There are now three main ferries that will take you to the pretty island of Miyajima, but which one is right for you? Check out our guide to the Miyajima ferries to find out.
What Are the Three Ferries?
At a Glance
| Ferry Name | Cost | Time | Leaves From |
| JR West Miyajima Ferry | 200 yen + Miyajima tax | 10 minutes | Miyajimaguchi Port |
| Matsudai Line | 200 yen + Miyajima tax | 10 minutes | Miyagimaguchi Port |
| Aqua Net | 2200 yen | 45 minutes | Peace Park |
The JR West Miyajima Ferry
This is quick, cheap and very regular. It departs from the Miyajimaguchi ferry port, a little south of Hiroshima. This is connected to Hiroshima by the JR Sanyo train line to Miyajimaguchi station. It takes around 30 minutes to get here from Hiroshima Station, and no changes are needed.
If you’re travelling here from the Peace Park, the journey is a little longer as you need to catch a bus or tram to connect to the train line. It will take approximately 50 minutes to reach the Miyajimaguchi Ferry port from the Peace Park.
The ferry runs every 15 minutes for most of the day. The first ferry departs the mainland at 6.25 a.m and the last one departs Miyajima at 10.14 p.m. It takes ten minutes to make the crossing, and the cost is 200 yen for adults, half that for children. You can also use rail passes like the Whole JR Pass or the, very useful, Kansai Hiroshima Area Pass on this ferry.
The Matsudai Kisen Miyajima Ferry
This also departs from Miyagimaguchi Ferry Port, so the above transport advice applies to this as well.
It also charges 200 yen per person and runs at 15-minute intervals for most of the day; however, the JR Ferry departs at 10, 25, 40 and 55 minutes past the hour, and the Matsudai Line ferries depart at 15, 30, 45 and 00.
If you arrive at Miyajimaguchi Port and have just missed the JR Ferry, you can just take the Matsudai one for the same price. You can’t use a JR pass on it, though.
Aquanet Ferry
This departs from a wharf in the middle of the Peace Park so you can easily walk here from the Peace Museum and the Atomic Bomb Dome. The journey takes 45 minutes and it drops you at a wharf next to the regular ferry wharf on Miyajima.
The ferry runs every 30 minutes. The first ferry departs at 8:30 a.m. and the last at 5:30 p.m., but, as you’ll see below, some services may be affected by tide changes. The cost is 2,200 yen for adults one way, or 4,000 yen for a return trip. Children’s fares are half this. JR Passes are not valid.
Don’t Forget the Miyajima Tax
A 100 yen tax is payable for visiting Miyajima, which is charged in addition to your fare. If you are paying by IC card or buying a ticket at the ticket offices of either ferry company, this will be added automatically meaning adults pay 300 yen, children pay 200 yen.
However, if you are using a rail pass like the Japan Rail Pass or the Hiroshima Area Pass that covers the JR Ferry, you need to pay for this in cash at one of the machines by the port on your way to the island and show the receipt alongside your rail pass. Make sure you have some cash.
There is a fourth ferry option, but it departs from Hiroshima Port, which is not particularly near any attractions most tourists will be visiting. It also takes much longer to get to the island, so I’m not including it as an option in this guide.
That might be enough for you to decide which ferry you want to use, especially if you’re staying in Hiroshima for a few days and so can choose the closest option to your hotel, or that fit your plans for the day, but, if you’re still not entirely sure which to use, here’s what you might want to consider.
Are You Visiting Hiroshima and Miyajima in One Day?
Most people visiting Hiroshima for the day want to split their time between Miyajima and the Peace Park to see the Atomic Bomb dome and the Peace Museum – and if that sounds like you, the best approach is to split your journey between the two ferries.
If you plan to visit Miyajima first, I suggest taking the train from Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi Station and then boarding the JR West Miyajima or Matsudai ferry to the island. Then, use the Aqua Net ferry to get you back to the Peace Park – checking the times of return services carefully so you don’t get stuck.
If you plan to visit the Peace Museum and Peace Park first, then take the Aqua Net ferry directly from the Peace Park to Miyajima. Again, check that services are running at the time you want to leave. Afterwards, take the JR Miyajima Ferry or Matsudai line back to the station and catch the train to Hiroshima Station, where you can then catch your bullet train.
