Kyoto Monkey Park Iwatayama Photos, Tips & Review
Iwatayama Monkey Park is the home of Japanese Macaque in the Arashiyama Mountains of Kyoto, Japan. This post features my photos from several visits to the park, info & tips for visiting this wild snow monkey gathering place, and a review of whether it’s worth the time and money.
Monkey Park Iwatayama is located on Mount Arashiyama, which is a district on the west side of Kyoto. This is a somewhat rural, albeit touristy district in the outskirts of Kyoto. Arashiyama is easily accessible from Kyoto Station, and is the second most popular district of Kyoto after Higashiyama.
If you have two days in Kyoto, Arashiyama and Sagano are likely your second day. (See our 1-Day Western Kyoto, Japan Itinerary: Arashiyama & Sagano for a step by step plan.) Given the amount of time it takes to get up to the mountain and down, Monkey Park Iwatayama is a time-consuming experience. Whether the monkey park is worth that time and money is something we’ll cover a bit later in the post…
In essence, Arashiyama is a place to get in touch with nature, and it’s a popular location during Japan’s cherry blossom and fall color seasons. Aside from the Monkey Park, Arashiyama is perhaps best known for the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, which is absolutely stunning and a must-visit (in my opinion).
This monkey park in Kyoto is extremely cheap to visit (~$5), so whether it’s worth it to visit Iwatayama Monkey Park in Kyoto is mostly a question of time.
If you read our 1-Day Western Kyoto Itinerary and our 2-Day Kyoto Highlights Itinerary, you’ll notice Iwatayama Monkey Park is included in both–it’s that much of a priority for us in Kyoto, so that should answer the “is it worth your time” question.
Known as both ‘Arashiyama Monkey Park’ and ‘Iwatayama Monkey Park’, Kyoto’s Monkey Park is easy to find with signage indicating where it’s located.
Once you find the park, purchase your tickets, and start the hike up the mountain.
“This monkey park is not only a monkey.”
Right from the get-go, it’s clear Iwatayama Monkey Park is not some meticulously designed zoo for monkeys.
It’s about a 30 minute walk up to the main area of the monkey park. This monkey had gone rogue and was chilling in a tree way off the path.
Other resources you’ll find might scare you away from Iwatayama Monkey Park due to the intensity of the hike, but it’s really not bad at all. Much of the path is paved and has stairs, and although there’s an incline, it’s only mild at worst. Most importantly, at no point is this even a remotely dangerous hike.
My mind is in the gutter, but I giggled when I saw this sign. Does it seem dirty to anyone else?
When we got up to the top, this was the first monkey we saw. Not realizing that the place was literally infested with monkeys, I took like 200 photos of him.
He looks pretty excited about me taking his photo, no?
This is where the action was at. If you walked up to the edge here, a snow monkey would immediately approach you with its hand out. I waved at one, and it became irate with me.
I guess I made a monkey-world faux pas by not giving him food. He quickly moved on.
For some reason, the macaque hung out on the roof and watched for new visitors to approach. These monkeys were basically panhandlers.
There are rules for the macaque park. You can sort of read them behind this one.
The main one is do not look the monkeys in the eye. You’re also not supposed to feed them outside the feeding room, nor should you touch them.
This monkey seemed like he was in charge, just watching over all with a dissatisfied look on his face.
I named him Caesar.
Most of the macaque, like this one, seemed friendly. He kept reaching out, but I don’t think it was for food.
I think he just wanted to hold our hands. Some of the macaque are very sweet and docile.
Sarah took this with her cell phone, it shows how the park is sort of an example of ecotone.
By and large, these snow monkeys seemed lazy. Cute, but lazy.
Please, do not touch this. I assume the monkey just knows to sit by this sign.
Here’s the view of Kyoto from the Iwatayama Monkey Park. Not only is it a fun park, but it has a great view.
Since originally publishing this post, we’ve returned to Iwatayama Monkey Park because we enjoyed the experience so much.
The photos that follow are from our subsequent visits.
Here’s another look illustrating the view Iwatayama Monkey Park has over Kyoto. This is one of a few points of interest in Kyoto that we recommend that has a great view of the city.
As you’ll see in a couple more photos below, the monkey park is also a decent spot for both cherry blossoms in spring and fall colors. In general, the Arashiyama region of Kyoto is great for both.
On this particular day we visited, a storm was approaching. Note that Iwatayama Monkey Park will close when there is heavy rain or snowfall.
I’m not sure if this is out of necessity (due to the path up becoming slippery) or because people are less likely to visit during these conditions. Either way, something to keep in mind. We’d recommend doing Iwatayama Monkey Park when the weather is nice and visibility is good.
Be mindful that these snow monkeys are at least semi-wild, can be irrational, and are prone to outbursts. Think of them as petulant children.
Even though I was not looking the above monkey in the eyes, he became irate as I started taking his photo. Every time my shutter clicked, he’d open his mouth wider, until eventually starting to make noises and pound the ground. I was using a telephoto lens and was not even remotely near him for that photo, but he still did not appreciate it.
Feeding the monkeys is definitely an interesting experience. If you look at the paper below my arm, you’ll see instructions are provided.
Basically, you don’t want to tease the creatures or agitate them. I’d recommend buying the crackers to do this. They are cheap, and it’s a fun way to connect with the monkeys.
Some of these macaque are absolutely gorgeous. The one above reminds me of the iconic ones you see bathing in onsen at Jigokudani Monkey Park in Nagano, Japan.
While Arashiyama Monkey Park is not as well-known as the one in Nagano, it is much more convenient to most tourists, so there’s that.
Here’s Sarah with the monkey photo-bomb!
One thing I think people will probably wonder about Iwatayama Monkey Park is whether or not the monkeys are ethically treated.
I think it’s fair to say that these monkeys are only technically wild, while in reality pretty much inhabitants of the park.
For what it’s worth, these monkeys did not strike me as domesticated. It is likely that they are dependent upon handouts for sustenance, but this is not a sophisticated operation that has somehow trapped the monkeys there.
It’s more an opportunistic venture: someone realized the monkeys liked it up there, so they put in a toll booth and feeding station for tourists.
By and large, this section of the Arashiyama mountains and Iwatayama Monkey Park are undeveloped. The monkeys roam freely between the area of the mountain untarnished by tourists, and the feeding area and pond. The monkeys are allowed to come and go as they please, and there are workers in Iwatayama Monkey Park who ensure that the creatures are treated with respect.
Ultimately, my impression is that this is an ethical park. However, I don’t truly know that for certain, and it’s also possible that I really want to believe Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama is ethical because we enjoy and frequent it so much. No one wants to hear that they are supporting an unethical enterprise.
As to whether Iwatayama Monkey Park is worth it? Yes, absolutely. That probably goes without saying since we’ve visited Iwatayama Monkey Park. We rank this among the Top 10 Things to Do in Kyoto, Japan and the cornerstone of your second day in the city (after spending the first day focused primarily in and around the Higashiyama District). For us, the Monkey Park scores big points as a change of pace option, as most of the main draws in Kyoto are temples and shrines. Between this and the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, this area has compelling offerings for visitors to Kyoto. Iwatayama Monkey Park combines a fun hike up a Japanese mountain with snow monkeys at a reasonable price. What’s not to love?
If you’re planning a trip to Japan that includes Kyoto, we recommend that you start by consulting our Ultimate Guide to Kyoto, Japan to plan all aspects of our vacation. You should also check out our other posts about Japan for ideas on other places to visit!
Your Thoughts
Have you visited Iwatayama Monkey Park in Kyoto? What did you think of the experience? Did you think of the hike to access the park? Is it something you’d recommend to first-timers? Any interest in snow monkeys? What about the Kyoto monkey park? Any thoughts or tips of your own to add? Any questions about what we’ve covered here? Does visiting this spot in Kyoto interest you? Hearing about your experiences—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Oh, wow! I thought you were just joking on the monkey fights in your DisneyTouringBlog post about the weather in FL! I didn’t know you were serious! Very interesting review. Fascinating!
All posts are great. Glad someone rates this a must. Japan is about nature, with it’s animals included. Japan is a sub-tropical country furthest from the equator, so we have monkeys and snow.
