Japan
Hiroshima is a city that chose to be remembered for peace, and it has the sights to prove it: the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, the skeletal Atomic Bomb Dome beside the Motoyasu River, and a rebuilt downtown of trams, riverbanks and cheerful okonomiyaki counters that makes the visit far more than a solemn pilgrimage.
Just a ferry ride away, Miyajima carries the second UNESCO site, Itsukushima Shrine, whose vermilion torii stands in the sea at high tide, with deer in the lanes and a ropeway up Mount Misen behind. This guide books Hiroshima properly: a guided walk through the park, the Orizuru Tower rooftop beside the Dome, Miyajima by ferry, the ropeway and the summit trail, the quiet pond of Shukkeien Garden, Hiroshima Castle's grounds after the keep closed in 2026, a food tour built around layered Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, the wooden arches of Kintai Bridge at Iwakuni, and a bullet-train day trip from Osaka or Kyoto. Then it matches you with a hotel, from a station-side Sheraton to a historic ryokan on Miyajima, because where you sleep decides how smoothly the ferries, trams and trains fit into your days.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum
The heart of Hiroshima and the reason most people come: a riverside park of memorials built on the ground where the city center once stood, and a museum that tells the story of 6 August 1945 through the belongings and words of those who lived it. Sobering, essential and quietly hopeful.
Itsukushima Shrine and the Floating Torii
Miyajima's UNESCO shrine, built on stilts over the tidal flats so that at high tide it appears to float, with a vermilion torii gate standing in the water just offshore. One of Japan's classic sights, reached by a ten-minute ferry.
Atomic Bomb Dome (Genbaku Dome)
The skeleton of a domed exhibition hall that stood almost directly beneath the bomb and survived, left as it was found. Hiroshima's most powerful image, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and free to see from the riverbank at any hour.
Hiroshima Orizuru Tower
A modern rooftop beside the Atomic Bomb Dome, with sweeping views over the park and the city, a paper crane workshop on the 12th floor and a spiral walkway down. A relaxed way to put the Peace Park in context.
The heart of Hiroshima and the reason most people come: a riverside park of memorials built on the ground where the city center once stood, and a museum that tells the story of 6 August 1945 through the belongings and words of those who lived it. Sobering, essential and quietly hopeful.
FreeThe skeleton of a domed exhibition hall that stood almost directly beneath the bomb and survived, left as it was found. Hiroshima's most powerful image, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and free to see from the riverbank at any hour.
A modern rooftop beside the Atomic Bomb Dome, with sweeping views over the park and the city, a paper crane workshop on the 12th floor and a spiral walkway down. A relaxed way to put the Peace Park in context.
Miyajima's UNESCO shrine, built on stilts over the tidal flats so that at high tide it appears to float, with a vermilion torii gate standing in the water just offshore. One of Japan's classic sights, reached by a ten-minute ferry.
The sacred peak behind Itsukushima Shrine, climbed by ropeway and a final forest trail to a summit with views over the Seto Inland Sea and its islands. A change of pace from the crowded shrine lanes below.
The moated castle site in the middle of the city, with free grounds, a reconstructed Ninomaru gate and turrets and survivor trees from 1945. The main keep closed in March 2026, so treat this as a calm green stop rather than a climb.
A four-century-old strolling garden of miniature mountains, a pond with islands and arched bridges, and tea houses with views. Beautiful in every season and especially in autumn, with a kimono tea ceremony option.
Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki is layered rather than mixed, with cabbage, pork, egg, noodles and a sweet sauce built on a hot teppan. A guided food tour takes you past the queues and into the local eateries to taste it properly.
A day trip east into Yamaguchi Prefecture to see the five-arched wooden Kintai Bridge over the Nishiki River, with a ropeway up to Iwakuni Castle and a samurai district to wander. Quieter than Miyajima and very photogenic.
A guided one-day bullet-train trip from Kyoto or Osaka that packs the Peace Memorial Park, the museum, okonomiyaki lunch and Itsukushima Shrine into a long but efficient day. A good fit for those based in the Kansai region.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
$$$$Hiroshima Station
A full-service upscale tower connected directly to Hiroshima Station, with four restaurants, a spa and generously sized rooms. The easiest base for the Shinkansen, the Miyajima line and day trips.
Rates on Expedia →Miyajima (Momijidani)
A historic ryokan founded in 1854 at the edge of Momijidani valley on Miyajima, with detached cottages, hot spring baths and kaiseki dinners. Stay the night and have the island to yourself when the day-trippers leave.
Rates on Expedia →
$$$Motomachi, Naka Ward
A tall, central hotel in Motomachi with a subway-style Astram line connection, tram stops close by and the Hiroshima Bus Center next door. A strong mid-to-upper base for the park, the castle and downtown.
Rates on Expedia →
$$$Naka-machi, Naka Ward
A stylish mid-range tower in Naka-machi with breakfast on the 25th floor, a complimentary lounge and comfortable rooms. A polished, practical base near the downtown core.
Rates on Expedia →
$Tanaka-cho, Naka Ward
A dependable budget business hotel with a free breakfast buffet, self check-in kiosks and tram stops within a short walk. Simple, clean and good value for travelers who just need a bed.
Rates on Expedia →A practical first-visit guide to Hiroshima and Miyajima: what to book ahead, how trams and ferries work, how many days to allow and where each headline sight fits.
A neighborhood guide to Hiroshima and Miyajima for choosing where to sleep, with a station-side Sheraton, downtown hotels, a budget option and a historic ryokan on the island.
