Hiroshima and Miyajima in One Day From Kyoto
If you’re headed to Japan and plan on spending some time in Kyoto, there’s a good chance that you’re wondering if Hiroshima and Miyajima in one day from Kyoto is possible? As you do your research, you’ll quickly learn that Hiroshima is about two hours from Kyoto, while Miyajima is only another 45 minutes from there. That’s not too far, but it’s still a healthy distance. You’re likely wondering if it’s worth it?
Hiroshima is a must visit for obvious reasons. You know, since it was the site of the first atomic bomb during world war II. Miyajima, on the other hand, is a relatively quiet island with stunning temples and scenery which are a welcome change of pace from all the busy cities Japan has to offer. Most people hesitate to make the journey due to time, but in this Miyajima day trip guide from Kyoto, I’ll explain everything you need to know to make the journey smooth.
Getting from Kyoto to Miyajima
The only way you’ll be able to see Hiroshima and Miyajima in one day is by taking the Shinkansen. The day will be packed, so I recommend taking the 7:20AM train out of Kyoto so you can arrive at Miyajima island as everything starts to open. The exact route and timing are as follows:
- 07:20 – Depart Kyoto on the Shinkansen
- 09:05 – Arrive at Hiroshima station
- 09:15 – Depart Hiroshima station on the JR Sanyo Line for Iwakuni
- 09:43 – Arrive at Miyajimaguchi station and walk to the JR ferry
- 10:00 – Depart JR ferry for Miyajima Island
- 10:15 – Arrive Miyajima Island
The above route uses Japan Rail operated trains and ferries. That means if you have a JR Pass, your entire journey is covered with it. There is a non-JR ferry at the terminal, so make sure you stand in line for the right one (it’ll be obvious). Here’s a screenshot of Hyperdia’s routing. Note that the train # and platform may change, so check the Hyperdia website or Japan Trains app the night before.
Miyajima day trip attractions
Since Miyajima and Hiroshima are some of the most popular day trips from Kyoto, and you plan on doing both, you’re going to have to limit the attractions you can see while you’re here. The good thing is, you’ve arrived early, so the crowds won’t be too bad. Here are the top attractions on Miyajima Island.
Itsukushima Shrine and the floating tori gate
The most recognizable attraction on Miyajima is the “floating” tori gate. The reason it appears to float is due to the high tide. During the low tide, you can walk right up to the gate. As for the Itsukushima Shrine, it spans multiple buildings and has been a place of worship since the 6th century. It’s relatively small but is a fascinating site and well worth the 300 yen admission you have to pay to get in.
Daisho-in Temple
Just a short walk from the Itsukushima Shrine is Daisho-in, a historical Buddhist temple that sits at the base of Mount Misen. There are a variety of buildings at the site including multiple halls, a tea room, and a cave full of icons. There are some English signs, so you’ll know what you’re looking at, and as you can imagine, there are Buddhist statues located all over the grounds.
Mount Misen
Some travellers make the journey from Kyoto to Miyajima strictly to hike to the top of Mount Misen where you can get stunning views of the sea and Hiroshima. The journey up and down can be fast-tracked thanks to the ropeway stations (gondola), but it’ll still take you a few hours to get to the peak and back down. It’s definitely doable, but if you plan on seeing Hiroshima and Miyajima in one day from Kyoto, the timing will be very tight.
Shops on Omotesando
This is the main shopping street at Miyajima. It caters to tourists, so you’ll find restaurants, snack shops, and souvenir shops. The most popular dishes on Miyajima are grilled oysters, (Nigiri Ten) fried fish paste, and steamed buns. The shops here sell things similar to the mainland. Note that many of the shops here only take cash but you should still carry one of the best no foreign transaction fee credit cards in Canada as credit is more commonly accepted in Hiroshima.
Miyajima to Hiroshima Peace Park
Most people who decide to do Hiroshima and Miyajima in one day tend to head right for the Peace Park in Hiroshima once they’re done with Miyajima. There are a few ways to get there which I’ve listed below from a convenience standpoint.
