From Tokyo: Private Snow Monkey Day Trip To Nagano

We had a wonderful tour today! Our driver was very friendly, accommodating, and incredibly flexible with our itinerary. He was always willing to adjust to sudden changes and made sure everyone was comfortable throughout the trip. We highly recommend his service, especially for families traveling with seniors and young children, as his patience, understanding, and flexibility made the entire experience smooth, stress-free, and enjoyable. Thank you for making our trip such a pleasant and memorable experience! We would definitely book again!

The service was excellent . He was so helpful and social. Amazing driver

This has been a fantastic long day! Our driver/guide Sana made sure we were comfortable throughout and guided us through each stop. He was full of interesting information about all the areas we drove through. It was nice to drive through parts of Japan that we would never had seen. The scenery was amazing! We opted for the town visit, which was lovely. We tried sake where it was brewed and ate some lovely chestnut sweets. We then made our way to see the Snow Monkeys. This is where the 3 1/2 hr journey was more than worth it. We went in August, so while it wasn’t cold, there was a lot of little baby monkeys running around. We all loved it. The monkeys came quite close but are not really interested in you. All in all this was a great trip and was a real highlight of our trip! Thanks again to Sana, for all his help throughout the trip. He was friendly, helpful and knowledgeable.

Attary was amazing. Even if all we did was see the snow monkeys this tour would be worth it. If you can take his advice and have him pick you up early, I would. We couldn't and were stuck with a lot of traffic both ways but the vehicle is super comfy. I would eat at the café at the snow monkey place. It was fantastic and very good priced

This was an out of this world, highlight of our trip, experience. If you take any tours outside of Tokyo, this has to be it. Our family of 4 went to see the monkeys in the wild and it was unbelievable to see them running around in their habitat, while we took pictures up close and personal. The trip to the location was long as expected, but it was so well worth it and our guides were great.

Excellent tour but the pressure for reviews was a bit much. Aggressive driving and looking at phone to check if we had given him 5 stars was a bit much.

Attary was a wonderful and accommodative guide. Knowledgeable and read the energy level perfectly. He kept us well fed and on time.

Great trip seeing the snow monkeys and visiting the temple. Guide was very cordial and considerate of our time.

Attary was a great guide and provided an excellent experience for us to see a part of Japan we would have otherwise missed! Not only did he get us to and from our destination safely and quickly, he also provided suggestions for pit stops along the way.

Attary was great. Very professional and a wonderful driver. Provided a substantial amount of local knowledge. Would highly recommend him for other tours

My tour guide was professional, well informed, friendly, and accommodating. I got much more out of the experience than I would have if I’d gone alone or used some of the marginal tour services I saw advertised. Highly recommended.

Our guide Attary arrived ahead of time so we were on the road promptly at 6am to beat the Tokyo traffic. Attary was friendly and provided good information on the drive up to Nagano. The snow monkeys were gorgeous playful creatures and well worth the walk up the 1.5km path to see them in the hot springs. He also took us to a famous ramen restaurant that we rated the best we’ve had so far. A quick visit to the Kokusai Museum was very interesting. It was a long day but absolutely worth doing!

I want to start by saying that I was fully aware when booking this that I was booking a driver only. The driver will pick you up from your location and drive you to the snow monkey park and then drop you off and pick you back up. The listing says 10-12 hours. This is where I have an issue. Is it 10 or is it 12? Because our driver was going to charge us 10000 yen ($100) for an extra hour and then it got to $200 for 2 hours after 10 hours???? Sooo are we paying for 10 hours or 12? Kind of important. The drive started good. We got picked up and dropped off at the snow monkeys. Me and my daughter had fun seeing them. I would highly recommend going there and I like that I hired a driver and didn’t have to sort the trains and buses etc. (these monkeys were more exciting to see then the forest monkeys in Kyoto) Along with the listing saying 10-12 hours it also says drop off at onsen and a temple and lunch. When the driver picked us up he said we would only have time for the lunch or temple or onsen. If we wanted to do lunch and the temple it would be an extra hour ($100) so we said we didn’t want to do the onsen anyways. Let’s go to the temple. The temple was great. Super neat. The crypt tour was a bit scary being in total darkness. Then the driver picked us up from there and said that he could drive us to get lunch but it would be 30 mins out of the way so it would be $200 extra dollars now. (There were like twenty places to eat right where we were!) Anyways so we didn’t want lunch we just wanted to go back to the hotel. We didn’t want to pay an extra 100-200$ to go to lunch 30 minutes away! Then he started driving and drove us to an Italian restaurant! We said we weren’t hungry but he went there anyways, so we said we could wait while he ate (he could have done that in the hours we were at the other tours but whatever) So we got back to the hotel. He asked us to write a review and send him a screenshot. I didn’t write it right then and I certainly don’t feel like I need to send him a screenshot. He did not end up charging us extra. I feel like this is an ok tour if you are a firm person with a backbone that can stand up for themselves and not be talked into stuff you don’t want to do and then charged for it. I feel like the ad needs to be more clear if you are paying for 10 hours or 12 hours. You need to be very aware when booking this that you might be squeezed for more money and you will not have time to do all the things that the ad lists. Because of this and because of the driver I rated this 2 stars. If the ad was more clear on it being 10 hours or 12 hours and if the driver wasn’t asking for more money then I would have rated it better as it was nice to have a driver to go there. But be aware!!!

