Hiroshima and Miyajima private tour

Highlights

• Miyajima
• Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park
• Shukkeien
• Hiroshima Castle

All about the trip

This value-packed trip with a nationally/state licensed and experienced multilingual tour guide is a fantastic and efficient way to explore Hiroshima!

To start your day, meet your tour guide at your hotel, then visit famous sites such as Miyajima, Itsukushima Shrine, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Shukkeien Japanese garden, and Hiroshima Castle. Our guides will customize your six-hour private tour in detail according to your interests.

So if you are interested in learning about one of the most important events in human history, in addition to learning about other aspects of this dynamic city, take an all-day walking tour of Hiroshima accompanied by your private guide.

Let us know what you would like to experience, what time you would like to start your tour, and where you are staying. We want to arrange a tour that's best for you!

Note 1: Please select your must-see spots from a list in the tour information to create your customized itinerary.

Note 2: Nationally and State Licensed Tour Guide-Interpreter certification is issued by the Japanese government requires good knowledge and understanding of Japanese culture and history.

Note 3: This special tour will be conducted with a public transportation and cruising taxi as stated in the tour information, NOT including private vehicle. Your guide will pick you up at the meeting point on foot. If you need a private vehicle, please feel free to ask us and we will estimate an additional cost for you.

Miyajima (宮島) is a small island less than an hour outside the city of Hiroshima. It is most famous for its giant torii gate, which at high tide seems to float on the water. The sight is ranked as one of Japan's three best views. While officially named Itsukushima, the island is more commonly referred to as Miyajima, Japanese for "shrine island". This is because the island is so closely related to its key shrine, Itsukushima Shrine, in the public's mind. Like the torii gate, the shrine's main buildings are built over water. Miyajima is a romantic place, best enjoyed by staying overnight at one of the island's ryokan. While there are usually many day tourists, in the evening the area becomes much quieter and more peaceful. There are also wild deer on the island that have become accustomed to people. In the day the deer wander around the same sites as the tourists, and in the evening they sleep along the walking paths.

Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park (平和記念公園, Heiwa Kinen Kōen) is one of the most prominent features of the city. Even visitors not looking for it will likely stumble upon the large park of over 120,000 square meters. Its trees, lawns, and walking paths are in stark contrast to the surrounding downtown area. Before the bomb, the area of what is now the Peace Park was the political and commercial heart of the city. For this reason, it was chosen as the pilot's target. Four years to the day after the bomb was dropped, it was decided that the area would not be redeveloped but instead devoted to peace memorial facilities.

Shukkeien is a Japanese garden in Hiroshima, designated as one of Japan’s Top 100 Historical Parks and a National Scenic Spot. This article introduces the highlights of the garden, access information, and other tips to enjoy it.

Hiroshima Castle (広島城, Hiroshimajō), also called the Carp Castle, is a good example of a castle built on a plain in the center of a city as opposed to hilltop and mountaintop castles. Its main keep is five stories tall, and its grounds are surrounded by a moat. Also within the castle's precincts are a shrine, some ruins, and a few reconstructed buildings of the Ninomaru (second circle of defense). Hiroshima developed as a castle town, whereby the castle was both the physical and economical center of the city. Built in 1589 by the powerful feudal lord Mori Terumoto, Hiroshima Castle was an important seat of power in Western Japan. While it was spared the demolishment that many other castles met during the Meiji Restoration, like the rest of the city, Hiroshima Castle was destroyed by the atomic bomb in 1945.

What is included in the price

• Licensed local guide
• Free photos
• Hotel pick-up and drop-off

What is not included in the price

• Food and drinks
• Transportation fee (for yourself and your guide)
• Entrance fee (for yourself)
• Lunch (for yourself and your guide)
• Other personal expenses
• Private transportation

Instructions

Animals or pets allowed.

Public transportation nearby.

Infant seats available.

Infants must not sit on laps.

Wheelchair accessible.

Your guide will pick you up anywhere in Hiroshima.

This activity is organised by Japan Guide Agency, Ejirihigashi2 67-3, Shizuoka City, 424-0815, Japan, booking@j-g-a.org.