Miyajima Island can only be reached by ferry or high-speed boat. The ferry journey from Miyajimaguchi Station takes just 10 minutes.

You can also use the JR Pass on the JR West ferry in combination with the JR train from the adjacent station.

The ‘Visit Hiroshima Tourist Pass’ public transport ticket is valid on both ferry routes from Miyajimaguchi in combination with tram number 2 from Hiroshima city centre.

Find a hotel on Miyajima Island

Public ferry

Cheap public ferries operate on the Miyajimaguchi–Miyajima route.

There are two ferry routes to choose from; both have the same fares and run every 10 minutes.

• JR West Ferry (jr-miyajimaferry.co.jp) – red ticket office (on the left at the mainland port)
  • The JR Pass and JR-West Pass are valid here
  • The Visitor Hiroshima Tourist Ticket (valid for 1, 2 or 3 days) is valid here
• Matsudai Ferry (miyajima-matsudai.co.jp) – blue ticket office (on the mainland side of the harbour, on the right)
  • The JR Pass and JR-West Pass are not valid here
  • The Visitor Hiroshima Tourist Ticket (valid for 1, 2 or 3 days) is valid here

If you have neither a JR Pass nor a Visitor Hiroshima Tourist Pass, you can only purchase a ticket in cash from a ticket machine.

You can also use one of the 10 Japanese transport cards (Suica, Icoca, Paspy and others) to pay your fare; see the article ‘Transport in Japan’ for details.

• 200 jpy – one-way
• 400 jpy – return

If you pay in cash at a ticket machine or at the ticket office, the tourist tax ( 100 jpy ) for entering the island is already included in the ticket price. You will therefore pay 300 jpy or 500 jpy for the ticket.

If you pay your fare using a transport card (Icoca, Suica, etc.) or are using a JR Pass or Visitor Hiroshima Tourist Pass, you must purchase the tax of 100 jpy from a dedicated ticket machine.

Although the fare ticket is the same for all visitors, it is only valid for the ferry route at whose ticket machine you pay the fare.

On weekdays, both ferry companies run a service every 15 minutes, whilst at weekends and on public holidays the frequency is every 10 minutes.

• First ferry to the island – 6.25 am
• Last ferry from the island – 22:14

High-speed ferry

Public ferries are supplemented by private operators running high-speed ferries that sail directly to Hiroshima without the need to take a tram or train.

The crossing takes around 45 minutes and costs from 2 000 jpy.

Detailed information on prices, routes and links to specific operators is provided below in the description of transport between Hiroshima and Miyajima Island.

Transport between Hiroshima and Miyajima

The vast majority of tourists travel to Miyajima from the nearest major city, Hiroshima, which is also home to Hiroshima International Airport ( HIJ).

We describe how to get to Hiroshima in a separate article.

From Hiroshima, you can choose from four different modes of transport.

	Price	Journey time	JR Pass	Visit Hiroshima Tourist Pass
Train + Ferry JR West	620 jpy	50 minutes	Yes	No
Tram 2 + Any Ferry	470 jpy	80 minutes	no	Yes
High-speed boat	2 200 jpy	45 minutes	no	no

Train + JR West ferry

Local trains on the red R line running between Hiroshima and Iwakuni stop at Miyajimaguchi Station, next to the ferry terminal.

All trains are operated by JR West, as is one of the ferry services running every 10 minutes between the railway station and the island.

You can use the JR Pass or the JR-WEST Pass on JR West trains and ferries. However, you must only use the red ferry, not the blue one.

Fares

If you do not have a JR Pass or a JR-WEST Pass, ticket prices are as follows:

• Train– from Hiroshima station to Miyajimaguchi for 420 jpy
• Ferry– one-way ticket for 200 jpy + 100 jpy visitor’s tax

If you are buying separate tickets, you can take either ferry. Both routes cost the same and both depart every 10 minutes.

