Cross early, beat the boats
Take the ferry from Miyajimaguchi before the tour groups land (they arrive in waves from about 10:00). The 10-minute crossing passes the Great Torii — stand on the right side of the deck for the view.
JR Pass holders: the JR ferry is covered. Details on the ferry page.
Itsukushima Shrine at high water
If the morning tide is up, this is when the shrine does its trick: vermilion corridors standing over the sea, the torii floating beyond them. Do the shrine before the seabed walk — you want both versions of the view in one day.
Ropeway up Mt Misen
Walk through Momijidani Park to the ropeway, ride up, then hike the final 30 minutes to the summit — a 535 m view over the Seto Inland Sea's scattered islands. Budget about 2.5 hours door to door.
The eternal flame at Reikado Hall has reportedly burned for over 1,200 years — it lit the Peace Flame in Hiroshima.
Skip the planning
Prefer it organised? Tours from Hiroshima cover the boat, guide and shrine.
Good option if you're short on time or want the history narrated properly.
See Miyajima tours & ticketsOysters & anago on Omotesando
Back at sea level, lunch is Hiroshima's two classics: grilled oysters and anago-meshi (conger eel over rice). The famous spots queue from noon — put your name down, then browse the momiji-manju shops while you wait.
The Seabed Walk ★
The reason you checked the tide. As the water pulls back, walk out across the wet sand and stand under the 16-metre camphor-wood pillars of the Great Torii. Look for the coins pressed into the barnacled wood, and the puddled reflections of the gate on the flats.
Slide this step to match your actual window from the tide page. Sand is firm but wet — shoes you don't mind muddying.
Daishō-in, the quiet masterpiece
Five minutes from the shrine and mysteriously uncrowded: 500 expressive rakan statues, spinning sutra wheels along the stairs, a cave of 88 pilgrimage icons. Many visitors call it the best thing on the island they hadn't heard of.
Decision time: ferry or stay?
Day-trippers head back now. But if the evening high tide floats the illuminated torii after sunset — and it often does — this is the moment you'll wish you'd booked a room. The island empties, the lanterns come on, and the deer reclaim the streets.
See why one night changes everything — and how to pick a ryokan by budget.
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It keeps the tide data free.