Hiroshima 3-day itinerary
- 3 days
- Balanced pace
- About 40 min walking a day
3 days in Hiroshima, planned the tabi way — one neighbourhood per day, gapless timing, every stop chosen from 20 human-verified places across 3 curated neighbourhoods. Open it offline and follow it street by street, or make it the starting point for your own plan.
Day by day
Day 1Miyajima Island — a sights dayHiroshima, 6 stops
The sacred island of Itsukushima in Hiroshima Bay, where a vermilion shrine and its great torii appear to float at high tide, tame deer roam the lanes, and a ropeway climbs holy Mt Misen for bay views. A full, magical day-trip — reached by a short ferry from Miyajimaguchi.
- 08:30
The UNESCO-listed shrine built on stilts over the sea, its corridors and great red torii appearing to float at high tide and standing on the sand at low tide (when you can walk out to the gate). A small admission; check the tide table to plan your visit, and arrive early to beat the day-trip crowds.
- 09:45Miyajima Omotesando Shopping Street
The lively lane from the pier to the shrine, lined with shops for momiji-manju cakes, hand-carved rice scoops (a Miyajima craft) and grilled-oyster and street-food stands. Tame deer mingle with the crowds; per-shop hours follow the ferry timetable.
- 10:45
The 16-metre vermilion gate standing in the sea before the shrine — Japan's most photographed torii, 'floating' at high water and reachable on foot across the sand at low tide. Free to view any time; magical at sunset and when lit after dark.
- 11:30
A wonderful hillside temple of spinning sutra wheels, hundreds of little capped Jizo statues and a cave of lanterns, far quieter than the shrine below. Free and atmospheric; reached up a flight of steps, so less pram-friendly.
- 12:30Lunch Yakigaki no Hayashi (grilled oysters)
A long-running Miyajima restaurant famous for big, plump grilled and fried oysters straight from the bay, plus conger-eel rice. The island's classic oyster lunch; often closed Wednesdays and queues form midday.
- 13:30
A two-stage ropeway up holy Mt Misen for sweeping views over the Seto Inland Sea and its islands; a 30-minute uphill walk continues to the summit and its ancient eternal flame. Wild monkeys and deer about; the summit hike is steep, so not for prams.
Day 2Downtown (Hondori & Castle) & nearby — a sights dayHiroshima, 10 stops
Hiroshima's busy centre — the covered Hondori and Hatchobori arcades, the okonomiyaki halls, the rebuilt castle and the elegant Shukkeien strolling garden. Trams thread it all together; this is where you eat, shop and base yourself.
- 08:00Breakfast Caffe Ponte
An Italian café-bar on the river terrace by the A-Bomb Dome, open from breakfast for coffee, pasta and aperitivo with a waterside view. A pleasant, accessible refuel right by the Peace Park; the terrace is lovely in good weather.
- 09:00
A faithful 1958 reconstruction of the 1590s 'Carp Castle' destroyed in 1945, set in a moated park with a history museum inside the keep and shrine grounds around it. The park is flat and free; the keep has stairs and lovely top-floor views.
- 10:15
A roomy art museum next to Shukkeien, strong on Japanese crafts and Showa-era art and home to Dalí's 'Dream of Venus'; its café overlooks the garden. A calm, accessible pairing with Shukkeien; usually closed Mondays.
- 11:30
A compact, exquisite Edo-period strolling garden of miniature landscapes around a central pond, with a tea house and seasonal colour. A serene break from the city; mostly level paths with a few stepped bridges.
- 12:35Lunch Okonomimura
A building of stacked stalls each griddling Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki — layered with noodles, cabbage and egg rather than mixed. The classic place to try the city's signature dish; pick any counter and watch it cooked on the teppan. Stall hours vary.
- 13:35Hondori Shopping Arcade
The long covered shopping arcade at the city's heart — fashion, drugstores, sweets and cafés, all weatherproof and flat. The natural strolling spine of downtown, a few minutes from the Peace Park; per-shop hours vary.
- 14:35
The deeply affecting museum documenting the atomic bombing and its human toll, rebuilt with a strong, modern exhibition. Sobering and not for very young children, but step-free and pram-accessible; allow time and expect emotion. Hours shorten in winter.
- 16:20
The wide riverside park linking the museum and the Dome, with the arched cenotaph framing the eternal flame and the Dome beyond. Flat, open and free to wander; a calm space for reflection between the museum and the monuments.
- 17:20
The monument to Sadako and the child victims, ringed by glass cases of thousands of folded paper cranes sent from around the world. A short, moving stop on the park walk; always accessible.
- 17:50Dinner Kaki-fune Kanawa (oyster boat)
A celebrated 'kaki-fune' — a traditional oyster boat moored on the Motoyasu River near Peace Bridge — serving refined oyster courses (raw, grilled, in hotpot) in tatami rooms over the water. An atmospheric, special-occasion meal a short walk from the Peace Park; reserve ahead, winter is peak oyster season.
Day 3Miyajima Island — a sights dayHiroshima, 6 stops
The sacred island of Itsukushima in Hiroshima Bay, where a vermilion shrine and its great torii appear to float at high tide, tame deer roam the lanes, and a ropeway climbs holy Mt Misen for bay views. A full, magical day-trip — reached by a short ferry from Miyajimaguchi.
- 07:40Check out of your stay
- 08:30
The UNESCO-listed shrine built on stilts over the sea, its corridors and great red torii appearing to float at high tide and standing on the sand at low tide (when you can walk out to the gate). A small admission; check the tide table to plan your visit, and arrive early to beat the day-trip crowds.
- 09:45Miyajima Omotesando Shopping Street
The lively lane from the pier to the shrine, lined with shops for momiji-manju cakes, hand-carved rice scoops (a Miyajima craft) and grilled-oyster and street-food stands. Tame deer mingle with the crowds; per-shop hours follow the ferry timetable.
- 10:45
The 16-metre vermilion gate standing in the sea before the shrine — Japan's most photographed torii, 'floating' at high water and reachable on foot across the sand at low tide. Free to view any time; magical at sunset and when lit after dark.
- 11:30
A wonderful hillside temple of spinning sutra wheels, hundreds of little capped Jizo statues and a cave of lanterns, far quieter than the shrine below. Free and atmospheric; reached up a flight of steps, so less pram-friendly.
- 12:30Lunch Momijido (momiji-manju & fried momiji)
A celebrated maker of momiji-manju — the maple-leaf-shaped cakes that are Miyajima's signature sweet — and the original of the deep-fried 'age-momiji' on a stick. A perfect warm walking snack on the Omotesando; eat the fried one fresh.
- 13:30
A two-stage ropeway up holy Mt Misen for sweeping views over the Seto Inland Sea and its islands; a 30-minute uphill walk continues to the summit and its ancient eternal flame. Wild monkeys and deer about; the summit hike is steep, so not for prams.