JR & local tram
Take the ferry from Miyajima and then walk back to Miyajimaguchi station. Then take the JR Sanyo line for Hiroshima and get off at Shin-Inokuchi Station. Exit, and walk one minute to Shoko Center Iriguchi Station. Get on the #2 train on the Hiroshima Dentetsu Miyajima Line (towards Hiroshima station). Get off at Gembaku-Dome-Mae Station, and you’ll see the Peace Park in front of you. Although it may sound complicated, this is the easiest way to get from Miyajima to the Hiroshima Peace Park. When taking this route, make sure you’re following along with Google Maps or Hyperdia, so you don’t get lost. Note that if you’re using Hyperdia.com, the directions might be slightly different depending on what time you depart Miyajimaguchi station.
JR Line only
Take the ferry from Miyajima and then walk back to Miyajimaguchi station. Then take the JR Sanyo line for Hiroshima and get off at Yokogawa station. You’ll then need to take a taxi which will take 10 minutes and cost you 1,000 yen. Alternatively, the walk to the Peace Park from Yokogawa station is about 30 minutes. This is the “cheapest” way if you decide to walk.
Direct ferry
There’s a direct ferry between Miyajima and Hiroshima Peace Park. This may seem like the best option, but it costs 2,000 yen one way, takes 55 minutes, and departs roughly every 30 minutes. You don’t save much time compared to the above options, and you will pay more for taking this direct ferry.
Hiroshima day trip attractions
As you’ve probably figured out by now, timing is going to be tight for Hiroshima since you’ve already spent your morning at Miyajima. You’ll likely arrive at the Peace Park around 2-3pm which should give you enough time to explore. Here are the main attractions in Hiroshima which you’ll have limited time to visit.
Hiroshima Peace Park
There are two main attractions here, the Atomic Bomb Dome which is ground zero of the bombing, and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. The museum takes about 1-2 hours to go through, but it closes at 6PM daily so you should have enough time. Throughout the park, there are multiple smaller memorials that are worth taking a moment to reflect. Note, that this is a pretty emotional place, taking selfies is not appropriate.
Hiroshima Castle
Located just a 20-minute walk from the Peace Park, Hiroshima Castle is great if you want to see a Japanese Castle. Inside you’ll see a small museum that includes traditional paintings and samurai armour, but note that pictures are not allowed. I should also mention that the castle is not that impressive compared to Himeji and Matsumoto, so skip the one here if you’ve already been to one of the others.
Okonomi-mura
Hiroshima is famous for its version of okonomiyaki and you can find an entire building dedicated to the comfort food at Okonomi-mura. There are about 30 restaurants that all serve okonomiyaki in this multi-story building, but they’re all good, so you really can’t go wrong with whichever place you pick.
To get back to Kyoto, just take one of the trams that go back towards Hiroshima station. You can actually walk to the station from Hiroshima Castle and the Peace Park in 25-30 minutes. Head to the JR office and use your JR Pass to reserve a seat on the next available train back. Depending on the time of departure, you may need to transfer in Osaka.
Final thoughts
In my opinion, doing Hiroshima and Miyajima in one day is worth it. Yes, your time will be limited, and you’ll be rushed, but what you see here will be worth it. If you can afford to spend an overnight in Hiroshima, then great, but if not, you shouldn’t miss out on one of the best day trips from Kyoto. Check out my guide on how much does it cost to go to Japan if you want to know how much a two-week trip will cost you.
Is it worth staying overnight in Hiroshima?
If you can afford to spend an overnight in Hiroshima, then it’s definitely worth it since you won’t be rushed to see everything. Miyajima has a lot to see, so you could easily spend most of your day there and then have a nice meal back in Hiroshima. The next day, you could spend the morning exploring the various sites in Hiroshima before you continue on to your next destination. JR even operates a loop bus that goes by all the major attractions in the city.
How many days do I need in Hirsohima?
Hiroshima and Miyajima in one day from Kyoto is possible, but if you have time, I’d consider spending two days in the city. It’s not like you need two full days, you probably only need a day and a half. To save some time, some travellers will use a luggage forwarding service. By doing this, you don’t need top stop at your hotel first before going to Miyajima, you can just explore as needed. Alternatively, you could bring your luggage with you and then use one of the lockers at Hiroshima station. You’d have to back track to pick up your luggage, but if you choose a hotel near Hiroshima Station, it might not be so bad.
