Hiroshima is one of the most famous places in Japan next to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka because of its turbulent history and beautiful nature. The city of Hiroshima is one of the destinations of the Golden Route, a popular choice of (first-time) visitors in Japan. The Golden Route stretches from Tokyo to Kyoto and loosely follows the old Tokaido Road. Other destinations included are Hakone, Nara, and Osaka. The city is beautifully located, surrounded by mountains on one side and the water of Hiroshima Bay on the other side.
Besides its beautiful location, Hiroshima is also a famous place in history, being one of the two cities where atomic bombs were dropped during WWII. Traces of the tragedy are found and honored everywhere in the city center.
Hiroshima is not far away from Kyoto or Osaka and even a one-day trip from both Kyoto or Osaka to Hiroshima is easy enough to do and worth your time, though you can easily spend multiple days in the bustling city.
Must-visit spots in Hiroshima are Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima and the Atomic Bomb Dome in the Peace Memorial Park. Here we made a one-day itinerary for you around those spots!
Book your Hiroshima Private Tour here!
Special Miyajima Opportunity in October:
How to get to Hiroshima from Kyoto or Osaka?
Hiroshima is located only 100-120 minutes away from Kyoto and 80-100 minutes away from Osaka by Japan’s well-known Shinkansen, also known as a bullet train.
If you have a Japan Rail Pass, you can take the Shinkansen without any additional costs. However, please note that there are Shinkansen you can’t take with a Japan Rail Pass such as Nozomi or Mizuho. Besides these two, you can take pretty much all other bullet trains. Also, you take local trains but this will add another 5-6 hours, so we would recommend taking the Shinkansen to save your time – and have more time for exploring Hiroshima.
If you don’t have Japan Rail Pass, you can take any Shinkansen, and we recommend you take Nozomi or Mizuho Shinkansen because it is easy to go to Hiroshima from Kyoto and Osaka without any transit.
Suggested itinerary in Hiroshima & Miyajima
7am – 8am Take the shinkansen to Hiroshima
To make the most out of your one-day visit to Hiroshima, we recommend you arrive there around 9-10 am. If you take the Shinkansen around 7-8am from Kyoto or Shin-Osaka Station, you will arrive in Hiroshima in time.
9am Arrive at Hiroshima Station
The first destination is Miyajima! Once you arrive at Hiroshima Station, take the JR Sanyo-honsen line to Miyajimaguchi Station (about 25 minutes). You can also get to Miyajima by Hiroshima Electric Railway as a cheaper option though it takes longer (about 70 minutes). We recommend you take the JR line, especially if you have the JR Pass since it covers this train.
10am Arrive at Miyajimaguchi
Miyajima is an island so we have to take a ferry to get there. After you arrive at Miyajimaguchi Station, walk to the ferry port. There are two companies operating ferries to Miyajima: JR and Matsudai Kisen. If you have a JR Pass, take the JR ferry because you can be on board without any additional charge. If not, you can choose either one and the price is 200 yen (adult) for a one-way trip.
The fastest way to get to Miyajima is to take the Hiroshima World Heritage Sea Route (¥2,300 for a roundtrip) connecting the Peace Memorial Park and Miyajima island directly. This option is more expensive, but you can easily get to Miyajima from downtown Hiroshima in 45 minutes without any transfers. So when you take a day trip to Hiroshima, this will earn you some extra time to use for sightseeing.
10:30am Start exploring Miyajima
The ferry will take you to Miyajima in about 10 minutes. Soon after your departure, you will spot the famous red torii gate which looks like it is floating in the sea when it is high tide. This torii gate is a part of Itsukushima Shrine and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
If you have enough time, we recommend you to see both high tide and low tide. Check the tide time in Miyajima before your visit and see which time is the best to visit depending on your preference. If the tide level is under 100 meters, you can walk through under the big torii gate, and if it is over 250 meters, you can see the floating shrine and torii gate.
In Miyajima, many wild deer will give you a friendly welcome. You might know Nara Park is famous for its cute free roaming deer, but here on Miyajima, you can spot them everywhere too! They aren’t shy of people and will come and greet you. Be careful with your food around these curious creatures though, they may try to steal them from you! Also keep that in mind, unlike deer in Nara, it’s not allowed to feed deer in Miyajima.
While waiting for the best tide time, let’s take a walk around the island. From the ferry terminal to the shrine walk along the Omotesando shopping street, this street is the busiest place in Miyajima for souvenir shops and restaurants. The area’s specialty is for its lemons and oysters, you will see them for sale everywhere. As well as the delicious local snack Momiji-Manju, don’t forget to try these local delicacies of Hiroshima.
Momiji-Manju is a maple leaf-shaped Japanese sweets which is Japanese sweet filled with red bean paste. There are more fillings like custard, matcha, chocolate or cheese to choose from and also there are fried ones too, something for everyone!
If you have more time and can stay in Miyajima, we recommend you go hiking in Miyama. There are several hiking trails leading up to the highest point of the island Mount Misen or you can get there by a cable car (¥1,100 for one way, ¥2,000 round trip).
1:45pm Leave Miyajima
The next stop is the Atomic Bomb Dome. To get to this impressive building, take a ferry back to Miyajimaguchi station and then take Hiroshima Electric Railway to Atomic Bomb Dome from Hiroden-Miyajimaguchi station.
3pm Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park
The famous Atomic Bomb Dome is one of the few remaining structures after the first ever atomic bomb was dropped in Hiroshima in 1945. The Atomic Bomb Dome is registered as a World Heritage Site and is a reminder of the tragedy of 1945 when two atomic bombs were dropped in Japan.
The Atomic Bomb Dome and the city of Hiroshima serve as a reminder to all of us today, that we should never experience such tragedy again. Each year on August 6 at 8:15, the exact time the atomic bomb was dropped in 1945, a memorial service is held at the Memorial Park. Hiroshima wants us never to forget about the disaster of 1945 and pray for world peace. As the city’s slogan goes: Never Hiroshima again!
When time permits, we definitely recommend a visit to the Peace Memorial Museum. It tells the story in an impressive and memorable way. It will be a life-changing experience and something important you will remember from the trip. The entrance fee for the museum is set at ¥200.
To make the most out of your limited time in Hiroshima and still learn about the turbulent history of the city, we recommend you join our guided tour!
▶Book our Hiroshima Private Tour
4:30pm Leave Hiroshima
Walk or take the train back to Hiroshima Station and from there take the shinkansen to go back to Osaka or Kyoto. If you take a shinkansen around 5 pm, you will be back in Osaka or Kyoto for dinner.
Special Miyajima Opportunity in October:
If you’re planning to visit these areas, consider going in October! A very special opportunity to experience Miyajima and the history of the Hiroshima G7 Summit is being held then, and you won’t want to miss it. You’ll have the chance to spend the day on the island visiting the famous Itsukushima Shrine and its floating torii gate, enjoy some exquisite traditional food sourced freshly from the area, and learn about history and culture from unique museum experiences. The highlight will undoubtedly be exclusive access to Itsukushima Shrine after it’s closed to watch a traditional performance and see worshippers pray. Learn all about it by clicking below!
Recommended hotels in Hiroshima
- Sheraton Grand Hiroshima Hotel – Located in Hiroshima city
- Kurayado Iroha – Located in Miyajima
Other activities
We hope you liked our suggested one-day trip itinerary to Hiroshima! Of course, you can switch the places around and adjust the timing of the trip. When you want to visit Miyajima in the afternoon, you can go to the atomic bomb dome in the morning. If you have any questions about planning, you can always reach out to us. We will happily assist you to make your Japan trip special!
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