Nagano Monkey Park ToursJigokudani Monkey Park Tickets: Fees, Online Booking & Passes
Last reviewed August 2026
Jigokudani Monkey Park tickets cost ¥800 for an adult and ¥400 for a child, payable at the gate or, as of August 2026, bought online in advance for a chosen date. This page breaks down every tier, the new online option, the Snow Monkey Pass that bundles transport with entry, and which tours already fold the ticket into their price so you're not paying twice. Every figure below comes from the park's own published fee page and Nagaden's own timetable pages, checked in August 2026, not a third-party estimate.
Quick answer The exact fee tiers, and the one payment method that won't work at the gate
Jigokudani Monkey Park tickets are ¥800 for an adult (18+) and ¥400 for a child (6-17), with children under 5 free. As of August 6, 2026 you can also buy a dated ticket online through the park's own webticket page instead of paying at the gate, though walk-up tickets are still sold. The one thing to plan around: QR and barcode payments are not accepted at the gate, so bring a card or cash.
Key takeaways
- Adult admission is ¥800, child (6-17) is ¥400, under 5 is free, group rates and an annual pass exist too
- Online tickets launched August 6, 2026 through the park's own webticket page; you pick your admission date before paying
- Cards and e-money work at the gate; QR and barcode payments do not, cash is the safest backup
- The Snow Monkey Pass bundles round-trip transport with one park entry from ¥4,800, saving about ¥2,000 over buying separately
- Every group tour we compare, like the top-rated Nagano day trip, already includes the ¥800 admission in its price
- See Nagano monkey park tours with admission included if you'd rather not think about the ticket at all
Jigokudani Monkey Park Admission Fees
The official price tiers, straight from the park's own guide page. Nothing here changes whether you buy online or at the gate.
Fee tiers
Last verified: August 2026, against the park's official /guide/ page.
| Visitor category | Adult | Child | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | ¥800 (age 18+) | ¥400 (age 6-17) | Under 5 free |
| Group of 20 or more | ¥680 | ¥340 | Pre-arrange with the park for group entry |
| Annual pass | ¥5,000 | ¥2,500 | Unlimited entry for one year from purchase |
| School groups | ¥300 (junior/high) | ¥200 (primary) | Requires school booking |
How this page stays accurate
Fees at Japanese attractions are typically reviewed and, if needed, adjusted around the turn of the fiscal year, so treat any number more than a year old with caution. This page is checked against the park's own /guide/ page and news updates as of August 2026; when this page and the live checkout disagree, the checkout wins, since the park controls that number directly and we don't. If you notice a fee has moved since this was last verified, the online ticket page will always show the current figure before you pay, and that number is the one to trust over anything printed here or on any other travel blog.
Hours and how you can pay
Hours run April through October from 8:30 to 17:00, and November through March from 9:00 to 16:00. The park is open every single day of the year, including national holidays, and staff ask visitors to arrive at least 30 minutes before closing since the walk in takes time. At the gate, credit cards and e-money are both accepted, but QR and barcode payments are not; that's a gap that catches travelers used to paying by phone elsewhere in Japan.
Cash remains the safest fallback if you're unsure your card will work. For the current word straight from the source, the park keeps hours and any temporary closures updated on its official site.
Entry fee vs tour price: not the same thing
The ¥800 admission is only the gate charge. A tour price is a different number entirely, because it also buys the ride to and from the park, a guide's time, and often lunch or a stop at Zenko-ji or a sake brewery on the way. Worked example: the full-day Nagano departure runs from $137, which already folds in the ¥800 gate fee, roughly 50 minutes of transport each way, and lunch, none of which you'd get by paying the ¥800 alone at a walk-up gate.
Confusing the two numbers is the most common budgeting mistake on this route: the fee buys the gate, the tour buys everything that gets you there and keeps you fed along the way.
Buying Online vs Walking Up
The ticketing process changed mid-2026, and it's worth understanding both paths before you travel.
Online tickets, new as of August 2026
The park launched online ticket sales on August 6, 2026, through its own webticket page rather than a third-party platform. You select your admission date before paying, which is a real change from the old system: the park's official /guide/ page still says no advance reservation is needed, but that language predates the news post announcing the online option, so treat the online-ticket announcement as the current word. Walk-up tickets are still sold at the gate for anyone who prefers to decide on the day.
The park's operators have said timed entry for peak winter (December-March) is under consideration but not yet confirmed, so for now booking a date online is optional rather than required, even in high season. Either way, the price is identical: buying online costs the same ¥800 or ¥400 as buying at the gate, so the online option is purely a convenience, not a discount or a surcharge.
