Hiroshima and Miyajima in one day (from Kyoto or Osaka) as I did it! time + cost

Kon’nichiwa!

Yes, you can do Hiroshima and Miyajima in one day.

And even more extreme, you can do both in one day as a day trip from Kyoto or from Osaka.

Is it ideal? No. But if you already have your accommodation sorted in Kyoto or Osaka, and both Hiroshima and Miyajima are important to you, it is possible.

I know, because I did it! I was with my cousin’s family (2 adults and 2 kids) and my dad. It was their first time there.

It’s around 1 hour 40 minutes one way between Kyoto Station and Hiroshima Station by shinkansen bullet train. This means that you’ll be spending just under 3.5 hours on the shinkansen for the day.

This doesn’t include the local transportation in Hiroshima or the local train in Kyoto if you’re not staying near the train station. So you’ll need to factor that in for a complete picture of just how much time in transit you’ll have in one day.

It’s just under 1.5 hours one-way between Osaka and Hiroshima by shinkansen bullet train, so you’ll be spending around 3 hours on the shinkansen for the day. The shinkansen station for Osaka is called Shin-Osaka Station.

One of the most important things to be aware of when doing a day trip from Kyoto or Osaka is the time of the last local train that you can take once you’re back in Kyoto or Osaka, and you need to plan for the last shikansen bullet train you can take from Hiroshima accordingly. I realized this just in time. We were scattered around Miyajima when it was near sunset and I was casually looking at google maps for the way back, and I realized that we needed to leave like SOON if we wanted to be able to take the last local train back to the place we were staying in Kyoto! I was screaming across the water that we needed to leave soon, but to no avail. I wasn’t being heard. 🤣

But it all worked out, and when we got back to Kyoto, we did in fact end up on that last local train for the night. (The alternative would have been taxi so it wouldn’t have been the end of the world if we were late. You can use uber for a taxi. Instead of an uber driver, you’ll get a taxi driver.)

 

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So seeing the best of Hiroshima (the peace park) and the best of Miyajima (the floating shrine) is possible in one day.

If you’re doing Hiroshima and Miyajima in one day, I think it’s best to first go to Hiroshima. You really don’t know how much time you’ll end up spending there. You might end up spending more or less time than you think.

There’s the walking around Hiroshima peace park to see the different monuments to think about the tragedy’s impact on real people, and then there’s the emotionally powerful Hiroshima peace museum. You’ll want to give yourself at least 2 hours for the peace park and museum, but you might end up taking way more time depending on just how much you take it all in.

I do think it’s preferable to have at least one night in Hiroshima, so you can do a solid half day in Hiroshima and dedicate a full day with no rush in Miyajima. As an American, I do think Hiroshima is a must-visit.

Miyajima is fun to spend the whole day at so you can really see the tidal swings at the famous Miyajima “floating” shrine, which at low tide no longer becomes floating. But at the same time, if you aren’t interested in hiking (Mount Misen) or the ropeway to the top, you can just as well be happy with just a couple of hours walking around Miyajima. You can still experience the tidal swings with a few hours of time, although it might not be as dramatic. Oh, and you will definitely see the deer.

I’ll give you the actual timeline of what we did so look for that below.

 

 

Can you do a day trip to Hiroshima from Tokyo?

Whether or not a day trip to Hiroshima from Tokyo is worth it in terms of time and money absolutely depends on how important Hiroshima is to you.

If Hiroshima is very important to you, then yes, you can do a Tokyo to Hiroshima day trip.

You will spend a lot of time on the train going from Tokyo to Hiroshima to Tokyo in one day, and it will cost a lot of money.

It takes just under 4 hours to get from Tokyo Station to Hiroshima Station by shinkansen bullet train.

So if you leave Tokyo at 7am, you will get to Hiroshima at 12pm. If you give yourself 6 hours in Hiroshima and leave there at 6pm, you would return to Tokyo at 10pm.

You will spend around US$250 on the shinkansen bullet train tickets for the day in total for the 2 one-way tickets, Tokyo to Hiroshima and Hiroshima to Tokyo. So it’s not a cheap day trip, but if Hiroshima is a priority for you, it is absolutely possible.

