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. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
Tour Itinerary
- 8:00 Meet at hotel ~ Take the streetcar to Hiroshima Station
- 8:40 Hiroshima Station ~ 9:18 Shin-Onomichi, using the Shinkansen
- 9:36 ~ 9:51 Take the bus to Onomichi Station
- Stroll ~ Use the ropeway
- Senkoji Temple ~ Cat's Alley ~ Ushitora Shrine, etc.
- 12:30 Lunch: Onomichi ramen ~ Shopping
- 15:21 Onomichi Station
- 16:56 Hiroshima Station
- Guide around the station premises and dinner, then finish
What Is a Private Walking Tour of Onomichi Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were friends visiting from North America. Some of the guests had relatives in Hiroshima and came to Onomichi after staying there for a few days. They had already visited Peace Memorial Park and Miyajima two years earlier, and chose Onomichi on the recommendation of friends. The guests were strong walkers, so we covered quite a lot of ground on foot, but they seemed to have no trouble. Since the guests keep cats, they were hoping to encounter stray cats, but unfortunately we did not meet a single one, so they enjoyed interacting with cats at a cat gallery instead. When I introduced local specialties such as Onomichi coffee and lemon gelato, the guests tried every one of them and thoroughly enjoyed the trip. One of the guests followed a plant-based diet but was not particularly strict about it, giving the char siu from the Onomichi ramen to the other and finishing the rest of the bowl. The guests were active, curious about many things, and very friendly. For dinner, they went to an okonomiyaki restaurant I had recommended, and kindly sent me photos of themselves enjoying it.
Regarding the use of the Shinkansen: I had messaged the details below via a messaging app. After I presented options for getting to Onomichi, including highway bus and JR, the guests emailed to say they would prefer to use the Shinkansen. I mistakenly assumed on my own that [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/) would cover my Shinkansen fare, so I paid for it myself. I should have had the guests pay for it. I apologize for this.
Click here for more details: Onomichi Day Trip from Hiroshima in 1 Day, Licensed Guide
Transportation cost per person
| No. | Transportation | Route | Fare |
| Section 1 | Train | Honkawacho～Hiroshima | 240JPY |
| Section 2 | Other | Hiroshima～Shin-Onomichi | 3,280JPY |
| Section 3 | Bus | Shin-Onomichi Station / Onomichi Bus～Onomichi Station / Onomichi Bus | 190JPY |
| Section 4 | Train | Onomichi～Hiroshima | 1,520JPY |
| Total | 5,230JPY | ||
Hello! I was born and raised in Hiroshima. For many years, I accompanied Japanese tourists domestically and abroad to create enjoyable travel experiences. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve started to focus on rediscovering my hometown and its charm. This has inspired me to share the wonders of Hiroshima with more foreign visitors, and I’ve shifted my career to work as a local guide, welcoming you.
I love the Japanese proverb “ichigo ichie” (一期一会)(once in a lifetime opportunity)
It means to cherish each moment and every encounter, as they are unique and irreplaceable. I always look forward to meeting wonderful people with excitement and anticipation. As I guide you through Hiroshima, I hope we can share our many thoughts and deepen our mutual understanding.
I would be happy to help make your trip to Hiroshima the best experience possible!
I have a wide range of interests, including dancing, doing yoga, horseback riding, and farming. Whenever something sparks my curiosity, I can’t help but give it a try!
Would you like to spend a wonderful time together?
Jul 14, 2026
sophiau124
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima & Miyajima in 1 Day: Private Tour, Licensed Guide
Review for Hiroshima / Miyajima Guide MIA
My HIROSHIMA…
Jul 14, 2026
sophiau124
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima & Miyajima in 1 Day: Private Tour, Licensed Guide
Review for Hiroshima / Miyajima Guide MIA
My HIROSHIMA and Miyajima guide Mai was absolutely wonderful…I booked 3 guides from Japan Guide Agency and she was the best one. From the time I booked her for my July 12 Hiroshima & Miyajima trip until the time we met on 12 July 2026 at Hiroshima Train Station (I arrived around 9:50am) , she maintained excellent communication with me. She was extremely informative about every corner of the park and the history of Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. She made sure that I see everything and she made sure that I understand the significance of everything we saw together. She was also extremely prepared…she came to our meeting with a big folder…and shared with me photos and other documents that helped me understand various sections of the park better. After Hiroshima Memorial Park, she took me to Miyajima…which was also a wonderful place to see with her. After our day ended, I asked her to take me to somewhere unique to Hiroshima — she took me to a wonderful place to have OKONOMIYAKI ….I could never find the place where we had dinner together myself.
Overall, MIA is an extremely kind, extremely hard working, extremely thoughtful, extremely professional, reliable and friendly guide for Hiroshima and Miyajima. I consider myself very lucky to be assigned to her for my Hiroshima day in Japan and she made sure that I have the best experience in Hiroshima and I did. She represents Japan and HIROSHIMA with great integrity and responsibility. I highly recommend EVERYONE to see Hiroshima and Miyajima with MIA. I really can not imagine that you can find a guide better than MIA for Hiroshima and Miyajima.
Jul 11, 2026
Nomad07231625628
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima Peace Memorial 2-Hour Tour with Licensed Guide
A fantastic tour
Mai’s tour of Hiroshima was absolutely stellar! She…
Jul 11, 2026
Nomad07231625628
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima Peace Memorial 2-Hour Tour with Licensed Guide
A fantastic tour
Mai’s tour of Hiroshima was absolutely stellar! She was remarkably knowledgeable and thoughtful throughout the entire tour. We visited a few fascinating historical sites, and when we made a last minute change of plans and asked her to come with us to the museum, she kindly agreed – and what a great decision it was to take her with us! She explained minute details that we never would have known on our own (that weren’t on the plaques!) and told us many moving stories to explain everything we were looking at. She made our day in Hiroshima the best day of our trip so far. Mai is absolutely fantastic, and we would highly recommend her to other families!
Jul 5, 2026
Henry_D
Viator review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Mai was a great guide….
Mai was a great…
Jul 5, 2026
Henry_D
Viator review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Mai was a great guide….
Mai was a great guide. Met us at our hotel. Then went to Miyajama and peace memorial park. Great experience. She even took us to some great places for food and drink. Make sure you have a pasmo or suica card.
Jun 16, 2026
Tour29021317415
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Terrific tour in Hiroshima with our guide Mai
Had…
Jun 16, 2026
Tour29021317415
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Terrific tour in Hiroshima with our guide Mai
Had a terrific and informative day with Mai in Hiroshima. She was personable, very knowledgeable, flexible with our schedule, and all around a wonderful guide/host. We highly recommend working with Mai if you have a chance!…