Hiroshima & Miyajima — Private Guided Tours & Top Attractions

Find Your Peace of Mind — History, Reflection & Sacred Island

REGION
Chugoku
PRIVATE TOURS
Available
BEST TIME
Year-round
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Home » Japan Travel Destinations » Hiroshima & Miyajima

The Best of Hiroshima & Miyajima — Peace, History & Sacred Island

Hiroshima (広島) was founded in 1589 by the feudal lord Terumoto Mori on the delta of the Ota River, at the northern edge of the Seto Inland Sea. It grew into one of the great castle cities of western Japan — and then, on 6 August 1945 at 8:15am, the first atomic bomb used in armed conflict exploded 580 metres above the city. 140,000 people perished.

What followed was one of the most remarkable acts of collective rebuilding in modern history. Today Hiroshima is a thriving, forward-looking city — and the Peace Memorial Park at its centre stands as one of the world’s most powerful sites of remembrance and hope. Visiting it is not a simple sightseeing experience but something more lasting.

Twenty minutes by ferry from the city lies Miyajima — formally Itsukushima, the Island of Worship — one of Japan’s three officially designated scenic views. The great floating torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine, rising from the sea at high tide against a backdrop of forested hills, is one of the country’s most iconic images. Together, Hiroshima and Miyajima form one of the most emotionally and visually complete day trips in Japan.

And before you leave, enjoy oysters — Hiroshima produces more than half of Japan’s entire harvest, and they are extraordinary.

Plump, grilled Hiroshima oysters are a signature delicacy, often enjoyed fresh from wire grills at local kakikoya (oyster huts)

REGION
Chugoku – Seto Inland Sea coast

PRIVATE TOURS & EXPERIENCES
Tours available
All private, bookable directly

BEST TIME TO VISIT
Year-round
Cherry blossom (Apr) · Autumn maple (Nov) · Oyster season (winter)

GETTING THERE
1h 30 from Osaka
Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen Nozomi to Hiroshima station

GETTING AROUND
Tram · Ferry to Miyajima
City tram network · JR ferry from Miyajimaguchi to Miyajima

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PLACES TO VISIT

The main attractions in Hiroshima & Miyajima

  • Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park — The city’s most moving site, with the haunting Atomic Bomb Dome, the Peace Memorial Museum and the Children’s Peace Monument dedicated to the victims of 1945.
  • Itsukushima Shrine — A UNESCO World Heritage Shinto shrine built over the water on Miyajima Island, famous for its iconic floating torii gate — one of Japan’s three most celebrated views.
  • Mount Misen — The sacred forested peak of Miyajima, accessible by ropeway, with sweeping views across the Seto Inland Sea and the islands below.
  • Hiroshima Castle — A reconstructed 16th-century castle on the Ota River delta, with a museum tracing the city’s history from the Sengoku period to the modern era.
  • Shukkei-en Garden — A tranquil traditional garden in the heart of Hiroshima, designed to evoke famous landscapes in miniature across its ponds, bridges and islands.
  • Daisho-in Temple — A remarkable Buddhist temple on Miyajima’s lower slopes, filled with stone lanterns, gold-lacquered statues and the extraordinary illuminated lantern hall.
  • Momijidani Park — A beautiful riverside park at the foot of Mount Misen, at its most spectacular during November’s blazing maple autumn season.
  • Miyajima Omotesando — The island’s main shopping street, lined with stalls selling Hiroshima oysters, momiji manju cakes and traditional Miyajima crafts.

GALLERY

Hiroshima & Miyajima in pictures

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Children's Peace Monument with a girl holding a folded crane on top surrounded by glass display cases of paper cranes in Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima, Japan
Hiroshima Castle keep reflected in the still green moat water with a rainbow arching above and city buildings behind, Hiroshima, Japan
The arched Kokōkyō stone bridge over the central pond at Shukkei-en garden in Hiroshima
The main hall of Itsukushima Shrine on its stilted platform with wooden walkway flanked by bronze lanterns and forested hillside behind at dusk, Miyajima Island, Hiroshima, Japan
Looking up at the ceiling of the lantern hall at Daisho-in Temple completely covered with rows of glowing bronze lanterns receding into the distance, Miyajima Island, Hiroshima, Japan
Panoramic view of the Seto Inland Sea and scattered islands from the summit of Mount Misen on Miyajima Island

OUR TOURS

Private Tours & Experiences in and near Hiroshima & Miyajima

All tours are private — just your group, with a local guide.

WORLD HERITAGE The vermilion floating torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine rising from the calm sea at Miyajima, with the red-lacquered shrine buildings on stilts in the foreground and mountains beyond The vermilion floating torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine rising from the calm sea at Miyajima, with the red-lacquered shrine buildings on stilts in the foreground and mountains beyond

Hiroshima & Miyajima Private Tour – One Day Highlights

Full day (08h) — Up to 6 — From JPY 65,000/group

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