Should I go to Miyajima?

Hey guys ..

Im planing to go for about 10 days in april to japan
So far i decided to go to do tokyo and kyoto with side trips and again tokyo for few more days the thing is i also want to visit miyajima but i dont want to waste too much time on trains to get ther and back to tokyo any suggestions ?

You can do it as a side trip from Kyoto, take the shinkansen to Hiroshima and go from there.

Miyajima is amazing and you would enjoy it, I am sure. The cost is the time on the train. If you would like to include it I would advise you do this one or two ways
Pathway 1:
Kyoto to Himeji (if this is a side trip you would be interested in)
store luggage in lockers as you see castle and garden
Himeji to Hiroshima (stay the night in Hiroshima
enjoy some okonomiyaki Hiroshima style
Next day go to Miyajima and stay to enjoy both high and low tide
Have lunch on the island
Pickup luggage from hotel or hostel where you stayed
train back to Tokyo in the evening (5pm ish)

Cost = 2 days

Pathway 2:
7am train from Kyoto to Miyajimaguchi station
arrive at 9:30am
Spend the day on Miyajima
Train back to tokyo around 5pm and get back to Tokyo around 11:30pm

1 day trip to see Miyajima

Have you bought the plane ticket yet? If not why don't you fly back to your country via Osaka (Kansai airport) instead of Tokyo? It saves lots of time and transportation cost. I don't know where you're from but Osaka airport is also well connected with all major cities around the globe. So from Miyajima you can just head to Osaka which is lot closer than Tokyo.

If you want to go, then go.

It is about 2 hours of total train travel. Depart at 8am, arrive at 10.

I'd hang around Hiroshima for dinner and shopping in ther evening, then catch a late shinkansen home around 7-8pm. That way you aren't wasting that time then sitting on a train in daylight hours.

Thank you for the reply

I think i would do the 2 day path with himeji
I heard i can send my luggage from the hotel to the next hotel ? Is it safe ? Since i dont want to travel with bags

I cant take a flight from osaka since i have to be in tokyo for a business meeting so i decided to travel a bit before

Hi Ben,

Yes, you can send you luggage ahead of you to the next hotel. I would suggest you use Black Cat. They are very reliable and the luggage is there when they say it will be. If you are staying at a business hotel or better they should be able to help you with sending your bags to your next hotel. Make sure you have the hotel's address and it would help to have the reservation number too.

Hope you have a great trip.

Miyajima is really nice although personally I woiuld only go back if it was overnight, as it gets terribly busy during the day and some of the best parts (eg the trails) take some time to get to. The "floating" tori looks great certain times of the day (but there is as smaller one at Hakone) the shrine is interesting, and the seafood is good.

If you arent interested in Hiroshima though and are not staying overnight it is a long way to go (shinkansen + local train + ferry) for not a massive reward, I'd consider giving Miyajima a miss and seeing the deer at Nara, the floating tori at Hakone, and get the "island experience" at Enoshima.

If you go to Miyajima be there at dusk so you can see the torii lit up. Most of the tourists leave by then too so it's less crowded and easier to take photos. Just make sure you know what time the last ferry is.

And if you will be in Hiroshima, make a 2 hours for walk in Peace Park + museum about it.