Day Trips from KyotoHiroshima Day Trip from Kyoto by Bullet Train
A hiroshima day trip from kyoto by bullet train is a long day, and this listing from Amigo Tours Japan makes it simple: you get round-trip Shinkansen tickets, the Miyajima ferry and Itsukushima Shrine admission for $119, then a guide takes over at Hiroshima Station. The ride from Kyoto is self-guided and takes about two hours each way. Once you arrive, the guide walks you through Itsukushima Shrine, gives you 100 minutes free on Miyajima and two hours at the Peace Memorial Park. This page breaks down what the price covers, what you pay extra on the day, and who should book a different tour among the many day trips from Kyoto.
About This Tour
Amigo Tours Japan sells this as the independent-traveller version of a Hiroshima day: the operator sends you round-trip Shinkansen tickets, you ride from Kyoto Station on your own, and a guide holding an Amigo Tours sign meets you at the Shinkansenguchi bus berth between Bus Stops 8 and 9 at Hiroshima Station. From there the day is fully guided, with a coach, two ferry crossings and stops at Miyajima and the Peace Memorial Park.
The structure shows in what is and is not included. The train tickets (on the Kyoto option), the ferry and the Itsukushima Shrine admission are covered. Lunch is not, and the itinerary tags the Peace Park stop with an extra fee that the listing does not explain. Bring cash, because the listing warns that card payments and ATMs may not always be available.
$119 per person. Reserve now and pay later is available, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
8-12 hours depending on the train times confirmed for your date. Return time is not stated and return tickets are handed out on the day.
No hotel pickup. The tour starts independently at Kyoto Station. Outbound tickets arrive at 18:00 JST the day before. In Hiroshima, the guide waits at the Shinkansenguchi bus berth between Bus Stops 8 and 9.
Round-trip Shinkansen from Kyoto, about 2 hours each way, self-guided, then bus and ferry in Hiroshima. Group size is not stated. Guide in English and Spanish.
Included: bullet train tickets (Kyoto option), the Miyajima ferry and Itsukushima Shrine admission. Not included: meals, drinks, hotel pickup, and the extra-fee item tagged at the Peace Park stop.
Cancel up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund. Smoking is not allowed. Not suitable for wheelchair users.
Check Dates and Availability
Train times are confirmed the day before, so book the date first and plan the morning around the 18:00 JST ticket delivery.
Quick answer Cost, length and what you get
This Hiroshima day trip from Kyoto by bullet train costs $119, runs 8-12 hours and includes round-trip Shinkansen tickets, the Miyajima ferry and Itsukushima Shrine admission. Lunch is not included and the Peace Park stop carries an extra fee the listing does not explain. The guide meets you at Hiroshima Station, not in Kyoto.
Key takeaways
- See what the fare covers in What the Price Actually Covers.
- Want lunch and museum entry included? Compare the Hiroshima and Miyajima tour with okonomiyaki lunch.
- Prefer to travel alone? Read the free day trips from Kyoto by train guide.
- Browse all day tours from Kyoto side by side.
What the Price Actually Covers
The includes list is short: the bullet train tickets on the Kyoto option, the ferry to Miyajima and the Itsukushima Shrine admission. Everything else in the operator's longer Includes list, including meals and hotel pickup, is not part of what you actually get on the Kyoto option.
What You Pay for
At $119 you get transport and one entry ticket. The round-trip Shinkansen is the big one, because the walk-up non-reserved fare from Kyoto to Hiroshima alone is 10,770 yen one way. The ferry to Miyajima and the Itsukushima Shrine admission (300 yen for adults on the shrine's own price list) are also in the price. The guide in Hiroshima, the local coach and the logistics are the operator's work on top.
One extra is flagged in the itinerary: the Peace Memorial Park stop carries an extra-fee tag. The park itself is free and open 24 hours, and the listing does not say what the fee covers. The Peace Memorial Museum costs 200 yen if you visit on your own, so keep that in mind, and bring cash, since the listing warns card payments and ATMs may not always be available.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Round-trip Shinkansen Kyoto to Hiroshima | Yes, if the Kyoto option is selected | Tickets sent at 18:00 JST the day before, return tickets on the day |
| Guide at Hiroshima Station | Yes | Waits at the Shinkansenguchi bus berth, Bus Stops 8 and 9, Amigo Tours sign |
| Local bus and coach in Hiroshima | Yes | About 50 minutes out, 1 hour back from Miyajima, per the itinerary |
| Miyajima ferry | Yes | The ferry ride to Miyajima is in the includes list |
| Itsukushima Shrine admission | Yes | Worth 300 yen on the shrine's own price list |
| Lunch and drinks | No | Miyajima free time is when you eat, momiji manju and oysters are self-paid |
| Peace Memorial Museum | No | Extra-fee tag at the Peace Park stop, not explained in the listing. The museum costs 200 yen on its own |
| Hotel pickup | No | Starts at Kyoto Station |
The Honest Gaps
Two gaps matter. First, lunch: this is a 10-plus-hour day with no meal provided, so plan to buy food during the 100 minutes of free time on Miyajima or bring snacks. Second, the train ride is self-guided in both directions, and your exact departure time only lands in your inbox at 18:00 JST the day before.
