After leaving your luggage at your hotel or Hiroshima Station, walk or take a short tram ride to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. Arrive close to 10:00 a.m.; the museum generally opens at 7:30 a.m. and admission is about ¥200, with online tickets useful during busy periods. Allow two to two and a half hours, and take your time—this is an emotionally heavy visit, so the quiet pace and chronological exhibits are best experienced without rushing.
From the museum, walk through Peace Memorial Park, stopping at the Cenotaph, Children’s Peace Monument, Flame of Peace, and National Peace Memorial Hall. Continue across the Motoyasu River to the Atomic Bomb Dome, where the surrounding open space gives you a particularly clear view of the preserved structure. Then spend about an hour at Hiroshima Orizuru Tower; its observation floor has broad views over the city and the Seto Inland Sea, while the origami exhibits add a lighter, distinctly Hiroshima touch. The tower usually opens from 10:00 a.m.; admission is roughly ¥2,200, though online rates can vary. For lunch, keep it light nearby, such as a café meal or noodles, before taking the Hiroshima Electric Railway tram toward the city center and Shukkeien Garden if you have energy—allow around 20–30 minutes for the tram journey and about ¥240 per ride.
Return toward downtown via Hondori Shopping Street, the covered arcade that runs through the heart of the city. Browse local sweets, stationery, and souvenirs at an easy pace, or pause for coffee before dinner. Around 6:30 p.m., head to Okonomimura, a multi-floor collection of small okonomiyaki counters; places such as Hirochan are casual and lively, with Hiroshima-style layers of cabbage, noodles, batter, pork, and toppings cooked right in front of you. Expect roughly ¥1,000–¥2,500 per person, and allow extra time if there is a queue. After dinner, continue along Hondori Shopping Street toward the surrounding Nagarekawa entertainment district for a relaxed drink or local sake—Umeda Sake Brewery’s Hiroshima bottles are worth looking for—then keep the evening flexible rather than adding another formal stop.
Leave Hiroshima around 7:00–7:30 a.m. so you reach Miyajima the waterfront becomes busy. From the ferry terminal, it is roughly a 10-minute walk through the deer-lined streets to Itsukushima Shrine. Allow about an hour to explore the vermilion halls and check the day’s tide times: at high tide, the famous torii appears to float offshore, while at low tide you can walk out across the sand. Admission is around ¥300, and the shrine generally opens from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 or 6:00 p.m., with seasonal variation. From here, walk inland toward Momijidani Park and take the Mount Misen Ropeway; budget roughly ¥2,000 for a round trip and allow 2½–3 hours including queues, the two ropeway sections, and the summit paths. The upper station is not the summit itself, so wear proper shoes for the final uphill walk to the viewpoints. In windy or rainy weather, confirm that the ropeway is operating before committing to the climb.
Return toward Omotesando Shopping Street for lunch at Kakiya, a reliable place for Miyajima oysters served grilled, fried, or in set meals; expect approximately ¥2,000–¥4,000 per person. It is busiest around noon, so arriving slightly before 12:30 p.m. helps. After lunch, walk uphill for about 15 minutes to Daisho-in, one of the island’s most atmospheric temples. The grounds are free, usually open from around 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and reward a slower visit: look for the rows of small Buddhist statues, prayer halls, and glimpses back toward the harbor. Descend through the old lanes to Momijido Honten on Omotesando Shopping Street for a freshly made momiji manju, Miyajima’s maple-leaf-shaped cake. Set aside 30 minutes and roughly ¥300–¥1,000; warm red-bean versions are classic, though custard and seasonal flavors are worth trying too. Leave for the ferry terminal with a little margin before your preferred departure, particularly if returning near sunset or on a holiday, and use the JR Miyajima Ferry back to Miyajimaguchi.