Japan’s 6 Best Day Trips in Nagano

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

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

Visit Zenkoji Temple, taste Nagano sake, enjoy a generous local lunch, and see snow monkeys on this well-paced guided day trip.

“The day trip was absolutely amazing - exploring the temple, sake tasting and the food was so much more than expected and sooo yummy!! The snow monkeys were incredibly cute and fascinating to watch. Tom is one of the best tour guides we've ever had - very informative, funny and genuinely kind. He even took the time to AirDrop locations and recommendations for places to go on the coach ride home, which was such a thoughtful touch, along with handing out stickers. If you want to see the snow monkeys, you must do this trip! It's 100% worth the money. Thank you”

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2.Snow Monkey 1 Day Tour with Beef Sukiyaki Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 295 reviews · 1 day · from $151

See Japan’s snow monkeys, enjoy beef sukiyaki, and visit Nagano’s winter scenery on a long but rewarding day trip from Tokyo.

“Great day. Very long but totally worth it. Only piece of feedback is to make the pickup point a bit easier. We were very much on time but because the pickup was quite far away from the park, and in an unfamiliar area, we nearly missed the coach due to not knowing which road to take to find the pickup point (there were at least 10 others who had the same issue). "George" was lovely and was very funny. Thanks/Arigato Gozaimas!”

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3.1-Day Tour from Nagano and Matsumoto Kamikochi & Matsumoto Castle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 105 reviews · from $201Top rated

Combine Matsumoto Castle and Kamikochi on a guided day trip from Nagano, with transport, castle entry, mountain walks, and free time included.

“It was a full day of activities! We enjoyed the tour of the castle and city of Matsumoto. Our hike into the Kamikochi area was breathtaking. Devan was a great guide, very friendly and personable. We really enjoyed our day!”

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4.Full-Day Tour: Matsumoto Castle & Kamikochi Alpine Valley

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 78 reviews · 12 hours · from $180

Review of the Matsumoto Castle and Kamikochi tour from Nagano, with castle history, Frog Street, alpine walks, timing, price, and practical tips.

“Shin was our guide for our day trip to Matsumoto Castle & Kamikochi, and our family thoroughly enjoyed this experience! Shin was attentive and helped us learn about the history of the places we visited. Of course the highlight of our trip was the Alpine Valley. The walk to the Kappa bridge is breathtaking and it’s a MUST experience if you are visiting Nagano!”

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5.Private Nagano 1-Day Tour:Snow Monkeys,Zenko-ji,Obuse,Sake,Onsen

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 71 reviews · from $337

Review of Nagano’s private snow monkey, Zenko-ji, Obuse, sake, and onsen tour, with practical advice on timing, value, transport, and guides.

“Tour guide was informational and his recommendation for lunch was awesome. Took us to a cherry farm during our tour. This was a private tour. We felt safe with him. Even chased an overly aggressive snow monkey away.”

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6.1 Day Tour: Snow Monkeys & Snow Fun in Shiga Kogen

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 52 reviews · 9 hours · from $165

Review of the 9-hour Shiga Kogen snow tour with snow play, Japanese lunch, and a visit to Jigokudani’s famous snow monkeys.

“It was the best day and highlight of our Japan trip!! Our guide Endo was amazing. We have a 1 and 2 y.o babies and he was so accomodating ang patient. He explains things clearly. We had so much fun in the snow. The snow monkey is a bit of a hike especially with children but it was so worth it. I definitely would recommend this trip! Endo also took lots of wonderful photos for us!Thank you Endo, you are amazing!”

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