Hiroshima: Shukkeien Garden — Guide Mari
October, 2025
This is a private guided tour report by Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.), a network of 1,000+ government-licensed, English-speaking local guides across all 47 prefectures of Japan.
Tour Itinerary
- 9:00 a.m. Meet at the lobby of the Hotel
- 9:25 a.m. Visit Shukkeien Garden
- 10:30 a.m. Visit Peace Memorial Park and Peace Memorial Museum
- 12:15 p.m. Lunch
- 1:00 p.m. End of the tour at the hotel
- —————————————
Tour Itinerary in Detail
Meeting at lobby of the Hotel at 09:00, the group explored Hiroshima until the tour ended at 13:00. The day ran to 4 hours from start to finish. It included lunch at 12:15.
The itinerary covered Shukkeien Garden at 09:25 and Peace Memorial Park and Peace Memorial Museum at 10:30.
Travel between the sites was by public transport: Hiroshima to Shukkeien-mae by bus (240JPY); Shukkeien-mae to Genbaku Dome-mae／JR Bus Chugoku by bus (240JPY); Hondori／Hiroshima Bus to Hiroshima by bus (240JPY). Across 3 sections the fare came to 720JPY per person.
What Is a Private One-Day Tour of Hiroshima Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visitors from North America. They were very friendly and, right after we met, shared many stories about their previous travels and their impressions of Japan. They mentioned that the day before they had gone cycling along the Shimanami Kaido, and we had a lively conversation about it.
The weather was good, and they were delighted by the beautiful scenery of Shukkeien Garden, taking many photos. They also enjoyed watching the carp feeding.
At the Peace Memorial Park, we visited the memorials before going to the museum. While walking around the memorials, one of the guests was moved to tears.
They already knew the story of Sadako Sasaki and looked at the thousand paper cranes with great interest.
At the museum, they said it was too painful to see the belongings of the children, so we moved through a little quickly, but I recommended taking time at the section dedicated to Sadako, and they looked at it carefully. They were surprised at how small the paper crane was.
They also enjoyed the okonomiyaki for lunch.
Since they had reserved a bullet train just after 3:00 p.m., we returned to the Hotel right after lunch and ended the tour.
I received a thank-you email right after the tour, which I greatly appreciated.
Click here for more details: Hiroshima Peace Park Customized Tour with Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Bus | Hiroshima～Shukkeien-mae | 240JPY |
| Section 2 | Bus | Shukkeien-mae～Genbaku Dome-mae／JR Bus Chugoku | 240JPY |
| Section 3 | Bus | Hondori／Hiroshima Bus～Hiroshima | 240JPY |
| Total | 720JPY | ||
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does this Hiroshima tour start and finish?
The guide met the guests at lobby of the Hotel at 09:00, and the tour finished at of the tour at the hotel at 13:00.
How long does the tour last?
About 4 hours in total, from 09:00 to 13:00.
Which places does this itinerary cover?
This tour visited Shukkeien Garden and Peace Memorial Park and Peace Memorial Museum.
How much did transport cost on this tour?
Public transport came to 720JPY per person across 3 sections. Transport fares are paid by the guests and are not included in the guiding fee.
Is the guide licensed, and what language is the tour in?
Mari is a government-licensed national guide-interpreter of Japan and guided this tour in English. Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.) works with more than 1,000 licensed guides across all 47 prefectures. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Can the itinerary be changed for my own trip?
Yes. This report describes one private tour as it actually ran. Every Hiroshima itinerary is built around the guests, so the places, the pace and the starting point can all be changed before the tour.
Hello. My name is Mari.
I am a certified local tour guide in Hiroshima.
I was born and grew up in Hiroshima until I entered in a university in Tokyo.
After 6 years in Tokyo, I came back to Hiroshima because I really love my hometown and wanted to spend the rest of my life here.
Hiroshima is very comfortable city to live in and rich in nature.
I am so happy that I have been able to raise my kids here.
Hiroshima is absolutely full of beautiful and historically important places and also the great food.
I am so excited to introduce the wonderful experiences here in Hiroshima and hope you will come to love this place, too.
Look forward to meeting you.
Sep 26, 2026
F1357GRpaulg
Hiroshima and Miyajima.
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima & Miyajima in 1 Day: Private Tour, Licensed Guide
Mari was a delightful guide. We…
Sep 26, 2026
F1357GRpaulg
Hiroshima and Miyajima.
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima & Miyajima in 1 Day: Private Tour, Licensed Guide
Mari was a delightful guide. We had such a lovely day with her. We would thoroughly recommend a day in Miyajima and Hiroshima with Mari.
Sep 29, 2026
Matthew_T
Do not miss this tour of Hiroshima
Viator review: Hiroshima Peace Park Customized Tour with Licensed Guide
This was fantastic. Mari…
Sep 29, 2026
Matthew_T
Do not miss this tour of Hiroshima
Viator review: Hiroshima Peace Park Customized Tour with Licensed Guide
This was fantastic. Mari was a phenomenal guide. She has a personal family connection to the atomic bombing and she’s lived in Hiroshima all her life. She was knowledgable; funny, and respectful of my goals (sites, time spent, photo taking). And lunch was great afterwards!
Sep 28, 2026
Passport734191
As good as it gets in Hiroshima!
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima Peace Park Customized Tour with Licensed Guide
Mari was a very…
Sep 28, 2026
Passport734191
As good as it gets in Hiroshima!
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima Peace Park Customized Tour with Licensed Guide
Mari was a very good tour guide with a personal family connection to Hiroshima (her grandfather was a survivor of the bombing). She was filled with local and historical knowledge, and was very respectful of the subject matter. She was great in giving me space for my own personal moments as well as flexible with taking photos. She’s got a great sense of humor and we had a wonderful few h
Jul 27, 2026
Jen_S21
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima & Miyajima in 1 Day: Private Tour, Licensed Guide
The highlight of our trip!
Mari was an excellent…
Jul 27, 2026
Jen_S21
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima & Miyajima in 1 Day: Private Tour, Licensed Guide
The highlight of our trip!
Mari was an excellent guide and really was the highlight of our 17 day Japan trip. She had great information about Hiroshima, the history and culture. I had selected a start time for the tour but she reached out to recommend a slightly earlier start so we could hit the tide schedule just right for Miyajima Island, which I really appreciated. She also had recommendations for stuff to see and foods to eat. As we took a short break from all the walking, she told us the story of Sadako and the paper cranes, then showed us how to fold our own paper crane and had a bag we could put it in to take it home. It made for a wonderful souvenir. I would HIGHLY recommend this tour, especially if you are lucky enough to get Mari as your guide!