Hakuba Japan - Everything you need to know for your next Ski holiday

With 10 different ski resorts in the Hakuba Valley there is no shortage of terrain to explore, but what makes Hakuba such a popular destination is its variety of things to do off the mountain too. Whether you’re having a rest day or the weather’s not too flash there’s something to keep you entertained – just think snow monkeys, sake tasting, snow mobiling, castles and more…

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Snow Monkey Tours

One of the most popular and unique day tour activities from Hakuba is a visit to the wild snow monkey park. Located near Shiga Kogen, this is where you’ll find snow monkeys bathing in the natural hot springs, it’s truly a must see! You can visit the snow monkeys as a full day tour that also includes lunch and a visit to Zenkoji temple, or alternatively you can hire a car and head there yourself.
Matsumoto Castle

Another day tour option is a visit to Matsumoto Castle, a 16th Century castle surrounded by a moat and it’s one of five Japanese castles designated as a ‘National Treasure of Japan’. Located about an hour and 20 minutes from Hakuba, you can hire a car or take the train to get here. Admission costs around ¥700 and then you can enter the castle grounds and explore inside the castle.
HakuBounce

If you feel like being active on your day off, head to HakuBounce, the only trampoline park in Nagano, less than 10 minutes from Happo Village. HakubaBounce is fun for all ages and here you’ll find all sorts of trampolines as well as the airsoft shooting range and battle course, foam pits, basketball hoops, table tennis and ball pit for the kids. You can even get freestyle snowboarding and skiing lessons here.
Hakuba Village

There are also many things you can see just by walking around Hakuba. Go for a walk through the village and explore some of the traditional Japanese shrines and temples, or head down near the river and take in the natural beauty of the Japanese alps. If you feel like keeping warm on a day off, just stop in at one of the many cozy cafes and bars throughout the village. There are also some amazing onsens in Hakuba where you can soak in the natural hot springs and relax, perfect after a big few days on the mountain.
Nagano Day Trip

A day trip to Nagano is a great option from Hakuba. You can take a bus from Happo to Nagano station or alternatively you can hire a car. Things to do here include; a visit to RoundOne which consists of floors and floors of games and activities, shopping at the many second hand and vintage stores, a visit to the Kids Ninja Village and Togakure Ninpo Museum, a trip to Yoshinoya Sake Brewery or a visit to the MEFA Don Quijote, a multi level shopping centre with every weird and wacky thing you can think of. You can find out more in our Guide To Nagano here.

nicky sullivan

Lizzie was so helpful, gave us some options and advice to help us pinpoint where we wanted to go. And once we had booked provided some really helpful travel advice and answering questions we had. Easy to deal with, everything was smooth and we had a great time.

Shelly Drewitz

Calum was awesome at helping us every step of the way with our trip. We got a great deal on the accommodation and ski lift, and we will definitely come back to Mountainwatch next time based on his excellent service.

Mark K Grant

I booked my Japan ski holiday through Mountainwatch. Very professional and when we arrived in Japan all was laid out for us. The accommodation was even nicer than expected. KIrsty was very good to work with and made things very easy!!!! will book again next season.

Jess

Great experience booking through this company, our contact Anna was brilliant, and organised a fantastic ski trip for us. The travel was all clearly laid out, the accommodation was lovely, the ski field was fantastic, great range of local dining options and bars.

Brett A

Mountain Watch are great, well organised and excellent advice on locations and accommodation. Highly recommended!

darren martin

Thanks Kirsty for helping arrange our family trip to Myoko for Xmas 2025, we had an amazing time

Jan Kelly

Thanks Kirsty, once again your arrangements for us in Japan worked very well. We’ll have no hesitation about touching base with you before we make another booking….. not sure if we’ll be organised by June, but we’ll see. Have a great season yourself and keep up the good work at MountainWatch. Regards Jan and Tom

Samantha Farr

Our trip to Hakuba and Tokyo was so smooth and easy thanks to the help of Justine. Hotel was great and in a perfect location and it was very smooth having all our extras like lessons and rentals booked and sorted before we arrived. Would 100% book through Mountainwatch Travel again!

John Durham

This is the second year that Kristy has organized travel arrangements for a skiing holiday to Furano in Japan, for us. It is the second time that those arrangements have been fulfilled seamlessly. No hassles, as planned and on time. Perfect, and will use Mountainwatchj Travel again. John Durham

Simone B

We booked through Anna O’Malley for our stay in Nozawa onsen Village in Japan. Seamless service, prompt, and pricing reasonable. The Shimataya View Hotel, was a lovely stay. Room size was large, great views, and Amazing service from Staff. Momoi and Eloisa couldn’t help enough- from dinner reservations to organising luggage to Tokyo. Property is older, though clean, well maintained. 10 min walk to slopes, 5 min walk to village centre. I recommend Mountain Watch, and this property. Photos are the view from our room.

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