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COMBINING SNOW MONKEY RESORTS SKI PACKAGES & PRIVATE CHARTERS: RECOMMENDED MULTI-RESORT SKI TOURS IN NAGANO!
  • COMBINING SNOW MONKEY RESORTS SKI PACKAGES & PRIVATE CHARTERS: RECOMMENDED MULTI-RESORT SKI TOURS IN NAGANO!

    Hakuba Ski Resort

    As recently featured, Shiga Kogen is not just Nagano’s but also Japan’s largest and highest ski resort. With 79 ski runs serviced by 51 chairlifts and gondolas, Shiga offers the largest expanse of skiable terrain in Japan along with a strong claim to having Nagano’s best powder.

     

     

    Shiga Kogen is always our recommendation as Nagano’s biggest and best resort and with that, Snow Monkey Resorts is happy to again be offering our 4, 5, and 6-day ski package tours to Shiga in winter 2019/20. Including transport to and from the resort, all-mountain passes for the duration of your stay, accommodation in the resort’s central village, a guided visit to the nearby Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, and dinner at one of the region’s best restaurants, Hotaru-tei.

    updated shiga kogen ski package

    Our packages are designed to help you get the most out of your time in Shiga Kogen with transport, accommodation, and ski passes sorted – so you can focus on hitting the mountain – with additional options of ski/snowboard lessons and rentals available.

     

    Host of the 1998 Winter Olympics – Nagano has so much to offer!

     

    Shiga Kogen is one of more than 70 resorts in Nagano and while it is always our recommendation as Nagano’s biggest and best, it is one of many awesome ski fields in the region. With most major resorts including Nozawa Onsen, Madarao, Myoko Kogen, and Hakuba accessible via major transport hubs including Nagano and Tokyo Stations and nearby airports, getting yourself to the resort of first choice is easily done.

    charter between Nagano ski resorts banner

    But when it comes to moving between the resorts – particularly moving quickly and conveniently with your luggage and snow gear – it can be tricky, and it is this fact which restricts many travelers to a single resort. But don’t let that stop you! Snow Monkey Resorts is Nagano’s No.1 tour and charter operator, offering private and customizable services to, from, and between any resort in Nagano.

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    All of our vehicles and drivers are fully accredited. Locally-based and operating all year round we have the know-how and a fleet of vehicles that allows you to hit any resort in Nagano and design the best possible winter adventure.

    1. SMR buses lined up

     

    With that, we recommend the following 7-day, 10-day and 14-day itineraries in Nagano:

     

    7 DAYS IN SHIGA KOGEN & NOZAWA ONSEN/MADARAO*

     

    Our ski package tours to Shiga Kogen start from JR Nagano Station and take you to Shiga Kogen via the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. The convenience of this package makes it the perfect and easiest way to start your winter adventure and when combined with a charter service from Shiga to Nozawa Onsen, you’ll experience two of the regions most popular resorts:

     

    shiga kogen yokote

     

    Day 1: depart JR Nagano Station at 9:35 and first visit Nagano’s world-famous Snow Monkey Park before enjoying lunch at a nearby restaurant, and then head to Shiga Kogen, where our staff will assist you with check-in at your accommodation around 14:45 and leave you to enjoy the best of Shiga!

     

    Day 2-3: yours to enjoy carving-up Shiga’s many, many courses and deep, deep powder- with all areas covered by your all-mountain passes.

     

    Day 4: your final day at Shiga with time to hit your favorite ski areas one last time (again covered by an all-mountain ski pass), before boarding your Snow Monkey resorts charter and heading to Nozawa Onsen – approximately a 1 hour drive – and drop-off your accommodation and enjoy the village nightlife.

     

    Day 5-6: much smaller than Shiga, Nozawa still offers loads of runs and a lively village. Popular with snowboarders, the resort has a young and energetic atmosphere and offers some more great powder.

     

    Day 7: time to go, but why not squeeze in one last day carving-up it up? Madarao is small resort known for its powder bowls and tree runs, and just across the valley from Nozawa, it can be easily visited on the same day you depart with option of private charter or bus followed by shinkansen from JR Iiyama Station to Nagano and onto Tokyo.

     

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    10 DAYS IN SHIGA KOGEN, NOZAWA ONSEN & MYOKO KOGEN*

     

    Now that we’ve got your attention, let’s tempt you with a longer visit, giving you more time to enjoy the best of the region including the increasingly powder heaven of Myoko Kogen:

     

    Shiga Kogen winter skiing landscape

     

    Day 1: depart JR Nagano Station at 9:35 and first visit Nagano’s world-famous Snow Monkey Park before enjoying lunch at a nearby restaurant, and then head to Shiga Kogen, where our staff will assist you with check-in at your accommodation around 14:45 and leave you to enjoy the best of Shiga!

     

    Day 2-4: with more time on your hands why not choose our longer 5-day/6-night ski package, giving you the time to spend more time at some of Shiga’s most remote, least crowded and best ski fields including Okushiga and Yokoteyama – covered by the all-mountain passes included in your ski package.

     

    Day 5: enjoy your final day at Shiga on the mountain before boarding your private charter to Nozawa Onsen.

     

    Day 6-7: Nozawa is yours to enjoy including the snow park and one of Nagano’s longest runs – 10km in length! – before diving into the village’s renowned aprèsski at night.

