Arashiyama Monkey park feeding
17 Apr
Kyoto, Members Only

Kyoto Guide: Don’t miss this advice about the Monkey Park in Arashiyama

    Are you planning to visit the Monkey Park in Arashiyama?

    Here are important things you should know if will visit with a baby or kids in tow!

    Our hotel was luckily located just on the river near the ticket gate to the Monkey Park, so on our last day we decided to go there to see the monkeys!

    Points to consider:

    1. Not stroller friendly

    The monkeys are actually at the top of the mountain!

    It takes 20min to walk up the stairs to the top, and it is extremely steep.

    So you can’t take your stroller and to be honest I find the steep incline quite dangerous with kids.

    My kids are now 7 and 4 years old so they could walk, but I personally wouldn’t have felt comfortable to go up there with a toddler!

    2. Afraid of heights

    My son is afraid of heights, so I wasn’t even sure if we would be able to walk to the top of the mountain!

    My son spent the whole time clutching to my leg and I had to guide him up. I nearly gave up and went back down the mountain!

    3. Hygiene

    If you are concerned about hygiene (i.e. catching something from the monkeys) then my recommendation would be not to go there.

    As I mentioned above, my kids are older now so it was okay, but if they were babies or toddlers I would have felt uncomfortable.

    The reason is because the monkeys are wild and can roam free around the park, and actually when we went there some of the monkeys were being aggressive to the tourists and the staff had to chase them away! So if you are worried about this, I would recommend to not go to the park.

    Good points:

    1. Adventure

    If you like adventure and your kids like hiking, then you might enjoy walking up the mountain! It is beautiful and the autumn leaves are amazing, so it would be actually a lovely hike in autumn.

    2. View

    The top of the mountain has an amazing view of Arashiyama and the river down below! If you want to see this mountain view, then it is worth the 20min walk to the top.

    3. Feed the monkeys

    You can actually feed the monkeys peanuts from inside the hut. See the photos below. This is great if you want your kids to experience getting up and close to the monkeys. My kids were fascinated by their hands!

    I hope this helps you to consider the pros and cons and whether to visit the Monkey Park with your baby or kids!

    Details:

    Watch the video below! (This is an unlisted video on my YouTube channel for members only)

    Arashiyama Monkey park
    You will need to climb these steep stairs for 20min to get to the top of the mountain where the monkeys are! It is a long climb with kids, so I recommend to consider this before you visit. I nearly gave up after 5min!
    Arashiyama Monkey park view
    This is the top of the mountain. The monkeys are basically wild and roam around the park. There are signs everywhere to NOT feed the monkeys and don’t look them in the eye. I had to keep repeating this to my kids! I didn’t want any trouble with aggressive monkeys!
    Arashiyama Monkey park feeding
    This was the biggest highlight for my kids – being able to feed the monkeys and see them up close
    Arashiyama Monkey park
    My daughter fed the monkeys too, but one of them accidentally scratched her hand when he took the peanut. I spent the whole time worrying she was going to get a disease! >< There is a sink with soap to wash your hands afterwards, so make sure you thoroughly wash your kids hands.
    Arashiyama Monkey park view from mountain
    Amazing view from the top of the mountain!
    Arashiyama Monkey park mountain
    My son did very well making it to the top as he is terrified of heights!
    Arashiyama Monkey park entrance
    This is the sign at the entrance to the monkey park showing the opening times and cost
    Arashiyama Monkey park stairs
    This is the entrance to the monkey park – after you climb these stairs you will see the ticket office to the left. Remember it is a 20min climb to the top of the mountain after this!

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