Hiroshima travel guide: Peace Memorial Park, Miyajima and Onomichi

Compare Hiroshima City's peace memorial sites, Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima and the Onomichi ropeway, including transport connections, admission, reservations and events.

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  • 廣島
  • Shrines, temples and parks
  • Independent travel

For a trip to Hiroshima Prefecture (), should you start with Hiroshima City, Miyajima or Onomichi? This guide uses official information checked on 29 October 2026 to cover access points, major attractions, regional food and seasonal events. Hiroshima City () focuses on Peace Memorial Park () and historical learning. Miyajima () is known for Itsukushima Shrine () and its torii gate over the water. Onomichi () offers Senkoji Hill () and views of the city and port. These areas have different visiting arrangements, so the guide compares them separately. Confirmed information does not include complete travel times or total fares between the areas.

Key points

  • Peace and history: Peace Memorial Park, the Atomic Bomb Dome () and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum () can be studied and visited as one theme. The museum requires advance online reservations during certain periods.
  • Shrine and sea views: Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima involves a ferry from Miyajimaguchi. Visiting the shrine and its treasure hall are different activities, and closing times vary by month.
  • Town and hill scenery: Senkoji Hill in Onomichi has a ropeway (), which may stop in bad weather or for inspections.
  • Choose an area before checking transport: Reaching Hiroshima Station does not mean arriving at each attraction. Miyajima requires a ferry, and Onomichi has its own town-transport connections.

Getting there

Access point Confirmed transport information (checked 2026-10-29) What to check before departure
Rail from Tokyo or Osaka Hiroshima Station () is on the Sanyo Shinkansen () and is a rail entry point for Hiroshima City. Services on your departure date and onward connections within the city or to Miyajima or Onomichi.
Hiroshima Airport Official tourism information lists a bus journey of about 55 minutes from Hiroshima Airport () to Hiroshima Bus Center. Flights, bus timetables and fares for the actual travel date.
Miyajima Regular ferries operate between Miyajimaguchi () and Miyajima. Ferry timetable, operating notices and boarding date; arriving at Hiroshima Station is not the same as reaching Miyajima.

When choosing transport, first identify where the activities will be concentrated. A focus on Peace Memorial Park and the museum requires access planning within Hiroshima City. If Itsukushima Shrine is included, check ferries from Miyajimaguchi separately. For Onomichi, local access and Senkoji Hill Ropeway operations are important. These are distinct journey sections, so a whole day’s transport cannot be calculated using only the Shinkansen or airport bus duration.

Main sights and experiences

Attraction or experience Features Official notes and charges (checked 2026-10-29)
Peace Memorial Park and Atomic Bomb Dome Sites focused on remembrance of war and the history of peace. The city government records that the Atomic Bomb Dome was added to the World Heritage List in 1996 and designated a Special Historic Site in 2025. They can be planned together with the museum as a peace-history theme; the museum has its own opening and booking rules.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum Exhibits and information for peace education. Adults 200 yen, high school students 100 yen, junior high school students and younger free. 7:30 to 19:00 from March to July and September to November; until 20:00 in August, extended to 21:00 on 5 and 6 August; until 18:00 from December to February. Some time slots require online reservations.
Itsukushima Shrine The torii gate standing in the sea and shrine buildings are representative Miyajima sights. Individual adult shrine admission 300 yen. The shrine and treasure hall can be visited separately; closing times vary by month and must be checked for the date.
Senkoji Hill Ropeway, Onomichi Elevated views of Senkoji Hill, Onomichi’s streets and the sea. Normally 9:00 to 17:15; adult one way 500 yen, return 700 yen. May stop without much notice due to bad weather or inspections.

Hiroshima City’s peace-history theme includes an outdoor park, a historic site and indoor exhibits; the museum is the location where admission time slots particularly matter. On Miyajima, ferry operations and shrine visiting hours are separate matters. Even if the ferry operates normally, not every part of the shrine is necessarily open at the same time. In Onomichi, the ropeway offers scenic travel between the town and hill, but its operation is affected by weather and maintenance.

Local food

Dish Local features
Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki () A regional Hiroshima dish recorded by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and a theme for learning about the city’s food culture.
Oyster dotenabe () A winter regional hot pot featuring oysters. Official cuisine information mentions the oyster peak season in January and February.
Anago rice () A local dish from around Miyajima that can be explored alongside the shrine and island culture.

These are types of local dishes, not guarantees of availability at a particular restaurant. No unverified restaurant prices are compared.

Seasons and events

Month or season Theme Official dates and notes
Spring Hiroshima Flower Festival () The 2026 event ran from 3 to 5 May. As of 2026-10-29, the referenced information did not provide 2027 dates, so the previous year’s dates should not be reused.
Winter Seasonal food such as oyster dotenabe The ministry’s information identifies January and February as typical peak oyster months. This does not guarantee daily restaurant availability or production volume.
According to departure month Visiting Itsukushima Shrine Official closing hours differ by month; use the information for the month of travel.
According to departure date Onomichi Ropeway and Miyajima ferry The ropeway may stop for weather or inspections; check ferry services for the day and do not assume a general timetable applies on every date.

What to check before departure

Main official sources include Dive! Hiroshima, the prefecture’s official tourism site, for the museum, Senkoji Hill Ropeway and Flower Festival, as well as Hiroshima City Government for Peace Memorial Park and museum information. For Miyajima, separately consult Itsukushima Shrine for visiting hours and JR West Miyajima Ferry for schedules.

The details most likely to change by date are museum time slots requiring reservations, seasonal shrine closing hours, ferry departures, ropeway suspensions and the next year’s festival dates. All listed prices, opening hours and transport information are based on official pages checked on 29 October 2026; verify them again before travel.

Further reading

Sources