Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Miyajima Island Tour from Hiroshima

Hiroshima, Japan

Explore World Heritage sites in Hiroshima and Miyajima in one day! Miyajima is famous for its Itsukushima Jinja Shrine. Its red torii gate appears to be standing in the sea during high tide. Walk through the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, dedicated to promoting peace around the world.

Miyajima (literally 'shrine island') has been celebrated as a sacred island and one of Japan's three most scenic views. It is most famous for Itsukushima Shrine, which, together with its large wooden torii (gate), stands in the ocean during high tide. Deer move around the island freely, and so do monkeys on top of Misen, the island's highest mountain.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was built to commemorate the dropping of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and to promote a peaceful world. It is located in the area around the atomic explosion's epicenter, and houses the Peace Memorial Museum and many other related monuments.

The Peace Memorial Museum graphically displays the atomic bomb's horrible effects on the city and its inhabitants. A visit is naturally depressing. In the museum's east building, Hiroshima's militarist past and the process leading to the dropping of the bomb are documented. Audio guides are available in more than a dozen languages.

The Atomic Bomb Dome is one of the few buildings around the explosion's epicenter that partially survived the blast, and the city's only remaining bomb damaged building.

Between the museum and the Atomic Bomb Dome stands the Memorial Cenotaph for Atomic Bomb Victims. It contains a list of all the people who were killed by the explosion or died due to the bombing's long-term effects such as cancer caused by radiation. The Statue of the A-Bomb Children and the Cenotaph for Korean Victims are some of many more monuments found in the park.

USD $182.96

Review by: janisburton	December 2011
A very good tour and well worth the cost. We enjoyed the tour guide, Amy. She had personal connections to family members lost during the bomb. Her life story about the bombing made it very real, and the Memorial Park is very inspiring and sombering. The visit to the island was also very good. The weather was perfect for walking along the path to the temple and viewing the deer roaming freely.

Review by: Malcolm R	March 2011
Amazing tour, beautiful Miyajima and eye opening tour of the atomic bomb memorials, very knowledgeable tour guide

Review by: Paula C	March 2011
The weather was great and the tour was fantastic. Our guide -Akiko spoke excellent English and was extremely informative and amusing. There were 12 people on the tour (with Akiko and the bus driver - totalled 14) and this was a good number as people mixed and talked to each other. It was definitely the best tour and I would recommend it to all. Unfortunately for me and a few others, we did not have enough time at the museum to see all, so now I have to return and send more time there.

Review by: Johanna D	October 2010
A very beautiful but moving day. The morning spent at Miyajima was relaxing, our afternoon at the museum in Hiroshima was very moving and surreal. I would recomend it to anyone travelling to Japan.

Review by: SUE N	August 2010
wishing have more time at the muesem.

Review by: Glen H, Australia	July 2010
Tour was excellent, great english speaking guide very informative. Needed an extra half hour on island to get to top to see monkeys tho monkeys not always seen. Hiroshima tour was excellent again well informed although i could have spent a whole day in the museum, very recommended will use ViatorJTB again.

Review by: Lisa W, United States of America	July 2010
The full day Miyajima Island and Peace Memorial Park tour was very good. We enjoyed ourselves, learned a lot and our tour guide spoke good English and she was knowledgeable. We had a great day in Hiroshima even though it was pouring rain!

Review by: Alana H, Australia	June 2010
A must see in Japan, a very moving day and well worth the money. If you have limited time in Hiroshima it is the easiest way to see everything. Tour guide was very professional and spoke very good English.

Review by: Alexis K, United States of America	June 2010
Despite a trip via bullet train from Ikebukuro totalling more than 15 hours and the resulting sleep deprivation, this tour was totally worthwhile. We received ample time to explore Miyajima Island be sure to taste the delicious momiji manju, their specialty!, and the tour of Hiroshima was incredibly moving. I remember questioning whether or not I should even make the trip to Hiroshima, but now I realize my stay in Japan would have been incomplete without this tour. This is a sacred place rich with a history that we should never forget.

