Hiroshima & Miyajima in 1 Day: Private Tour — Guide miki

Title: What Is a Private Miyajima and Hiroshima Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report

On the day of the tour, the guests requested a change to the tour hours (9:00–16:00 → 9:00–14:30). When we met on the day, the desired schedule had changed. I had originally been told the tour would end at 16:00, but the guests wanted to return to Hiroshima Station by 14:30. They mentioned that ending at 16:00 would be acceptable as a last resort. They also questioned whether to include the city area, so I confirmed their wishes again. In the end, we decided to take the ropeway up to Shishiiwa Station on Miyajima rather than going to Mount Misen itself. After purchasing the ropeway tickets, the area was very crowded, so the guests ended up giving up the tickets they had bought, and I was sorry that I could not take them all the way up. The guests seemed to want to head to their next destination, Osaka, earlier. Before ending the tour at 14:30, they changed their Shinkansen ticket to an earlier departure, switching to the 15:03 departure from Hiroshima. As the guests wished, we ended the tour at 14:30.

【Things they enjoyed】 * Bread from a Hiroshima-based bakery. When we returned from Miyajima to Hiroshima Station, they bought some again before departing. * One of the guests saw the carp in Momijidani and said "koi" in Japanese, so I took the group to a spot with carp of a size they had never seen before. Everyone was amazed and delighted. * Green tea ice cream from a Miyajima coffee shop — very rich, and even though it was 21 degrees the previous day, it hardly melted. * Ryuzen no Matsu (a pine tree shaped like a dragon that has been carefully cultivated for over 200 years).

For anyone joining a Hiroshima tour, using a transit IC card such as Suica or ICOCA has become far more convenient than a JR Pass. The guests carried only a credit card and a small amount of cash. Since they had neither a JR Pass nor a transit IC card, they needed to buy tickets at a machine or counter every time they boarded a train or ferry. Since the introduction of the Miyajima visitor tax, a transit IC card has become quicker and more convenient than a JR Pass. With Suica or ICOCA, the visitor tax is automatically paid when tapping the gate. It would be helpful information for both guests and guides if the recommendation to use a transit IC card could be included somewhere in the Hiroshima tour information.

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Tour Report by miki

Dear guests,
Hello! My name is Miki. I was born and brought up in Hiroshima. I enjoy traveling around Inland Sea areas and I enjoy chatting with guests from overseas!

In Hiroshima, you can see many beautiful rivers and old bridges. Lately, I often take photos of Hiroshima city including bridges and rivers. There are not many tall buildings here, but I know some places you can visit and see the view for free. By the atomic bomb dome, there is a building called Orizuru(paper crane) Tower. You need to pay to go up to the top floor but you can see the view of Hiroshima city and the Miyajima Island(Itsukushima).

Many tourists from overseas as well as Japan want to visit Miyajima Island. You can see a beautiful shrine from Heian Period which is around 12th century and a huge Torii gate in front of the shrine and it is in the water. There are several ways to visit the island from Hiroshima city. If you are going to stay near JR Hiroshima Station, we will visit the island by JR train and JR ferry. If you are staying in the city area, we can go there by streetcar and ferry, or there is a high-speed boat from Peace Memorial Park pier directly to the island and vise versa.

Hoping to see you in the near future!

Miki
Your tour guide in Hiroshima