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Last updated on May 16th, 2026

Not sure how to plan on your Mt Misen itinerary and wondering what to do? This guide will help you plan your hiking trip to the summit with some useful travel information and tips.

Mount Misen (弥山) is one of the popular attractions in Miyajima or Hiroshima. At 500 meters (1,640 ft) above sea level, Mount Misen is the highest peak on the Island and offers spectacular views of Hiroshima Bay. It is situated within the World Heritage area of Itsukushima Shrine. A fabulous and popular spot to visit for travelers on the Miyajima itinerary.

If you enjoy hiking, then you’ll want to spare some time on Mount Misen. There are a few lovely hiking options that take you to the summit. Many locals and even visitors hike up to this mountain peak for its impressive peak. Travelers also can reduce the difficulties by reaching the summit with the help of a cable car.

One of the stops during my visit to Miyajima was Mount Misen. We can’t pass up a hiking opportunity on our travels. With a tight schedule, we got no choice but to skip the full hiking course and reach the summit with Miyajima Ropeway. But still, the hiking journey turns out to be one of the memorable memories of my trip to Hiroshima.

Whatever you’d like to plan to reach the top of the mountain, this easy travel guide can help you plan your ideal Mount Misen itinerary. Let’s check it out!

Mount Misen Hiking Course

Hiking Mount Misen is doable to complete in a few hours. For those fit and adventurous, you may take the 2 hours course and walk up countless stairs to the summit of Mount Misen. It is a great walk through the wild forest with plenty of shrines along the journey before rewarding you with the breathtaking view at the top.

There are 3 hiking trail courses up Mount Misen, each taking between 1.5-2 hours to reach the summit:

Daisho-in Course – Climbs 2,000 stone steps to the summit of Mount Misen. It is the most popular trail which with take you about 1.5 – 2 hours.
Momijidani Course – 2.5 km long with about 1.5 hours with a sloping road. The shortest trail follows the river with some beautiful scenes along the trail.
Omoto Course – This longest 3.2 km trail will take around 2 hours to reach the summit with a sloping road and stone steps.

Pro Tips: The Daisho-in Course is the most popular course among the three. Whichever course you choose, expect a 1.5 to 2 hour walk to the summit.

Daishoin Temple

Although Itsukushima Shrine is one of the main reasons we visit Miyajima, far more special is the Daishoin temple. It’s located at the base of Mount Misen and is a peaceful and well-maintained Shingon Buddhist temple.

The historical Daishoin Temple consists of multiple buildings with numerous statues, religious items, and meditation halls. It is so unique seeing over 500 rakans and adorable jizo statues in the area. All the statues have knitted hats on their heads to keep them warm.

The Daishoin Temple is located at the start of the hiking trails, so you can spend a few moments here before making the trek up to the summit of Mount Misen. We have a short visit at Daishoin Temple before making the trek up to Mount Misen.

Daishoin Temple(大聖院)
Address: Takimachi-210 Miyajimacho, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima.
Admission Fee: Free!

Take The Miyajima Ropeway

If time is of the essence, and you are not able to hike the entire elevation of Mt Misen, then an alternative would be to take the Miyajima Ropeway. The Ropeway will take you up to the upper station at Shishi-iwa Observatory where you can continue for 30 minutes to reach the summit of Mt Misen for some spell-binding views at 1755 feet – Just like what we did!

The Miyajima ropeway will take people up and down the mountain. It runs from 9:00 until 16:00, with some seasonal changes. Each trip takes only about 15 minutes with no reservation required. The cost for Miyajima Ropeway is ¥1,100 for one way and ¥2,000 for a round trip.

To get to the start of Miyajima Ropeway, walk through the lovely Momijidani Park to the Momijidani Station with less than a 10-minute walk. The station Momijidani Station is where the ropeway departs. A free shuttle bus is provided to and from the ropeway station at the entrance to Momijidani Park.

There isn’t much to do at the upper station except to take in the sights. You can take some rest or enjoy the lovely view from the viewpoint. Within a few minutes, you may want to start making your hike to the summit or return trip.

Miyajima Ropeway
Operating Hours: From 9:00 to 16:00
Fares (Adult): ¥1,100 for one way and ¥2,000 for a round trip.
Fares (Children – 6-12 Years Old): ¥550 for one way and ¥1,000 for a round trip.
Official Website: http://miyajima-ropeway.info/english/

Pro Tips: Bad weather (strong winds, thunderstorms) and periodic maintenance happen twice a year (around February and July). Check with the official website prior to your trip to avoid disappointment.

