Kyoto to Hiroshima: Every Way to Get There Compared

Comparison at a Glance

Figures come from the published fares for the route and the tour prices as listed on their booking cards. Trains leave from the shinkansen platforms at Kyoto Station, reached from the Hachijo side gates. No Kyoto to Hiroshima bus time or fare is covered here, so buses are not priced below.

One number worth holding onto: the $114 tour includes the round-trip shinkansen ticket, the ferry, shrine entry, museum entry and lunch, while the non-reserved shinkansen fare alone is 10,770 yen each way. That is what keeps the tour option alive for many travelers.

At Kyoto Station

The shinkansen gates sit at the Hachijo side of Kyoto Station, on the south. The station has a north Central Exit near Kyoto Tower, where city buses and taxis board, and a south Hachijo Exit that serves expressway buses and hotel shuttles. If you are coming with big bags, coin lockers cost about 400, 500 and 700 yen for small, medium and large, and the largest locker area is at the Hachijo exit. Oversized luggage can also be left at Crosta Kyoto on the B1 floor.

Tickets are bought at the JR ticket office or at ticket machines. ICOCA is sold at the station, and a new card needs a 500 yen refundable deposit with a typical 1,500 yen initial charge.

The Ride to Hiroshima

Take the Nozomi on the Sanyo Shinkansen from Kyoto Station direct to Hiroshima Station in about 1 hour 36 minutes. That is the whole trip if you ride non-reserved at 10,770 yen, reserved at 11,100 to 11,740 yen, or Green Car at 14,760 to 15,400 yen. Seat reservations for the reserved fares are made at the ticket office or machines when you buy.

If you travel without a direct Nozomi, the pattern is a Hikari or Kodama to Shin-Osaka and a change there to a Sakura, with a total of about two hours. Check your train's destination board before boarding, because some Hikari and Kodama services run only part of the way and you want the one that connects cleanly with a Sakura.

The Last Mile in Hiroshima

From Hiroshima Station, tram line 2 or 6 reaches the Genbaku-Domu Mae stop for the Peace Memorial Park in about 15 minutes for 240 yen. The park itself is free and open 24 hours, and the A-Bomb Dome can only be viewed from outside.

For Hiroshima Castle, the Sightseeing Loop Bus takes 6 minutes from Hiroshima Station. The castle keep closed permanently to the public in March over earthquake safety concerns, though the park and the Ninomaru remain open and free. Shukkeien Garden is a 15 minute walk from Hiroshima Station.

For Miyajima, take the JR Sanyo Line from Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi, 25 minutes for 420 yen, covered by the Japan Rail Pass. Both the JR and Matsudai ferries then cross in 10 minutes for 200 yen before the 100 yen Miyajima visitor tax, which is included in regular tickets and IC card fares. Rail pass holders buy a separate 100 yen tax ticket. Itsukushima Shrine is about a 10 minute walk from the ferry terminal. There is also a direct boat from Hiroshima Peace Park to Miyajima taking 45 minutes for 2,400 yen one way.

What to Check Before You Leave

The return leg is the detail that decides your day. Direct Nozomi services make the trip home easy, but no last departure time is given here, so check the timetable board at Hiroshima Station when you arrive rather than assuming. If you plan to add Miyajima after the Peace Park, remember the JR ride is 25 minutes and the ferry 10 minutes each way, and the ropeway up Mount Misen costs 1,100 yen one way or 2,000 yen round trip with a further 30 minute steep trail from the upper station to the summit.

If that sounds like too much for one day, the honest answer is to make it an overnight and see both properly. The 2 day trip from Kyoto guide covers that pattern. For the sightseeing order itself, the day trip from Kyoto to Hiroshima page walks the day hour by hour.

Nozomi Versus Hikari Versus Sakura

The Nozomi is the direct fast train and the only one that does Kyoto to Hiroshima in about 1 hour 36 minutes without a change. Hikari trains from Kyoto to Hiroshima take from about 1 hour 44 minutes to 2 hours 40 minutes, so the fast ones are nearly competitive and the slow ones are not. The regular Japan Rail Pass is the deciding factor: Nozomi and Mizuho cannot be ridden on a regular pass alone, while Hikari, Sakura and Kodama are covered.

Without a direct Nozomi, a Hikari or Kodama rider changes to a Sakura at Shin-Osaka and the trip takes about two hours.

The Pass Trap at Okayama

The JR Kansai WIDE Area Pass costs 12,000 yen for 5 consecutive days and covers the Sanyo Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Okayama. Okayama is well short of Hiroshima, so this pass does not carry you the whole way on its own. It is a strong pass for Himeji, Okayama and the Amanohashidate and Kinosaki excursions, but for Hiroshima you need either the national Japan Rail Pass with the Hikari and Sakura routing above, or plain tickets.

The 7-day Ordinary Japan Rail Pass rises from 50,000 yen to 53,000 yen at overseas agents from 1 October, while buyers on the official Japan Rail Pass website keep the pre-October price. For a wider look at whether any pass pays off, see how to plan a day trip from Kyoto.

Prices and Opening Times

The Peace Memorial Park is free and open 24 hours. The Peace Memorial Museum inside it costs just 200 yen. The Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima costs 300 yen for adults, or 500 yen in a combined ticket with the Treasure Hall.

Everything in the table comes from the official and publisher pages listed, and the museum requires advance reservations for its first and last 90 minutes of opening.

Timing Your Day Around the Museum

The advance reservation rule for the museum's first and last 90 minutes is the single biggest scheduling constraint for a day tripper. Arrive at opening without a reservation and you may be turned away from that window, and the same applies in the late afternoon. The practical fix is to book a slot in advance for mid-day, then do the park, the tram ride and Miyajima around it.

If you are pushing on to Miyajima the same day, remember the shrine grounds close at 17:30 or 18:00 depending on the season and the ropeway needs a further steep 30 minute trail to reach the Mount Misen summit.

What Each Tour Actually Includes

The Hiroshima and Miyajima Day Trip from Kyoto with Shinkansen Tickets and Bus Tour costs $114 and lasts 8 to 12 hours. It includes the round-trip shinkansen ticket, Itsukushima Shrine entry, the Peace Memorial Museum ticket, the round-trip Miyajima ferry and a Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki lunch, with regular and allergy-adjusted options. Staff meet you at Kyoto Station to hand over the tickets but do not ride with you. The guide joins at Hiroshima Station. Cancellation is free up to 7 days ahead, which is tighter than most tours.

The Hiroshima and Miyajima Day Trip from Kyoto by Bullet Train costs $119 with free cancellation 24 hours ahead. It includes round-trip bullet train tickets from Kyoto if that option is selected, the ferry and Itsukushima Shrine admission. Lunch is not included, and the itinerary shows an extra-fee tag at the Peace Park stop. You travel to Hiroshima on your own and meet the guide at the Shinkansenguchi bus berth between Bus Stops 8 and 9. Neither tour includes hotel pickup. For more tours across the region, browse the full range of day trips from Kyoto and day tours from Kyoto.