City Essentials: First Day • 4 hours 5
(30)

Kickstart Hiroshima

Begin your Hiroshima adventure with a local expert! Get a crash course in Hiroshima’s history, and learn to get around the vibrant city it is today.

The easiest and most convenient way to travel to Miyajima is the direct ferry from Peace Memorial Park

What makes this experience special

Key highlights

  • Set yourself up for a successful trip by learning how to navigate Hiroshima like a local
  • See some of central Hiroshima’s most iconic attractions (and a couple reserved for in-the-know locals)
  • Experience Hiroshima’s beautiful nature, bustling city, and devastating history in just three hours
  • Visit the museum at Hiroshima Castle, and shop for souvenirs at Orizuru Tower
  • Have a helpful host to share tips and recommendations for the rest of your trip (and answer any questions you might have)

What to know before you go

Here’s everything you need to know before your day unfolds.

4 hours
Fully tailored to your preferences
English Other languages may be requested

What’s included

Private and personalized experience
3 hours with a Host
Walking experience (other transport can be arranged at an additional cost)

What’s not included

Food and drinks
Tickets to any attractions
Transportation costs
Gratuities (optional)

Meeting point

In front of The SOUVENIR SELECT HitotoKi located in Hiroshima Orizuru Tower ground level.

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience

What to bring

  • We recommend wearing comfortable shoes and carrying a light bag for your essentials.
  • Public transport may be used during the experience - please bring a travel card or small amount of cash for fares.

How your day could unfold

A flexible, unscripted experience designed entirely around your interests. Your host will adapt the day based on what excites you most

What you’ll do

The name Hiroshima will forever evoke images of devastating events, but the city is so much more than its museums and memorials. To get a full picture of the friendly, vibrant Hiroshima of today is to see it through the eyes of someone who lives here – so who better give you a crash course in navigating all its sides than a local host? Jostle through Hondori shopping arcade, a small slice of big city life, with trendy coffee shops and crowded stores, and take a serene stroll through 400-year-old Shukkei-en garden, a survivor of the atomic bomb. Hiroshima Castle is a trove of treasures once belonging to samurai lords, while the Peace Memorial Park and Atomic Bomb Dome are must-sees to fully comprehend Hiroshima’s strength and resilience.

1. Select a date
2. Select start time
3. Tailor your experience
Answer a few quick questions to help your host craft the perfect day tailored to you.
1. What’s your preferred hosting style?
2. How would you like the pace of your day?
3. What’s your walking comfort level?
4. Are you celebrating something special?

Real Stories, Real Connections

See our hosts and guests creating memories
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What travelers think of our Hiroshima experiences

July 2025

Masa was amazing and catered our tour perfectly. She answered all our questions and was very knowledgeable. She is a warm and generous person and we loved our time with her.

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Ryan Jul 2025

My family and I had the 2-hour walking tour with Ken that focused on the bomb dome and bomb memorial/museum. Ken was very prompt in reaching out over WhatsApp to understand our desires for the tour and schedule the meeting time, place, etc. Ken was also very friendly and met us at the Hiroshima train station to help navigate us to the Bomb Dome and local area. He showed us the location of the hypocenter, a cemetery adjacent to the hypocenter, and walked us from the bomb dome over to the museum. Once in the museum, however, there was little interaction, and we were self-guided for the most part. It was helpful to have Ken purchase trolley and museum tickets for us and then reimburse him. Overall, this tour was not a great value for me. It was helpful to have a guide navigate us from the train station to the bomb dome using the trolley, however, I would have preferred that we meet at the museum or bomb dome and not take 20-30 minutes of our 2-hour tour on a trolley ride where there was no interaction. There were interesting pieces of information, but overall we learned little information beyond what could be learned by browsing through the museum on our own. I think a better itinerary would be 2 hours of touring around Hiroshima and the bomb dome area, and then ending the tour at the museum, with the museum being pretty much self-guided anyway.

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Elisabeth Apr 2025

Absolutely 5 stars! Ken was an exceptional guide for our walking tour through Hiroshima. He was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about the city’s history, but what really stood out was his patience and kindness with our children—he made sure they felt included and engaged the entire time. He tailored the pace to suit our family and answered all our questions with warmth and insight. To top it off, he brought us to a local restaurant that served one of the most delicious meals we had on our trip. A memorable and meaningful experience—we couldn’t recommend Ken more highly!

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Ashleigh Apr 2025

We only had booked Ken for a short two hour experience as that was all that we had allocated, however we could have done a whole day! Ken was funny and brought his own personal narrative when discussing the events of Hiroshima. We would highly recommend!

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Brook Apr 2025
Kate Apr 2025

Ken is a fantastic guide. We had a special request to visit Kure since we had family that lived here many years ago. We had a wonderful afternoon and visited several important sites. Ken shared history and background for us. Then back to Hiroshima for a special lunch! We highly recommend Ken for a guide. He is very knowledgeable and knows how to make the most of your time.

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