Attary was wonderful! He was professional and kind. We had a fabulous family day visiting the snow monkeys and eating delicious Ramen. It was worth the drive!

We had a wonderful experience from the moment we sat in the car. The car was spacious, very comfortable and clean. Our driver Usman was extremely friendly very pleasant and a pleasure to have as a driver. Seeing the snow monkey's was absolutely amazing and an experience we will not forget. Thank you Usman for being wonderful to us.

Starting early at the recommendation of our driver was key to a really lovely day. Truly magical to see the monkeys in and out of the springs, and amazingly close.

I had an absolutely incredible experience on my Snow Monkey Park and Nagano tour, and a huge part of that was thanks to my guide, Hadi. From the very beginning, Hadi stood out for his professionalism, warmth, and genuine character. He was exceptionally knowledgeable about the area, sharing fascinating insights about the snow monkeys, local culture, and the history of Nagano that really enriched the entire trip. What made it even more special was how he tailored his explanations to keep things engaging and easy to understand without ever feeling overwhelming. Hadi’s attention to detail and thoughtful planning made the day feel seamless and stress-free. He ensured we stayed on schedule while still giving me plenty of time to fully enjoy each stop—especially at the Snow Monkey Park, where he helped me find the best viewing spots and patiently answered all of our questions. Beyond his expertise, Hadi was simply a joy to spend the day with. Friendly, approachable, and genuinely caring, he went above and beyond to make sure I felt comfortable and happy. If you’re considering a tour the Snow Monkey park in Nagano, I cannot recommend Hadi highly enough. He truly elevates the experience and turns a great tour into an unforgettable one. Thank you, Hadi, for such a wonderful day!

Our private driver Attary was fantastic for our Viator tour from Tokyo to Nagano to see the famous snow monkeys. It’s definitely a long drive from Tokyo, so having a private driver made the day smooth and stress-free. Attary got us there and back safely and was incredibly accommodating throughout the day. Two people in our group decided the cold was a bit too much for the snow monkey trek, so Attary kindly drove them over to the nearby art museum while I bundled up and made the walk up the mountain to see the monkeys. And I have to say — the trek was absolutely worth it! One of the biggest advantages of having Attary as a private driver is the flexibility. There’s no waiting for a large tour group or sticking to a rigid schedule. We were able to leave locations when we wanted, return when we were ready, and truly enjoy the day at our own pace. Thank you, Attary, for a safe and comfortable ride and for helping make this a wonderful day trip from Tokyo!

We loved the monkeys. There wasn’t much to the “tour” aside from being driven to the monkeys. The driver didn’t really tell us any information, history, or facts on the way, just dropped us off by the busses and picked us up after. The guides were kind and friendly, but I wish they told us what time we should head back to get the onsen and temple experiences that were advertised. We only got to see the monkeys, nothing else. He said it would take too long to go to the temple. For reference, he picked us up in Tokyo at 7:30 am and we spent about 2.5 hours at the monkeys and getting lunch. I’m not sure how you could do the temple and the onsen, I guess maybe you’d have to leave at 6 am and only spend an hour at the monkeys. They also made us write a review on the way back and send a photo of it to them before we could end the tour, which I really hate, and I think is actually against TripAdvisor policy. I had my boyfriend write a positive one so I could write an honest one. For the price, I wish we’d just taken the Shinkansen.

Great experience. Pick up was on time and the guides were kind and hospitable.

We had a nice day. Saw lots of snow monkeys and had a wonderful meal in Obuse.

