Hiroshima & Miyajima: Peace Memorial, UNESCO Shrine, Okonomiyaki

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/46

Duration8h

GroupUp to 45

LanguagesEN · JA

Mobile ticketAccepted

Atomic Bomb Dome, ferry to Miyajima, shrine gates at low tide and layered okonomiyaki

You’ll walk through Hiroshima’s Peace Park with a local guide, take a ferry to Miyajima Island for Itsukushima Shrine at low tide, meet wandering deer by the shore, and share laughter over layered Okonomiyaki in a cozy island restaurant. This day trip lets you feel both history’s weight and small joys—sometimes in the same moment.

Step-by-step itinerary

Hiroshima and Miyajima Island tour

Visit Atomic Bomb Dome
Explore Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Tour Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
Take ferry to Miyajima Island
Visit Itsukushima Shrine
See Daishoin Temple and statues
Enjoy Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki lunch
Return ferry to Hiroshima Station

The Experience

Ever wonder what silence feels like in a city? I didn’t really know until we stood in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima. Our guide, Junko, didn’t rush us—she just let us stand there for a bit. The air felt heavy but not unfriendly. There was this faint smell of rain on concrete (even though it wasn’t raining), and the only sound was some school kids giggling somewhere behind us. It’s strange how a place so loaded with history can still feel alive. I caught myself staring up at the twisted metal dome longer than I meant to—just thinking about how people rebuilt their lives here.

The Peace Memorial Museum was tough. I mean, you hear about Hiroshima all your life but seeing the photos and tiny artifacts—charred lunch boxes, letters—it hits different. Junko shared her grandmother’s story quietly while we walked through the exhibits; I’m not sure if she always does that or just felt like sharing with our group. Afterward, we wandered through the park with its paper cranes and quiet ponds before heading for the bus again. The ride to Miyajima Island was maybe 40 minutes? I lost track because I kept looking out at all that green along the way.

Catching the ferry over to Miyajima was a weirdly peaceful break—I remember salt on my lips from the breeze and a couple of deer just wandering near the dock like they owned the place. The Itsukushima Shrine really does look like it’s floating when the tide is right. We were lucky; it was low tide so we could walk almost all the way out to those giant red torii gates (the pillars are massive up close). There were locals taking selfies and an old man sketching quietly on a bench—he nodded at us but didn’t say much.

I’d heard about Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki but never tried it until this tour. They layer everything instead of mixing it together—cabbage, pork, noodles—and then drown it in sweet sauce and mayo. It’s messy but good; my chopstick skills failed me halfway through and even Junko laughed (I probably got sauce on my shirt). If you’re vegetarian you can ask for that version too—they made sure everyone had something they could eat. Honestly, sitting there eating hot food after everything we’d seen just felt right somehow.

What’s included

Your day includes round-trip ferry rides between Hiroshima and Miyajima Island, entry fees for both Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Itsukushima Shrine (plus Daishoin Temple), multilingual audio guidance on board in several languages, an English-speaking local guide throughout the journey, comfortable air-conditioned transport from Hiroshima Station and back again—and if you pick that option—a hearty lunch of local Okonomiyaki layered fresh right on Miyajima itself before heading home as evening falls.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Japan Panoramic Tours