3 Best Places to See Hot Spring Monkeys in Japan

A short stroll from Yunokawa Onsen, you'll find Hakodate Tropical Botanical Garden, a large pyramidal greenhouse that teems with rare varieties of plants. This horticultural refuge also features a thermal hot spring that attracts wild macaque monkeys, who bathe in the pool during the cooler months of the year.

Marvel at thousands of plants (including fruit trees, cacti and angel's trumpet flowers) before heading to the natural baths to photograph the monkeys soaking. While there is a small price charged to enter the greenhouse, access to the thermal spring is completely free of charge.

Jigokudani Monkey Park is situated in the Japanese Alps town of Yamanouchi, 3.5 hours from Tokyo. Nestled in the Yokoyu River Valley, this mountainous refuge is famed for the macaques that bathe in its springs (they’re particularly popular with wildlife photographers).

These captivating primates first made international headlines when they appeared on the cover of LIFE magazine, in January 1970. Since then, visitors have flocked to the hot springs to watch the snow monkeys soak in the water. They do charge for admission, but it’s well worth the cost for this surreal, but incredible, experience.

Iwatayama Monkey Park is in historic Arashiyama, a popular sightseeing district on the western outskirts of Kyoto. It may not feature thermal springs, but this open-air zoo is still a quality place to watch Japanese macaques, who amble about at all times of the year.

Along with its troop of 130 snow monkeys, Iwatayama boasts spectacular views of the city below from its panoramic mountain paths. You can buy bags of food as well, to give an interactive twist to your wildlife watching. In May, the park closes early when the creatures return to the mountains.