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View all Hiroshima toursMiyajima Island Guided Tour: Itsukushima Shrine, Daisho-in & Henjo Cave in Hiroshima
Visit Miyajima Island, home to the UNESCO-listed Itsukushima Shrine and its iconic floating torii gate — a place where history, spirituality and natural beauty meet.
Highlights
- Visit Henjo Cave, the lantern-lit hall almost no tour includes
- Full hour in Daisho-in, the island's spiritual heart
- Thirty-five minutes inside UNESCO-listed Itsukushima Shrine
- Convenient pickup at station, Miyajimaguchi or cruise ports
- Senjokaku's hall of a thousand tatami mats
- Rated 4.88 by travelers
Miyajima Island Guided Tour: Itsukushima Shrine, Daisho-in & Henjo Cave: Key Facts
| Price | From $105.13 per person |
|---|---|
| Duration | 5 hours |
| Languages | English |
| Tour type | Guided Tour |
| Booking | Direct with the local operator — no OTA markup |
Full description
Miyajima rewards depth, and this guided island tour from Voyagers goes deeper than the standard shrine-and-shopping circuit. The day begins with pickup, from Hiroshima Station's Shinkansen exit, Miyajimaguchi, or the cruise terminals, making it especially convenient for cruise passengers with a day in port, before the ferry carries you across to the island where history, spirituality and natural beauty meet. The tour opens at the water with the Otorii, the great camphor-wood gate of UNESCO-listed Itsukushima Shrine, then spends a full thirty-five minutes inside the shrine itself, walking the vermilion corridors built over the tide and hearing why an entire religious complex was constructed on stilts above the sea. From there it climbs to the five-storied pagoda before dedicating a full hour to Daisho-in, the sprawling hillside temple that is the island's spiritual heart: stairways lined with five hundred statues, halls of flickering lanterns, spinning prayer wheels said to grant the merit of reading the sutras. Then comes the stop almost no tour includes, Henjo Cave, the dim hall beneath Daisho-in lit by hundreds of lanterns, holding sand from each of the eighty-eight temples of the Shikoku pilgrimage; walking its circuit is said to equal the entire pilgrimage. The tour descends through the Senjokaku pavilion of a thousand tatami mats and closes with nearly an hour on Omotesando street for oysters, momiji manju and souvenirs before your return ferry and drop-off. Rated 4.88 by travelers, it is the fullest single-visit portrait of the sacred island available.
Tour Itinerary
The schedule below is a suggested plan and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.
Pickup and ferry crossing
Your guide meets you at Hiroshima Station, Miyajimaguchi or the cruise terminals, then the ferry carries you across to the island.
The Otorii gate
Begin at the water with the great camphor-wood gate of Itsukushima Shrine standing in the tide.
Itsukushima Shrine
Thirty-five minutes inside the UNESCO-listed shrine, walking the vermilion corridors built on stilts above the sea.
Five-storied pagoda
Climb to the striking Gojunoto pagoda overlooking the shrine rooftops and the strait.
Daisho-in Temple & Henjo Cave
A full hour in the island's spiritual heart, then the lantern-lit cave holding sand from all eighty-eight Shikoku pilgrimage temples.
Senjokaku Pavilion
Walk the vast wooden pavilion of a thousand tatami mats beside the pagoda.
Omotesando street & return
Nearly an hour for grilled oysters, momiji manju and souvenirs before the ferry back and drop-off.
Detailed Itinerary
9:00 AM - Pickup and ferry crossing: Your guide meets you at Hiroshima Station, Miyajimaguchi or the cruise terminals, then the ferry carries you across to the island.
9:45 AM - The Otorii gate: Begin at the water with the great camphor-wood gate of Itsukushima Shrine standing in the tide.
10:10 AM - Itsukushima Shrine: Thirty-five minutes inside the UNESCO-listed shrine, walking the vermilion corridors built on stilts above the sea.
10:50 AM - Five-storied pagoda: Climb to the striking Gojunoto pagoda overlooking the shrine rooftops and the strait.
11:10 AM - Daisho-in Temple & Henjo Cave: A full hour in the island's spiritual heart, then the lantern-lit cave holding sand from all eighty-eight Shikoku pilgrimage temples.
12:30 PM - Senjokaku Pavilion: Walk the vast wooden pavilion of a thousand tatami mats beside the pagoda.
12:50 PM - Omotesando street & return: Nearly an hour for grilled oysters, momiji manju and souvenirs before the ferry back and drop-off.
Includes
- Professional local guide, all fees mentioned in the itinerary
Excludes
- Personal expenses, meals unless specified, gratuities
Important information
Meeting point
Hiroshima (details confirmed with operator on booking)
Know before you go
- Free cancellation available up to 24 hours before the activity starts
About this activity
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Traveler Reviews
We had an absolutely fantastic tour with Ali yesterday! He was incredibly accommodating, even with our last-minute booking, and made the whole experience seamless from start to finish. Ali was friendly, professional, and so knowledgeable, sharing fascinating history and local insights throughout the day. Travelling with three kids in the summer heat isn’t always easy, but he was so patient and thoughtful, constantly checking in to make sure everyone was doing okay and adjusting the pace when needed. His genuine care, enthusiasm, and passion for what he does made our day even more enjoyable. We couldn’t have asked for a better guide and would highly recommend Ali and his colleagues to anyone looking for a memorable and stress-free tour. Thank you so much, Ali!
Shah was a thoughtful and informative guide who guided us to then around the island, He also showed us a quick route home. The best part of smaller group tours is being able to interact with the guide and learn of their experiences of living in Japan.
Everything about our trip was great. Ali, our guide picked us up in time and whisked us to the train for the ferry. He was ready with all entry tickets, never stopping for a line. Miyajima is beautiful, Ali took us to all the best photo spots, while sharing history of both Hiroshima and the island. He led us to temples and shrines, including an extreme dark cave. On our way back to town we stopped for delicious treats specific to the island. Ali, is very well informed and constantly shared info with us. On our return ferry ride he hurried ahead to secure the air conditioned room as it is HOT! He was fun, respectful of us and the area. I highly recommend this tour and Ali as your guide
We had Ali as our guide. He was very helpful and had at lot os good information about the island, would 100% recommend him.
Ally is a wonderful tour guide. She is both knowledgeable and very personable. I thoroughly enjoyed this trip and would highly recommend it to others, particularly if you want to learn more intricate things about the island and its amazing history 👏👏👏
Ally was amazing! She guided us on public transit and through the crowds at Miyajima with ease, providing us with insights and shortcuts wherever possible. We all felt a special connection to the island because she kept showing us off the beaten path places. She also pointed out great places to eat and had a great okonomiyaki recommendation for after the tour. Take this tour! You definitely won’t regret it!
Ali was a very knowledgeable and engaging guide. He was flexible, designed the tour with a lot of passion, and always kept a good mood despite the constant rain. Thank you for the great company and the many interesting insights!
It was a very interesting experience! We recommend it. Our guide Ali was very attentive to us. He offered special attention.
We had an amazing tour with Ali, who was an incredibly knowledgeable and friendly tour guide - we loved every minute!
We had a great experience. Shah was very interesting and showed us places we would never had seen on our own. Shah went to the trouble of meeting us near our hotel and making sure we got back safely. I would thoroughly recommend this tour. Thank you Shah