Is Hiroshima expensive to visit?
I personally don’t find Japan to be an expensive country. It’s cheaper than many destinations I’ve been to. If you really wanted to save money, you could do Japan on a budget. That said, I think it’s silly to fly all the way to Japan just to be cheap. Generally speaking, you should have no issues finding a hotel for US $80 a night. As for meals, $10 can get you a bowl of ramen, tempura, or even beef and rice. Attractions are inexpensive and only cost a few dollars admission. Many attractions free, so you don’t need to spend money if you don’t want to.
Nice to see an actual easy-to-follow breakdown and clear instructions in this post!
If you could dod it over, would you do it all in one day or would you spread it out to feel less rushed?
Hi Mary,
Knowing what I know now, I’d likely do one overnight in Hiroshima. Miyajima was way more interesting than I had expected and I could probably have spent a few more hours there. I could probably say the same about Hiroshima. Although the a-bomb memorial and museum is “small,” I would have liked to see more of the city.
That being said, I think doing both in one day is worth it if you’re pressed for time.
Thanks for your great post! I used all of your information and my family of five had a smooth and great day trip from Kyoto to Miyajima and Hiroshima
Julie,
So happy to hear this. Did you like it? My wife and I LOVED Miyajima
Thank you for this!!!
A quick “Thank you” for an amazing day trip! My husband and I followed your itinerary, but in reverse last week. We wanted to visit Miyajima at high tide. Hiroshima and Miyajima were a highlight of our trip to Japan. The detailed itinerary was helpful and easy to follow. When we arrived in Hiroshima we wandered into the tourist office at the train station for a map and learned there is a JR sight seeing bus. It was super quick and easy and the bus took us to the A-bomb dome/ Peace Park. It was a helpful addition to maximize our time visiting the sights in Hiroshima. Thank you again for the great Itinerary! We would recommend this to others visiting Japan as a must see day trip from Kyoto.
Mikaela,
Thanks for sharing. Miyajima was also one of the highlights of my Japan trip. I especially loved Daisho-in. It was totally worth the 3 hour train ride to get there.
Hello Mikaela, we would really like to do this in reverse too but are worried about making it back to Kyoto in time. Would you say this is possible without running? Please can you share your return itinerary? Thank you so much.
Hi Sonia,
I can’t speak for Mikaela, but there’s no reason you can’t do this in reverse. You’d basically go straight to the Peace Park and then make your way to Miyajimaguchi to catch the ferry.
When you’re done at Miyajima. Take the ferry back, get on at Miyajimaguchi station and head towards Hiroshima station. Once there, catch the shinkansen back to Kyoto.
Hello,
Thanks for this detailed article on MiyaJimi and Hiroshima.
It’s the best I have read so far.
I’m on the Shinkasen to Hiroshima (arriving 10.20am, a lot later than advised). I plan to squeeze in a trip to Mount Misen on the rope car too. I’m glad I read your article.
E.Talor.
The schedule may have changed since I wrote this article. Either way, you’ll have a blast.
I’m so encouraged by everyone’s comments! My wife and I are visiting Japan soon and have worked your itinerary into our trip – I now have no doubt it’ll be one of the highlights of our stay as well.
Hi Michael,
You can easily do it in reverse. I would recommend the JR Bus to give you the most time at the sites. We saw A-bomb dome and Peace Park in the morning, had lunch at Okonomi-mura and then caught a JR bus back to the train station to head out to Miyajima.
Thanks,
Mikaela
Mikaela,
I miss Okonomi-mura
[…] / Miyajima – I wrote a Hiroshima and Miyajima in one day from Kyoto guide which explains how to get there and what to see. To summarize, Miyajima is serene and relatively […]
If staying overnight, do you recommend staying in Hiroshima or Miyajima
Hi Rochelle,
There are many many more hotels in Hiroshima so it’s probably better to stay overnight there.
Hi Barry, we are planning a girl trip to Japan but we can’t seem to figure out what to do best. This is what we have in mind:
We land in Osaka and fly back from Tokyo. We have 11 nights to spend in Japan.
