Hiroshima 5-Day Itinerary 2026: Beyond Miyajima & Costs
Planning a trip to Hiroshima in 2026? Discover a unique 5-day itinerary exploring Fukuyama, Tomonoura, and Onomichi, complete with transport tips and budget insights.
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Planning a trip to Hiroshima in 2026? Discover a unique 5-day itinerary exploring Fukuyama, Tomonoura, and Onomichi, complete with transport tips and budget insights.
This trip to Hiroshima was
a journey that also explored
nearby cities like Fukuyama, Tomonoura, and Onomichi.
It was a 4-night, 5-day itinerary.
Miyajima is famous when you think of Hiroshima, but
I had already visited it on a previous trip,
and spending 4 nights and 5 days solely in the city didn't feel like enough.
So, this time, I decided to do something a little different
and explore some of Hiroshima's charming smaller neighboring towns.
For those who have already visited Miyajima,
or those who want to see more of Hiroshima's surrounding areas,
I hope my post provides some helpful inspiration!
Hiroshima 4-Night, 5-Day Itinerary
Here's the itinerary for this trip:
Day 1 Cheongju Airport → Hiroshima Airport → Fukuyama |
Day 2 Fukuyama → Tomonoura → Onomichi |
Day 3 Onomichi → Hiroshima |
Day 4 Hiroshima City Shopping |
Day 5 Hiroshima → Hiroshima Airport |
As for accommodation, I planned for 1 night in Fukuyama, 1 night in Onomichi,
and 2 nights in Hiroshima.
For this travel route, I didn't use a separate transport pass,
as buying individual tickets for each segment turned out to be more economical.
Day 1.
Cheongju Airport → Hiroshima Airport → Fukuyama
The first day was mostly dedicated to travel.
It was my second time departing from Cheongju Airport,
and it was convenient because the flight time was short and immigration procedures were quick.
After arriving at Hiroshima Airport,
I took an airport limousine bus to Fukuyama.
My original destination was Tomonoura,
which is about a 30-minute city bus ride from Fukuyama.
However, Tomonoura mainly offers ryokans,
and the accommodation costs typically started from the ~$138-~$207 range.
So, I decided to stay one night in Fukuyama instead.
I booked a hotel just a 3-minute walk from Fukuyama Station,
a single room with breakfast included, for around the ~$35 range.
It even had a public bath, and the room condition was great!
Fukuyama Castle was also nearby, right next to the hotel,
so it was perfect for a leisurely stroll after dinner.
If, like me, you find Tomonoura's accommodation prices a bit much,
I recommend staying one night in Fukuyama before moving on.
Day 2
Fukuyama → Tomonoura → Onomichi
On the second day, I left my luggage at the hotel
and headed to Tomonoura.
You can catch the bus to Tomonoura from platform 5 in front of Fukuyama Station.
The fare is 560 JPY one way, or 1,120 JPY round trip.
Tomonoura is the small fishing village where Hayao Miyazaki
stayed while conceiving 'Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea'.
It's fun to find hidden Ponyo references throughout the town, and there are sights like
the Joyato Lighthouse and Fukuzenji Temple Taichoro,
all easily explored on foot.
Even though it's a tourist spot, it wasn't crowded,
making it perfect for a peaceful stroll and window shopping along the streets.
After exploring Tomonoura for about half a day,
I returned to Fukuyama and then moved on to Onomichi.
The JR fare from Fukuyama to Onomichi is 420 JPY.
In Onomichi, I stayed for a night at
Greenhill Hotel Onomichi, which is right across from the station.
Its location right in front of the station made getting around incredibly convenient,
and with the bus stop for Hiroshima right next to the hotel,
it was truly the perfect hotel for my trip.
After checking in, I explored Hondori Street,
browsing through adorable trinket shops, liquor stores, and gacha shops.
I didn't expect much from a small town's shopping district,
but it turned out to have a surprising amount of interesting sights!
Later, I enjoyed an early dinner at Onomichi Ramen Maruboshi,
then took a lovely stroll around the neighborhood,
and even enjoyed a solo drink at an izakaya to round off the day!
Day 3
Senkoji Observatory, Onomichi → Hiroshima
On the morning of Day 3, I ventured to Onomichi's most iconic attraction,
the Senkoji Observatory.
From Onomichi Station to the Ropeway Sanroku Station,
it's about a 15-minute walk,
but if you're not in the mood for a walk, you can always take the bus.
I opted for the bus,
and the bus fare was ~$1.
⬇️ Find a detailed review of Senkoji Observatory here! ⬇️
From the Senkoji Observatory, reached by a scenic ropeway ride,
the panoramic views of the Seto Inland Sea and Onomichi were breathtaking.
It was undeniably the most blissful moment of my entire Onomichi adventure!
After soaking in the views from the observatory, I made my way down towards Senkoji Temple,
stopping by a charming cafe and even encountering some friendly cats along the way!
If you're a cat lover, make sure to bring some Churu treats for these adorable feline residents!
Finally, I made a stop at a pudding shop famous in Onomichi.
While it didn't quite live up to all the hype, if you're a pudding enthusiast,
it's probably worth a try at least once.(Personally, I wouldn't go again.)
After finishing my delightful exploration of Senkoji, I retrieved my luggage from the hotel
and headed out to make my way to Hiroshima.
There are two convenient ways to travel from Onomichi to Hiroshima:
by bus or by JR train.
