6 best day trips from Hiroshima

Day trips compared

The day trips

40 km · About 1 hour by train and bus

1.Iwakuni and Kintai Bridge

The Kintai Bridge is a five-arched wooden bridge over the Nishiki River, first built in 1673. Cross it to Kikko Park and take the ropeway to the reconstructed Iwakuni Castle for views over the river.

Getting there

JR Sanyo line to Iwakuni, then bus to Kintaikyo

Best for

Couples, Culture, Families

80 km · About 1 hour 15 minutes by train

2.Onomichi

A hillside port town with a temple walk past 25 temples, slopes full of cats and cafés, and Onomichi ramen. It is the start of the Shimanami Kaido cycling route across bridges and islands to Shikoku.

Getting there

JR Sanyo line, or Shinkansen to Shin-Onomichi

Best for

Couples, Food lovers, Quiet stays

25 km · About 35–50 minutes by train

3.Kure and the Yamato Museum

Kure was the Imperial Japanese Navy's main shipbuilding base. The Yamato Museum has a 1:10-scale model of the battleship Yamato, and across the road a retired submarine is open as the JMSDF Kure Museum. Try the town's navy curry.

Getting there

JR Kure line from Hiroshima Station

Best for

Families, Culture

70 km · About 2 hours by train and ferry

4.Okunoshima

Known as 'rabbit island' for its hundreds of free-roaming rabbits, Okunoshima also has a sobering Poison Gas Museum, as the island secretly made chemical weapons before 1945.

Getting there

JR to Tadanoumi, then a 15-minute ferry

Best for

Families, Quiet stays

55 km · About 1.5 hours by bus or train

5.Takehara

A preserved salt-merchant town of Edo-period houses, sake breweries and lattice-fronted streets, nicknamed 'little Kyoto of Aki'. It is quiet and rewarding for a half-day stroll.

Getting there

Express bus or JR Kure line

Best for

Culture, Quiet stays

100 km · About 1.5 hours by Shinkansen and bus

6.Tomonoura

An old harbour town with a stone lantern lighthouse, Edo-period merchant houses and views of Sensuijima island; it is known for homeishu herbal liqueur and fresh sea bream.

Getting there

Shinkansen to Fukuyama, then bus

Best for

Couples, Quiet stays, Culture

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• The JR ferry to Miyajima is covered by the Japan Rail Pass; the competing ferry is not.
• The free or low-cost Hiroshima Sightseeing Loop Bus ('meipuru-pu') links the station with the Peace Park, the castle and Shukkei-en.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask