Atomic Bomb Dome / Oilstreet · CC BY 2.5
ITINERARY
Hiroshima and Miyajima in 2 Days: Peace Park, Then a Night on the Island7 stops, in the order with the least travel time
Miyajima is an island, and you get there by ferry. If you try to fit it into the same day as the city, getting there and back alone takes half the day.
Planned and checked by Waka Travel (Japan) ·
- Trip
- 2 days, 1 night
- Stops
- 7
- Total travel
- 3 h 47 mintrain & bus
- Stay
- MiyajimaWhere to stay ↓
Saves 2 h 29 min of travel compared with the obvious order(6 h 16 min → 3 h 47 min)
Assumes you arrive at Hiroshima Station at 12:00 on day 1 and are back at Hiroshima Station by 16:00 on the last day (a typical schedule when coming from the Tokyo area).
Miyajima is an island, about 10 minutes by ferry from Miyajimaguchi. You can only walk out to the Great Torii around low tide, and the shrine only appears to float on the sea around high tide, so always check the tide table for the day you go. Itsukushima Shrine's halls are open 6:30–18:00 (in some seasons they close earlier, between 17:00 and 18:00), so if you arrive in the evening you won't be able to go in. If you're not staying on the island, check the time of the last ferry as well.
Route and arrival times
All times are Japan time (JST), in 24-hour format.
Day 112:00–17:37 · travel 1 h 52 min
- 12:00Hiroshima Station 広島駅Depart
- ↓ Travel 29 min
- 12:29Lunch 1 h
- 13:29Atomic Bomb Dome 原爆ドーム30 min
- ↓ Travel 5 min
- 14:04Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park 広島平和記念公園45 min
- ↓ Travel 3 min
- 14:52Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Main Building 広島平和記念資料館 本館1 h 30 min
- ↓ Travel 1 h 15 min
- 17:37Miyajima 宮島Stay here tonight
Day 209:00–15:40 · travel 1 h 55 min
- 09:00Miyajima 宮島Leave your hotel
- ↓ Travel 6 min
- 09:06Toyokuni Shrine (Senjokaku) 豊国神社30 min
- ↓ Travel 3 min
- 09:38Itsukushima Shrine 厳島神社2 h
- ↓ Travel 3 min
- 11:41Daigan-ji 大願寺30 min
- 12:11Lunch 1 h
- ↓ Travel 1 h 15 min
- 14:27Hiroshima Orizuru Tower おりづるタワー45 min
- ↓ Travel 28 min
- 15:40Hiroshima Station 広島駅Arrive
Travel times are estimates based on straight-line distance. They don't include transfers, timetables or opening hours (how far off they can be).
Where to stay
Night 1: Miyajima. An area with plenty of hotels, close to the first stop the next morning.
Visiting different places? Where to stay (general guide)
General guidance, not calculated by this site.
| If you're mainly visiting | Area to stay |
|---|---|
| Atomic Bomb Dome, Peace Memorial Park (city) | Hiroshima Station / Kamiyacho 広島駅・紙屋町 |
| Itsukushima Shrine (Miyajima) | Miyajimaguchi / on Miyajima 宮島口・宮島島内 |
| Traveling on by shinkansen | Around Hiroshima Station 広島駅周辺 |
| Seeing the Great Torii in the evening | On Miyajima 宮島島内 |
We don't link to hotel booking sites on English pages yet. Search for the area name on the booking site you use.
If you have time
- Hiroshima Castle 広島城
- Shukkeien Garden 縮景園
- Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art 広島市現代美術館
Left out to keep each day manageable.
Why this order
2 notes
- On the last day you finish at Hiroshima Orizuru Tower and get back to Hiroshima Station in 28 min (arriving 15:40).
- Night 1: Miyajima. It's 1 h 15 min from Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Main Building, the last stop of the day, and 6 min to Toyokuni Shrine (Senjokaku), the first stop the next morning. There are plenty of hotels in the area.
FAQ
Can you see these 7 classic Hiroshima & Miyajima sights in 2 days?
Yes. In this order, even the longest day ends around 17:37, and travel adds up to 3 h 47 min over 2 days (travel times are estimates based on straight-line distance).
Where is the most convenient area to stay in Hiroshima & Miyajima?
Where you stay on this itinerary: Miyajima. It sits between the last stop of one day and the first stop of the next, and there are plenty of hotels in the area.
Is the ferry to Miyajima covered by the JR Pass?
Only the JR West Miyajima ferry is covered. The 100-yen Miyajima Visitor Tax is not included, so you pay it separately.
When is high tide for the floating torii?
It changes every day, so check the tide table for the date you visit. The shrine appears to float on the sea around high tide, and you can walk out to the Great Torii only around low tide.
Is there a visitor tax for Miyajima?
Yes. Visitors to Miyajima pay a Miyajima Visitor Tax of 100 yen. JR Pass holders riding the JR ferry still need to pay it separately.
Why stay on Miyajima instead of Hiroshima city?
Getting to the island and back by ferry takes up a lot of the day, and the shrine's halls close at 18:00 (earlier in some seasons). Sleeping on the island lets you start at Toyokuni Shrine and Itsukushima Shrine at 9:00 without worrying about the last ferry the night before. It's also the place to stay if you want to see the Great Torii in the evening.
Read the story of Hiroshima & Miyajima →