If you want a staffed handover in Kyoto, an okonomiyaki lunch and the museum ticket in the price for $114, the Hiroshima and Miyajima Day Trip with Shinkansen Tickets and Bus Tour does all three.
Sources: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, Itsukushima Shrine
The nose of a Nozomi shinkansen train waiting at a platform. Photo: Andrew Currie, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing gives phases and durations rather than clock times, because your train time is only confirmed the day before. Here is the itinerary as the operator states it.
Stop by Stop
You start at Kyoto Station with your tickets and ride the Shinkansen about 2 hours to Hiroshima on your own. At Hiroshima Station you find the Shinkansenguchi bus berth between Bus Stops 8 and 9, where the guide waits with an Amigo Tours sign, and be there at least 10 minutes before the tour starts.
From the station a coach takes about 50 minutes, then a ferry of about 30 minutes crosses to Miyajima. The guided visit of Itsukushima Shrine lasts 30 minutes, followed by 100 minutes of free time on the island, enough to walk the ferry terminal to shrine stretch, eat and meet the deer.
The return ferry takes about 10 minutes and the coach ride back to Hiroshima takes about 1 hour. The Peace Memorial Park visit runs 2 hours with a guide, and the itinerary tags it with an extra fee. A final 40-minute coach ride returns to Hiroshima Station and the Shinkansen takes about 2 hours back to Kyoto Station, where the Kyoto option ends. The full day lands anywhere in the 8-12 hour range the listing states.
Hiroshima and Miyajima by Bullet Train
The bullet train from Kyoto, then Hiroshima and Miyajima in one day. Third-party video by Chasing Gambozinos. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Who This Tour Rules Out
This is a long day, and several travellers should pick something else.
Not the Right Fit
Wheelchair users are excluded outright, the listing states it plainly. Anyone who needs a fixed early schedule should think twice, because your exact train departure is only confirmed at 18:00 JST the day before and the return time is not stated at all.
The day is also simply long: about 2 hours on the train each way, plus two ferry crossings and three coach legs, wrapped around walking at Miyajima and the Peace Park. If a 10-plus-hour day sounds heavy, a shorter coach day such as the Nara Afternoon Tour from Kyoto with Todaiji and Kasuga Taisha keeps you within 5-7 hours. Travellers who want food and museum entry handled, with staff meeting them in Kyoto, should look at the Hiroshima and Miyajima tour with okonomiyaki lunch instead. Also note that the tide decides how the gate looks, with low tide leaving it standing on dry sand.
The Itsukushima torii stands on dry sand at low tide with visitors walking around its base. Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Could You Do It Without a Tour?
Honest answer: yes, easily, if you are comfortable with Japanese trains and ferries.
The DIY Version
The direct Nozomi from Kyoto to Hiroshima takes about 1 hour 36 minutes and the non-reserved shinkansen fare is 10,770 yen one way. On the ground it is straightforward without a guide. Tram line 2 or 6 runs from Hiroshima Station to the Genbaku-Domu Mae stop in about 15 minutes for 240 yen, the Peace Park is free and open 24 hours, and the Peace Memorial Museum costs 200 yen. For Miyajima, the JR Sanyo Line to Miyajimaguchi takes 25 minutes for 420 yen and the ferry takes 10 minutes for 200 yen plus a 100 yen visitor tax, with Itsukushima Shrine a 10-minute walk from the pier and admission at 300 yen.
If you have a Japan Rail Pass, the Hikari and Sakura trains cover the route and the DIY version gets even cheaper. The trade-off is planning: tide tables, museum reservation windows and train times are on you. Do Hiroshima and Miyajima justice over two days with a 2 day trip from Kyoto instead of racing both in one, or browse the free day trips from Kyoto by train for easier single-day targets.
