Momijidani:
700 maples in November,
a shaded walk
the rest of the year.
Free, ten minutes behind Itsukushima Shrine, and the reason the island's maple cakes exist. In the second half of November it is one of the best autumn sites in western Japan; in August it is a pleasant shaded valley on the way to the ropeway. It is also where the Momijidani trail up Mount Misen (1½–2 hours) starts and finishes.
Free, always open, and about 20 minutes of your day outside autumn. Momijidani holds roughly 700 maples and peaks mid-to-late November, which is the one window when it justifies a trip of its own — and Shukkeien in the city peaks a week or two later, so a visit around 25 November can catch both. The rest of the year it is a shaded stream valley you walk through on the way to the ropeway station, and the trailhead for the Momijidani route up Mount Misen, 1½–2 hours on the Tourist Association's times.
One month it is a destination. Eleven months it is a route.
The honest verdictMomijidani is free, and what you get for nothing depends almost entirely on the date on your ticket.
Mid-to-late November is the peak, and in that window the valley behind the shrine turns over about 700 maples at once. It is one of the best autumn sites in western Japan and the ferries know it — expect the island's heaviest crowds of the year outside Golden Week, and expect the 09:00–15:00 block to be solid. Go early: the shrine opens early and the first ferry crowds do not land until about 09:00, which gives you a genuinely private first hour or two in the best month of the year.
Late November also lets you double up. Momijidani peaks mid-to-late November and Shukkeien in the city peaks late November into early December, so a trip built around roughly 25 November can catch both — one on the island, one a tram ride from Hiroshima Station. Almost nobody plans it that way.
The rest of the year it is a shaded, green, quiet stream valley with a stone bridge, about ten minutes' walk behind the shrine, and it takes 20 minutes. In August, with average daily maxima of 32.8°C and overnight lows that stay at 25.1°C, that shade is worth more than it sounds — this is the coolest 20 minutes available at sea level on the island.
It also does the practical work of the island's west side: the ropeway's lower station is above the park, reached by a short uphill walk or the free shuttle (on November weekends the ropeway needs an online booking), and the Momijidani hiking trail up Mount Misen starts here. If you ride up and walk down — which is what we recommend — this is where you come out.
What Momijidani is worth, month by month
By seasonFree in every row. The question is only whether it is a destination or a shortcut.
| When | What you get | Time to give it | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-to-late November | Peak colour across ~700 maples, and the island's busiest weeks of the year | 60–90 min, early | WORTH IT |
| Early November | Turning, patchy, far fewer people | 30 min | DEPENDS |
| Early December | Late colour on the island; Shukkeien in the city is peaking instead | 30 min | DEPENDS |
| Late March to early April | Cherry blossom on the island — JMA normal full bloom is 3 April | 30 min | WORTH IT |
| June and July | Deep green, wet — July is the wettest month at 279.8mm | 20 min | DEPENDS |
| August | Shade, a stream, and the coolest 20 minutes at sea level | 20 min | DEPENDS |
| Any month, as a trailhead | The Momijidani route up Misen, or the walk down from it | 1½–2h up | WORTH IT |
Climate figures are JMA 1991–2020 normals for Hiroshima. Peak autumn colour moves with the year — if your dates are tight, build in a day either side rather than betting on a single afternoon.
The Momijidani route up Mount Misen
The trailAbout 1½–2 hours up to the 535m summit, including rests, on the Tourist Association's times — the association's pick for beginners, gentler in its first half with steeper steps near the top — and a little less coming down. It climbs out of the top of the park through woodland, crosses under the ropeway line and joins the summit paths near the top. Stone steps and root, no scrambling.
The pairing we recommend is up the Daisho-in route, which starts at the island's best temple, and down through Momijidani, which lands you ten minutes from the shrine with the whole promenade in front of you. If you take the ropeway up instead, buy the ¥1,100 single rather than the ¥2,000 return and walk this trail down — it saves ¥900 and removes the 16:30 last-descent deadline from your afternoon.
The Reikadō (霊火堂) hall on Mount Misen burned on 20 May 2026 — the hall that sheltered the 1,200-year 「消えずの火」, the flame said to have been lit by Kūkai and the source flame for the Peace Park's Flame of Peace. The fire spread to the trees around it before it was put out. The flame itself is reported to have survived: its embers are kept in more than one place, as they were when the hall burned in 2005. The mountain reopened to walkers on 21 May and the ropeway is running, but the path from Reikadō to Sankidō is closed and summit walkers are routed via Dainichidō. Many English guides still describe the hall as standing.
So the summit walk currently has a detour near the top and one fewer thing to see at it. The view — 360 degrees over the Seto Inland Sea from the observatory — is unaffected, and it remains the best in the prefecture.
Momijidani Park, practically
Plan your visitAutumn on the island, if November is your date
Book itThe park is free and needs no ticket. What sells out in November is everything else — island rooms, guided walks and the ferries at 09:00. We do not publish tour prices or ratings because none could be verified.
Momijidani questions
Straight answersWhen is the best time to see autumn colours at Momijidani?
Mid-to-late November, across roughly 700 maples. Shukkeien in Hiroshima city peaks slightly later, late November into early December, so a visit around 25 November can catch both. Peak moves by a week or so year to year — build in a spare day rather than betting on one afternoon.
Is Momijidani Park free?
Yes, entirely — no gate, no ticket, no hours. That makes it one of the best free things on an island where the shrine is ¥300 and the ropeway is ¥2,000 return, and it is a ten-minute walk from the shrine.
How long do you need at Momijidani Park?
Twenty minutes outside autumn, and 60 to 90 minutes in peak colour when you will be stopping constantly and moving through crowds. As a trailhead it is a different question: allow 1½–2 hours up Mount Misen, a little less coming down.
How do I get to Momijidani Park from the ferry?
About 20 minutes on foot: ten minutes along the promenade to Itsukushima Shrine, then ten more behind it, signed. The ropeway's lower station is a further 15 minutes uphill, or a short ride on the free shuttle bus.
Is Momijidani worth visiting outside autumn?
As a destination, no. As 20 minutes of shade on the way to the ropeway in a month where the daily maximum averages 32.8°C, yes. Cherry blossom in late March and early April is the other window worth a detour, with JMA's normal full bloom on 3 April.
Can I walk up Mount Misen from Momijidani?
Yes — the Momijidani trail leaves from the top of the park and takes 1½–2 hours to the 535m summit on the Tourist Association's times, a little less coming down. It is the route most people descend, because it ends beside the shrine. Note the detour near the summit after the Reikadō fire in May 2026.
Is Momijidani crowded in November?
Very, in the middle of the day during peak colour — it is the island's busiest window of the year outside Golden Week. The fix is the same as everywhere on Miyajima: go early — the first ferry crowds do not arrive until about 09:00.
Are there deer in Momijidani Park?
Yes, on the lower slopes, and the same rule applies as on the promenade: keep paper zipped away, because they have been eating maps and ferry tickets since feeding was banned in 2008. Above about 200m on the Misen trails you will not see them.