Hiroshima to Miyajima:
45 minutes, two ferries,
one of them free
with a pass.
Every route from the city, timed and priced. The fast version is the JR Sanyo line to Miyajimaguchi — ¥420, 27 minutes — and a 10-minute ferry. The cheap version is Hiroden line 2 at a flat ¥240, which takes 65–75 minutes and starts in the city centre. Two ferry companies charge an identical ¥200, and only one of them detours past the Great Torii.
Take the JR Sanyo line from Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi — ¥420, 27 minutes — then the 10-minute ferry, so about 45 minutes door to door. The one-line advice on the boats: take JR out on a sailing leaving Miyajimaguchi between 09:10 and 16:10, because those detour close past the Great Torii at no extra charge, outbound only — then take whichever ferry is next coming back. Both operators charge ¥200 ($1.27) adult and ¥100 child each way; the ¥100 visitor tax is added on the outbound leg. From the city centre without a pass, Hiroden line 2 runs to Miyajimaguchi for a flat ¥240 ($1.52) in 65–75 minutes.
Every route from Hiroshima to Miyajima
ComparedTimes are door to door from central Hiroshima including the ferry. All fares are one way, per adult.
| Route | Time | Fare | Use it if | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JR Sanyo line + ferry | ~45 min | ¥420 + ¥300 outbound = ¥720 | You are starting at Hiroshima Station, or you hold a JR Pass — the train and the JR ferry are both covered, and the 09:10–16:10 sailings detour past the torii | WORTH IT |
| Hiroden line 2 + ferry | 65–75 min | ¥240 + ¥300 outbound = ¥540 | You are staying in the city centre near Hondori or Hatchobori and would rather not backtrack to the station | WORTH IT |
| World Heritage Sea Route, Peace Park → Miyajima | ~45 min | ¥2,400 one way · ¥4,400 return | You want to go straight from the park to the island by water. Reserve by the previous day; no pass covers it, and it is roughly four times the tram-and-ferry fare | DEPENDS |
| Guided day tour with transport | Full day | Prices not published here — unverified | You want the Peace Park and the island in one day without managing ferries | DEPENDS |
| Taxi to Miyajimaguchi | ~35–40 min | Metered — ¥700–800 flagfall, then ¥100 per ~300m | Early flights or heavy luggage only. ⚠ The city fare zone excludes Miyajima and Miyajimaguchi, so do not assume an app will pick you up there | SKIP |
⚠ JR's own English fare page still shows the pre-2023 ¥180 crossing — the ferry is ¥200. Suica and ICOCA both work on Hiroden via simplified readers, you pay on exit, and you cannot top up on board. The last JR ferry off the island is 22:14.
JR West or Matsudai — the choice that actually matters
The two ferriesTwo companies run the same 10-minute crossing from adjacent berths at Miyajimaguchi, for exactly the same money.
| JR West Miyajima Ferry | Miyajima Matsudai Kisen | |
|---|---|---|
| Fare | ¥200 adult · ¥100 child, each way | ¥200 adult · ¥100 child — identical |
| With the ¥100 visitor tax | ¥300 outbound, ¥200 back | ¥300 outbound, ¥200 back |
| Covered by the JR Pass | Yes — the crossing is included | No — you pay in full |
| Visitor tax covered by a rail pass | No — buy the ¥100 ticket separately | No |
| The torii detour | Yes — sailings leaving Miyajimaguchi 09:10–16:10, outbound only, no extra charge | No — direct crossing |
| Covered by Hiroden passes | No | Yes — including the ¥1,000 Streetcar & Ferry 1-day pass |
| Last sailing off the island | 22:14 | Earlier — check at the pier |
| Crossing time | About 10 minutes | About 10 minutes |
| Frequency | Roughly every 15 minutes through the day | Roughly every 15 minutes through the day |
| Verdict | WORTH IT | DEPENDS |
The rule: out on JR between 09:10 and 16:10 for the detour, back on whichever ferry is next. Rail-pass holders should take JR anyway; Hiroden pass holders are tied to Matsudai and therefore never get the detour. On a low tide the detour matters less, because the gate is standing on sand — the tide bands are here.
