Hiroshima, Himeji, Kobe, Osaka & Nara – 5 cities, 4 prefectures, 1 week – a whirlwind of a trip but it gave me a true taste of west Japan. I can’t wait to share my West Japan in a Week Itinerary with you, and I hope you’ll find it useful!
This itinerary will enable you to visit the key travel highlights with some hidden gems thrown in for each of these 5 cities – ideal for Japan explorers with limited time. If you have any questions or need any help, feel free to let me know in the comments below!
- Day 1 of West Japan in a Week – Arrive in Hiroshima & Miyajima (plus a bonus Hiroshima hidden gem!)
- Day 2 of West Japan in a Week – Hiroshima & Ōkunoshima (Rabbit Island)
- Day 3 of West Japan in a Week – Ikuchijima & Onomichi
- Day 4 of West Japan in a Week – Himeji Castle & Kobe
- Day 5 of West Japan in a Week – Osaka
- Day 6 of West Japan in a Week – Nara
- Day 7 of West Japan in a Week – Depart Osaka & return to Tokyo
Day 1 of West Japan in a Week – Arrive in Hiroshima & Miyajima (plus a bonus Hiroshima hidden gem!)
Goodbye Tokyo, Hello Hiroshima!
I departed from Haneda (always my preference being closer to central Tokyo!) taking the 08:40am JAL255 flight, costing ¥18,790 one-way. It took a little over an hour and I arrived in Hiroshima at 10:05. Now Hiroshima airport is MUCH smaller than I had expected. For some reason, I’d always thought of it as being a large city like Tokyo or Osaka, but actually it’s so much smaller and you’re able to get out super fast!
I thought I’d have to catch the 11:00am Limousine Bus but I was able to catch the 10:20! God bless Japan and its efficiency. I landed at 10:04, managed to pick up my checked suitcase at 10:08 (tell me, is there ANYWHERE else in the world where you’d be able to get your suitcase that fast?!). Bought my bus ticket (¥1,370) at 10:12 and was able to get the 10:20 bus into central Hiroshima – brilliant. I was quite apprehensive about buying the bus ticket, however there are ticket machines and it’s easy to use. You can check bus times using this website all in English.
The bus takes about 50 minutes and drops you off at Hiroshima Station Shinkansen Gate – very central. I decided to leave my suitcase in a coin locker at the station so I could get sightseeing ASAP! There were plenty available, although obviously during my travels there were far less tourists. Here’s a list of other coin lockers in Hiroshima should you need it.
Sightseeing in Miyajima
Getting to Miyajima
From Hiroshima station, take the JR Sanyo line to Miyajimaguchi station, it takes approximately 27 minutes. From there, walk to the ferry terminal – don’t worry it’s easy to follow the signs and also just follow the people as a LOT of them will be heading that direction! It takes less than 10 mins to arrive at the ferry terminal, buy your ticket (360¥ return) or use your IC card to board. You can also use your JR Rail Pass if you’re an international tourist. The ferries run super frequently but you can check the timetable here.
There is actually another ferry company, Matsudai that runs to Miyajima, same price too (but for international tourists, you cannot use JR pass with them). After a beautiful ferry ride, you’ll have arrived at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Miyajima!
Miyajima shopping street & lunch
By this point, you’re probably hungry, and although you’ll want to run to the shrines, it’s best to grab some food first! As you walk towards Itsukushima shrine, you’ll walk down the Omotesando shopping arcade, full of souvenirs and restaurants. Don’t get distracted – head straight for one of the restaurants for an early lunch.
My personal recommendation is the set meal at Kakiya – a restaurant specializing in oysters, which is one of the famous foods of Miyajima! Extremely popular with locals too, this is the place to go to if you want to try oysters prepared in a variety of ways from fresh, barbecued to deep fried. Truly delicious! Also recommend their lemon soda, so refreshing! It cost around 3000¥ which I think is very reasonable for the quality of oysters.
Miyajima shrines & temples
Now’s time for some shrine and temple exploring. First, head to Itsukushima shrine where you’ll probably spend around an hour and a half exploring the complex.
Behind Itsukushima shrine and a short 10 minute walk or so up a slight hill is Daishoin temple. I recommend spending at least an hour here, and truth be told, I actually preferred this temple to Itsukushima! It’s surrounded by nature, contains a range of adorable, unique statues and you can also spot some deer there too! Without a doubt, I would place this temple in my top 5 as no matter where you look here, it is MAGICAL.
Spend the rest of your day exploring Miyajima – there’s plenty to see, or if you’re tired of the busy atmosphere (I imagine it gets super hectic during usual tourist seasons), read on for a quieter, more peaceful temple experience.
Make sure to pick up a tasty, instagrammable ice cream before ferrying it back to the mainland!
Mitaki-dera temple
Getting the train back, I jumped off at Yokogawa station to explore a local hidden gem called Mitaki-dera temple. The closest station is Mitaki but that involves changing trains so it was quicker for me to hop off at Yokogawa and get an Uber to the temple. Mitaki-dera is a delightful, off-the-beaten-path hidden gem of Hiroshima. I was grateful to my friend Georgia who showed me around, it really is a wonderful place for a bit of peace & quiet (that only the locals know about!). 100% worth checking out if you visit in autumn too!
Hiroshima central for dinner & hotel check-in!
After the temple, we grabbed dinner at a lovely little cafe called Chano-ma, where you get to sit on a bed with pillows! The perfect place to rest and refuel your body with healthy food after a day of exploring.
I then checked into my hotel – APA Hiroshima Ekimae-Ohashi, only a 5 minute walk from the station. APA are my favourite business hotel chain to stay in but you may want to stay in something more spacious if you’re an international traveller. Business hotels here are small, cheap, but clean, modern and always conveniently located, making them the ideal choice for me as a solo traveller on a time & money budget. For one night in a non-smoking double room, it cost ¥3, 861. This was extra-discounted because of the Go-To Travel campaign, it would have been ¥5,940 – still cheap! Singles are even cheaper, I just like the ‘luxury’ of a double room if I’m staying in a cheap hotel!
On to Day 2 of my West Japan in a Week Itinerary, this day was a true rollercoaster of emotions!
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