Our 2 Day Hiroshima Itinerary with Map
TL;DR
You have 2 days in Hiroshima, we have the perfect itinerary for you!
Hiroshima was one of our favourite stops in Japan. As of today, it’s not as affected by overtourism as other places like Kyoto. Additionally, we think that a lot more people should be a lot more aware of war and its consequences – especially the consequences of dropping an atomic bomb – and there is barely a better place for this than Hiroshima. That’s why we emphasise sights connected to the A-bomb in our schedule.
So without further ado, here’s our 2 day Hiroshima and Miyajima itinerary.
Hiroshima 2 Day Itinerary
2 Day Itinerary Hiroshima Map
Is our Hiroshima 2 Days Itinerary Walkable?
As you can see on the map, the sights in central Hiroshima all all within walking distance of each other.
You only need public transport to get to Miyajima Island.
How Many Days in Hiroshima Do You Need?
You need
- 1 day in Hiroshima when you only want to explore the city centre.
- 2 days in Hiroshima if you want to explore the centre as well as Miyajima Island.
- 3 days in Hiroshima if you also want to check out Bunny Island.
Where We Stayed in Hiroshima
We stayed at Hostel Mallika. The location was amazing. It was only a short walk to the Peace Memorial Park and hence very well connected with public transport.
The capsules were cosy and came with light and power outlets.
The common area had a very social vibe, the kitchen was well equipped, and there were plenty of bathrooms.
Additionally, the staff was super kind.
Day 1 in Hiroshima – Atomic Bomb and City Centre
Morning – History and Culture
Start your day at what’s left of the historical Hiroshima: Hiroshima Castle. Most of it was destroyed by the A-bomb. A tower has been reconstructed. Inside, there’s a small museum and you can climb up and admire the view.
On the premises of the castle, you can also find Gokoku Shrine.
For art lovers, the Hiroshima Museum of Art is right next to the castle.
Lunch – Hondori Shopping Street and Okonomiyaki
For a view into modern Hiroshima, stroll down Hondori Shopping Street. You can find loads of shops including some souvenir shops here.
We recommend Okonomimura as a lunch spot. It is a building full of vendors that sell the famous Okonomiyaki. We loved watching the chef prepare the food on a hot plate right in front of us.
Afternoon – Hypocentre and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
On your way back to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, make a quick pit stop at the Hypocentre, the exact spot where the first atomic bomb exploded. It’s just a small plaque and few people visit but we still think it’s an impressive location.
Afterwards, head to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum which is dedicated to documenting the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in World War II. We strongly advise you to take an audio guide and allow for a couple of hours in the museum.
Evening – Rest
We (as well as everybody we have spoken to) were extremely overwhelmed after visiting the museum. We just grabbed some food at the convini and went back to our hostel to rest and reflect.
Day 2 in Hiroshima – Miyajima
Morning – Miyajima
Take the tram to Miyajimaguchi Station . Here, you can hop on the Miyajima Matsudai Kisen tourist ship . They run around every 15 minutes so you don’t have to worry about schedules.
In case you have a JR pass, you can also take the JR Sanyo Line and the JR Miyajima Ferry.
The main highlight on Miyajima Island is probably Itsukushima Shrine with its Instagram-famous Tori gate in the sea.
On your way, we recommend you make a quick stop at the Senjokaku Pavilion with a lovely five-story pagoda next to it.
While Itsukushima Shrine might be the most famous shrine in Miyajima, we were completely blown away by Daishoin Temple. On the stairs leading to the temple, there are a lot of interesting statues as well as a row of spinning metal wheels which are inscribed with sutras. Turning the wheels is believed to have the same effect as reading them. Don’t miss Henjo Cave right behind the temple which we found super unique!
From here, you can either hike to the top of Mount Misen which takes around 1.5 hours. Or you can do what we did and walk through Miyajima Park to the ropeway leading to the top of the mountain. You have amazing views of Miyajima and the surrounding Hiroshima Bay from the viewing platform right next to the ropeway station. If you want more, you can also do the quick hike to Mount Misen Observatory.
Like in Nara, you can find deer everywhere on Miyajima – especially along the promenade and in Miyajima Park.
Lunch – Momiji Manju
There are a ton of food options on Miyajima – especially around the ferry port and around Itsukushima Shrine. Of course, there’s also a Lawson.
Don’t miss out on trying the local speciality Momiji manjū, a pastry filled with red bean paste.
Afternoon – Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
If you still have the time and energy, there are a ton more sights to explore at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park.
You probably have seen the main sights of the Memorial Cenotaph and the A-Bomb Dome by now.
We also found the Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall extremely interesting – especially the current special exhibition got to us.
The Children's Peace Monument is another interesting spot to visit. It’s a statue dedicated to the memory of the children who died as a result of the bombing. It’s famous because people (mostly children) from around the world fold paper cranes and send them to Hiroshima where they are placed near the statue.
Last but not least, there’s the Rest House. While most of the building was destroyed during the bombing, 47-year-old Eizo Nomura survived in the basement, which had a concrete roof. There’s a small exhibition in said basement which you can visit for free.
Evening – More Okonomiyaki
As we absolutely loved Okonomiyaki, we went for another one at Nagataya – and we were not disappointed.
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