Monkey Park in Arashiyama, Japan

Fondly remembered as Monkey Mountain, this quick side trip was one of my favorite parts of our Kyoto visit.

Visitor Information: Here is an excellent link with a map and other tourist destinations in the area. We took a JR Train to get here and exited at the Saga-Arashiyama station. Our intended stop was the bamboo forest and after wandering through that park, we found ourselves at the river. There is so much to do in this area. As long as you are walking in the right direction (towards the river), you can find something to see and do without having a detailed agenda.

That being said, if you have picky eaters in your travel group, here is my advice for eating in Japan: When the picky eaters see something that they are interested in, you should probably just stop and get a snack. Even if it is not lunch time. We walked by several food stands on our way from the train to the bamboo forest and there were items that appealed to everyone. Our get-things-done tourist mentality prompted us to keep going and wait until lunchtime to get food. On our vacations, however, we frequently end up missing the lunch hour because we were absorbed in one of our side trips and forgot to keep time. I prefer being able to do this than follow a rigid schedule, but it comes at a cost. You might find yourself very hungry and searching for food only to realize you are in a district that closes down shop between the lunch and dinner hours, leaving few dining options available. As with most meals when traveling, be flexible or plan ahead are two pretty solid options.

Here are some more specific details for visiting the monkey park:

Admission is reasonably priced between between 250 and 550 yen per person (approximately $2.50 to $5.50), making this an affordable side trip. Keep in mind that you will want to buy snacks at the top to feed the monkeys. I believe it is around 300 yen for a bag of snacks; I opted for the bag of apple slices and felt there was a good amount to feed the monkeys. Do NOT feed the monkeys outside of the hut. There are a lot of them and they are really excited- and can get aggressive- about their food. You want to extend a flat palm to the monkeys so they can pick up their snack.

On the way to the feeding area, you will be walking up a mountain. It may be a small mountain, but you will want decent walking attire and should expect a lot of stairs and incline. While you are hiking to the top, you may encounter some monkeys roaming the hills to burn off some energy. Keep in mind the following rules:



      1. Don't stare at the monkeys in the eye.

      2. Don't touch the monkeys.

      3. Don't feed them outside.



     










 
I saw this sign just after I took this close up photo of my furry friend. Seconds after that picture, the monkey ran towards my phone which was pretty close to my face. I am summing this up as a monkey charged at my face. I squealed and ran away, and that was the end of our encounter, but I did not try to get that close for another photo until I was safe within the hut.

I highly recommend this stop if you are ever in the area! There is a stunning view of Kyoto from the top and feeding the monkeys makes for a unique experience.