What an amazing and unique experience! My guide Sunny was super knowledgeable and fun to spend the day with. Getting to see the snow monkeys was truly awesome. I got some great pictures and videos that will help me to remember my first trip to Japan. The admission fee to the park was very inexpensive and worth every yen. There were well over 100 monkeys just all around and the crowd size was manageable. There was never a problem getting to a space to take a picture or see the beautiful atmosphere. I would recommend this tour for anyone with a passion for nature and animals who wants a truly unique experience of getting to see these monkeys in their natural environment. There is a bit of a walk, so I would say it’s best for people able to walk long and sometimes uneven/slippery terrain. Probably not ideal for young children, but kids 8+ would be fine. Thank you Sonny for a truly special day!

We loved the place, it is definitely a worthwhile experience and something you should do at least once in your life. It was extremely cold, so that is something you should take into consideration, especially if you are not used to this kind of weather. Attary’s service was exceptional; he was always very attentive, kind, and very patient. He made sure everyone felt comfortable. The conversations we had with him were very interesting and added even more value to the experience. Without a doubt, when I return to Japan I would book this tour again, it is totally worth it. That said, I do wish it lasted just a little longer so you could spend more time in this wonderful place. Even so, I give it 5 stars.

We had a wonderful day with Attrary. He was fantastic and it was an experience that we will never forget. Loved our day immensely. Highly recommended!

We had a wonderful day at the Snow Monkey Park thanks to our tour guide Attary. He was very kind and patient. We did not particularly want to go to the shrine which was included in this tour, so he allowed us to choose another place to visit. He also suggested a good place for lunch and even took photos of us with his high resolution phone/camera and sent them to us. Thank you so much for a wonderful experience we will never forget - Mr & Mrs G Franze.

Wonderful trip. Enjoyed the entire experience. This trip is recommended and encouraged. The monkeys were super cool, no pun intended.

An efficient way to see the snow monkeys and avoid the public transport mission given our limited time. We were able to spend as long as we liked observing the snow monkeys and finished the trip with a warm lunch. Our driver, Attary speaks fluent English and was accommodating of our requests

SCAM. We booked, were charged & Milkyway company disappeared. As our 7:00 pickup driver didn’t show, at 7:30 we and hotel personnel tried to contact Milkyway Tours most of the morning, and no one could be contacted at several listed numbers. Finally, a driver contacted us & did show up 4.5 hrs late at 11:30. We could not do original tour because there was not enough time. So, we asked our driver, Ali, if could please go to Mt Fuji. He agreed, there wasn’t enough time to get to our original Snow Monkey Tour, so we went to Mt Fuji, which was much closer. Ali was very informative and kind, and did a good job. But we are asking for a refund between prices of tours, and Milkyway tours won’t respond. This company books and sets up drivers independently, so I guess there’s no guarantee as we found out. DO NOT RECOMMEND! Every other experience in Japan was fabulous. Very kind and honest people, but this company is not.

This tour is a must do. Sunny was great! Drove and spoke English really well. Awesome at describing details on the tour as well as taking pictures and videos for you

We arrived quickly and comfortably, we saw many monkeys, the road is beautiful with all snow but slippery if you don't have proper shoes, Ali took us and everything was excellent

Wonderful experience. One of the best we have experienced in Japan. Coordinated very well by milkyway tours. Communication was smooth and efficient. Ali, our driver was great. Highly Recommend !

Great trip and private tour of Nagana Snow Monkey Park by Ali (our chauffeur). Ali picked us up from our hotel and provided a wonderful experience with a full day tour of the Snow Monkey Park. Ali was very kind and hospitable during the whole trip. Thank you.

Great day trip visiting the temple and snow monkeys. Very comfortable car with excellent driver and tour guide Malik. Highly recommendable.

Amazing experience, our tour guide Muhammad was very kind and helpful, also assist us with very good advices for our stay in Tokio.

We had so much fun during our trip to Nagano! Everything went according to plan. Kudos to our companion, he is very accommodating. Highly recommended.

Our Nagano Trip with Baba Aziz was so smooth and enjoyable. He guided us on our tours and took beautiful photos. He brought us also to a nice restaurant as requested. Hope you can have a tour with him.

Babaziz guided us. The best ever!! Took us to nagano to see snow monkeys! Good food and best driving. Very friendly and accommodating. Feels comfortable to be around his presence. If you get him, hope you enjoy like we did! Thank you.

This is too long of a day. It is a long walk to the monkeys and we only saw 2 after they left the springs and went and sat on a roof. Told by the ranger they don’t come to the springs this time of year as breading time (end October early November) would like to have had this knowledge before booking.

We greatly appreciated the driving of Attary LUQMAN who was very attentive and considerate. Recommended without hesitation.