I personally think two days is enough time to explore Hiroshima. My 2-day Hiroshima itinerary includes a day exploring Downtown Hiroshima and Peace Memorial Park area, and a day trip to Miyajima island.
If you have only one day in Hiroshima (like many visitors), you can spend half a day exploring Peace Park with its bomb-related sites, and a half day visiting Miyajima Island, with its attractions like Itsukushima Shrine, Omotesando shopping street, and Mt Misen.
If you have 3 days in Hiroshima, in addition to a day in the city’s sight itself, a day in Miyajima, you can take a day trip to Okunoshima island. It is known for its huge population of wild rabbits and great for history buffs who want to learn about its dark history as a chemical weapons factory in the past.
Hiroshima is a popular tourist destination in Japan, located in the southern part of the country, a 1.5 hour train ride from Kyoto and Osaka. The city is known for its tragic atomic bomb in 1945, which killed tens of thousands of people, and destroyed all of the city.
You must visit Hiroshima especially if you are interested in the history of WWII. There is a museum and various memorials where you can learn about the history of Japan and its part in the war.
Apart from historical attractions, Hiroshima is known for its Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki pancake, so be sure to check out one of its restaurants in the Okonomimura area in Downtown Hiroshima.
With 2 days in Hiroshima, I recommend staying somewhere central to make the most of your visit. Downtown Hiroshima and the area around Hiroshima station are where many visitors book their accommodations. You’ll be within a short walk/ short train ride from the Peace Park complex.
Here are my 2 days in Hiroshima Itinerary:
Day 1: Downtown Hiroshima
On your first day, you can spend the whole day exploring Downtown Hiroshima by visiting Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima Castle, enjoy vibrant nightlife, and try some local food.
I recommend starting your day early in the morning by visiting the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum first. The museum is usually open from 7:30 am to 8pm. The entrance fee is 200 yen.
At the museum, you can learn about the history of Hiroshima before and after the A-bomb via audio guided tours (400 yen), as well as viewing photographs and materials from the nuclear bomb disaster in 1945.
It can get busy and crowded in the museum, especially on weekends, so make sure you have 2-3 hours to walk through. Be prepared for an emotional experience as I saw many visitors walking out in tears by the stories of loss and tragedy. You can find a shop selling books and souvenirs inside the building.
After visiting the museum, you can spend some time to rest and reflect at the Peace Memorial Park where the Peace Memorial Museum is located.
Another must-see place in Peace park is the Children’s Peace Monument. It is a heartbreaking memorial to Sadako Sasaki and children who died from the effects of the atomic bomb. You will see the crane bird underneath the monument, the peace symbol of Hiroshima.
Don’t miss out on the Cenotaph for A-bomb Victims, a memorial dedicated to the victims of the atomic bombing, located aligned to the Peace Flame and the Atomic Dome.
Just across the river from the Peace park is the UNESCO world heritage sight, Atomic Bomb Dome. You can reach it from the park by walking across the historic Motoyasu Bridge. The dome was the only structure that remains after the atomic bomb.
You can also take a street car, or walk to Shukkeien Garden and Hiroshima Castle. They are great places to take a stroll and relax. You can climb up the castle to enjoy stunning views of the city.
In the evening, you can do some shopping, and enjoy nightlife in the area around Hondori shopping street. It is packed with shops, bars, pubs, and restaurants. Don’t miss out on okonomiyaki, one of the most famous foods in Hiroshima. Okonomimura is a great place for food lovers in the Downtown area.
Day 2: Miyajima island
Miyajima island is a very popular day trip from Hiroshima. The island is just a short train and ferry ride from Hiroshima and is famous for its Itsukushima shrine and floating torii gate.
With one day on Miyajima island, you’ll have time to explore it without rushing. You can visit Itsukushima Shrine, hike up Mt Misen, explore the temples and shrines, shop around, eat grilled oysters and taiyaki. There are a lot of cute deer here, so make sure to watch out for deer snagging things out of your hands.
To get to Miyajima island from Hiroshima, you have two options:
Option 1: Combination of Train and Ferry
Firstly, you take the JR Sanyo Line from Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi Station or take tram number 2 from the Downtown area to get to Miyajimaguchi. Then you walk to the Miyajima-guchi Pier, to take the ferry to Miyajima. The total time is 30 mins ride on the train and 10 mins ride on the ferry.
Option 2: Direct ferry by Aqua Net Ferry
If you don’t want to exchange the transportation, you can take a direct ferry from Downtown Hiroshima. The ferry port is Motoyasu Pier, located near the Peace Park and Motoyasu-bashi Bridge. The ride is 45 minutes.
From the island’s ferry port, you can walk for 5 minutes to Omotesando Arcade. It is the liveliest part of the island, lined with souvenir shops and food stalls selling grilled oysters.
From Omotesando walk for 20 minutes to reach the iconic Itsukushima Shrine and floating torii gate. You can spend half an hour here, then head to Daisho-in Temple on the base of Mt. Misen.
There are few hiking trails to the top of the mountains, if you want to do some hiking, you can do it. There are also cable cars that take you from Momijidani Ropeway Station to Shishi Iwa Observatory. From there, you can do one-hour walking routes that take you to Misen Hondō, Dainichido, and Kannondo.
See more:
That is my 2 days in Hiroshima itinerary. I think 2 days is a good amount of time to explore the city and Miyajima island. It allows you to visit Peace Park, museums, monuments, temples, shrines, as well as enjoy some shopping, nightlife, food, and do some hiking at a slow pace.
So, How long are you planning to stay in Hiroshima? Do you think 2 days is enough? Feel free to comment down below. I would love to hear your thoughts.