What each route is actually like
Route notesJR Sanyo line. ¥420 and 27 minutes from Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi, running frequently. The station is a two-minute walk from the ferry berths, signed in English, and the whole transfer is about as simple as Japanese transport gets. This is the default route, and it is the only one a JR Pass makes free. Note that Hiroshima Station's tram terminal moved onto the second floor of the JR building on 3 August 2025 — any route description written before then is wrong.
Hiroden line 2. The streetcar runs from Hiroshima Station through the city centre — Hatchobori, Kamiyacho, Genbaku Dome-mae — all the way to Miyajimaguchi, at a flat ¥240 since 1 February 2025. It takes 65–75 minutes because it is a tram doing a suburban run. The February 2025 revision made short hops dearer but cut this long ride from ¥270 to ¥240, which is a rare fare cut in a tourist's favour. Slower than the train, and still the right choice if you are staying in the centre.
The World Heritage Sea Route. The direct boat from beside the Peace Memorial Park to Miyajima is real and it runs: ¥2,400 one way, ¥4,400 return, about 45 minutes, reservation required by the previous day, and covered by no pass. It is a good story — park to island by water, no transfers — and poor value against ¥620 by tram and ferry. Take it if the journey is the point; take the tram if the money is.
Miyajima has charged a ¥100 visitor tax per person since 1 October 2023, collected with your ferry ticket on the outbound leg only. Rail-pass holders are the trap: the pass covers the JR ferry but not the tax, so you still have to buy a separate ¥100 ticket at the terminal.
The crossing, practically
Plan your visitIf you would rather not do the transfers
Book itThe independent route is easy and the ferries run all day, so a tour is not buying access — it is buying somebody else owning the timings, which is worth more on a single-day visit than it sounds. Prices and ratings are not published here because we could not verify them.
Getting there questions
FAQPage schema pairedHow do I get from Hiroshima to Miyajima?
JR Sanyo line from Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi — ¥420, 27 minutes — then a 10-minute ferry, so about 45 minutes door to door. The ferry is ¥200, or ¥300 outbound with the visitor tax. Hiroden line 2 does the same trip for a flat ¥240 in 65–75 minutes.
How much is the ferry to Miyajima?
¥200 ($1.27) adult and ¥100 child each way on either operator. The ¥100 visitor tax is added to the outbound leg only, so a same-day return is ¥500 per adult in total. The two companies charge exactly the same and leave from adjacent berths, so there is no price shopping to do.
Which Miyajima ferry does the JR Pass cover?
The JR West Miyajima ferry only. Miyajima Matsudai Kisen is a private operator and charges you the full ¥200. Note that no rail pass covers the ¥100 visitor tax — you buy that separately at the terminal, which is the most common surprise on this route.
Which ferry goes past the torii gate?
JR West. Sailings leaving Miyajimaguchi between 09:10 and 16:10 detour close past the Great Torii at no extra charge — outbound only, so it is worth timing your crossing to the island rather than your return. Matsudai runs direct. Note that Hiroden pass holders are tied to Matsudai and so never get the detour.
Is there a boat from the Peace Park to Miyajima?
Yes — the World Heritage Sea Route, ¥2,400 one way and ¥4,400 return, about 45 minutes, with a reservation required by the previous day. No rail or tram pass covers it. Against ¥620 by tram and ferry it is poor value, so take it only if arriving by water is the point of the morning.
Can I use Hiroden to get to Miyajima?
Yes. Line 2 runs from Hiroshima Station through the city centre to Miyajimaguchi for a flat ¥240 since 1 February 2025, taking 65–75 minutes. The 2025 revision actually cut this fare from ¥270. It is the right choice if you are staying near Hondori or Hatchobori rather than the station.
What time is the first ferry to Miyajima?
Early — the crossing starts well before the shrine's 06:30 opening, and sailings run roughly every 15 minutes through the day into the evening. That first hour on the island is the quietest it gets, and it is the single best scheduling decision available to a day-tripper.
Which pass is worth it for a Miyajima day?
Hiroden's ¥1,000 Streetcar & Ferry 1-day pass is the one built for this trip: it covers the trams, the Matsudai ferry, the ¥100 visitor tax, and cuts the ropeway round trip from ¥2,000 to ¥1,500. The trade-off is that it excludes JR, so you lose the 09:10–16:10 torii detour. JR Pass holders should buy nothing — the train and the JR ferry are already covered, leaving just ¥100 of tax.