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The great torii of Itsukushima Shrine standing in the blue sea

Hiroshima and Miyajima guide

See the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park, then cross to Miyajima and its shrine gate standing in the sea. Trams and boats cover this city of rivers. Okonomiyaki is the local dish.

Things to see 10 classics

Classics 10 places

"Classics" and "Hidden gems" are this site's editorial picks, not a measured popularity ranking.

By interest
By how you get there
By distance
  • 1

    Atomic Bomb Dome

    The ruin of a hall destroyed by the atomic bomb on August 6, 1945, kept as it was. A World Heritage site.

    • History & buildings

    about 30 minFreeWheelchair & stroller friendly

    Tram · About 25 min from Hiroshima ・ Tram to Genbaku Dome-mae ・ 2.0km

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  • 2

    Peace Memorial Park and Museum

    A park with the Cenotaph and the Children's Peace Monument. The museum tells of the bombing through belongings and testimony.

    Many overseas visitors

    The museum had 728,385 foreign visitors in FY2024, the most since it opened in 1955 Source: Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, Peace Memorial Museum visitor numbers FY2024

    • History & buildings

    about 2.5 hrPartly paidFine on a rainy dayWheelchair & stroller friendly

    Tram · About 30 min from Hiroshima ・ Tram to Genbaku Dome-mae, then about 10 minutes on foot ・ 2.2km

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  • 3

    Itsukushima Shrine (Miyajima)

    At high tide the red shrine and its great gate seem to float on the sea. At low tide you can walk out to the gate.

    • Temples, shrines & churches
    • History & buildings
    • Views

    about 60 minPaid entryFine on a rainy dayWheelchair & stroller friendly

    Train · About 70 min from Hiroshima ・ JR to Miyajimaguchi, 10 minutes by ferry, then about 15 minutes on foot ・ 18km

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  • 4

    Mt. Misen (Miyajima Ropeway)

    The highest peak on Miyajima. About 30 minutes on foot from the top ropeway station to the summit, with views over the Inland Sea.

    • Views
    • Nature
    • Activities

    about 3 hrPaid entryMany stairs or slopes

    Ropeway · About 130 min from Hiroshima ・ Walk from Miyajima Pier to Momijidani Station, then two ropeways ・ 19km

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  • 5

    Hiroshima Castle

    Castle grounds ringed by a moat. The keep closed in March 2026 (outside view only); the Ninomaru gate is a wooden reconstruction.

    • History & buildings

    about 45 minFree

    Tram · About 25 min from Hiroshima ・ Tram to Kamiyacho-higashi, then about 15 minutes on foot ・ 1.6km

    Go here
  • 6

    Shukkeien Garden

    A feudal lord's strolling garden around a pond, dating from the Edo period. Lovely in plum, cherry and autumn-leaf seasons.

    • Nature
    • History & buildings

    about 60 minPaid entryPartly step-free

    Walk · About 15 min from Hiroshima ・ 700m

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Show on map

ClassicsHidden gems

Suggested routes

Times assume a 9:00 start. Travel times are estimated from distance and vary with waiting and crowds.

  • Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima Castle and Shukkeien

    Leave 9:00 → until about 16:39 (about 7.5 hr)

    1. 9:00Hiroshima

    2. about 25 min by transport

      9:25Atomic Bomb Domestay about 30 min

    3. about 8 min on foot

      10:03Peace Memorial Park and Museumstay about 2.5 hr

    4. about 9 min on foot

      12:42Fukuromachi Elementary School Peace Museumstay about 30 min

    5. about 5 min on foot

      13:17Okonomimurastay about 60 min

    6. about 22 min on foot

      14:39Hiroshima Castlestay about 45 min

    7. about 15 min on foot

      15:39Shukkeien Gardenstay about 60 min

    Take the tram to Genbaku Dome-mae, then everything is walkable. Allow plenty of time for the museum.