Day 1 Osaka
Day 2 Osaka
Day 3 Osaka – Hiroshima – Miyajima – Kyoto
Day 4 Kyoto
Day 5 Tokyo where we will stay for 6 nights
Do you think day 3 is do-able and which Railway ticket would you recommend us to take?
Thanks for your help
Hi Jo,
Day 3 is doable, it would just be a long day. You’ll likely want to use a luggage service to forward your luggage from Osaka to Kyoto while you do your day trip to Miyajima / Hiroshima.
I personally think you may want to add a day to Kyoto (either drop a day from Osaka or TOkyo).
Getting a 7-day JR pass would be worth it as long as you do your trip to Hiroshima and make it to Tokyo within those 7 days.
You’ll need to use an IC card when not using your JR pass.
Hi Barry,
We also want to visit Kobe. Do you think its’s worth it?
A slight change:
Day 1 Osaka 1 night stay
Day 2 Osaka – Kobe – Hiroshima 1 night stay
Day 3 Hiroshima – Miyajima – Kyoto 2 nights stay
Day 4 Kyoto
Day 5 Kyoto – Tokyo where we will stay for 6 nights
We have 2 nights in Kyoto. On day 5 we will spend the while day there before leaving for Tokyo. Do you think we need to add 1 extra night?
Do you have a recommendation for a Kimono photo shoot?
We would like to see Mount Fuji as well. Can we do it from Tokyo with the JR pass?
So many questions..,
Thanks for your help.
Br, Jo
Hi Jo,
This schedule although busy, looks more manageable. The 7-day JR Pass would still be worth it since you’ll be doing most of your major travel between days 2-5. As long as you have roughly 2 full days in Kyoto, you’re probably good.
I personally think Kobe is nothing special and would just do Hiroshima / Miyajima as a one day trip. I’d return to Osaka the night of day 2 and then just head to Kyoto the morning of day 3. That would be a long day 2, but if you’ve got the energy, it may be worth it. Again, there’s nothing wrong with your itinerary, I’m just making a suggestion.
As for Mt. Fuji you could go to Hakone on your way to TOkyo from Kyoto. You’d still have to purchase a local transport pass from Odawara station.
https://www.odakyu.jp/english/passes/hakone/
You could do Mt.Fuji from TOkyo, but you’d have to travel to Odawara still hence why if you really wanted to see it, it might make more sense to see it after Kyoto.
Thank you so much for yr help 🙂
Thank you so much for your detailed plan! We are going in June from Kyoto and only have one day so this is super helpful for us! I think we will skip the hike in Miyajima and the castle in Hiroshima so that should help some with time.
Haley,
Yeah if you just pick a few main things, you’ll be fine. I didn’t go up the mountain in Miyajima or go to the castle in Hiroshima. It was a long day, but it was totally worth it.
Hi Barry – great post! I will be travelling to the Kansai area in July and my first stop will be Hiroshima from Kansai airport. Flight arrives around 3:30pm and I am booked for a 1-night stay in Hiroshima with the intent of exploring Hiroshima and Miyajima the following day. But I also plan to take off at the end of the day to head to Hakata.
In order to maximize my 1-day visit, do you think it’s best to first check out the dome in Hiroshima and then head straight to Miyajima to spend most of the day there? Should I have much at Okonomi-mura first before heading to Miyajima OR could I grab a bite just before I take the Sanyo Shinkansen to Fukuoka?
Appreciate your thoughts and welcome any suggestions! 🙂
Hey Tom,
It sort of depends. I don’t know where you’re flying from, but I’m assuming you’ll be a bit jetlagged. The Hiroshima peace gardens and dome are open 24 hour so you could get there early and check it out before making your way to miyajimaguchi to catch the ferry. Note that the JR train to miyajimaguchi doesn’t start until 9 I think (check Hyperdia) so you may way to take a taxi (check the fare) to catch the first ferry to maximize your time.
Miyajima will only take a few hours (especially if you don’t hike to the top) which will allow you more than enough time to head back to Hiroshima and check out anything else (including Okonomi-mura) before you catch the train.
