Hi there!
If you want to see monkeys when you’re in Japan, a trip to the Arashiyama monkey park in Kyoto may be worth a visit!
This park is also known as the Iwatayama monkey park.
Arashiyama monkey park as part of a one day Kyoto itinerary
I went to the monkey park as a part of my one day in Arashiyama and Sagano:
- Sagano scenic tourist train
- Okochi Sanso Garden (and teahouse)
- Bamboo forest
- Tenryuji Temple
- Togetsukyo bridge
- Monkey park
If you’re going to be planning the monkey park as your last main activity of the day, be sure to check the closing time. Last entry might be 4:30pm.
More below with pictures of a visit to the Kyoto monkey park!
🗾
Getting to the Arashiyama monkey park
Although Arashiyama is located a bit away from the main part of Kyoto, access to the area can be pretty convenient to get from Kyoto station to Arashiyama.
The entry to the monkey park is located near the main river of the area, the Hozugawa River.
It’ll depend on where you’ll be coming from to get to the monkey park, but you’ll likely end up crossing the famous Togetsukyo Bridge either on your way to the park, or after the park when you are ready to explore more of Arashiyama.
How much does it cost to go to the monkey park?
The ticket for entry to the Arashiyama monkey park will cost around 550 yen (US$5).
And then once you’ve paid for your entry ticket…
Here’s a bit of what you’ll see with a visit to the Arashiyama monkey park!
Start the hike up to the monkeys!
The area the monkeys are is located at the top of a hill, so it requires a little bit of work to get to the monkeys.
This is about a 20-30 minute walk, and you’re going up a hill the whole way.
If you visit on a hot day in summer, you might also encounter a misting fan on the trail too!
Guidelines for monkey interaction
And as you’re hiking up to the top, you’ll come across a number of signs posted with “rules” to keep in mind when you’re around the monkeys.
- Don’t stare at the monkeys directly in the eyes
- Don’t touch the monkeys
- Don’t feed them your own food
Basically… one of the biggest ones is no food of your own at the monkey park!
Don’t tempt the monkeys!
Information about Japanese snow monkeys in Kyoto
And then you can also take the opportunity on your way up to the top to study up on your monkey knowledge. 😉
If you’re looking for an excuse to rest for a bit, you can take the monkey quiz!
Arashiyama monkey park trail map
Trail summit!
And…
Japanese snow monkeys in Kyoto!
Feeding the monkeys?!
So by the time you reach the area with all the monkeys, you’ll know that you shouldn’t feed them your own food because of all the signs you’ll see.
But that doesn’t mean that you can’t feed them at all!
There’s a spot where you can buy monkey food, and it’s that food (and in that location) that you CAN feed the monkeys.
And so, there’s a specific area in which you can feed the monkeys.
It’s not the monkeys that will be in a cage, it will be you!
Get a monkey park stamp!
You’ll find this inside the monkey feeding room.
You can get monkey souvenirs too!
There’s a shop in the same spot that you’d buy the monkey food.
HAPPY ARASHIYAMA MONKEY PARK VISIT!
See more of what to do in Arashiyama and Sagano:
- Sagano scenic train
- Okochi Sanso Garden
- Bamboo forest
- Tenryuji Temple
- Togetsukyo Bridge
- Arashiyama tourist map