¥3,000 one-way. Nagaden hadn’t published the 2026–27 set price when we checked, and the park entry fee rises on 1 Dec, so confirm before you buy. Nagaden’s rail-and-bus Snow Monkey Pass had not published a 2026–27 winter price when we checked.

A sample day

• Early Alpico bus from Happo Bus Terminal to Nagano Station, about an hour.
• 9:20 Nagaden express bus from stop 24, arriving at the Snow Monkey Park stop 10:10.
• Walk the trail, about 35 minutes. Give yourself an hour at the pools.
• 13:00 express bus back, Nagano Station 13:55. Lunch near the station.
• Alpico bus back to Hakuba, about an hour. Home before dark.

The Alpico winter timetable for 2026–27 was not out when we checked, so fit the first and last legs to it once it appears. Monkeys come and go: the park itself warns that some days they don’t show at all.

Tours from Hakuba

Snow Monkey Resorts says it holds reserved park tickets for its tour guests, which is the main reason to book a tour on a crowded date. Check what is included (entry, lunch, return time) before you pay.

When to go, and when not to

The park’s winter congestion calendar marks most of December to March as crowded, with weekends, the New Year holidays and the long weekends as extremely crowded and no parking. Weekdays outside the New Year week are your best bet. For the Hakuba side of your dates, see when to go and peak dates.

Questions people actually ask

Can you visit the snow monkeys as a day trip from Hakuba?

Yes. Take the Alpico bus to Nagano (about an hour, ¥3,500 each way in winter), then the Nagaden Snow Monkey express bus to the Snow Monkey Park stop (50 minutes), and walk about 35 minutes to Jigokudani Yaen-koen. Allow a full day, back in Hakuba for dinner.

Do I need to book snow monkey tickets in advance?

From this winter, yes. Jigokudani Yaen-koen started online, date-specific tickets in August 2026, bookable up to three months ahead. Without one you may queue, and on crowded days you may be turned away. Nagaden also asks express-bus riders to buy its bus + park entry set ticket online in advance.

How much does it cost to see the snow monkeys?

From 1 Dec 2026 adult admission is ¥1,000 at the gate or ¥880 as a web ticket; children (primary to high school) ¥500 or ¥440; under-6s free. Add the buses: ¥7,000 return Hakuba–Nagano in winter, plus the Nagaden express bus, sold this winter as a set ticket with park entry (¥6,800 adult last winter; 2026–27 price not yet published).

Is there a snow monkey tour from Hakuba?

Yes. Snow Monkey Resorts lists a one-day Snow Monkeys, Zenkoji Temple and Sake tour from ¥21,800 with Hakuba as a pick-up point, a lantern-festival version from ¥23,300, and private tours from Hakuba from ¥181,600 per group.

Can I drive to the snow monkeys?

Not on the busiest days. The park says some of its car parks are closed over New Year and on weekends and public holidays from December to March, with no parking on the days marked extremely crowded on its calendar. Use the bus or a tour on those days.