Snow monkeys & Matsumoto castle

Hi all,
In September I am traveling to japan and I am starting my trip in Kyoto.

Is it possible to do a one day trip to the snow monkeys and Matsumoto castle that start from kyoto and ends in tokyo ?

Thank you in advance for your help,
Sorsh ^_^

Time wise I don't think it's possible, but in any case it's likely out of season and the monkeys are at a higher elevation.

The walk to Snow Monkey Park from Yudanaka may take quite some time. Matsumoto Castle is quite a distance away from Nagano.
So it may be better to spend 2 days on these 2 places.
Thank you.

First of all thank you for your answers.
Second, do you have maybe a different suggestion for a day trip I can do that starts in Kyoto and ends in Tokyo ?

I am far from being an experienced Japan traveler, but travel in the company of locals in the mountainous Takayama/Matsumoto/Nagano prefecture area is very beautiful but also time consuming. If in your position, I would plan to travel the Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo, and research/select a point of interest along its course for your day-trip visit.

If you leave Kyoto at 8am, you reach Nagano by 12 noon by changing train at Nagoya. Fron Nagano to the monkey part, it may take two hours by the local train and walk. So you will reach there by 2pm. Yoy may want to spend two hours at least, so you can come back to Nagano station by 6pm. From Naganot to Tokyo it takes about 2 hours. So you will reach Tokyo station by 8pm.

You have no way to drop by Matsumoto on the way. Or you may just go to Matsumoto and drop the monkey park off.

Otherwise, leave Kyoto 8am and you get to Matsumoto by 11am. Matsumoto castle is in a walking distance from the station. If you leave Matsumoto before 4pm, you get to Shinjuku before 7pm on JR Chu-o line.

As mentioned, it will be a complete waste of time going to the monkey onsen in september. It will be very hot anyway, so no need for the monkeys to go for a soak in a boiling hot onsen!

I would suggest somewhere like Kawaguchiko en route to Tokyo in the hope of seeing Fuji-san, but that may also be risky given how elusive she can be during the warmer months.

As mentioned, it will be a complete waste of time going to the monkey onsen in september.

I disagree. While it is not the best timing of the year, it is definitely not a complete waste. A visit can be pleasant around the year. I have been there in all the seasons, and it was always a pleasure.

It will be very hot anyway, so no need for the monkeys to go for a soak in a boiling hot onsen!

In summer and winter, monkeys are lured into the pool by park wardens throwing food into the onsen pool. But you won't see them soaking like they do on cold winter days.

In any case, for the above reason, monkeys frequently enter the pool even in summer, and observing them can be a pleasure at any time of the year. In September, the surrounding vegetation is beautiful (although it is too early for autumn colors).

I am not saying you should definitely visit the park in September; I am just presenting my view in contrast to some of the statements by other posters.

This all seems like a lot of travel for a day trip which will be very short time-wise. How about going to Inuyama, which is close to Nagoya?

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3350.html