I usually buy individual shinkansen train tickets at the train station’s ticket machine. You can also buy both of the tickets up to 3 days in advance at a JR ticket office at the train station.

 

 

Is the JR pass worth it for Hiroshima and Miyajima?

If you have a JR pass, you can use it to go to Hiroshima by shinkansen bullet train from Kyoto and Osaka.

Once you’re in Hiroshima, you will mostly pay out-of-pocket for local transportation, as it won’t be on the JR line. That said, there is a JR ferry to Miyajima, so if you make sure to get on that one, that will be included in your JR pass. (For local transportation in Hiroshima, you can use the suica card or pasmo card that you got in Tokyo, so you can tap and go.)

Taking the shinkansen several times is what makes the JR pass worth it.

Very generally speaking, if you will be doing 5 long-distance one-way shinkansen train rides in 7 days, it will be worth it to get a 7-day JR pass in terms of cost savings. It might even be worth it for 4 rides. Kyoto to Hiroshima and Osaka to Hiroshima are examples of a long distance train ride, as are Tokyo to Kyoto and Tokyo to Osaka.

I think the easiest way to calculate whether or not it will be worth it is to look up the route on google maps. It gives you an estimated shinkansen ticket cost. Add up the different routes you’re planning on doing, and then compare that to the cost of a JR pass! Check the current cost here.

 

Kyoto to Hiroshima and Miyajima… and back in one day

So, what can you see with a few hours in Hiroshima and a few hours in Miyajima? Here you go!

 

We got on the 9:25 shinkansen train from Kyoto to Hiroshima.

 

I think the easiest way to figure out the shinkansen train timings is to use google maps.

 

👆 Looking at the google maps on your phone will tell you what time the train from Kyoto or Osaka to Hiroshima is, along with the estimated cost of the train ticket. (map)

 

We arrived at Hiroshima Station around 10:55am.

 

The first destination upon arriving in Hiroshima is the peace park and icon of Hiroshima.

First, when you arrive at Hiroshima Station, look for and follow the signs to the streetcar (tram). You will then take the tram to the Atomic Bomb Dome, Genbaku Dome mae stop, which is at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.

 

👆 Again, google maps is the easy way to figure out how to get around Hiroshima on your own. You can just pull up directions as you go. Although in the case of going to the peace park immediately upon arriving at Hiroshima Station, you want to take the tram because it’s an icon of Hiroshima! So just look for signs to the streetcar, and get off at Genbaku Dome.

 

👆 You can expand out details, and you’ll see that at this time, there’s a tram from Hiroshima Station to the Hiroshima peace park every 5 minutes or so. This means that you don’t need to plan out the details all that carefully! For an easier to remember name, you can make the Atomic Bomb Dome your destination (map).

 

We arrived at the Hiroshima peace park around 11:20am.

 

The iconic atomic bomb dome is minutes from the nearest tram station of Genbaku-dome mae.

Before the attack, this building was an exhibition hall run by the Hiroshima prefectural government to promote local businesses, and this is what remains of it. Today, it’s the most recognizable landmark of Hiroshima, and it represents a symbol of peace and a reminder of the past.

 

👆 Your first stop upon arrival in Hiroshima can be the Atomic Bomb Dome.

 

👆 There is a walking path near the dome along the river that you can take to see more of the peace park… and the museum.

 

We headed for food around 11:45am.

 

The specialty food of Hiroshima is okonomiyaki, so this is what you want to look for if you want to eat local cuisine!

One of the most famous okonomiyaki restaurants near the Hiroshima peace park is Nagataya (reviews) and long lines are the norm. We happened to walk by this place and there seemed to be a long wait.

There are also many other okonomiyaki specialty restaurants near the peace park. We just went into another restaurant nearby that advertised their Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki specialty, but there are places with better reviews. Look for a restaurant that has good reviews! Undo/ando is one that is near the peace park with good reviews for example!

There are also a lot of okonomiyaki spots near Hiroshima Station with good reviews, so you can eat upon arrival or right before you leave Hiroshima too. For example, Okamoto’s Okonomiyaki has very good reviews.

