The park provides us a rare opportunity for us to watch the Macaque up close and observe their fascinating behavior. During winter the monkeys enjoy bathing in the hot spring. The history of Zenkoji temple started in 642 and it does not belong to any religious sect. Legend says that Zenkoji's golden triad was the first Buddhist image to arrive in Japan. After taking a walk in Nakamise street, you can enjoy Sake tasting if you like.
Nagano Station or your nearby hotel
Meet with you.
Tour ends
Nagano Station
Over 160 wild Japanese Macaque monkeys inhabit the Snow Monkey Park and the area is a paradise for the monkeys. During winter the monkeys enjoy bathing in the hot spring. The park provides us a rare opportunity for us to watch the Macaque up close and observe their fascinating behavior.
At Zenkoji Temple, we will buy a ticket for the kaidan meguri and take the stairs down into the pitch-black crypt passage under the main hall of the temple. If you touch the key below, you will be guaranteed to connect with the pure land.
Sake tasting is also available for those interested.
guide fee
Travel expenses to/from the place where the guide meets you and his residence. （5,000JPY）
Admission fees to temples/shrines/museums/etc. (you and guide) (apx.2000JPY/person)
Transportation fee during the services. (you and guide) (apx.4000JPY/person)
Lunch (you and guide)
Other actual tour-related expenses (if any).
I can also guide you to Nagano and the surrounding area from Tokyo.
Travel insurance is not included in our tours. I would recommend you take out your own travel insurance just in case of any unexpected accident.
1) The tour will not be conducted during instances of extreme weather such as typhoons and snowstorms.
2) Warm clothes and shoes are recommended for the walk in winter.
3) Please advise us if you have any religious or health restrictions, allergies, or have other specific requests.
Our family really enjoyed the day tour of Daio farm and Matsumoto Castle with Takeshi. Takeshi made sure everything was well organized for the day. All logistics were thought through and planned for and we also learned a lot.
Thank you for your review. I am glad you could enjoy the day.
This was our first full day in Tokyo as first time visitors to Japan. Takeshi is very kind and pleasant and showed us the biggest highlights in Tokyo. We did the Tsukiji fish market (stopped for the most amazing tuna sushi), SkyTree, Solamachi shopping centre, Imperial Palace, Sensō-ji temple and market, and Akihabara. With two young boys in tote, it was a lot but just the right amount. He was also very helpful with helping us get our bearings and understanding how to get around using the train/subway systems. I am from Toronto and the transit system here is far more complex and elaborate. I highly recommend booking this tour with Takeshi. Thank you!
Thank you for your review. It was nice to have spent a day with you as a guide. Please visit Japan again and hope to see you in the future.
Takeshi was super nice, professional and gave us a wonderful tour! We had a great time and highly recommend to take this tour with him!
Thank you for your review. It was a pleasure to show you around Nagano. Please come to visit Japan again in the future.
We were looking for a knowledgeable guide for Nagano and Matsumoto and Takeshi was everything we wanted. His knowledge of Japanese history and culture is very impressive. His English is great (worked in the US for several years). We booked him for a day each in Nagano and Matsumoto. In Nagano, he took us to temples and shrines we would have missed on our own. In Matsumoto, he was the perfect guide for Matsumoto castle, which is a must see (one of very few original castles left in Japan). He is also a very nice guy, with a sense of humor. He chose a great restaurant for lunch and recommended restaurants for our dinner. Highly recommended if you are serious about seeing Nagano and Matsumoto. Kent and Luca
Thank you for your review. I am glad you could enjoy my guide. Please visit Japan again in the future.