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Attractions & day tripsBy Clever Tourists · Published
Miyajima is the one day trip from Hiroshima nobody should skip; Iwakuni and Kure are the best second choices. Miyajima, with Itsukushima Shrine and its floating torii, is about 45 minutes away by JR train and ferry. Iwakuni's five-arched Kintaikyo bridge is about 45 minutes by local train plus a short bus, and Kure's Yamato Museum, 35 minutes away by rapid train, is open again after a renovation. We spent about a day and a half in Hiroshima in April 2023 (13 to 15 April), arriving from Himeji at the end of our Japan route before heading back to Tokyo, which is enough for the Peace Park and Miyajima and not much else. With more days, the options below are ranked by payoff against travel time.
• Miyajima: about 45 minutes by train and ferry. Itsukushima Shrine and the torii. Half to a full day.
• Iwakuni: about 45 minutes by local train, then 15 minutes by bus. The Kintaikyo bridge and castle. Half a day.
• Kure: about 35 minutes by rapid train. Naval history and the Yamato Museum. Half a day.
• Onomichi: about 45 minutes by Shinkansen and local train. Hillside temples and the start of the Shimanami Kaido. Full day.
• Okunoshima (Rabbit Island): about 1 hour 40 minutes by bus, then a 12-minute ferry. Full day.
• Himeji or Okayama: both on the Shinkansen line east; better as stops on the way than as return trips.
Hiroshima itself needs a day for the Peace Memorial Park, the Atomic Bomb Dome and the museum; see how many days in Hiroshima.
Itsukushima Shrine is built on stilts over the tidal flats of Miyajima island, and its great Otorii gate stands in the water offshore. Beyond the shrine there is the shopping street of Omotesando, the five-story pagoda, Daisho-in temple on the hillside, the ropeway toward Mount Misen, and tame deer everywhere.
Getting there: the JR Sanyo Line from Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi takes about 25 minutes (about ¥420 (≈ $2.7)), then a 10-minute ferry (about ¥200 (≈ $1.3), JR or Matsudai). Both JR legs are covered by the JR Pass. Every visitor pays a ¥100 (≈ $0.63) Miyajima visitor tax, added to the ferry fare. Shrine entry is about ¥300 (≈ $1.9).
How long: half a day for the shrine and torii; a full day with Mount Misen. Suits: everyone. Tip: look up the tide table before you go. The torii appears to float at high tide, and at low tide you can walk out to its base. Our Hiroshima and Miyajima guide explains how to read it.
Kintaikyo is a wooden bridge of five steep arches over the Nishiki River, first built in 1673 and rebuilt several times since. Across it are Kikko Park, the former samurai district, and a ropeway up to a reconstructed hilltop Iwakuni Castle with views back over the bridge.
Getting there: the JR Sanyo Line local train from Hiroshima to Iwakuni takes about 45 minutes (about ¥760 (≈ $4.8)), then a bus of about 15 minutes to the bridge. The Shinkansen to Shin-Iwakuni takes about 20 minutes, but only the slow Kodama stops there.
How long: half a day. Suits: photographers and anyone with a JR Pass. Tip: the bridge toll is about ¥300 (≈ $1.9); after the ticket office closes you leave the fee in a box. In early April the riverbank is lined with cherry blossom.
Kure was the Imperial Japanese Navy's main shipyard, where the battleship Yamato was built, and it is still a base of the Maritime Self-Defense Force. The Yamato Museum centers on a 1/10 scale model of the ship, 26 meters long; it is open again after a renovation. Across the road, the JMSDF Kure Museum has a real submarine you can walk through, and entry is free.
Getting there: the JR Kure Line from Hiroshima takes about 35 minutes on a rapid train or 45 on a local, about ¥500 (≈ $3.2), covered by the JR Pass. Both museums are about 5 minutes' walk from Kure Station.
How long: half a day. Suits: history buffs and families. Tip: both museums have weekly closing days, usually Tuesday, so check the Yamato Museum's opening calendar before you plan the trip.
Onomichi is a hillside port town on the Seto Inland Sea. The Temple Walk links 25 temples along a 2 km route above the town, the Senkoji ropeway climbs to a viewpoint over the strait, and the alleys are known for their cats. Onomichi is also the start of the Shimanami Kaido, a 70 km cycling route over bridges and islands to Imabari on Shikoku.
Getting there: the Shinkansen to Fukuyama and a local train back to Onomichi (about 20 minutes) is the fastest way, roughly 45 minutes in total. The local JR Sanyo Line from Hiroshima is cheaper but takes much longer.
How long: a full day. Suits: walkers and cyclists. Tip: the full Shimanami Kaido is too long for a day trip from Hiroshima. Cycle the first island or two and come back, or give it a night in Onomichi.
Okunoshima is a small island in the Inland Sea overrun by hundreds of feral rabbits. It also has a darker history: in the 1930s and 1940s it was a secret poison gas factory, and the small Poison Gas Museum (a small fee, closed Tuesdays) and the ruins of the plant explain it.
Getting there: the Kaguyahime-go express bus from Hiroshima Bus Center to Tadanoumi takes about 1 hour 40 minutes, then a 7-minute walk and a 12-minute ferry. Trains to Tadanoumi on the Kure Line also connect, via Mihara.
How long: a full day. Suits: families and animal lovers. Tip: buy rabbit food before the ferry, since none is sold on the island, and bring vegetables rather than bread. The island has no cars; bikes can be rented at the hotel.
Himeji, Okayama and Kobe are all on the Sanyo Shinkansen between Hiroshima and Osaka, so they work better as stops on the journey than as return trips. On our route we spent a night in Kobe and a night in Himeji before reaching Hiroshima; Himeji Castle now costs ¥2,500 (≈ $15.8) for adults who do not live in the city, as our Himeji Castle tickets guide explains. Okayama, about 35 to 40 minutes from Hiroshima by Shinkansen, has the Korakuen garden and the canal quarter of Kurashiki next door.
From Hiroshima we went straight back to Tokyo for 5 more days before flying out. If you are flying from Osaka instead, see day trips from Kyoto for the Kansai side.
• JR Pass: covers Miyajima (JR train and JR ferry), Iwakuni, Kure, Fukuyama and Okayama by train, but not Hiroshima's streetcars, the Matsudai ferry or the Okunoshima bus. Our Shinkansen and JR Pass guide has the details.
• Base: stay near Hiroshima Station for trains, or near the Peace Park and Hatchobori for evenings; see where to stay in Hiroshima.
• Food: Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki and Miyajima's grilled oysters are the local dishes; our what to eat in Hiroshima page has the rest.
• Route: Hiroshima was the last stop of our 33-day Japan trip before returning to Tokyo; see our full Japan itinerary.
Miyajima. It is about 25 minutes by JR train to Miyajimaguchi and a 10-minute ferry to the island, for Itsukushima Shrine and the torii in the water. Check the tide table before you go.
Take the JR Sanyo Line local train to Iwakuni, about 45 minutes, then a bus of about 15 minutes to the bridge. The bridge toll is about ¥300 (≈ $1.9).
Yes, it is open again after a renovation. Kure is about 35 minutes from Hiroshima by rapid train; check the museum's calendar for closing days, which usually fall on Tuesdays.
Take the Kaguyahime-go express bus to Tadanoumi, about 1 hour 40 minutes, then a 12-minute ferry to Okunoshima. Buy rabbit food before you board.
It is possible because both are on the JR Sanyo Line west of Hiroshima, but each deserves half a day at least. Start with Iwakuni and finish on Miyajima.
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