Review by: Anonymous	June 2010
LOVED MIYAJIMA ISLAND. THE SHRINE AT THE TOP OF THE HILL WAS WORTH THE WALK UP HILL. WOULD HAVE LIKE TO HAVE SPENT MORE TIME ON THE ISLAND TO BE ABLE TO EXPLORE A LITTLE MORE. WILL GO BACK THERE AND DO THAT. HIROSHIMA PARK AND MUSEUM WAS HANDLED WELL AND GLAD I MADE THE EFFORT TO SEE IT.

Review by: Samantha D, United States of America	May 2010
Another fantastic tour with Viator. We met our guide at a Hiroshima hotel and everything about the day went exactly as described. We had a fantastic few hours at Miyajima, what a gem of a place! Then we continued onto Peace Memorial Park. I can't say enough wonderful things about our tour guide, she has such passion for what she does, she's full of interesting history and personal experience, and she really brought both these places to life for us. I can't rate her and Viator highly enough!

Review by: Jose A, United States of America	May 2010
It was an excellent tour. I think everyone should make a effort to see it once in a lifetime.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	May 2010
Great tour and an amazing tour guide!

Review by: Sandi	May 2010
It was an excellent tour. I think everyone should make a effort to see it once in a lifetime.

Review by: Neil S, Australia	April 2010
Highly recommended, we had a great time, wonderful guide, fluent English and an interesting mix of fellow passengers.

Review by: Anonymous	April 2010
It was a good introduction to Hiroshima.

Review by: Barbara S, Canada	February 2010
This was a very informative and enjoyable tour. Our tour guide really made the difference. He was very knowledgeable and personable and presented all the highlights in such a way that we found this tour to be the best we were on while in Japan.

Review by: DONALD H	January 2010
This is for the experienced traveler if you are going to join this tour starting from Tokyo. We took the Shinkensen train from Tokyo to Hiroshima train left at 6:16am, and arrived 45 minutes before the tour began. Since the tour started at the hotel physically attached to the Hiroshima train station, making the connection with the rest of the tour folks was no problem at all! The tour was well worth the trip, the train ride both ways was great. The tour guide was good, but offered a few opinions concerning WW-2 that I felt were unnecessary!

Review by: Kevin C, Australia	September 2009
A well organized and informative tour. The tour guide was excellent! She had a genuine passion for these sites and was accessible, thoughtful and spoke very good English. The contrast of the beauty of Miyajima and the sadness of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial provides a lasting memory. The legacy of atomic warfare is a tragic graphic lesson that the world should never forget!

Review by: Monique D, United States of America	August 2009
We had only nine people in our group. The guide was very knowledgeable, a native of the city and was very easy to understand. A truly memorable experience for the six members of my family!

Review by: Thaddeus A, United States of America	August 2009
I really enjoyed the trip. Our guide was informative, spoke decent English, and was humorous also. Later I took another Viator tour in Osaka, and the company is very consistent with quality of guides. The Miyajima Island tour was of a Buddhist or Shinto temple, and all would enjoy it. The Peace Park and A-bomb museum is serious but a must see for the impact of the A-bomb on Hiroshima. Good tour at a decent price. I definitely recommend this company.

Review by: MONIQUE D	August 2009
We had only nine people in our group. The guide was very knowledgeable, a native of the city and was very easy to understand. A truly memorable experience for the six members of my family!

Review by: Janette S, Australia	June 2009
It was a fabulous tour that I really enjoyed. The guide was excellent and the sites were interesting. I would use Viator for my next tour.

Review by: Amber G	June 2009
Miyajima island was great, but the peace memorial park could have been better.

Review by: Susan H, United Kingdom	February 2009
A very interesting and well-balanced tour sensitively guided by a well-informed guide. We fell in love with Miyajima and were very impressed with and moved by the Peace Memorial Park.

Review by: Natalee G, Australia	November 2008
I found this a wholly worthwhile day tour and am so glad I did it. I wish everyone was able to do it. A big thanks to our guide who was exceptional.

