Jigokudani is famous for its hot springs and the macaque monkeys that bathe in them. It is the only place in the world where wild monkeys bathe in hot springs. Jigokudani is located at an altitude of 850 meters in Nagano Prefecture. The steep cliffs and the steam rising from the hot springs gave Jigokudani the name "Hell Valley".
The Monkey Park was established in 1964 and if you want to see the macaques bathe in the hot springs while everything around them is covered in snow, you should visit between December and March. January and February are most likely to see the spectacle in the snowstorm.
The monkeys are wild and can always climb the steep walls of the gorge or follow the Yokoyu River upstream to greater heights. To visit the onsen you have to walk a short 30- to 40-minute hike.
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Nagano's Jigokudani Park is home to the famous Japanese Macaque, the northernmost species of monkey in the world. The park is open year-round, but the best time to go is during the winter, when the monkeys soak up the warmth of the natural hot spring baths.
Jigokudani Monkey Park, Nagano Prefecture, famous for monkeys bathing in the natural hot spring.
During the cold winter, the hot spring of the Jigokudani is a real Eden for the monkeys living there. Jigokudani Monkey Park is open to visitors all year long.
In Japan's Nagano prefecture, Jigokudani Yaen-Koen is where you can find wild snow monkeys bathing in a natural hot spring pool.
This hot spring is about a 40-minute walk from Kanbayashi Onsen in Nagano. You should prepare snowshoes if you visit in winter, because the snow is quite deep around here
Jigokudani Monkey Park is the perfect place to catch sight of snow monkey's bathing in an onsen.
My trip to Jigokudani Yaen Koen in Nagano via public transporation and staying at a ryokan
At Jigokudani Yaen-Koen (Hell's Valley Monkey Park) in Nagano Prefecture, you can observe the Japanese Snow Monkeys in their natural surroundings.
The hike to Snow Monkey Park in Nagano Prefecture will take approximately 30 minutes on foot. Dress appropriately and proceed with caution on the trail, especially when it snows!
Viewing snow monkeys enjoying a warm bath in a natural hot spring
Shibu Onsen in Nagano Prefecture is a lovely onsen town in a gorgeous natural area. But it also has something more to offer - 9 bathhouses that visitors can tour in a practice called kyuu-yu meguri.
Staying in a Japanese-style hotel, or ryokan, is a unique and fun experience. If you want to try staying in a ryokan, try Ryokan Biyu no Yado in Yudanaka Onsen, Nagano.
In Yudanaka in Japan's Nagano prefecture, Hotel Housei is a welcoming traditional onsen hotel. It's the perfect place to be based to go and visit the famous snow monkeys.
Full of yukata-clad visitors during the weekend, the beautiful and historic village of Shibu Onsen is quiet mid-week. Amid the chaos of the modern world, there's something to be said for strolling around a stunningly pristine ghost town.
Shigakogen Yakebitaiyama Ski Area, fluffy Colorado-quality snow at the host resort of 1998 Nagano Olympics
Driving on Route 292 around Gunma's Kusatsu Onsen offers stunning views as well as interesting places like the highest point on Japan's national routes and a hotel that straddles a prefectural border.