Hiroshima City Center Pickup: Miyajima & Peace Park Tour with car
Description
Experience Hiroshima with a small, heartfelt tour (max 3 guests) that feels like spending the day with a local friend. We will visit Hiroshima’s two UNESCO sites—the Peace Memorial Museum and Itsukushima Shrine—with a schedule tailored to you. Your Guide: I am a U.S. university graduate and a Hiroshima government‑licensed guide who has led over 200 tours. I have also welcomed guests from around the world as a host mother. This tour is designed and guided by me from start to finish. Travel by Car: Avoid crowded trains, slow streetcars, and the extra expense of high‑speed boats. I will pick you up anywhere in Hiroshima City. About Cash: You won’t need to take out your wallet to pay transportation and entrance fees in Japanese yen. All necessary tour costs are included, so you only need to bring enough for your lunch, drinks, and any souvenirs. My goal is simple: I want you to enjoy Hiroshima. Let’s have fun!
Tour Options
Itinerary
We will meet at your preferred location in Hiroshima City. Details will be arranged through email before the tour. The order of visiting Miyajima (Hatsukaichi City) and the Hiroshima city center will be adjusted flexibly based on your schedule, the weather, and any conditions on the day.
After a 40–50 minute drive, we will park near the ferry terminal and take a short 10‑minute ferry ride to Miyajima. Since the island has very limited parking and the roads are not ideal for cars, we do not cross to the island by vehicle.
As we walk toward Itsukushima Shrine, the iconic Great Torii gate gradually comes into view. You can enjoy the scenery and take photos as we approach.
We will then explore Itsukushima Shrine, Japan’s only shrine built over the water. As we walk through its elegant corridors, your guide will explain the history and features of the site, and you can enjoy taking photos or purchasing charms along the way.
Next, we will visit Daishoin Temple, one of the most beautiful and atmospheric places on Miyajima. The temple grounds are filled with colorful statues, peaceful pathways, and stunning views. This visit is optional—if you prefer to spend more time on other experiences, such as trying local food, shopping, or staying longer at the Peace Memorial Museum, we can easily adjust the plan to your interests.
Omotesando Shopping Street is a lively area filled with souvenir shops, restaurants, and plenty of delicious street‑food options. Some guests prefer to enjoy the local snacks while walking, while others choose to sit down for a meal such as oysters or Hiroshima‑style okonomiyaki. If you prefer a restaurant lunch, we can discuss it on the tour day, as we may need to adjust the schedule depending on your available time in Hiroshima and restaurant crowd levels.
We will take the ferry back to the mainland, with the ferry ride and drive taking roughly one hour in total, before arriving in Hiroshima City. After parking the car nearby, our walking tour will begin at the Hiroshima A‑bomb Hypocenter.
At the Atomic Bomb Dome, we will spend some quiet time reflecting on Hiroshima’s history and the significance of this landmark.
Your guide will share the stories and meaning behind the memorials and monuments as we walk through Peace Memorial Park together.
Our final stop will be the Peace Memorial Museum, a quiet and reflective space where conversations are kept to a minimum. Since all exhibits are displayed in both Japanese and English, you will explore the museum on your own after I scan the QR code of the ticket I have reserved for you at the entrance. If you prefer an audio guide in another language, I can assist you in renting one. (Audio guides are not included in the tour price.)
The tour will generally end at the location of your choice. If you prefer, you may end the tour at the museum and return to your hotel on your own by taxi or other transportation. (Taxi fares are not included in the tour price.) I will plan the itinerary according to your preferences, including your preferred ending point.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
The car used for this tour is my Mazda Flair Wagon, a unique Japanese Kei Car. Although compact, it has a spacious interior like a regular four‑seater. It has enough space for passengers to sit comfortably, but the room for mobility aids or other large items is limited. Please check their dimensions before booking and contact me so I can confirm whether they can be loaded. For cruise‑ship guests: For cruise‑port pickup, please book my other tour: “Hiroshima Cruise Pickup: Miyajima & Peace Park Tour with Car”. If you have already booked this tour, no worries at all. The tour content is almost the same, so everything is perfectly fine.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The tour is open to guests aged 7 and above.
- If you have any mobility aids, please check their size before booking.
- To the agency, When making the reservation, please write in the notes both your company’s phone number and the guest’s phone number.
Reviews(5)
Very good tour she was excellent had her own car. It took us all over very informative and the delight to be with. I would definitely recommend it.
