Almost every tour here visits the Peace Memorial Park, the Atomic Bomb Dome, the ferry to Miyajima and the Itsukushima Shrine. Our verdict therefore rests on the points where the listings differ, and every one of them can be checked on the product page.
The train to Hiroshima
The Shinkansen fare is the largest single cost of the day. Japan Panoramic Tours, Evergrove and the other tours from Hiroshima Station leave it to you, which keeps the tour price low and lets you choose your trains or stay overnight. H.I.S. sells the return train from Shin-Osaka or Kyoto as an option on the same page, JTB runs its own packages from Osaka and from Kyoto, and Amigo Tours sends the tickets the evening before for you to ride alone. The day trip from Osaka and the day trip from Kyoto compare them in detail.
Where the day starts
From Osaka or Kyoto a guided day runs about 11 to 13 hours door to door. Starting at Hiroshima Station shortens the tour itself to six or eight hours. The operators use different corners of the station: Japan Panoramic Tours meets on the second floor at the north exit under a green-and-white flag, Evergrove on the south side at the 7-Eleven, and the H.I.S. bus leaves the Shinkansen gate at 9:45 without waiting for latecomers. Every meeting point is listed under tours from Hiroshima Station.
Time in the Peace Memorial Museum
The complaint reviewers raise most often on the train packages is too little time in the museum. On the Amigo trips Miyajima usually comes first, and guests write about a long stay on the island and a short one in Hiroshima. Around midday the museum is at its fullest, and staff may hold back entry for a while. A Hiroshima-start tour or a private guide gives you more control over this part of the day.
Group size and getting around
Japan Panoramic Tours and H.I.S. travel by coach. Evergrove, Cornwall and Pinpoint Traveler use tram, local train and ferry in small groups, with more walking and fewer people around the guide; Evergrove covers shrine, Senjokaku and museum entry. Voyagers and Japan Guide Agency send a private guide, and Travel Club Japan a private van with a driver rather than a guide, for up to six people at one price.
The tide at the torii
The great torii appears to float from a tide level of about 250 cm at Hiroshima Port, and below about 100 cm you can walk to it. Coach tours and train packages arrive at fixed times, so the tide is luck. AIDO, on its four-hour Miyajima half-day tour, checks the tide table for the day, and private guides can change the order of the day. How to read the table is on the tide times page.