Although Okonomi-mura is fun, I wouldn’t go out of my way for it. Build your itinerary on what you want to see, and grab food along the way.
Thanks Barry! I’ll be coming from Canada so yes I may be jet lagged (although it’s rare) This is really helpful Thanks so much! Tom
I’m from Toronto so the time difference is 12 hours. You’ll likely experience some kind of jetlag.
You could also likely hit up Okonomi-mura the night you arrive although that might be quite late as you’ll have to travel from KIX to Osaka.
So I arrive at 3:30pm in KIX. Isn’t less than an hour from KIX to Shin-Osaka via JR Limited Express? And then another 1.5 hr from Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima via Sanyo Shinkansen, no? So say factoring ample time for immigration and waiting for train connections etc, should I theoretically get to Hiroshima by around 6 or 7pm? Is that late? 🙂
Not late, but you would have probably been in transit for close to 18-20 hours by the time you get to your accommodations. To be honest, the last time I was in Japan, I was so excited that I stayed up to 10pm local time just exploring before I went to bed. I woke up at like 5am the next day, but that’s still 7 hours of sleep so it’s not like I was a complete wreck (my wife, on the other hand, crashed at like 7 and was up at 3am).
Oh, so although Okonomi-mura is kind of interesting, it’s basically like 40 places that sell okonomiyaki in one building. You could honestly just go to any Okonomiyaki place that’s recommended to you by your accommodations and still have a good meal. What I’m getting at is, don’t go out of your way to visit Okonomi-mura.
Hi,
Thanks for writing a detail itinerary of Hiroshima and miyajima. I am a solo traveller going yo Japan in March. Will be reaching Kyoto on the 1st of April. I wanted to know whether there are any trains for Kyoto from Hakone? Or I have to reach odawara and then take a train to Kyoto? I am planning to stay in Kyoto and do Nara, Osaka, Hiroshima and miyajima from there. Is it ok? Will Shirakawago be possible from Kyoto? I am in Kyoto from 1st to 7yh of April. Can you help me plan my itinerary? Is it possible that I stay in Hiroshima and then go from there to Tokyo?Pl advice.
Sanjeevani,
You need to go back to Odawara since that’s the main JR line and you can catch a shinkansen to Kyoto.
Since you’re using Kyoto as a base, it really doesn’t matter when you do Nara, Osaka and Hiroshima/Miyajima. Each of them can be done in day trips. THere’s a lot to see in Kyoto so you could spend 2-3 full days there easily.
Shirakawago is doable from Kyoto as it’s a similar distance to Hiroshima.
https://www.thepoortraveler.net/2017/05/shirakawa-go/#From_Kyoto
I think you’re on the right track of using Kyoto as a base. Staying in Hiroshima overnight is good if you want to give yourself more time to explore Miyajima and Hiroshima.
No worries Barry – my hotel is actually a block away from Okonomi-mura 🙂 Thanks again for these tips. Super helpful!
Hi Barry,
I’m guessing you were carrying luggage around Miyajima/Hiroshima since yours was a day trip. Did you see others with luggage? Do you think the one day trip is doable with a carry on? I’m just passing through and would prefer to move on to my next destination as opposed to staying the night.
Let me know what you think.
Thank k you!
Weren’t***
Hi Aria,
Japan has pretty big lockers every major train station and there’s actually a service where you can forward your luggage to your next hotel so no one really carries huge luggage when walking around unless it’s to the train station.
I would just check your bag at Hiroshima station since you need to pass through there anyways.
Miyajimaguchi station also has lockers but note that since it’s a smaller station, it may get full.
It’s possible to do Miyajima with small carry on, but note there are a lot of stairs at daisho-in.
Hi Barry, I really want to visit Hiroshima and Miyajima as a day trip from Osaka. My accommodation is close to JR Namba station, I will be buying JR pass. We are a family of our with two teenagers. Do you think is doable in one day? Thanks!
Hi Helen,
It’s doable, it’ll just be a long day. I would catch the first shinkansen out of Shin-Osaka so you get to Hiroshima/Miyajima early. Just know that you won’t be able to see everything so just pick a few things to see.
