How Do You Get to Miyajima and Get Around from Hiroshima?

Published 2026-10-04 · Sources checked 2026-10-04 · Treasure Hunting Co., Ltd.

This guide is for visitors who want to reach Miyajima, the island with Itsukushima Shrine, from Hiroshima. It uses the English pages of the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) and of the Miyajima Tourist Association. All pages were read on 2026-10-04. Timetables, fares and tide times are not on these pages, so confirm them with the operators before you travel.

The short answer

You cross by ferry from Miyajimaguchi on the mainland. JNTO says to take a ferry from Miyajimaguchi Port, and that the ride takes around 10 minutes, depending on the weather. The Miyajima Tourist Association agrees: it takes about 10 minutes by ferry to travel from Miyajimaguchi pier to the island, and two ferry companies operate the route, the JR ferry and the Miyajima Matsudai Kisen.

From Hiroshima Station

JNTO says the port is a short walk from Miyajimaguchi Station, and that you can reach Miyajimaguchi Station from Hiroshima Station in around 30 minutes on the Sanyo Line. So the whole trip is a train of about half an hour, a short walk, and a ferry of about ten minutes. The pages do not give a total door-to-door time, so allow extra for waiting at the pier and for the walk.

The visitor tax in your ferry ticket

JNTO notes that a small 100 yen visitor tax is included in ferry tickets to the island, whether you buy at a ticket machine or use the automatic ticket gate. It says the funds support services such as environmental conservation and the upkeep of historic sites, and that exemptions apply for local residents, commuters and young children. JNTO points readers to the official Miyajima website for more information, so check there for the current rules.

How big is the island?

The tourist association describes the island as roughly rectangular, with a length of 9 km and a width of 4 km, separated from the mainland by the Onoseto strait, which is 500 m wide. JNTO says Miyajima has a population of around 2,000 people, plus some free-roaming deer. These numbers explain why most visitors manage on foot: the main sights are clustered near the pier.

Walking is the plan

The Miyajima Tourist Association's course page says plainly: we recommend walking for sightseeing in Miyajima. It adds that a free guide map is available at the tourist information center at Miyajima Sanbashi, the pier. The page lists a half-day course, a one-day course, three routes for climbing the mountain, and a route that uses the ropeway. The pages do not give the walking times of the town courses.

Getting to the mountain

If you want to go up Mt. Misen, JNTO says the entrance to the ropeway, and the base of the mountain, is around a 20-minute walk from the Itsukushima ferry pier. The Miyajima Tourist Association says the ropeway starts in Momijidani Park, at the foot of the mountain. JNTO describes the ropeway as a way to get close to the summit if you are not keen to walk, and the three walking routes each take about an hour and a half to two hours depending on your ability. Business hours for the ropeway differ according to the season, according to the association.

Other ways to see the island

The access page also mentions the Matsudai Kisen tourist ship as a separate listing. The pages do not explain its route or its fares, so ask at the pier if you are interested. The association also lists a free brochure and a free guide map in many languages, including English, which you can download before you travel.

Check before you go

• Check the ferry operators' current timetables and fares.
• Check the tide if you want to see the shrine's main gate surrounded by water or standing on dry sand; the pages say the gate stands offshore but do not give tide tables.
• Allow time for the walk to the ropeway if you plan to climb or ride up the mountain.

What we could not verify, and therefore left out

• Ferry timetables, fares and the last boat of the day.
• The ropeway fare and hours in each season.
• Door-to-door travel times from Tokyo, Osaka or Hiroshima Airport.
• Where to leave a car on the mainland.

Related guides

• What is Miyajima? Itsukushima Shrine, the floating gate and Mt. Misen
• What is Miyajima like through the year? Festivals, fire walking and oysters

Sources

All URLs retrieved 2026-10-04.

1. Miyajima (JNTO) — (ferry, station, visitor tax, population)
2. Access (Miyajima Tourist Association) — (ferry companies)
3. Courses Recommended (Miyajima Tourist Association) — (walking, guide map)
4. Itsukushima Shrine (Miyajima Tourist Association) — (island size)
5. Mt. Misen (JNTO) — (ropeway entrance, walking routes)
6. Sightseeing (Miyajima Tourist Association) — (ropeway)