Mount Misen Summit

From the ropeway’s upper station, we continue the remaining 1km trail that leads us to the summit. Still, the hike is not so easy and exhausting. The 30-minute hike involved 10 minutes downhill and 20 minutes uphill. Please wear good sporting shoes as there are a lot of stairs. When you reached the summit, the view is breathtaking!

At the Mount Misen summit, you see the surrounding islands of Miyajima and the Hiroshima bay. It’s worth the effort to hike to Mount Misen’s summit on your Miyajima trip.

Misen Hondo and Reikado

Near the Misen’s summit, there is an open area housing several temple buildings which belong to Daisho-in Temple at the base of the mountain. One of the particular interest are the Misen Hondo and Reikado.

The Misen Hondo (Misen Main Hall) is built by Kobo Daishi on Miyajima in 806. He is one of Japan’s most famous Buddhist priests and the founder of the Shingon sect. He began worshiping on the mountain and built the Daishoin Temple on Miyajima in 806.

The Reikado (Hall of the Spiritual Flame) houses an enternal frame which is said to have been lit by Kobo Daishi since he began worshiping on the mountain. This holy fire was also used to light the Flame of Peace in Hiroshima’s Peace Park.

Wonder of Nature

There are also few significant attractions on the summit where you can take a look. We didn’t have time to see all of the them and it is still worth recommended it.

The most significant sight in Mount Misen is the “Kuguri-iwa”, one of the strange rock formations. The rocks, by the Mt. Misen Observatory, create a natural arch. Mant people will come here to see and pass through the under the rock. Interesting.

You can check the other wonder of nature on Mt Misen website.

Overall: My Hiking Trip To Mt Misen

All in all, we highly recommended including the Mt Misen itinerary in your visit to Miyajima. The hiking trail was tiring but not too bad. We truly enjoy the easy hike to the summit.

The only problem is fitting all the attractions into one day. There are plenty of things to do on Miyajima island itself and please allocate enough time on your visit. My advice is don’t rush and stay one night on the Miyajima to get the most out of your visit!

That’s it! We hope this Mt Misen itinerary with hiking and Miyajima ropeway information is helpful. If you need more inspiration on how to plan your trip to Miyajima and Hiroshima, feel free to read our travel stories about the Chugoku region:

Last updated on May 16th, 2026

Planning your visit to Miyajima and looking for how to get to Miyajima island? Here is the details step-by-step guide with transport information and money-saving tips.

A visit to Miyajima can experience the traditional temples and shrines, see one of the tallest torii, and explore nature and wildlife. It is a perfect day trip from Hiroshima with beautiful attractions and hiking options. We highly recommend making time for an excursion to this small quaint island when visiting Hiroshima.

Depending on your starting location, you can get to Miyajima Island from Hiroshima, Okayama, Osaka, Kyoto, or any other neighboring cities. Once you are in Hiroshima, the journey will continue with a short and gorgeous ferry ride to the enchanted island.

In this Miyajima transport guide article, we’ll share a detail step-by-step guide on how to get to Miyajima from Hiroshima and Osaka with transport information and money-saving tips. Let’s start heading to Miyajima Island for the day!

How To Get To Miyajima

Miyajima is accessed by ferry, and you can easily do this as a day trip from Hiroshima. There are three ways of getting to Miyajima, either combined with a local train or tram and a ferry ride from the ferry terminal or by direct high-speed ferry from Hiroshima city center.

How To Get To Miyajima:

Direct High-Speed Ferry – Depart from Hiroshima Peace Park to Mijiama Island
Combination of JR Local train and ferry
Combination of electric tram and ferry

If you have a Japan Rail Pass and some other JR Regional Pass such as JR Kansai-Hiroshima Pass, you may ride the JR local train and JR ferry from Hiroshima station to Miyajima Island. However, others options such as tram and the direct ferry would not be covered. You can purchase a JR Pass through Klook or Japan Rail Pass.

Direct High-Speed Ferry

The direct high-speed ferry is the fastest way to get to Miyajima island. The journey will take about 45 minutes from Hiroshima city center (Peace Memorial Park) to Miyajima island. The one-way journey will cost you ¥2,200 for an adult and half-price for a kid. Round trip ticket will be cheaper and is valid for 2 days.

Check here for fare and ferry information for Hiroshima World Heritage Sea Route to Miyajima Island.

The direct ferry ride is more expensive, but you can get to Miyajima island easily without any transfer. This option is best for travelers in Hiroshima city, especially those with a rush schedule with Hiroshima and Miyajima itinerary within 1 day.

Combination of Tram / JR local train and Ferry

Travelers also can get to Miyajima island with a combination of tram or JR local train and a 10-minute ferry ride.