You can pay for train and ferry fares only in cash or using one of 10 Japanese transport cards (Suica, Icoca, Paspy and others)

When buying a ticket, select the amount you wish to pay on the ticket machine. You can find this amount on the railway line map displayed above the machine.

Frequency and journey times

Trains run between Hiroshima and Iwakuni approximately every 15–20 minutes; you can find the exact timetable on the websitewestjr.co.jp.

The journey by train from Hiroshima Main Station takes 28 minutes, plus a 10-minute ferry crossing.

Tram + JR and Matsudai Ferry

The cheapest option is tram line 2, which runs from the centre of Hiroshima to Miyajima-guchi harbour.

The Visitor Hiroshima Tourist Pass (valid for 1, 2 or 3 days) is valid on the tram and both ferry routes (red and blue). You cannot travel on the tram using a JR Pass or a JR-WEST Pass.

You can find detailed information about public transport in Hiroshima and how to pay for your tram fare in the article ‘Transport in Hiroshima’.

Book a hotel in central Hiroshima

Fares

If you do not have a Visitor Hiroshima Tourist Pass, the ticket prices are as follows:

• Tram– from anywhere in central Hiroshima for 270 jpy
• Ferry– one-way ticket for 200 jpy + 100 jpy visitor tax

You can pay for tram and ferry fares only in cash or using one of 10 Japanese transport cards (Suica, Icoca, Paspy and others)

Frequency and journey time

Trams run between Hiroshima and Miyajimaguchi Pier approximately every 8–10 minutes.

The tram journey is very long, taking approximately 55 minutes plus a 10-minute boat trip.

High-speed boats

The most comfortable, but also the most expensive, option is to take a commercial high-speed boat, which sails to Miyajima Island directly from the centre of Hiroshima or from the city’s harbour.

Acqua Net – city centre

Acqua Net operates a direct ferry service to the pier in central Hiroshima, near the A-Bomb Dome and the Peace Memorial Park.

Ticket prices are as follows:

• one-way 2 200 jpy + 100 jpy visitor’s tax
• Return 4 000 jpy + 100 jpy visitor’s fee

The cruise takes 45 minutes and boats depart 1–2 times an hour. However, at weekends when the weather is fine, long queues can form on the journey from the city centre to Miyajima, and there is no guarantee that you will be able to board a boat.

Tickets cannot be purchased online.

You can find the timetable and current prices on the websiteaqua-net-h.co.jp.

Setonakai Kisen Ferry – Hiroshima Port

The second high-speed ferry service is operated by SKK, which sails to Hiroshima’s main port with a stop on Ujina Island.

The journey takes 25–40 minutes, depending on the destination. Ferries run 6–8 times a day.

The ferries follow this route:

• Hiroshima Port -> Ujina Island -> Miyajima
• Miyajima -> Hiroshima Port -> Ujina Island

Ticket prices are as follows:

• one-way 2 100 jpy + 100 jpy visitor’s tax
• Return 4 200 jpy + 100 jpy visitor’s fee

You can find the timetable and current prices on the websiteaqua-net-h.co.jp.

Map of connections to Miyajima Island

We have created our own map of all the high-speed boat, ferry, train and tram routes you can use to travel to Itsukushima Island.

Transport from Iwakuni to Miyajima

A little-known airport Iwakuni IWK is actually the closest airport to Miyajima Island.

It lies approximately 22 km from the Miyajimaguchi ferry terminal on the mainland, and although it operates only two scheduled flights to Okinawa and Tokyo, it is a much more convenient entry point than the more distant Hiroshima HIJ Airport.

However, due to a lack of competition, airfares to Iwakuni Airport are higher.

Compare flight prices – skyscanner.com

There is a bus service from the airport to the railway station, costing 200 jpy.

From there, you can continue by direct train to Miyajimaguchi station, where you can catch the public ferries described in more detail above.

• 330 jpy train fare + 200 jpy ferry fare (+ 100 jpy visitor’s tax)
• Trains run every 15–20 minutes
• You can use the JR Pass or JR-WEST Pass for this journey (valid on the train and the red JR West ferry)