    Plan this route

  • A day on Miyajima

    Leave 9:00 → until about 15:42 (about 6.5 hr)

    1. 9:00Hiroshima

    2. about 70 min by transport

      10:10Itsukushima Shrine (Miyajima)stay about 60 min

    3. about 8 min on foot

      11:18Daisho-in Temple (Miyajima)stay about 60 min

    4. about 24 min on foot

      12:42Mt. Misen (Miyajima Ropeway)stay about 3 hr

    The view of the gate changes with the tide, so check the tide times before you go.

    Plan this route

When to go

April–May and October–November are the most pleasant. June–July is rainy (about 280 mm in July), and August is hot and humid (about 28°C on average).

Point at a month to see its temperature and precipitation.

Temperature (line: average; band: low to high)

Precipitation (mm)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Typical seasons

Cherry blossoms (Peace Park)

Hiroshima Flower Festival

Autumn leaves (Miyajima Momijidani)

Show as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High (℃)9.910.914.519.824.427.230.932.829.123.717.712.1
Avg (℃)5.46.29.514.819.623.227.228.524.718.812.97.5
Low (℃)22.45.110.115.119.824.125.121.114.98.94
Rain (mm)46.264118.3141169.8226.5279.8131.4162.7109.269.354

Temperature and precipitation are Japan Meteorological Agency normals (1991–2020, Hiroshima). Seasons are typical timings and can shift by a week or two each year. JMA data

Main ways to get around

  • Hiroden streetcar

    From Hiroshima Station to Hatchobori, Kamiyacho and Genbaku Dome-mae. Also runs to Hiroshima Port (Ujina) and Miyajimaguchi, though JR is faster to Miyajimaguchi.

  • JR Sanyo Line (Hiroshima – Miyajimaguchi)

    About 30 minutes from Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi, then about 5 minutes on foot to the ferry pier. The same line continues to Iwakuni.

  • Ferries to Miyajima

    About 10 minutes from Miyajimaguchi to Miyajima, with two companies running frequent boats. There is also a direct boat from Peace Memorial Park to Miyajima.

  • Hiroshima sightseeing loop bus "Meipuru-pu"

    Loops from the Shinkansen side of Hiroshima Station past Hiroshima Castle, Shukkeien Garden, Peace Memorial Park and other sights.

  • Airport limousine bus

    About 50 minutes from Hiroshima Airport to the Shinkansen side of Hiroshima Station. Some buses go to Hiroshima Bus Center (Kamiyacho).

Getting to Hiroshima

“Classics” and “Hidden gems” are our editors' picks, not a measured popularity ranking. Travel times are estimates. Please check prices, opening hours and operating days with the official sources before you go.

Photo and data credits

The great torii of Itsukushima Shrine standing in the blue sea JordyMeow (CC BY-SA 3.0) / The Atomic Bomb Dome standing quietly under a blue sky Oilstreet (CC BY 2.5) / The Memorial Cenotaph in Peace Memorial Park, with flowers laid before it TimMilesWright (CC0) / The great torii on the low-tide shore, with Itsukushima Shrine behind Bernard Gagnon (CC BY-SA 3.0) / Giant boulders on the summit of Mt. Misen above the Seto Inland Sea Bernard Gagnon (CC BY-SA 3.0) / The keep of Hiroshima Castle rising above green trees DXR (CC BY-SA 4.0) / A pond surrounded by greenery in Shukkeien Garden Jakub Hałun (CC BY-SA 4.0). Cropped and resized.

Local food

Regional dishes handed down in Hiroshima. Many are home and community cooking, so not every dish is served at restaurants.

See all regional dishes of Hiroshima (29)

“Find places serving it” opens a map app search for the dish name and the place name. The results are not chosen or recommended by this site. Please check with the shop whether it serves the dish.

Source: “Our Regional Cuisines” (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries), edited by this site (imported 2026-11-15) https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/market/k_ryouri/index.html. Names, areas and ingredients are as written on the source pages; descriptions are excerpts of the original text. No photos are used. This page is not made or endorsed by the ministry.

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