Hiroshima City 4hr Private Walking Tour with Licensed Guide
Description
Hiroshima is home to the historically significant and moving Peace Memorial and Museum. In the city stands Hiroshima Castle, nicknamed the ‘carp castle’ because of the glistening carp fish residing in the moats. The Shukkei-en Garden captures the beauty of a Japanese style garden in a small space. On this private walking tour with a Government Licensed and Experienced English speaking guides, you will be able to experience these sights without worry. Your guide will also be able to teach you about the history and culture of Hiroshima in a personalized way that you can only achieve with a private guide. Once your reservation is made, a guide will be in touch to plan out the times and details of your private tour. We are looking forward to sharing with you the history of Hiroshima on our tour!
Tour Options
Itinerary
Hiroshima's Peace Memorial Park (平和記念公園, Heiwa Kinen Kōen) is one of the most prominent features of the city. Even visitors not looking for it will likely stumble upon the large park of over 120,000 square meters. Its trees, lawns, and walking paths are in stark contrast to the surrounding downtown area. Before the bomb, the area of what is now the Peace Park was the political and commercial heart of the city. For this reason, it was chosen as the pilot's target. Four years to the day after the bomb was dropped, it was decided that the area would not be redeveloped but instead devoted to peace memorial facilities. Admission Fee: ¥200
Hiroshima Castle (広島城, Hiroshimajō), also called the Carp Castle, is a good example of a castle built on a plain in the center of a city as opposed to hilltop and mountaintop castles. Its main keep is five stories tall, and its grounds are surrounded by a moat. Also within the castle's precincts are a shrine, some ruins and a few reconstructed buildings of the Ninomaru (second circle of defense). Hiroshima developed as a castle town, whereby the castle was both the physical and economical center of the city. Built in 1589 by the powerful feudal lord Mori Terumoto, Hiroshima Castle was an important seat of power in Western Japan. While it was spared the demolishment that many other castles met during the Meiji Restoration, like the rest of the city, Hiroshima Castle was destroyed by the atomic bomb in 1945.
Shukkeien is a Japanese garden in Hiroshima, designated as one of Japan’s Top 100 Historical Parks and a National Scenic Spot. This article introduces the highlights of the garden, access information, and other tips to enjoy it.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
This private tour is a walking day tour. A private vehicle is not included. Public transportation or local taxis maybe used to transfer between sites. Exact transportation costs can be discussed with the guide after a reservation is finalized. Please have Japanese Yen on hand for your transportation costs.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Tour dates can be changed up to 2 days before the tour. Any tour date change may result in a change of tour guide or tour unavailability.
- This is a walking tour. Pick up is on foot.
Reviews(528)
We had a wonderful private half day tour of Hiroshima. Rena was an excellent guide. We highly recommend the tour!
My son and I really enjoyed our tour with our tour guide Mari. She was extremely knowledgeable and engaging. We felt like she went above and beyond to ensure a good experience.
Thank you so much for your kind review! It truly means a lot to me. It was an honor to guide you, especially knowing how interested you both are in history. Thank you for taking the time to visit Hiroshima despite your busy travel schedule, and for your genuine interest in the city where my family and I were born and raised. It was truly a pleasure meeting you both. Wishing you many more wonderful adventures together! - Your Hiroshima Guide, Mari
Had a wonderful tour despite rainy weather. Our tour guide Sachi was very knowledgeable and accomodating. Highly recommended.
Thank you very much for your kind words. And thank you so much for coming to Hiroshima all the way in the rain and visiting the peace park and the museum. I enjoyed guiding and talking with you, and will remember you whenever I see the raincoat. With best wished and regards, Sachi
Great tour and amazing tour guide. Can’t recommend Kazuko enough! She was amazing, so kind and with plenty of attention to details! Very knowledgeable and extremely patient and accommodating. Just loved her!
