2 Days in Hiroshima: First-Timer Plan

Two days is the minimum for a first Hiroshima visit that doesn’t shortchange either half of the city: a solemn morning at the Peace Park, and a full day given entirely to Miyajima. With more time, the 3-day and 4-day versions build on this same spine.

Book these before you go

  • The Peace Memorial Museum’s first or last entry slot online, if your schedule needs a fixed time
  • A place to stay near the station or downtown
  • An IC card (ICOCA), bought at Hiroshima Station on arrival, not booked but worth doing first

Day 1: Peace Park and the city core

Morning

Start at the Peace Memorial Park: the A-Bomb Dome, the Cenotaph and Flame of Peace, and the Children’s Peace Monument, all within a short walk of each other. The Peace Memorial Museum (a modest admission, last quoted around ¥200) is the harder, essential part; book the first slot online if you can, and allow at least two hours. Keep the register quiet and reflective here.

Afternoon

Walk to the Orizuru Tower beside the Dome for a rooftop city view and a chance to fold your own paper crane at the Crane Wall, then head into downtown along the Hondori covered arcade.

Evening

Dinner is Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, layered rather than mixed, at Okonomimura’s multi-floor stalls (budget roughly ¥1,200-1,500 per person). Ride the Hiroden tram back to your hotel; a single ride runs a flat fare of roughly ¥240, tappable with an IC card.

One concrete tip: book your Museum entry slot the moment your dates are fixed. The first and last slots of the day fill up first.

Day 2: Miyajima

Morning

Take the tram or JR train to Miyajimaguchi, then the roughly 10-minute ferry (around ¥200 plus a ¥100 visitor tax collected on arrival) to Miyajima. Check tide tables before you go: high tide gives the famous “floating” torii shot, low tide lets you walk out to the gate itself.

Afternoon

Ride the Mount Misen ropeway (roughly ¥2,000 round trip) and take the remaining 30-minute hike to the 535m summit for views across the Seto Inland Sea. Sacred deer wander freely near the base; keep food and maps out of easy reach.

Evening

Grab grilled anago or momiji manju before the last ferry back to the mainland, or, if you’ve built in the extra time, stay overnight on the island to see the torii lit up once the day-trippers have gone.

One concrete tip: don’t rush the ferry timetable back. Miyajima’s crowds thin noticeably in the last hour before sunset, and it’s worth staying for that alone.

For the fuller planning picture, see the main Hiroshima travel guide or the Hiroshima place overview . If two days leaves you wanting more, the 4-day itinerary adds a full day trip to Onomichi on top of this same plan.