From Hiroshima Station, take the JR local train from San-Yo Line to JR Miyajima-Guchi Station. The ride will take between 20 to 30 minutes depending if you take a local or rapid route.

When you arrive at Miyajima-Guchi Station, walk for 6 minutes to the ferry terminal for the ferry ride.

Electric Tram Station beside Miyajima Ferry Pier

Alternatively, take a electric tram (Line 2) all the way to Miyajimaguchi from Hiroshima city or Hiroshima station will get you right in front of the ferry terminal. The journey will be longer and would take over 1 hour.

There are two ferry companies operating ferries between the mainland ferry terminal to Miyajima Island:

JR West Ferry – The ferry departs four times an hour from 8:00 to 18:00.
Matsudai Ferry run by a private company – Ferry departs 3 to 4 times an hour. The last ferry to Miyajima Island is at 20:35.

Choose either one and the price is ¥180 (adult) for a one-way trip. You can find the detailed timetable of the ferry over here.

JR Miyajima Ferry Timetable: https://jr-miyajimaferry.co.jp/en/timetable/
Matsudai Ferry Timetable: http://miyajima-matsudai.co.jp/en/schedule.html

Both ferries only take 10 min to cross over to Miyajima Island, and they run frequently.

Pro Tips: Japan Rail Pass and JR Kansai-Hiroshima Pass Holder can take the JR local train and JR Ferry for free!

Step-by-Step Guide: From Hiroshima Station To Miyajima

Among all the options, we choose to take the JR local train and JR ferry to Miyajima since it will covered under our JR Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass.

Prior the trip to Miyajima island, we took the JR Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka and arrived at Hiroshima Station. From Shin-Osaka, we catch a bullet train on the Sanyo line. Many shinkansen run on this route and it is advised allocate about 1.5 hours for the ride.

The fastest train covered by the JR pass is the Sakura train which takes about 1 hour 32 minutes. While Mizuho and Nozomi trains take 1 hour 25 minutes but are not covered by the JR pass. Glad that the JR Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass is covered on it.

Transfer to the JR Local Train to Miyajimaguchi Station

Transfer to local train to Miyajima Island

Once arrived at Hiroshima station, in the same station, change to the Platform for Sanyo Line westbound for Miyajima-guchi and Iwakuni to take the JR local train to Miyajima island.

The trains come every 15 minutes, and it took 30 minutes with several stops before reaching Miyajimaguchi station.

Walk 5 minutes to the Ferry Terminal

Well-signed to get to Miyajima Ferry Port from JR Station

Following the crowd, we walked over to the ferry terminal. Well-signed will guide you will walk through the underground walkway and restaurant street to Miyajima Ferry Port from JR Miyajima-Guchi Station. Pretty straightforward.

When you are in the ferry terminal, queue to be on board. No action is required if you are a JR Pass holder and your ferry ride is free. Else, you will need to get the ferry ticket at ¥180 for a one-way trip.

There are 2 ferry company running on this route. JR West Ferry will on the right side.

Board the JR West ferry to Miyajima Island

The ferry timetable is very frequent and did not have to wait long. It was busy with people on and off between Miyajima island and the mainland.

Though there was a huge crowd, the boarding process went smoothly and efficiently.

The ferry was very comfortable with a separate room for the elderly and an open deck on top. We choose to go up to the upper deck to enjoy the scenic view.

A very smooth 10-minute ferry ride will get you to Miyajima island. Stand on the right side and you get a great view of the massive red Tori Gate as you approach the island.

View on Torii Gate when approaching Miyajima Island

Approaching Miyajima was particularly exciting as the beautiful eye-catching floating Torii gate of the Itsukushima Shrine comes into view with Mt Misen in its background. You will possible get closer during high tides. Get your camera ready!

Overall: Getting To Miyajima Island

Miyajima Travel Guide - How To Get To Miyajima Island

All in all, the transport arrangement to get to Miyajima island is very well managed. It is worry-free and well-organized by a train and a lovely ferry ride to the island of Miyajima. The entire journey was smooth and pleasant.

In short, here is a quick recap on how we get to Miyajima Island from Shin-Osaka:

From Shin-Osaka, take the shinkansen to Hiroshima Station (広島).
In the same station, transfer to the JR local train to Miyajimaguchi Station (宮島口)
Walk 5 minutes to the ferry terminal
Board the JR West ferry to Miyajima Island
Lastly, let’s start to explore Miyajima island!

That’s it! We hope this transportation guide on how to get to Miyajima is helpful. If you need more inspiration on how to plan your trip to Miyajima and Hiroshima, feel free to read our travel stories about the Chugoku region:

Mt Misen Itinerary: Miyajima Ropeway & Hiking Travel Guide