 

👆 When you’re looking in the area of the Hiroshima peace park, you can type in okonomiyaki to find good places to eat near the peace park.

 

We returned to the Hiroshima peace park around 12:20pm and continued walking around.

 

Along with the Atomic Bomb Dome that you literally won’t be able to miss seeing because it stands out, other must-sees at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park are the Flame of Peace and Children’s Peace Memorial.

The Flame of Peace is a literal flame that is eternally burning, said to have been lit in 1964 and burning ever since then in protest of nuclear weapons. It’s said that it will continue to burn until there aren’t any nuclear weapons in existence.

The Children’s Peace Memorial tells the story of a little girl named Sadako, who was 2 years old when she was exposed to radiation from the nuclear attack and ended up being diagnosed with cancer at 12-years-old. The story goes that she remained optimistic throughout her hospital stay, and she had a goal of folding 1,000 paper cranes with origami. She believed that if she did this, her wish of getting well would be granted. While she achieved her goal of folding 1,000 paper cranes, she died at age 12.

Read more about the story of Sadako’s paper cranes and her lasting legacy.

At the Children’s Peace Memorial, you’ll see the monument dedicated to Sadako, along with a lot of paper cranes. You can fold your own paper cranes too.

There is a dedication to Sadako at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial in Hawaii too.

 

 

Your museum-style must-visits at the Hiroshima Peace Park are the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall (reviews) and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (reviews). These both will give you powerful stories of what the locals endured after the nuclear attack.

The peace memorial hall is free, and the peace memorial museum is 200 yen (under US$2). Check the current museum hours before you go.

 

👆 Walking through Hiroshima peace park. You may have a more meaningful experience if you do a Hiroshima peace park walking tour.

 

We left the peace park around 3pm and got on the 4:10pm ferry to Miyajima.

 

The most common way to get to Miyajima is by taking the 10 minute ferry from Miyajimaguchi Station. Getting there from the Hiroshima peace park takes around an hour by train. And then based on your timing you’ll need to wait a little for the next ferry departure. The ferry leaves every 15 minutes or so, and it’s a 10 minute ferry ride.

You can pay for the train to Miyajimaguchi using your IC card, which will be around 240 yen (US$2). You can buy ferry tickets when you arrive at the ferry terminal. We took the JR ferry to Miyajima since my cousin’s family had JR passes. Individual ferry tickets cost 200 yen (under $2).

Check current info for the ferry schedule and cost.

 

👆 It will take around an hour by train to go from the Hiroshima peace park to the Miyajimaguchi ferry terminal. If you make your destination JR West Miyajima ferry, it will get you there (map).

 

There is also a direct way to get from the Hiroshima peace park to Miyajima. You can board a boat directly from the Hiroshima peace park, and it will take you straight to Miyajima. This is a 45 minute boat ride, and the cost of a ticket is 2400 yen ($16). Check the current information for the schedule and cost of the ferry from the peace park.

 

We arrived at Miyajima around 4:20pm, and left Miyajima on the 7:30pm ferry.

 

So once we got on Miyajima we basically just started walking around.

You will naturally end up at the floating shrine gate, one of the main attractions of Miyajima. Although it might not be floating based on the tide times when you are there! If it’s high tide, it will be floating. If it’s low tide, you can walk out to it!

One of the other main attractions of Miyajima is the deer. This is also something you don’t have to try hard at all to see. They are just there. You are sure to see many.

So we were just casually walking around, following some signs. You can walk as little or as much as you want. The more you walk, the more you’ll see! There are signs around so you can decide what you want to do! Once you get off the ferry, look for the tourist information office, and they will have free maps there too.

If you have all day on Miyajima, you could take the Miyajima ropeway up to see the views, best done on a clear day. Or instead of taking the ropeway up, you can hike up (to the Mount Misen summit), and take the ropeway down. (This is what I did on a previous visit.) The last ropeway going up is at 4pm. It’s 2000 yen (US$14) for a round-trip ticket, and 1,100 yen ($8) for a one-way ticket. Check current info.

We just stayed around the bottom.

By 5pm, things are closing down, but you can have a nice stroll around the island.

