Hiroshima & Miyajima
History, resilience and the floating torii.
A city rebuilt after 6 August 1945, and an island shrine whose great torii stands in the sea. We arrange the parts that are hard to arrange from abroad: an unhurried morning at the Peace Memorial with a guide, a ryokan on Miyajima, and a day planned around the tide.
A personal reply within one working day, from the specialist who plans your trip.
- Nights
- 2 nights: one in Hiroshima, one on Miyajima
- Best weeks
- Late March to early April, and mid to late November for Miyajima’s maples
- Getting there
- About 1 h 25 from Shin-Osaka and 1 h 40 from Kyoto by Shinkansen. About 4 h from Tokyo
- To Miyajima
- About 30 min by train to Miyajimaguchi, then 10 min by ferry. Or about 45 min by boat from the Peace Park
Two World Heritage Sites, one boat ride apart.
At 8:15 am on 6 August 1945, Hiroshima became the first city struck by an atomic bomb. Its ruined Genbaku Dome has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996, as has Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima, which dates its founding to 593 and its present form to Taira no Kiyomori in 1168.
Most visitors see both in a single rushed day. We’d rather give each its own time: the Peace Memorial in the morning, without hurry, then the boat to Miyajima and a night on the island once the day visitors have left.
Ask someone who knows Hiroshima & Miyajima.
Tell us your dates and what you’d like from Hiroshima & Miyajima, or the one thing you need booked. The specialist who plans your trip replies within one working day.
What we arrange in Hiroshima & Miyajima.
Each can be booked on its own, or as part of a whole trip.
The Peace Memorial, unhurried
A guide walks the Peace Park and the museum with you, at your pace. Each day at 1 pm the museum holds a free talk in English by an A-bomb Legacy Successor, trained to pass on a survivor’s account.Request this →
A night on Miyajima
Stay on the island when the last ferries take the day visitors home. The torii, the shrine and its pagodas are lit from half an hour after sunset until 11 pm.Request this →
Out to the torii at low tide
The great torii, about 60 tonnes, stands in the sea by its own weight. It seems to float when the tide is above 2.5 m, and you can walk out to it below 1 m. We plan your day around the tide table.Request this →
Oysters in season
Hiroshima farms about 60% of Japan’s oysters, at their best in winter. We book a table for grilled oysters on Miyajima, or for Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, layered with noodles, in the city.Request this →
Also in Hiroshima & Miyajima:Train tickets & transfersSpecial requestsSIM cards & pocket wifi
Where to stay.
Stay in the city for the Peace Park and the evening, and on the island for the torii at night. Four choices, and who each one suits.
We book hotels and ryokan →Around Hiroshima Station
Suits short stays · early trains
The Shinkansen and the JR line to Miyajimaguchi, with hotels of every size.
Hatchōbori and Hondōri
Suits first visits · food lovers
The downtown shopping and dining district, a walk or a short tram ride from the Peace Park.
Miyajima
Suits ryokan stays · slow evenings
Ryokan on the island itself. It turns quiet once the day visitors leave on the last ferries, and the shrine stays lit until 11 pm.
Miyajimaguchi
Suits early crossings
On the mainland shore facing the island, ten minutes across by ferry.
When to go.
Hiroshima is mild, with most of its rain in June and July. Our pick is November: mild days, Miyajima’s maples around the 20th, and the start of the oyster season.
March to May
Spring
Cherry blossoms usually open in late March and peak in early April. The Hiroshima Flower Festival runs from 3 to 5 May.
June to August
Summer
The rain peaks in July, then August is hot. On 6 August the city holds its Peace Memorial Ceremony at 8 am, and in the evening lanterns are floated on the river opposite the Dome. Kangensai, the shrine’s festival of court music played on boats, falls on the 17th day of the sixth lunar month: 30 July in 2026.
September to November
Autumn
September is still warm. On Miyajima, the maples of Momijidani turn from mid-November and are at their best around the 20th, and the oyster huts open for the season.
December to February
Winter
Mild and mostly dry, and oysters are at their best. The 2026 Miyajima Oyster Festival was cancelled after a poor harvest.
| Month | Average high | Rainfall | Usual peak |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10 °C (50 °F) | 46 mm | |
| February | 11 °C (52 °F) | 64 mm | |
| March | 15 °C (58 °F) | 118 mm | Cherry blossom |
| April | 20 °C (68 °F) | 141 mm | Cherry blossom |
| May | 24 °C (76 °F) | 170 mm | |
| June | 27 °C (81 °F) | 227 mm | |
| July | 31 °C (88 °F) | 280 mm | |
| August | 33 °C (91 °F) | 131 mm | |
| September | 29 °C (84 °F) | 163 mm | |
| October | 24 °C (75 °F) | 109 mm | |
| November | 18 °C (64 °F) | 69 mm | Autumn colour |
| December | 12 °C (54 °F) | 54 mm |
Pairs well with Hiroshima & Miyajima.
Easy to combine, by train from Hiroshima & Miyajima.
About 1 h 25 by Shinkansen
Osaka
Street food, castle views and a big-hearted city.Hiroshima & Miyajima and Osaka →
About 1 h 40 by Shinkansen
Kyoto
Temples, moss gardens and lantern-lit lanes.Hiroshima & Miyajima and Kyoto →
About 3 h, by Shin-Osaka
Nara
Ancient temples and deer beneath the maples.Hiroshima & Miyajima and Nara →
About 4 h by Shinkansen
Tokyo
Neon nights, quiet shrines and the best sushi counters.Hiroshima & Miyajima and Tokyo →
Questions about Hiroshima & Miyajima.
How much time should we give the Peace Memorial Museum?
At least two hours, with the rest of the morning left free. It opens at 7:30. Entry in the first hour needs an online booking, and the museum recommends booking at other times too.
Can we visit on 6 August?
Yes, with planning. In 2026 the Peace Memorial Ceremony ran from 8 to 8:50 am, the park was closed to general entry from 5 to 9 am, and about 1,200 seats were set aside for the public, with bag checks.
Anything to know before Miyajima?
A visitor tax of ¥100 is added to the ferry fare, and feeding the island’s deer is prohibited. The ropeway up Mount Misen needs an online booking on some busy dates.
Can you book just one thing, like a guide for the Peace Park?
Yes. Every service can be booked on its own, from one table at a counter to a guide for a morning. One booking is as welcome as a whole trip.
Book a single service →Plan your Hiroshima & Miyajima.
Tell us your dates and what you’d like to see and feel. We’ll send a personal quote, and change anything until it feels right.
A personal reply within one working day, from the specialist who plans your trip.