The Snow Monkey Pass
For visitors combining the trip with public transport from Nagano Station, Nagaden's Snow Monkey Pass bundles round-trip transport and one park entry into a single ticket, and it comes in two versions for the 2026 green season. Buying the pass also means one less transaction on travel day: instead of paying for the bus, then paying again at the park gate, the whole trip is settled before you leave Nagano Station.
| Pass version | Adult / Child | What's included | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Express Bus version | ¥4,800 / ¥2,400 (age 6-12) | Round-trip express bus + one park entry | On-site only, Nagaden Bus Ticket Center, Nagano Station East Exit |
| Train & Local Bus version | ¥5,100 / ¥2,550 | Round-trip Dentetsu train + round-trip local bus + one park entry | Can be bought online |
Does the pass actually save money?
Yes, and the math is straightforward: the express bus alone costs ¥3,000 each way, so a round trip runs ¥6,000, plus the ¥800 admission brings the separate total to ¥6,800. The Express Bus version of the pass covers the same trip for ¥4,800, a saving of about ¥2,000 per adult, and for a child the same logic applies at a smaller scale. Full fare and timetable detail for every transport option, including the train alternative, lives on the how to get there guide.
Are Tickets Included in a Tour?
Whether you need to think about the ¥800 fee at all depends entirely on which tour you book.
Group tours build it in
Every shared group tour we compare on this site already includes the ¥800 admission in its listed price, so you don't hand over anything extra at the gate. That covers the full-day departures from Nagano and Tokyo, the afternoon tour from the onsen towns, and the Togakushi combination day; the ticket is simply part of what you paid when you booked. It's worth checking each tour's own listing page before travel, since inclusions are the operator's to set and this site reports what's published at the time of writing rather than guaranteeing it.
Private tours leave it for the gate
All three private tours on this site work differently: admission is paid on-site rather than folded into the tour price. That applies to the private car from Tokyo, the Hakuba private option, and the local private packages; bring ¥800 per adult and ¥400 per child in cash or a working card, since the guide isn't covering it for you. It's a small line item next to the tour price itself, but worth knowing before you're standing at the gate rather than working it out on the spot.
If you'd rather see every tour side by side, with admission status marked for each one, compare the full lineup here before you book.
Which Ticket Situation Fits You?
If you're visiting for one day and haven't decided your exact date yet
buy at the gate; walk-up tickets remain available and cost the same ¥800 as booking ahead.
If you want a date locked in before you leave home
use the online ticket through the park's own webticket page, live since August 6, 2026.
If you're taking the express bus or train from Nagano Station either way
buy the Snow Monkey Pass instead of separate tickets; the Express Bus version saves about ¥2,000 over paying for transport and admission apart.
If you're visiting more than twice within a year
the ¥5,000 annual pass pays for itself by the third visit.
If you've already booked a shared group tour
stop thinking about the ticket; admission is folded into the price. See Nagano monkey park tours with admission included.
Ticket Questions, Answered Plainly
How much does Jigokudani Monkey Park cost?
¥800 for an adult (18+) and ¥400 for a child (6-17), with children under 5 admitted free. Groups of 20 or more pay ¥680 and ¥340, and an annual pass runs ¥5,000 for adults or ¥2,500 for children if you're visiting more than twice in a year. These are the park's own published tiers, checked against its official /guide/ page in August 2026.
Do I need to book snow monkey park tickets in advance?
No, walk-up tickets are still sold at the gate at the same price as booking ahead. Since August 6, 2026 you can also buy a dated ticket online through the park's own webticket page if you'd rather lock in your admission date ahead of time, but it isn't required, and no discount comes with booking early either way.
What is the Snow Monkey Pass and is it worth it?
It's Nagaden's bundle of round-trip transport plus one park entry, from ¥4,800 for the express bus version. Compared with buying an express bus round trip and admission separately, which totals ¥6,800, the pass saves about ¥2,000 per adult, worth it if you're taking the bus either way and don't already hold a rail pass that covers the route.
Can you pay by card at the park?
Yes, credit cards and e-money are both accepted at the gate. The one gap is QR and barcode payments, which are not accepted, so travelers relying on phone-based QR payments elsewhere in Japan should carry a physical card or cash as backup rather than assume the app they used the day before will work here.
Are tickets included in tours?
It depends on the tour type. Every group tour we compare includes the ¥800 admission in its price, while the three private tours leave it to be paid at the gate in cash or by card. Check the full tour comparison before assuming either way, since it changes what you should budget for the day.
Is there a discount for children at Jigokudani Monkey Park?
Yes, children aged 6 to 17 pay ¥400, half the adult rate, and children under 5 are admitted free with no ticket needed. School groups pay a further reduced rate of ¥300 for junior and high school students and ¥200 for primary school students, arranged directly with the park ahead of the visit.