How do you get from Kyoto to Hiroshima and Miyajima with your luggage?

Kyoto to Hiroshima at a glance

Last checked 27 October 2026. Fares are approximate; dollar figures convert at our committed exchange-rate snapshot.

Planning more legs? Use the route finder.

Nozomi from Kyoto Station: the fastest option

Most westbound Nozomi trains from Kyoto Station run through Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima Station without a change, taking about 1 hour 40 minutes, with a couple of departures an hour through the day. A reserved Nozomi seat costs about ¥11,940 (≈ $76) one way in regular season, and unreserved is a little less.

Buy tickets on JR's apps (smartEX covers the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen), at the ticket machines or at the ticket office in Kyoto Station. Outside peak periods you can buy on the day. During Golden Week, Obon and New Year all Nozomi seats are reserved-only, so book as soon as your dates are firm. Our Shinkansen tickets guide walks through the apps and machines.

Hiroshima Station's Shinkansen exit is on the north side; the streetcars, most hotels and the Peace Park lie south, through the station building. The Hiroden streetcar terminal now sits on the second floor of the rebuilt station, with a flat city fare of ¥240 (≈ $1.5).

With a JR Pass: Hikari or Sakura, or pay for the Nozomi

The Japan Rail Pass does not cover the Nozomi or Mizuho for free. You have two choices:

• Ride free: take a Hikari or a Nozomi-free connection to Shin-Osaka (about 15 minutes), then change to a Sakura or Hikari bound for Hiroshima (about 1 hour 25 to 40 minutes). Allow about 2 hours in total, including the change.

• Pay the supplement: a special Nozomi ticket listed at ¥4,170 (≈ $26) one way between Kyoto and Hiroshima lets pass holders ride the direct train.

The pass also covers the JR Sanyo Line to Miyajimaguchi and the JR ferry. A Kyoto to Hiroshima single alone does not justify a pass; it pays off when the same week also includes Tokyo to Kyoto and the ride back. Our JR Pass worth-it guide runs the numbers.

Luggage on the Shinkansen and sending bags ahead

Bags with total dimensions over 160 cm need a reserved seat with an oversized-baggage area on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen, and turning up without one brings a ¥1,000 (≈ $6.3) fee; see our Shinkansen luggage rules. Ordinary cabin bags fit on the overhead racks.

If you plan to sleep on Miyajima, carrying a large case over the ferry and the island's lanes is awkward. Many visitors send the big bag on to their next hotel (often in Osaka or Tokyo) with a delivery service and travel with an overnight bag; see our luggage forwarding guide. Kyoto Station's lockers are covered in our luggage storage guide.

From Hiroshima Station to Miyajima

• JR Sanyo Line to Miyajimaguchi: about 25 minutes and ¥420 (≈ $2.7), with several trains an hour. This is the fastest way.

• Hiroden streetcar line 2 to Hiroden-Miyajimaguchi: a flat ¥240 (≈ $1.5), but over an hour. It suits you only if you are starting near the Peace Park.

• Ferry: from Miyajimaguchi pier, the JR and Matsudai ferries each cross in about 10 minutes for about ¥200 (≈ $1.3) one way. Both add the ¥100 (≈ $0.63) Miyajima visitor tax, charged by Hatsukaichi City since October 2023. JR Pass holders ride the JR ferry free but still pay the tax at a machine.

• Direct boats from the Peace Park pier take about 45 minutes; they cost several times more and are not covered by the pass.

If you stay a night on the island, check your ryokan's last check-in time. The day-trip crowds leave in late afternoon, and the floating torii and the shrine are far quieter in the evening and early morning. Tide times decide whether the gate appears to float; the day trip guide explains how to read them.

Breaking the journey: Osaka, Kobe and Himeji

Kyoto to Hiroshima passes three good stops. On our route we spent 4 days in Kyoto from 2 April 2023, then 2 days in Nara, 3 in Osaka, a night in Kobe and a night in Himeji, before reaching Hiroshima on 13 April and staying 2 nights before returning to Tokyo. Doing it in hops means each leg is short: Kyoto to Osaka is under 30 minutes, Osaka to Himeji is about an hour on the JR Special Rapid, and Himeji to Hiroshima is about an hour on the Shinkansen.

Himeji Castle is the best reason to stop; see Osaka to Himeji and our Himeji Castle tickets guide. Lockers at Himeji Station let you visit the castle with bags and take a later train west. Our Osaka guide and Kyoto guide cover the two bigger cities.

Planning your Hiroshima stay

Two nights is enough for the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, Miyajima, and an evening of Hiroshima okonomiyaki. Read how many days in Hiroshima, where to stay in Hiroshima for station versus Hondori, what to eat in Hiroshima and day trips from Hiroshima.

Heading back east afterwards, the Nozomi runs from Hiroshima to Tokyo in about four hours. It is also the end of the 14-day Japan itinerary.

Frequently asked questions