Where to Go: the 4 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 $91Cheapest good one

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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