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 Hiroshima Station
- 9:30 a.m. – Visit Shukkeien Japanese Garden
- 10:45 a.m. – View Hiroshima Castle ( just enjoyed the view from outside)
- 11:30 a.m. – Visit Peace Memorial Park and Peace Memorial Museum
- 12:30 p.m. – Lunch
- 1:00 p.m. – End the tour at the ferry terminal in Peace Memorial Park (departing for Miyajima)
What Is a Private Hiroshima and Miyajima Day Tour Like? A Licensed Guide's Report
The guests were visiting from North America. They had arrived in Osaka via Haneda on Sunday and came to Hiroshima on Tuesday. Up until the last moment, their online Shinkansen reservation had failed and the tickets had not been booked, so the meeting time could not be fixed precisely. The Shinkansen information came in the previous night, and we were able to meet without any trouble. Today it rained on and off, sometimes heavily, and since the guests did not have umbrellas, I lent them a spare umbrella I had brought. They were delighted with Shukkeien Garden and took many photos there. When I took them to a tsukemen restaurant for lunch, they liked it so much that they said they wanted to take the soup home with them. For the afternoon, they had booked a 3:00 PM tea ceremony experience tour on Miyajima, so I had told them about the World Heritage Sea Route from Peace Memorial Park, but because they had been unable to reserve the Shinkansen for so long, they had not remembered to reserve the World Heritage Sea Route. Just in case, I had reserved seats in advance, which they greatly appreciated. The Shinkansen information had not arrived, and I had reported this to the person in charge at [Japan Guide Agency (JGA Inc.)](https://www.j-g-a.org/), but we were able to complete the tour without any trouble. Thank you very much for your support.
Click here for more details: Hiroshima Peace Park Customized Tour with Licensed Guide
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!