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. Not affiliated with the Japan Guide Association.
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.
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!
Jul 26, 2026
Celine B
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima Peace Park Customized Tour with Licensed Guide
A faire
Une belle visite, bcp d’émotions.
Mari a été…
Jul 26, 2026
Celine B
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima Peace Park Customized Tour with Licensed Guide
A faire
Une belle visite, bcp d’émotions.
Mari a été une super guide et nous a permis de mieux comprendre ce quil s’est passé ici. Merci à elle
やるべきこと
とても素晴らしい見学でした。たくさんの感動がありました。
Mariさんはとても素晴らしいガイドで、この場所で何が起こったのかをより深く理解できるように案内してくださいました。ありがとうございました。
Jun 25, 2026
Bill_C
Viator review: Hiroshima City 4hr Private Walking Tour with Licensed Guide
My son and I really…
My son and I really…
Jun 25, 2026
Bill_C
Viator review: Hiroshima City 4hr Private Walking Tour with Licensed Guide
My son and I really…
My son and I really enjoyed our tour with our tour guide Mari. She was extremely
knowledgeable and engaging. We felt like she went above and beyond to ensure a good
experience.
Jun 22, 2026
Beth W
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Mari is a fantastic guide for your Visit…
Jun 22, 2026
Beth W
Tripadvisor review: Hiroshima / Miyajima Full-day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide
Mari is a fantastic guide for your Visit to Hiroshima!!
Mari was a fantastic guide !!! I hope you get her when you book this tour!!! She is charming and quite knowledgeable . We had some poignant moments at the peace park and such interesting insights into the Japanese culture and history. She knows the ins and outs taking us a bit off the beaten track as requested. And we had a great lunch !!!! The traditional Japanese layered pancake whose name I cannot spell. I look forward some day to returning and meeting up again with dear Mari!