Hiroshima: A 4-Day Itinerary
Four days adds a second day trip to the three-day plan, without feeling rushed on any single day.
Day 1: Peace Memorial Park and the city core
Morning at the A-Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park, with real time in the Peace Memorial Museum (admission commonly cited around ¥200 for adults, confirm at the gate). Afternoon at Hiroshima Castle and Shukkeien Garden. Dinner at Okonomimura for layered okonomiyaki, roughly ¥1,000-1,500 for a plain version.
Day 2: Miyajima
Tram or train to Miyajimaguchi, then the roughly 10-minute ferry (around ¥200 one-way, plus a roughly ¥100 visitor tax). Itsukushima Shrine and the floating torii gate first (check tide times), then the Mount Misen ropeway, leaving a roughly 30-minute hike to the summit. Anago-meshi for lunch, momiji manju to take away.
Day 3: Onomichi
Roughly 40 minutes east by shinkansen to Shin-Onomichi. Walk the hillside temple route, ride the Senkōji Hill ropeway for views over the channel, and wander the old town’s alleys before heading back to Hiroshima for the evening.
Day 4: Iwakuni
About 45 minutes southwest by local train or a shorter hop on the shinkansen, Iwakuni’s five-arched wooden Kintaikyō bridge, first built in 1673 and rebuilt more than once since, is the day’s main draw, especially good with cherry blossoms or autumn color. Cross it, walk the riverside park on the far bank, and if time allows, ride the cable car up to the reconstructed castle above for a view back down over the bridge and the river. Return to Hiroshima in time for a final evening in the Hondori arcade, picking up any last momiji manju or sake from Saijō you didn’t already grab.
Four days is a genuinely comfortable pace: the memorial sites get proper time, Miyajima gets a full day, and two distinct day trips show you both a temple town and a feudal-era bridge without a single rushed transfer. For a longer stay that adds Saijō or Tomonoura, see our 5-day itinerary , and for the full practical planning, our Hiroshima guide .