① Flower Liner Bus: ~$12
Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes to Hiroshima Bus Center
② JR Sanyo Main Line: ~$9
Takes 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours with transfers, depending on the time of day
Since my accommodation was conveniently located near the bus center, even though it was a bit pricier,
I opted for the Flower Liner bus.
We zipped from Onomichi to Hiroshima,
arriving after about an hour and a half's drive.
The Rihga Royal Hotel is right next to the Hiroshima Bus Center,
which was super convenient for our departure day,
and we could also easily walk to explore downtown Hiroshima.
Plus, a new Lopia supermarket just opened right next to the hotel –
perfect for anyone who loves grocery shopping!
After checking in, our first stop was Montbell!
The Montbell store in Hiroshima is bigger than the ones in Fukuoka or Osaka,
offers tax-free shopping, and has so much more to choose from.
I think I spent about an hour just browsing and shopping there.
After my shopping spree, we headed for dinner at Tonkatsu 16,
which I had booked in advance.
It's one of my absolute favorite spots, and
I highly recommend checking it out if you're ever in Hiroshima!
Day 4
Hiroshima City Shopping Tour
Day four was all about shopping!
Even on a solo trip, you can't skip out on some retail therapy, right?
For breakfast, I grabbed a simple morning set at Aloft cafe next to the hotel,
then headed over to AEON Mall.
I took a bus from the stop across from the Rihga Royal Hotel to AEON Mall.
The one-way fare to AEON Mall Hiroshima Fuchu was ~$2.
AEON Mall Fuchu is a pretty massive shopping complex,
so it's a good idea to set aside at least half a day to explore it properly.
It's a huge shopping paradise that brings together almost all the best places to shop in Hiroshima:
Muji, Kaldi, GU, Uniqlo, Standard Products, Daiso, Gashapon no Mori,
AEON Style Market, and even a drugstore.
I went at 9 AM and 'escaped' around 3 PM,
my bags were so full that I ended up taking a taxi back.
The taxi fare back to the hotel was ~$12.
After dropping off my shopping haul at the hotel, I visited Beer Stand Shigetomi.
If you're a beer lover, you should definitely check it out!
For our second round, we went to Izakaya Fufu,
where you can enjoy kushikatsu, oden, and rare sake.
Since I love drinks, I only visited izakayas after that.
Day 5
Hiroshima → Hiroshima Airport
On our last day, we took our time checking out,
stored our luggage, and planned to have lunch.
For lunch, we tried Taiko Udon,
but honestly, it was even more disappointing than the ~$3 udon near the station,
so I wouldn't recommend it.
I heard Lopia had newly opened at Pacela, right next to the hotel,
so I decided to check it out before picking up my luggage.
While it's smaller than the one in Fukuoka, it had most of the shopping items I was looking for,
so it might be a good alternative to AEON Mall next time.
After retrieving our luggage, we walked right next door to the bus center
and took an airport bus to Hiroshima Airport.
For a 3:55 PM flight departure, we took the 12:55 PM bus,
and it took about an hour to reach the airport.
Hiroshima 4-Night, 5-Day Transportation Cost Summary
Food and shopping expenses are not included as they vary greatly by individual.
📍Transportation Costs
Hiroshima Airport → Fukuyama | 1,600 JPY |
Fukuyama → Tomonoura (round trip) | 1,120 JPY |
Fukuyama → Onomichi | 420 JPY |
Onomichi → Hiroshima | 2,000 JPY |
Rihga Royal Hotel → Aeon Mall bus | 280 JPY |
Aeon Mall → Hotel taxi | 2,000 JPY |
Hiroshima Bus Center → Hiroshima Airport | 1,500 JPY |
Total: 8,920 JPY |
📍Hotel Costs
Fukuyama Hotel 1-2-3 | ~$37 |
Green Hill Hotel Onomichi | ~$57 |
Rihga Royal Hotel Hiroshima | ~$146 |
Total: ~$240 |
So, combining accommodation and major transportation costs,
I spent a total of ~$296.
In the heart of Hiroshima, the beauty is that most sights are incredibly walkable!
This meant I could explore without constantly hopping on taxis or trams,
which was a fantastic way to save on transport and really soak in the city's vibe.
Just a heads-up: these figures don't include delicious meals or any souvenir shopping.
But they should give you a solid baseline for planning your own amazing 4-night, 5-day adventure in Hiroshima!
In addition to Hiroshima, the author spent 5 days and 4 nights exploring nearby cities such as Fukuyama, Tomonoura, and Onomichi. Miyajima was excluded from this itinerary as it had already been visited on a previous trip.
The author did not use a separate transportation pass for this trip's itinerary. It was deemed cheaper to purchase tickets individually for each segment, so transportation costs were paid as needed.
If the accommodation cost for a ryokan in Tomonoura is burdensome, typically ranging from ~$138 to ~$207, the author recommended staying one night in Fukuyama before moving on. The author booked a single room with breakfast included at a hotel located a 3-minute walk from Fukuyama Station for approximately ~$35.
There are two ways to get from Onomichi to Hiroshima: the Flower Liner bus and the JR Sanyo Main Line. The Flower Liner bus costs ~$12 and takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes, while the JR Sanyo Main Line costs ~$9 and takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the time of day.
The author visited Montbell and AEON Mall Hiroshima Fuchu in Hiroshima. Hiroshima Montbell was larger than those in Fukuoka or Osaka, offered tax-free shopping, and had a wide selection of goods. AEON Mall Fuchu is a large shopping mall with various stores such as Muji and Uniqlo.
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