Thank you very much for your kind review. I truly enjoyed guiding you in Hiroshima. You showed genuine interest in the city’s history and the customs at the shrine, and you were open to trying local foods, which made the day especially enjoyable for me. We had a fun time walking through the Miyajima shopping street with your beer refills, and you tried grilled oysters and momiji manju. Since you mentioned you like shrimp tempura and udon, I brought you to a local udon shop, and I’m glad it suited your taste. During the drive and our walk, I learned that both of you share many hobbies and enjoy a very active, healthy lifestyle. I thought that was wonderful. I would be delighted to guide you again the next time you visit Hiroshima. Tomoyo
This was the best tour that we took on our trip to Japan! Our tour guide, Tomoyo was amazing and very knowledgeable about the history of Hiroshima. She spent time explaining all the different monuments and even took us up to the temples on Miyajima when we asked. The weather was not the best the day of our tour, but Tomoyo made sure that we still had a great time. She adjusted when we went where to make sure that we had the most enjoyable experience. Also, it was so nice to be taken from location to location in her car instead of need to catch trains during busy times. At the end of the tour she even gave us a paper crane to take home. If you want a great tour with a fantastic guide in Hiroshima, book with Tomoyo!!
Thank you so much for your lovely review. Walking through the shopping street together and trying so many local foods — curry bread, cream-filled momiji manju, fried momiji, and crispy fried oysters — was such a fun part of the day. Visiting Daishoin during full-bloom cherry blossoms was truly special. I was happy to see how much you enjoyed the peaceful temple grounds and the atmosphere inside the halls, experiencing a deeper sense of Japan. What touched me most was that I guided your family last year, and this time you contacted me because of their recommendation. I felt a warm connection with you, almost like guiding relatives, and I enjoyed every moment we spent together. Wishing both of you — and your family — continued happiness for many years to come. I hope our paths will cross again in Japan. Tomoyo
I’ve taken many private tours and this ranks up there as one of the best. Tomoyo-san was knowledgeable, engaging and thoughtful to tailor the tour to our interests. It was also so helpful to be picked up at our hotel and driven around in her clean and comfortable car. She timed everything so well and took care of all the logistics giving us maximum time to enjoy the sights. Miyajima Island is a must visit spot in Japan - it is not only beautiful with Itsukushima Shrine and its floating torii gate, but also has picturesque shopping streets with amazing food stalls. Tomoyo-san was very flexible and fit in everything we wanted to see even though we stopped at almost every food stall! As we took so long at Miyajima she suggested we do the Peace Museum early the next morning which worked well for us. It was a great suggestion also to avoid the large crowds and she was able to modify our tickets to accommodate this change. On the way back to our hotel she described what we would see and she even made sure to drop us for a few minutes by the Atomic Dome for pictures. It’s wonderful to have such a delightful local guide and I highly recommend this tour with Tomoyo-san.
Thank you very much for your wonderful review. You showed such a deep interest in Japanese food, language, and traditional textiles, and because you were curious about so many things, our conversations flowed so easily. I was also impressed by how thoughtfully and happily you discussed and chose what to eat and what to buy together. I’m glad that visiting the Peace Memorial Museum the next morning worked well and that it wasn’t crowded. It made me happy to learn from your review how you spent the rest of your time after the tour. One of you mentioned coming back to Japan soon, so please reach out when you do. I’d be very happy to see you again. Tomoyo
For our time in Hiroshima, we were looking for an opportunity to experience this city with someone who lived here and the "Hiroshima City Center Pickup: Miyajima & Peace Park Tour with Car" exceeded our expectations. From the moment we made our initial booking we were made to feel like family. This experience offered was exactly what we were looking for, right down to being driven from Hiroshima to Miyajima Island in the most spacious and comfortable kei car that we have ever had the honour to ride in. Our day on the island created memories which we will treasure and share (brag) about when our friends ask us about what we did in Hiroshima. Thank you Tomoyo, for a glorious day! (especially the weather!)
Thank you so much for your beautiful message. I was deeply touched by your wonderful review. It means more to me than I can express. Our conversation began so comfortably from the moment we met that it felt as if we had known each other for a long time. Seeing how delighted you were when you found shops in Miyajima featuring your favorite characters made me happy as well. I also truly appreciated the meaningful time we spent in the Peace Park, sharing our thoughts and reflections together. I’m so glad Hiroshima left such a warm impression on your hearts. Please feel free to reach out anytime. Wishing you both many more wonderful journeys. Warmest regards, Tomoyo
For our time in Hiroshima, we were looking for an opportunity to experience this city with someone who lived here and the "Hiroshima City Center Pickup: Miyajima & Peace Park Tour with Car" exceeded our expectations. From the moment we made our initial booking we were made to feel like family. This experience offered was exactly what we were looking for, right down to being driven from Hiroshima to Miyajima Island in the most spacious and comfortable kei car that we have ever had the honour to ride in. Our day on the island created memories which we will treasure and share (brag) about when our friends ask us about what we did in Hiroshima. Thank you Tomoyo, for a glorious day! (especially the weather!)
