Hiroshima to Miyajima:
45 minutes, two ferries,
one of them free
with a pass.
Every route from the city, timed and priced, one way per adult. JR + ferry: ¥720 (¥420 train, 27 minutes, + ¥200 ferry + ¥100 visitor tax), about 45 minutes. Tram + ferry: ¥540 (Hiroden line 2, flat ¥240, 66 minutes, + ¥300), from the city centre. Peace Park boat: ¥2,400 + ¥100 tax, about 45 minutes. 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 and ¥720 one way including the ¥100 visitor tax. 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 (re-routed when the tide is very high) — 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 66 minutes on Hiroden's own figure — ¥540 with the ferry and tax.
Every route from Hiroshima to Miyajima
ComparedOne way, per adult, including the ¥100 visitor tax charged on the way to the island. Times include the 10-minute ferry. Fares checked 5 October 2026 with JR (via the Ekitan route planner), Hiroden, both ferry companies and Aqua Net.
| Route | Time | Fare | Use it if | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JR Sanyo line + ferry | ~45 min | ¥420 + ¥200 + ¥100 tax = ¥720 (¥1,340 return) | 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 | ~80 min (66 on the tram) | ¥240 + ¥200 + ¥100 tax = ¥540 (¥980 return) | 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 + ¥100 tax = ¥2,500 (¥4,400 return + tax) | You want to go straight from the park to the island by water. Book online in busy periods or buy at the pier if seats remain; around spring tides some sailings are cancelled or re-routed; no pass covers it, and it is over 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 — we have not verified current tariffs | Early flights or heavy luggage only. Ask for an estimate before you set off | SKIP |
⚠ JR's own English fare page still shows the pre-2023 ¥180 crossing — its Japanese page says ¥200. On Hiroden you pay as you get off. Both ferry companies' IC-card gates deduct the fare and the ¥100 tax together. The last JR ferry off the island is 22:14; Matsudai's last is 20:15.
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 (re-routed at very high tides; from 07:05 on some busy days) | No — direct crossing |
| Covered by Hiroden passes | No | Yes — the ¥1,000 Streetcar & Ferry ticket, tax included |
| Free preschoolers | Up to 2 per paying passenger | 1 per paying passenger |
| Last sailing off the island | 22:14 | 20:15 |
| 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; on a very high tide JR re-routes it — the tide bands are here.
Rather book it?Miyajima guided walking tour with ferry on GetYourGuide ↗
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. Hiroden gives 66 minutes end to end, every 10 minutes or so, 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 Motoyasu pier beside the Peace Memorial Park to Miyajima is real and it runs: ¥2,400 one way (¥1,200 child), ¥4,400 return, plus the ¥100 visitor tax, about 45 minutes, covered by no pass. Book online in busy periods; on the day, the pier sells tickets for sailings with seats left, though it takes no same-day phone bookings. Around spring tides some sailings are cancelled or take the Motoyasu River instead of passing the Dome, so check the day's timetable. Cards are accepted. A ¥2,500 through ticket adds the Miyajimaguchi ferry for a one-way trip. It is a good story — park to island by water, no transfers — and poor value against ¥540 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
Straight answersHow 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 and ¥720 one way. The ferry is ¥200, or ¥300 outbound with the visitor tax. Hiroden line 2 does the same trip for a flat ¥240 in 66 minutes — ¥540 with the ferry and tax.
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 from Motoyasu pier, ¥2,400 one way and ¥4,400 return plus the ¥100 visitor tax, about 45 minutes. Book online in busy periods; on the day, the pier sells any seats left. Around spring tides some sailings are cancelled or re-routed, so check the day's timetable. No rail or tram pass covers it. Against ¥540 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 66 minutes on Hiroden's own figure. 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?
On JR's normal timetable the first boat leaves Miyajimaguchi at 06:25; Miyajima Matsudai's first is 07:15. After that both run roughly every 15 minutes through the day. 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 ticket is the one built for this trip: it covers the trams, the Matsudai ferry and the ¥100 visitor tax, and offers a discounted ropeway coupon as an add-on. 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.
Sources
Where these facts come from- JR West Miyajima Ferry — fares (Japanese) jr-miyajimaferry.co.jp
- JR West Miyajima Ferry — timetable and torii-detour sailings (Japanese) jr-miyajimaferry.co.jp
- Miyajima Matsudai Kisen — fares and timetable (Japanese) miyajima-matsudai.co.jp
- Hiroden — streetcar fares and passes hiroden.co.jp
- Aqua Net Hiroshima — World Heritage Sea Route (Japanese) aqua-net-h.co.jp
- Ekitan route planner — JR Hiroshima to Miyajimaguchi fare (Japanese) ekitan.com
The prices, dates and rules on this page that come from these sources were checked against them on . Operators change prices without notice — the official page wins if it disagrees with us. Spotted something out of date? Tell us — it gets fixed.