Thank you so much for your beautiful review! It was an absolute joy to guide your wonderful family. I was deeply moved by how earnestly you looked through the museum. I hope your time in Hiroshima remains a special, lasting memory in your hearts. Thank you for your incredible kindness! Kazuko
Mari was great and we highly recommend. we learned a lot about the history of Hiroshima, and our guide. gave meaningful insight into the tragedy of the bombing.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. It truly means a lot to me. I was deeply touched by the kindness and respect you showed throughout our time together. Thank you for listening so sincerely as I shared my grandfather's experience as an atomic bomb survivor and my own thoughts as someone born and raised in Hiroshima. I also truly appreciated your thoughtfulness at the Peace Memorial Museum and the consideration you showed for my feelings. Meeting both of you is something I will always treasure. I'm so happy that you enjoyed the peaceful beauty of the Japanese garden, as well as Hiroshima's local favorites like okonomiyaki and ramen. It means so much to me to know that you enjoyed the city where I was born and raised. Thank you again for choosing Hiroshima and for allowing me to share its stories with you. I wish you both all the very best and hope our paths will cross again someday. - Your Hiroshima Guide, Mari
Mari was a fabulous guide and gave us invaluable insight during our 4 hour tour. The tour of peace memorial park and museum was so moving. Then we enjoyed a wonderful traditional lunch and ended with a lovely garden walk. Highly recommend!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review. It truly means a lot to me. I was deeply touched by the kindness and respect you showed throughout our time together. Thank you for listening so sincerely as I shared my grandfather's experience as an atomic bomb survivor and my own thoughts as someone born and raised in Hiroshima. I also truly appreciated your thoughtfulness at the Peace Memorial Museum and the consideration you showed for my feelings. Meeting both of you is something I will always treasure. I'm so happy that you enjoyed the peaceful beauty of the Japanese garden, as well as Hiroshima's local favorites like okonomiyaki and ramen. It means so much to me to know that you enjoyed the city where I was born and raised. Thank you again for choosing Hiroshima and for allowing me to share its stories with you. I wish you both all the very best and hope our paths will cross again someday. - Your Hiroshima Guide, Mari
Our tour of Hiroshima was amazing! Our tour guide Hiroshi made our visit to this Historical city very informative, relaxed with a few little surprises along the way. We can highly recommend this tour for couples or family who would like to have an enjoyable and sensitive insight to this amazing city.
Thank you very much for taking the time to share such a kind review. It was a pleasure to spend the day with you in Hiroshima. I especially appreciated the thoughtful and respectful way you approached the Peace Memorial Park and Museum. Sharing Hiroshima’s history with visitors who are genuinely interested in learning and reflecting is always one of the most rewarding parts of my work as a guide. I am also delighted to hear that you enjoyed the relaxed pace of the tour and the small surprises along the way. My goal is not only to introduce the major sights, but also to help visitors experience Hiroshima on a more personal level. Thank you again for your recommendation and for your generous support. I wish you many wonderful journeys ahead, and I hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back to Hiroshima someday. Hiroshi
Our guide Kazuhisa To was knowledgeable and made the tour interesting for all of us, including the kids. Hiroshima is a beautiful city with a meaningful history that is best explored with a guide.
Thank you very much for your kind review. It was a pleasure to spend the day with your family and share the history and beauty of Hiroshima with you. I was especially happy to see that everyone, including the children, showed such genuine interest in Hiroshima’s history and listened so attentively. I hope the stories and experiences of the day helped make your visit both meaningful and memorable. Your family’s curiosity and enthusiasm made the tour especially enjoyable for me as well. I truly appreciated your warm company and had a wonderful time guiding you. Thank you again for your recommendation. I wish all of you many more wonderful adventures and happy memories together in the years ahead. Warmest regards, Kazuhisa To
We spent 4 hours with Mari during our day trip to Hiroshima and had a great experience. She met us at the train station and immediately made us feel comfortable with her friendly personality and local knowledge. Since Hiroshima is her hometown, it was interesting hearing her perspective as she showed us around. What I appreciated most was how she explained the history of the atomic bombing. It’s obviously a very serious subject, but she did a good job helping us understand what happened while also showing how Hiroshima has rebuilt and evolved into the city it is today. Mari also took us to one of her favorite spots for Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, which ended up being one of our favorite meals of the trip. We were traveling with our 9-year-old son, and she did a great job including him in conversations and keeping him interested throughout the tour. If you’re visiting Hiroshima and want a knowledgeable local guide, I would definitely recommend Mari.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thoughtful and detailed review. Reading your kind words truly touched me, and it means a lot to know that your family enjoyed your time in Hiroshima. As a Hiroshima local, I always hope to help visitors understand not only the history of the atomic bombing, but also the strength, resilience, and hope that have shaped the city ever since. Being able to reflect on peace and Hiroshima's history together with you was a meaningful and enriching experience for me as well. I was also delighted that you enjoyed Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki. It made me very happy to share my favorite Hiroshima specialty with your family. I feel very fortunate to have met your family, and I hope our paths cross again someday. - Your Hiroshima Guide, Mari
Our guide was amazing. He shared so much history of the area. I would have like to spend more time in the museum.
Thank you very much for your kind review. It was a pleasure to guide you during your visit to Hiroshima and share its history with you. I am very glad to hear that you enjoyed the tour and found the historical explanations meaningful. I completely understand your wish to have spent more time in the museum, and I wish the conditions had allowed for a more relaxed visit inside. Thank you again for your kind words and for joining the tour. I sincerely hope you keep fond memories of your time in Hiroshima. I also wish you both many more wonderful journeys and memorable experiences in the future. Warmest regards, Kazuhisa To