Unfortunately there are no pictures of the baby monkeys at the park. Baby monkeys are adorable. They are all born in the spring when the harsh winter has past. The best time to visit the park is April-June.
Other animal related areas
Whales-Kochi
Deer- Miyajima, Nara
Cormorant fishing-Shiga
Huge colorful carp in large numbers – Ritsurin Park, Kagawa
Thanks for the listing of other animal areas! I actually have a bunch of photos of the baby monkeys in the park right now that I shot a couple of months ago–I’ll update this post to include them when I get a chance.
Hi Tom – have you ever been to see the monkeys at Yudanaka Shibu Onsen? I’m planning a trip to Japan in May and I can’t decide if its worth travelling to Yudanaka especially or if seeing the monkeys in Kyoto will tick the same boxes! I guess seeing the Yudanaka monkeys in the snow would be cool but as there will be no snow in May I don’t know whether to combine with my Kyoto visit.
No, I have not, unfortunately. Seeing the macaque actually in the snow is a bucket list item of mine, but absent that snow, I’m thinking a macaque is a macaque. I think you’ll find enough in Kyoto to occupy several days (or weeks!), and saving the side trip for more time in Kyoto (including the monkeys!) would be a wise idea, in my opinion.
Thanks for the advice! We opted to stay in Kyoto a bit longer – I agree it’s such an amazing city! We got up to the bamboo grove pretty early which was great as it wasn’t busy and then walked across to the monkey park. It was a great experience, I got some lovely pictures of the monkeys alongside the huge koi Karp that are in the pond on the top. Thanks for the review!
I am doing research for our trip to Kyoto this October and I find your tips very helpful. As a person who loves potography yours are great, I like the colors. I’ve read about the monkey park and was wandering if I am going to include it in our itinerary; but now that I’ve read yours I’ll surely do.
I know this is an older post, but we’re planning our return trip to Japan for two months from now, and we’re spending part of our trip in Kyoto. Showing my kids this post got them pretty excited about not necessarily spending the ENTIRE visit at Tokyo Disney Resort. Thanks for the tips!
Your kids are wise, indeed. We’ve been back a couple of times since this post. Monkey kick ass–that’s just science!
Hi Tom, great post and pictures! Loved all your post of Japan as I’m heading there very soon. How long did u spend at this park? I’m trying to see if I can squeeze this in my itinerary. Also, between a kit lens and a wide angle, which would you choose for traveling? Thanks a bunch!
I love that you did the Monkey Park! One of the students who had been on our study abroad term the year before enthusiastically recommended it and it was a great experience. They really are everywhere and crazy! There was a really cute baby monkey that I kept trying to feed and another older monkey kept shoving him away 🙁
The most memorable moment was when one monkey stole the water bottle of a girl in our group. An employee dove after him down the mountain, climbed up the tree where he was, grabbed the bottle, gestured at the monkey, and got her the water bottle back!
Hahaha, that is an awesome story.
We loved the Monkey Park so much that we’re already planning a return trip when we’re in Kyoto this fall. Here’s hoping there are some beautiful fall colors to make it even more impressive!
Sorry in the delay responding. We’re doing 2 weeks in Japan. 5 nights in Tokyo, 4 in Kyoto and 5 at TDR. We are traveling with our kids so I’m trying to plan things that will be interesting to them as well. This is perfect because it’s outside and involves animals (we’re also planning a trip to Nara to see the deer) I just read your review on Fushimi Irani which we are also planning to see. It looks beautiful.
What else did you guys do in Tokyo? I read the Robot Restaurant review but I don’t think it’s quite appropriate for my 6 year old LOL.
No, the Robot Restaurant definitely is not appropriate for kids. Same goes for all of Shinjuku at night. We did a number of shrines and temples in Tokyo, wandered around, dined at cool-looking restaurants, went to a thrift-shop type mall, and went to the Fish Market. There are a ton of things we didn’t get to do–next time!
yay! Glad to see that you are doing more posts on travel to Japan. The Monkey Park is on my to-do list for our June trip. I’m looking forward to more Kyoto / Tokyo reviews!
What other types of Japan posts might interest you?