Hi Barry,
We will be following your advice for doing our day trip from Kyoto to Hiroshima in May. I read somewhere (and now can’t find it) that the JR Shinkansen has direct trains to Hiroshima at 7.20am, 8am and 8.23am. Is that correct? Otherwise it involves a train change at Osaka. Are there direct JR trains back to Kyoto? If so, do you know at what times they leave Hiroshima?
Joelyn,
It’s been three years since I went to Japan, but I took the 7:20 train. It’s not non stop, but it also doesn’t require a transfer. On the way back, I did have to transfer in Osaka which was quite easy.
I honestly wouldn’t worry too much about it as the platform changes are quite obvious and you’ll have plenty of time to do it.
What time did you leave Hiroshima to go back to Kyoto in time?
Hey Lara,
I believe I caught a 5pm train and was back in Kyoto around 8 or 9. Note that there are multiple trains, the time I wanted to leave didn’t have direct so I took a short stopover in Osaka. Changing trains is very easy in Japan.
When you arrived at Miyajima, was it high tide for the “floating” tori gate? I read somewhere that high tide is early in the morning and in the evening. It’d be a shame to arrive at Miyajima and not see the gate “float”.Thanks!
Hey Ben,
I was there in May and it was low tide but the water was starting to come in when I arrived at 10am. I believe it depends on the season but there’s a website that tells you when it’ll be high/low tide.
The pic of the tori gate in this photo was probably taken around 10:30am.
https://www.moneywehave.com/japan-travel-blog-endless-discovery/
Hi,
May I ask your help in organising a tip to Japan?
I am planning to take my boys ( 16, 21) and my mum and aunt ( 73,74) to Japan for a tour.
I would like to go there on 22nd July and stay 6 nights.
Im travelling from Sri Lanka.
I would like to go to -Disney Land and temples, tokyo tower and other free sightings in Tokyo
Nara
Hiroshima
I wouldn’t mind staying in an apartment.
I have asked a few tour guides and agents for a budget and I received from USD13,000- 16,000 for the whole tour, including airfare, hotel, transport, tickets etc
Does it actually cost that much? I was expecting about USD5000 for the whole trip but the quotations received has broke my heart.
What do you advise? What’s the best place to stay? How to organise the trip, not to cost so much money?
Samantha,
The price you were quoted is way too high but a budget of $5,000 might be low. I have no idea how much flights to Japan from Sri Lanka are, but there are 5 of you. Let’s say each flight is about $600USD, that’s already $3,000 you’re spending. Hotel rooms in Japan are small compared to North America Standards, so you’ll likely need two rooms (apartments are also small). Assuming 6 nights at $250USD for rooms, that’s another $1,500.
Tokyo Disney is about $60USD per person, so that’s $300. You also need to factor in local transportation and food.
I would not advise Nara or Hiroshima if you’re only there for 6 nights. Nara is 3 hours from Tokyo, Hiroshima is 5 hours away.
Hi,
Thank you for the advice.
So, what you suggest is to be in and out Tokyo?
Do you recommend any single apartment for us family?
Samantha,
Yes, stick to Tokyo if you just have 6 nights.
Finding an apartment that fits 5 is likely a good idea. Check booking.com and Airbnb. You could also just book two rooms at a budget hotel.
I am travelling to Japan end of November for Autumn foliage photography. Me and my husband 45-year-olds we are not big fans of cities. We will be staying for eight nights in Japan which I would like to spend my time in Kyoto , day trips and visits are open to suggestion . Please advise
Nafisa,
Basing yourself out of Kyoto is smart as there are many great spots to check out fall foliage within the city. You could also do day tours to say Nara or an overnight in Koyasan. Although you guys are not fans of cities, Tokyo has a lot to offer. This link may also help you.
https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/japan-autumn-leaves-forecast
Thankyou for this information . Of 8 nights in japan , I feel then I should stay 5 nights in Kyoto end 3 in Tokyo then . Any sulphur spring u can visit near Kyoto?
Nafisa,
Hakone is a popular spot for hot springs, you could do an overnight there on your way to Tokyo or Kyoto.
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The absolute best instructions, now could you do this for all 1 day trips from the major cities..:). Thank you very much.