Must-see attractions · Hiroshima and Miyajima
9 attractions with a verified description
Central Hiroshima · History
The heart of a visit to Hiroshima: the Atomic Bomb Dome, the Cenotaph with the names of the dead, the Flame of Peace and the Children's Monument, along the river. Free and always open. Leave time for reading and a quiet walk, not just for photos.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: DXR / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Hiroshima · Museum
The museum about the atomic bomb and what happened to people on 6 August 1945. ¥200. In the first hour and in the hour before last entry you can enter only with an online ticket bought in advance. Come in the morning to avoid lines.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Hiroshima · Castle
The castle keep, rebuilt in concrete in 1958 after the bomb destroyed the original, closed to visitors on 22 March 2026. The grounds and the moat are open, and you see the keep from outside. The exhibits, swords and armor, are moving to a new museum in Sannomaru planned for spring 2027. The grounds are free. Combine it with Shukkeien Garden and do not build a whole day around the castle.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: DXR / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Central Hiroshima · Garden
A calm Japanese landscape garden near Hiroshima Station. It suits a break between the museums, and especially the cherry blossom season.
Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Miyajima · Shrine and nature
A classic day trip from Hiroshima to Itsukushima Shrine and the torii gate in the sea. ¥300 for the shrine, plus a ¥100 visitor tax on arrival on the island. Check the tourism association's tide table, and start early to enjoy the island before the crowds.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Jakub Hałun / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Miyajima · Viewpoint and nature
Hiking trails and a view of the Seto Inland Sea from Miyajima. The ropeway is ¥2,000 round trip, last car up at 16:00, and from the top station it is about another half hour on foot to the summit. On 20 May 2026 Daisho-in's flame hall at the summit burned down. On the November 2026 weekends (1, 7-8, 14-15, 21-23, 28-29) the ropeway must be booked online in advance. Check the weather and the return times.
Price checked November 2026
Photo: Vanvelthem Cédric / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Miyajima · Temple
A colorful, quiet temple at the foot of Mount Misen on Miyajima, with prayer wheels along the stairs and hundreds of small stone statues. Free, the gate is open 08:00 to 17:00. It suits anyone already on the island who wants something less crowded than Itsukushima.
Price checked October 2026
Photo: Bernard Gagnon / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Central Hiroshima · Shopping
A covered shopping street in central Hiroshima, easy to fit into an evening or a rainy day. It suits food, shopping and a break after the Peace Park.
Memorial · Hiroshima
You start at the prefecture's Industrial Promotion Hall, about 160 meters from the hypocenter of the blast on 6 August 1945.
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