Where to Go: the 8 Best Nagano Temple Tours

1.1-Day Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake in Nagano

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,020 reviews · from $151Our pick

Spend eight hours exploring Nagano with an English-speaking guide. Visit 1,400-year-old Zenko-ji Temple, taste local sake at Nishimon Yoshinoya, enjoy a Japanese lunch, and walk the forest trail to Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. Guides such as Tom, Endo, Kieran, and Nadine have led recent departures, though staff can vary.

“We were lucky to have Tom as our guide. He is extremely knowledgeable not only about Japanese history but also gave an excellent summary of sake production and the different types as well as the snow monkeys and Nagano attractions. Tom was also very generous with recommendations for other areas in Japan. The tour was an excellent combination of the temple tour and snow monkey forest. Fantastic lunch included. Plenty of time to see the Zenkoji temple as well as the monkeys. Thanks Tom”

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2.Nagano: Snow Monkeys, Zenkoji Temple & Sake Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 833 reviews · 8 - 12 hours · from $135

See Nagano’s key sights in one long, well-planned day. An English-speaking guide such as Dylan, Brent, Tom, or Hiroshi leads you through Zenkoji Temple, sake tasting, a generous local lunch, and Jigokudani Monkey Park. Expect about 1.6 kilometers of walking on a forest trail, which can be icy in winter.

“My family and I absolutely loved the tour. The price was well worth the experience. So much packed into a wonderful package. Shawn and Yama were amazing tour guides filled with wonderful knowledge about the historic landmarks and area in general. We would definitely recommend this tour to anyone thinking about going. Of course the snow monkeys were the stars of the show and definitely made every moment worth while!”

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3.Food & Cultural Walking Tour around Zenkoji temple in Nagano

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 58 reviews · from $91

Spend about three hours walking from Nagano Station through the old Zenkoji temple town. Guides such as Masa and Kasumi lead you to irori-cooked oyaki, sake with local nibbles, matcha, Japanese sweets, shrines, back streets, and small shops. The tour includes photographs, runs in small groups, and suits visitors who want food and local history together.

“Masa was an amazing guide that shared interesting information throughout the experience. He takes you to really amazing local spots that have not only fantastic snacks but really wonderful people who are excited to chat with you. 10/10, would book again.”

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4.Nagano/Tokyo: Snow Monkey and Zenkoji Temple Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 54 reviews

Travel from Tokyo to Nagano in a private luxury vehicle with an English-speaking driver. Visit Jigokudani Monkey Park, Zenkoji Temple, Obuse, Shibu Onsen, Matsushiro, and Yamanochi, with time to adjust the plan. Drivers such as Ali, Sunny, Fahad, Hadi, and Raza have led past trips, and pickup is available from Tokyo’s 23 wards and selected Nagano areas.

“The moneys were so cute and being picked up directly from the hotel made the whole trip so easy.”

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5.Nagano: Snow Monkeys & Togakushi Shrine Two-Spot in-One Day

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 35 reviews · 8 hours · from $202

Spend eight hours with a private English-speaking guide and driver visiting Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park and Togakushi Shrine. Guides such as Chris, Kazu, Dai, Shuhei, Taketo, and Take tailor the day to your pace, recommend local soba, and take photos along the way. Hotel pickup, tolls, parking, and photo delivery are included.

“Our tour guide was awesome, the best tour guide I have had on any tour. Highly recommend this tour.”

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6.Food & Cultural Walking Tour around Zenkoji temple in Nagano

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 16 reviews · 3 hours · from $88Cheapest good one

Meet your English-speaking guide at Nagano Station for a three-hour small-group walk through Zenkoji’s temple town. You’ll taste fire-cooked oyaki, soba tea, sake with small bites, matcha, and sweets while learning about Nagano’s religion, food, and back streets. Guides may include Masa, Takuma, Katsuki, or Soyoka.

“The tour was 100% tailored and adjusted to our needs and preferences. It offered tons of local advice on specialties and attractions in Nagano - far more than we were able to use in our short visit. There was a decidedly non touristic vibe to the entire tour - never a sense that of a standard, canned must-see list. My personal favorites were the visit to the oyaki bakery and the sake brewery, but the entire tour was fun, informative and exciting. The guides - Takuma (the guide) and Katsuki and Soyoka (guides in training) were knowledgeable, friendly, fun, and all spoke excellent English. The tour was well organized and…”

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7.1-Day Togakushi: Soba making, Ninja Town and Hidden Shrines

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · 8 hours · from $150

Meet your English-speaking guide at Nagano Station, then ride into Togakushi for a hands-on soba lesson, lunch, the Ninja Museum and Trick Mansion, and a cedar-lined walk to Okusha Shrine. The day combines food, folklore, puzzles, and forest walking. Bring proper shoes and allow time for the 45-minute shrine approach.

“Sehr gut. Viele tolle Sachen erlebt. Soba selber hergestellt, Ninja Museum und auch den Schrein besucht. Kann ich echt nur weiter empfehlen und würde ich immer wieder buchen.”

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8.Nagano: Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple, and Lake Nojiri Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 3 reviews

Travel from Nagano in a private, air-conditioned vehicle with an English or Hindi-speaking driver. See Jigokudani’s hot-spring macaques, visit Zenko-ji, and choose from Obuse, Shibu Onsen, Yudanaka, Togakushi, Matsushiro, and Lake Nojiri. Drivers such as Mirza and Muhammad can adjust the day to your interests, but entrance fees and meals are extra.

“We had a fantastic trip with Mirza! He was very kind, accommodating and efficient, easy to communicate with and punctual. He took us to a great local restaurant enroute back from the tour. Would definitely recommend booking! The snow monkeys are well worth seeing during your Japan travels.”

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