Itinerary at a Glance
Durations come from the operator's own itinerary. Clock times are not stated because train times are confirmed the day before.
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Start
Kyoto Station, self-guided Shinkansen
You arrive at Kyoto Station with the tickets sent at 18:00 JST the previous day and ride the Shinkansen about 2 hours to Hiroshima on your own.
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Morning
Meet the guide at Hiroshima Station
Follow the signs to the Shinkansenguchi bus berth between Bus Stops 8 and 9, where the guide waits with an Amigo Tours sign. Be there at least 10 minutes before the tour starts.
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Morning
Coach and ferry to Miyajima
A coach ride of about 50 minutes, then a ferry crossing of about 30 minutes across the Seto Inland Sea to Miyajima Island.
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Midday
Itsukushima Shrine, 30 minutes
A guided visit of the UNESCO-listed shrine, admission included in the tour price.
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Midday
Miyajima free time, 100 minutes
Lunch is on you here. The listing suggests Miyajima oysters and momiji manju from the island streets, and deer roam freely.
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Afternoon
Ferry back and coach to Hiroshima
A 10-minute ferry crossing, then about 1 hour on the coach back into Hiroshima.
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Afternoon
Peace Memorial Park, 2 hours
A guided visit to the park and the Atomic Bomb Dome area. The itinerary tags an extra fee here and does not say what it covers. The park itself is free.
-
End
Return to Kyoto Station
A 40-minute coach ride to Hiroshima Station, then about 2 hours on the Shinkansen back to Kyoto, where the Kyoto option ends.
Pros and Cons
What this listing does well and where it asks you to compromise.
What we genuinely like
- Round-trip Shinkansen tickets, the Miyajima ferry and Itsukushima Shrine admission are all in the $119 price
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, and you can reserve now and pay later
- A live guide in English and Spanish takes over the moment you reach Hiroshima
- The Shinkansen ride is about 2 hours each way
The honest downsides
- Lunch is not included on a day that runs 8-12 hours, so budget for food on Miyajima
- The Peace Park stop carries an extra fee, and you need cash because cards and ATMs may not always be available
- No hotel pickup and no staff in Kyoto, you navigate the station alone on tickets that arrive at 18:00 JST the day before
- The return time is not stated until the day itself, which makes evening plans in Kyoto a gamble
- Not suitable for wheelchair users
Who it's NOT for: Not for travellers who want a fully hosted day with meals, museum entry and a staffed departure in Kyoto, book the Hiroshima and Miyajima tour with Shinkansen tickets and bus tour instead.
Questions About This Tour
How long is the bullet train from Kyoto to Hiroshima on this tour?
The listing gives the train ride as about 2 hours each way, self-guided, and the whole day runs 8-12 hours. The Kyoto to Hiroshima guide has more on the rail route.
What is included in the $119 price?
The includes are the round-trip Shinkansen tickets on the Kyoto option, the Miyajima ferry and Itsukushima Shrine admission. Lunch, drinks and the extra fee at the Peace Park stop are not in the price, as the breakdown in What the Price Actually Covers shows.
Where do I meet the guide in Hiroshima?
At the Shinkansenguchi bus berth between Bus Stops 8 and 9 at Hiroshima Station, where the guide waits with an Amigo Tours sign. Be at the meeting point at least 10 minutes before the tour starts, and check the availability widget for dates.
Do I need cash on this tour?
Yes, the listing says to bring cash because card payments and ATMs may not always be available, and the Peace Park stop carries an extra fee.
How does this compare with the other Hiroshima day trip?
The Hiroshima and Miyajima tour with Shinkansen tickets and bus tour costs $114 and adds an okonomiyaki lunch and museum entry, but free cancellation there needs 7 days notice instead of 24 hours.
Can wheelchair users join this tour?
No, the listing states the tour is not suitable for wheelchair users. Compare options on the day trips from Kyoto homepage.
When do I get my train tickets?
Outbound tickets are sent at 18:00 JST the day before departure and return tickets are handed out on the day, with detailed travel instructions in your booking confirmation.
What Travelers Said
Great day trip. Enjoyed the island and was humbled by the museum and memorials.
Miyajima was breathtaking. It was my favorite spot in all of Japan.
Angeles was fantastic. She was very knowledgeable with history and culture of the tour. Her kindness and care for the good of people shined- all this made the tour quite amazing and humbling at the same time. Thank you for making the day trip unforgettable.
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