     

    Day 8-9: an early start to board your private charter and head north to Myoko. Home to a group of resorts – including Akakura Kanko, Akakura Onsen, Ikenotaira, Suginohara, and Seki Onsen – collectively known as ‘Myoko Kogen’ – this is a true powder paradise and particularly popular for intermediate and advanced skiers and snowboarders wanting to get off-piste and into the deep stuff! Our private charters will drop you at any resort or accommodation for your choosing!

     

    Day 10: enjoy your last day buried in powder before heading-out. Our private charters are the easiest way to get going. With pickup from any resort or accommodation and including luggage transport, we can have you on the move with the least possible fuss or JR Joetsu-Myoko Station is your nearest option to board the shinkasen and make your way to Nagano or Tokyo.

     

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    14 DAYS IN HAKUBA, MYOKO KOGEN, NOZAWA ONSEN & SHIGA KOGEN*

     

    OK, let’s get creative! The resorts of Hakuba were the first in Nagano to come to international attention. Much like Myoko Kogen, Hakuba is comprised of a number of resorts – most notably Hakuba Happo-one, Hakuba Goryu, Hakuba 47, Iwatake, and Cortina – attracting hordes of skiers and snowboarders each winter. Offering an amazing expanse of terrain – but not interconnected to the same extent as Shiga – Hakuba is wildly popular for good reason. So why not start there:

     

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    Day 1: we can arrange private charters from JR Nagano Station or further afield from the central Tokyo or major airports. Starting from the location of your choice, we’ll have you quickly and comfortably arriving in Hakuba – and when coming from JR Nagano Station, we can have you there in-time to enjoy an afternoon on the slopes.

     

    Day 2-5: check-out the resorts of your choice in Hakuba starting with Happo-one. As the most central of the Hakuba resorts it’s also the most popular so hit it for a day and then move a little further afield to the highly-rated Cortina and Iwatake, before our charter picks you up with all your gear and heads to Myoko!

     

    Day 6-7: arriving the evening before you have two days to get into the deep stuff. The resorts of Myoko claim crazy snowfall – up to 17 or 18 meters per year! – making it the region’s worst kept secret. If you’re looking for massive powder and great backcountry, Myoko will blow your mind!

     

    Day 7-8: time to head back to the bright lights and with another charter – the evening before or early in the morning – you can be in Nozawa Onsen for a couple of days of primo skiing/snowboarding matched by some good old-fashion après at night.

     

    Day 9: time to head higher-up to Japan’s highest ski resort, Shiga Kogen. With pickup directly from accommodation, our charters give you the flexibility to combine additional activities and stops en route to each ski resort; and when headed from Nozawa to Shiga the Snow Monkey Park is a must-see. We can arrange a charter including tickets to the park followed by lunch at a local restaurant (if required), before making the final journey into the mountains, reaching Shiga Kogen mid-afternoon using our 5-day/4-night ski package**.

     

    Day 10-14: we have you covered for all-mountain passes for 4 days, allowing you to round-out your trip with the seemingly endless terrain of Asia’s largest resort and host of several events of the 1998 Winter Olympics. And once finally done, our packages include transport back to JR Nagano Station where the shinkansen awaits to whisk you away to Tokyo or your next adventure!

     

    shiga backcountry tour

    *Our standard 4D/3N, 5D/4N, and 6D/5N ski packages tours include transport to the resort from/to JR Nagano Station along with accommodation and lift passes covering Shiga Kogen. Separate charters from/to/between other resorts is not include and can be arranged as a private charter. Accommodation and lift passes at other resorts are also not included.

    **Our standard ski package tours start/end at JR Nagano Station. Packages can be adjusted to include a charter from/to any resort or location which would alter the package price and details.

     

    We’re here all year! Contact us with want you want and let us put together a charter quote or package just for you!

     

    With over 70 resorts to choose from in Nagano, we’ve just scratched the surface what’s on offer! Any of the itineraries listed above can be flipped on their heads and reversed in order; starting, finishing, and visiting the resorts and destinations of your choice! So whether you’re here for a couple of days, a week, a month or the season, we offer the flexibility needed to get the maximum out of your time in Nagano!

     

    For an estimated price for a charter from the most popular Nagano resorts, please visit our TRANSFER BETWEEN NAGANO SKI RESORTS page.

     

    Can’t find what you’re looking for? No stress at all. Just get in touch with us at snowmonkeyresorts@machinotve.com, let us know what you’re after and we’ll get back to you!

     

    Why choose us?

    Awarded a 2022 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award for our 1-Day Snow Monkeys, Zenko-ji Temple & Sake Tour – recognised as one of the Top 10 Experiences in Japan – we have the local knowledge and experience to help you get the most out of your time in Nagano and Central Japan.

     

    Locally-based and operating all year round, we offer the local knowledge, support, and service that you need to get the most out of your winter adventure in Japan.

    We want all of our guests have the best possible time in Nagano, so good, that we hope you’ll come back again! We love our home region and want you to love it to… we’d love to see you here in Nagano this winter! With winter group tours starting from both Nagano City and Hakuba, we are looking forward to another very busy winter!

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    Got a question about our ski/snowboard packages, charter or any of our services? Don’t hesitate to get in touch! Please contact us.