Review by: Marilyn E	August 2008
This was a very educational and moving tour showing the true horrors and tragedies of that fateful day. My teenage daughters and myself thoroughly enjoyed the entire day which began with the idyllic island tour. A day well spent.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	July 2008
The tour was well organized and the guide was super friendly. It was nice to have someone do the planning for us. Miyajima was beautiful and peaceful. Hiroshima was moving. Would definitely recommend!

Review by: Karina K, Ireland	July 2008
We had a perfect and sweet tour guide!

Review by: Margaret T, Australia	June 2008
It's marvelous what a good tour guide can add to an experience, with valuable insights into what you are seeing. Our day tour was wonderful if not very moving at the Museum in Hiroshima. The Miyajima Island was another beautiful part of Japan and we enjoyed just wandering around the gardens and shops after visiting the Shrine.

Review by: Anonymous	June 2008
We only had a short time in Japan and this day trip was a really efficient way to see two very remarkable and different locations. The guide was entertaining, spoke good English, and explained many local facts while on the bus. We even did some origami. I will be going back to Miyajima Island to spend a few days some time in the future.

Review by: Lynne H, United States of America	May 2008
The tour was awesome and horrifying at the same time. The pictures at the museum and the graphic detail of what has happened since that day made us so sad. Still, we were so proud of all the people who have continued on since then to stop nuclear testing.

Review by: Nora G, United States of America	November 2007
The guide was awesome--terrific English as well. She helped in every way possible. She not only knew facts about Hiroshima and the events that took place there, but she had personal experiences that brought it all into perspective.

Review by: Anonymous, United Kingdom	November 2007
This is an excellent tour for people who want to capture the essentials of both places in a day. Miyajima is serene and beautiful despite its inevitable tourist paraphernalia, and the tour of Hiroshima's atomic legacy was shattering and unforgettable. Do not visit Japan without coming here. Our guide was informative and also knew the best place to eat the local version of Okonomiyaki for lunch. If we'd had more time, it would have been good to do some climbing and meet the monkeys on Miyajima and also see more of modern-day Hiroshima, but as a day-trip this can't be faulted.

Review by: Ruth N	October 2007
Viator did a great job and made my planning for a group of 9 very easy. I loved the convenience, and the Viator people I talked to were excellent. The tour was excellent; the tour guide was very good. I would recommend this tour to all. Hiroshima was an emotional trip but so important to see. It made me feel the absolute necessity to end all nuclear arms.

Review by: Paul S	September 2007
This was a pretty decent tour and it was nice to have an English speaking guide. Truly, though, the price is excessive, as you could do this tour on your own for about 15th the cost. The Miyajima ferry is only a few dollars and the Hiroshima Museum is about 50 cents. Moving between the destinations would be the only part requiring effort and expense.

Review by: Joel B	October 2006
This was the best tour we had on our entire trip. We had a fantastic guide and the personal stories she shared were great!

Review by: RON H	October 2006
Thoroughly enjoyable. A definite 'must do' if you're in Japan.

Review by: Karen B	September 2006
The whole tour more than exceeded my expectations. I found the tour to Miyajima Island very interesting, relaxing and pleasurable. The visit to the Peace Memorial Park was informative, sad and thought-provoking. The visit heightened my awareness of the history relating to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and the long-term effects. It also strengthened my belief that the world should abolish all nuclear weapons in every country._br /_The one-day tour was the only reason for my visit to Japan as part of my four-country world tour. However after visiting Japan I now wish to return for a longer period._br /_The Tour Guide for the day was very professional, informative and friendly and I would like to have my thanks passed onto her. The driver for the day was also friendly and assisted in every way possible.

Review by: Anonymous	August 2006
This was a great tour. Well worth going, especially if you have limited time. Very organized, well, except for the meeting area. Where were we supposed to meet, we didn't see any signs and luckily happened upon the bus in my search. Anyhow, that was just a slight inconvenience. Miyajima is gorgeous, so make sure you have plenty of film/memory for your camera. Don't feed the deers unless you want them to follow you for the entire day. If you're lucky, you'll see a wedding party at the shrine, all dressed up in their beautiful kimonos. Hiroshima was an eye opener, somber, enlightening, depressing and hopeful - a definite must see if you're travelling in Japan!