Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama

Sitting at 160m above sea level, you’ll need medium fitness level to make it to the top. There are some parts of the walkway that are steep and don’t have railings or safety nets against the cliff edge so be careful especially when walking with children. We only saw a handful of young children and no prams so you’ll need to park them at the bottom. Once you get to the top, the view is nice but you can’t touch the monkeys. You can feed them sweet potato and peanuts from inside the cage whilst they roam freely outside.

One of the recommended destination when in Kyoto. Took the local train to Arashiyama and from the train station a relatively short walk to the Iwatayama Monkey Park entrance. The access cost is 600yen for adults, 300Yen for kids. From here there is a climb up to where the monkeys are, not very steep but quite long, about 30 minutes depending on your stamina. The uphill walk in itself is very nice, through the forest on gravel path with benches here and there. Once you reach the top you are rewarded with some unique experience, basically walking among snow monkeys. Generally they are not aggressive and mind their own business but if you stir them up might get into some troubles. Don 't provoke them, don 't tease them with food and act with common sense like around wild animals. There are monkey keepers on site and will promptly deal with occasional monkey brawls. There is a building where you became caged and where you can feed through metal bars the monkeys with food offered for a cost. Even there are rules not to touch the monkeys while feeding them, there are posters everywhere showing you how to properly and safely do it. I 've seen people ignoring the posted rules and getting too close to the monkeys, nothing bad happened but still, as a precaution just follow the rules and you 'll fully enjoy the experience. The site also offers some nice views of the surrounding areas but then again, monkeys are the main attraction.

This was a memorable experience. The hike was worth the view and the experience of getting to interact with the monkeys. There is a play ground for the Little’s to burn off extra energy if the home didn’t do that already. It has a slide and zip line. You can buy monkey food there and it’s not too expensive and they use the money to keep the place running. We visited in November and the weather was AWSOME!

Wow what an experience! It’s worth the effort. Just FYI it’s a climb. Many stairs to the top and some paved ramp areas that are a little slippery. But it’s worth the climb. Besides there are benches every 100 feet to take a breather. The monkey park itself is awesome. Monkeys roam freely around the park and visitors stay within a fairly wide roped off area to take pictures and stroll around. There also a shack within the bounds of the viewing area where you can enter, buy feed for a few hundred yen, and feed the monkeys through wire mesh. This is to prevent monkeys from swarming someone with food and it’s a safe system to get up close and personal. The monkeys are gentle and won’t aggressively grab the food though the bigger ones will chase away the smaller monkeys from your food offerings. I highly recommend visiting and setting aside several hours for the experience. Bring your camera, hiking shoes, and remember it’s outdoors so prepare for full sun or rain.

This place is very cute but somewhat small. Be advised that there is a 160m steep hike around 15 minutes before you get to the Monkey Park. Everyone was panting and heaving when we got to the top but it was definitely worth it! There is a playground for children and 2 rest stops with fans. You are able to feed the monkeys from inside a human cage. The view is also amazing and very instagrammable. I'll definitely be back, but maybe with a bottle of water!