Kusatsu and the snow monkeys look close on the map

A morning at Jigokudani, dinner at a ryokan in Kusatsu. That’s a tidy weekend plan when the bus can go over Shibu Pass. The direct bus to Kusatsu was on Nagaden’s schedule through November 3. Ice has already closed the pass, and the winter closure on Route 292 is set for November 11 to April 21, 2027. Already booked both nights? Leave the afternoon for the transfer. From the Snow Monkey Park bus stop, one way around is to go back to Nagano Station, take the Shinkansen to Karuizawa and catch the bus to Kusatsu from the north exit. For one night, Shibu Onsen gets you a soak on the monkey park side. From nearby Kanbayashi, it’s about half an hour through the woods to the park. I’d save Kusatsu for a night when there’s time to walk out after dinner and watch the steam drift over Yubatake.