Hiroshima Day Trips on a Budget: 5 Picks
5 day trips from Hiroshima on a budget
Miyajima is the trip nearly everyone builds a day around, but four more real options round out a longer stay without repeating the Peace Park and downtown sights already covered in the things-to-do guide .
| Trip | Getting there | Rough cost |
|---|---|---|
| Miyajima | tram or JR to Miyajimaguchi, then a roughly 10-minute ferry, about 45min-1h door to door (verify) | around ¥200 ferry one-way (verify), plus a ¥100 visitor tax (verify) |
| Onomichi | Shinkansen to Shin-Onomichi Station | fare varies by service (verify) |
| Iwakuni | train, roughly 1 hour (verify) | fare varies (verify) |
| Tomonoura | train to Fukuyama Station, then onward transport | fare varies (verify) |
| Sandankyo Gorge | train and bus into Akiota, further out than the others | fare varies (verify) |
Miyajima: the marquee trip
The floating vermilion torii gate at Itsukushima Shrine, a torii has stood on this spot since 1168 and the current gate dates to 1875, is the reason most visitors come to Hiroshima at all. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 1996, and one of Japan’s traditional “Three Views.” Take the tram or JR train to Miyajimaguchi, then the roughly 10-minute ferry across (JR West or Miyajima Matsudai Tourist Ship both run it). Beyond the shrine, Mount Misen has a ropeway that leaves about a 30-minute hike to the summit, and sika deer roam freely across the island as sacred messengers in local Shinto belief. It’s an active site of worship, so keep the register respectful rather than treating it purely as a photo backdrop. A ¥100 visitor tax applies on arrival (verify exact mechanism).
Onomichi: temples and a cycling route
A hillside temple town on the Seto Inland Sea, Onomichi is the western terminus of the Shimanami Kaido, a cycling route across a chain of bridges to Imabari on Shikoku. The Shinkansen stops at Shin-Onomichi Station, making it an easy rail day trip if cycling isn’t the priority; the temple walk alone (the 9th-century Senko-ji among the stops) fills a half day.
Iwakuni: the Kintai Bridge
Iwakuni’s Kintaikyo is a five-arched wooden pedestrian bridge, about 175m long on four stone piers, first built in 1673 and rebuilt more than once since (most recently 1953 after a 1950 typhoon). It’s a National Treasure, popular for cherry blossoms and autumn color, and a straightforward train trip from Hiroshima.
Tomonoura: a preserved port town
An old tidal port referenced in Japan’s oldest poetry anthology, the Man’yoshu, Tomonoura keeps its circular harbor and a run of Heian-era temples largely intact. It’s quieter than Miyajima and worth it for the harbor walk alone; reach it via Fukuyama Station and onward transport.
Sandankyo Gorge: waterfalls further out
A 16km ravine inside Nishi-Chugoku Sanchi Quasi-National Park, fed by the Shibaki River, Sandankyo is designated a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and known for its waterfalls and autumn foliage. It’s the furthest of the five from Hiroshima, so treat it as a full-day trip on its own rather than pairing it with anything else.
Confirm current train and ferry schedules before locking in any of these five; Japan Rail and ferry timetables shift, and the Nozomi/Mizuho Shinkansen services aren’t covered by the Japan Rail Pass, a real gotcha worth checking before you book. For a fuller list of where to stay between trips, see the stay guide .