Notably, the Daishoin Temple (reviews) closes at 5 pm, and it was closed when we arrived. If you’re getting to the island in the late afternoon, go and see this before it closes! It’s free.

You can also walk around the iconic red building that is across from the floating shrine gate, and this closes at 6pm. This is the entry part of the Itsukushima Jinja Shrine for which there is an admission fee of 300 yen ($2).

 

👆 Miyajima is best known for deer and the floating torii shrine gate… that may or may not be floating when you first see it! Make note: This is just before 5pm, and it’s low tide at Miyajima which means you can walk out to the torii gate! It is free to walk out to this.

 

👆 At the entry for Itsukushima Jinja shrine, you can see the low tide time and high tide time for the day.

 

👆 There are walking trails that you can do for a casual nature stroll! (Or not-so-casual if you want to go all the way to the top.)

 

👆 You might see some cute stone statues around! This was along one of the hiking trails, but you can definitely see stone statues at the Daishoin Temple.

 

👆 Miyajima towards the end of the day with the tide coming in.

 

👆 Now it’s 6:45pm, less than 2 hours after seeing the torii gate at low tide! This time, it’s “floating”!

 

We got on the 9:25pm shinkansen train from Hiroshima Station, and arrived back at Kyoto Station just before 11pm.

 

 

 

My one day in Hiroshima and Miyajima timeline

As it turns out, we spent 4 hours in Hiroshima and 3 hours in Miyajima, not including transportation time. Hiroshima did include a restaurant break (after seeing the dome) and a cafe break (before the museum).

• 9:20am: Shinkansen bullet train from Kyoto Station to Hiroshima Station
• 10:55am: Arrival at Hiroshima Station
• 11:20am: Arrival at Hiroshima peace park
  • Google maps destination: Genbaku-dome-mae station (map)
• 11:40am: Okonomiyaki restaurant
• 12:20pm: Back to Hiroshima peace park (walking around)
  • Must-see: Children’s Peace Memorial, Flame of Peace
  • Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (45 minutes minimum, possible to spend a lot longer)
• 3pm: Left peace park (train to catch JR ferry)
• 4:10pm: Ferry departure to Miyajima
• 4:20pm: Ferry arrival in Miyajima
• 7:30pm: Ferry departure from Miyajima
• 9:25pm: Shinkansen train departure from Hiroshima Station
• 10:55pm: Arrival at Kyoto Station

 

Cost of day trip from Kyoto

The total cost for transportation for a day trip from Kyoto to Hiroshima and Miyajima is around 25,580 yen (US$175) not doing the direct ferry from the Hiroshima peace park. This is an estimate! Your actual experience may vary.

• Kyoto Station to Hiroshima Station shinkansen bullet train = 12,140 yen ($82)
• Hiroshima Station to Genbaku-Dome-mae tram = 240 yen
• Hiroshima peace park to Miyajima
  • Hiroshima peace park to Miyajimaguchi train = 240 yen
  • Miyajimaguchi to Miyajima ferry = 200 yen
  • Alternative: Hiroshima peace park to Miyajima ferry = 2400 yen
• Miyajima to Miyajimaguchi ferry = 200 yen
• Miyajimaguchi to Hiroshima Station train = 420 yen
• Hiroshima Station to Kyoto Station shinkansen train = 12,140 yen

 

Cost of day trip from Osaka

The total cost for transportation for a day trip from Osaka to Hiroshima and Miyajima is around 23,600 yen (US$160), not doing the direct ferry from the Hiroshima peace park. This is an estimate! Your actual experience may vary.

• Shin-Osaka Station to Hiroshima Station shinkansen bullet train = 11,150 yen ($73)
• Hiroshima Station to Genbaku-Dome-mae tram = 240 yen
• Hiroshima peace park to Miyajima
  • Hiroshima peace park to Miyajimaguchi train = 240 yen
  • Miyajimaguchi to Miyajima ferry = 200 yen
  • Alternative: Hiroshima peace park to Miyajima ferry = 2400 yen
• Miyajima to Miyajimaguchi ferry = 200 yen
• Miyajimaguchi to Hiroshima Station train = 420 yen
• Hiroshima Station to Shin-Osaka Station shinkansen train = 11,150 yen

 

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