Read This Next: To see the famous floating torii gate in Miyajima, you need to be on the island around high tide. To see how to time things and view pictures of the gate under different conditions, check out our post on Miyajima at low tide.
Which Ferry is Fastest?
It depends on where you’re coming from. If you’re leaving from Hiroshima Station, you can be on Miyajima within 45 minutes via the JR West Miyajima ferry or the Matsudai ferry, if you time your connections correctly. Remember, if you just miss one ferry, the other line has a service 5-10 minutes later, so the most it will take is 55 minutes from Hiroshima Station to Miyajima.
If you’re coming from the sights around the Peace Park, the Aqua Net ferry is fastest, and it will also get you onto the island within 45 minutes of departure.
Are You on a Budget?
The ferries from Miyajimaguchi are the far cheaper option. To get to Miyajima from Hiroshima Station, the cost is just 620 yen on this route – 420 yen for the train and 200 yen for the ferry (kids cost half this), plus 100 yen Miyajima tax, compared to 2200 yen if you take the Aqua Net ferry.
Talking About Budgeting
If you’re visiting Hiroshima from Osaka for the day or returning within five days, it will be cheaper to buy the Kansai Hiroshima Area Pass (17,000 yen) than two single tickets (21,900 yen in reserved seats). This pass also includes the JR West Miyajima Ferry and the train from Hiroshima Station to the port. You save 6400 yen per person on this journey alone. Buy the pass here.
The pass also works from Kyoto, but not on the Shinkansen. You have to take a local train to Shin-Osaka station or pay for that part of the journey (it’s about 1500 yen).
Are You Traveling Around Spring Tide?
As we mentioned above, the best time to see the floating torii gate in Miyajima is at high tide – but, there is a slight complication with this and that is that the Aqua Net Ferry can’t run if the tide is very high – as it can’t fit under the bridges on the Hiroshima river. It also won’t run if the tide is low.
Tide heights vary, so the exact number of services affected by this fluctuates daily. Some days, every service runs without issue, but disruption can occur during a Spring tide, and when this happens, up to seven afternoon sailings can be cancelled.
The ferry company knows in advance when they’re going to be and which services will be affected, so check the timetable carefully, particularly if you’re travelling around the Spring tide dates and a few days either side. You’ll find the names of the tides on this set of Miyajima tide tables.
This isn’t a problem for the other ferries as they don’t use the Hiroshima River.
Do You Dislike Boats?
As Miyajima is an island, you can’t avoid a boat altogether, but if you get motion sick or aren’t comfortable on boats, then one of the ferries from Miyajimaguchi is the best choice.
Not only are they much bigger, more stable boats, the journey on water is only 10 minutes, compared to 45 minutes on the Aqua Net ferry.
Do You Need Accessibility Access?
The JR West Miyajima Ferry is fully accessible for wheelchairs. Matsudai’s ferry Aki is fully barrier-free with eight priority seats for wheelchair users. The other Matsudai ferries are also car ferries, so will have a route that can allow wheelchair access, but they do not specify specific seating areas.
There is also now a barrier-free route from the station to the ferry port, which is listed here.
Conversely, the Aquanet ferries have steps down into the seating area inside, and, if you are getting on or off at the Peace Park there are steps down to the dock. There is also no room inside for a wheelchair.
Are You Travelling With a Stroller/Luggage?
You can’t take unfolded prams or strollers onto the Aqua Net ferry, there isn’t room, plus you must use steps to get down to the seating area. For this reason, it’s also not the best choice if you have large luggage.
They say there is a small space for luggage, which might also fit a folded pram, but this can get full. If you want to take a stroller or suitcases on, get there early.
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Do You Want a Picture of the Torii Gate from the Boat?
Take the JR West Miyajima or Matsudai ferries; they go closest during normal service.
Aqua Net do offer an evening cruise, though, that takes you close to the gate when it’s lit up at night. Book it at their office.
Or, for something completely different, why not take a paddleboard out past the shrine?
Do You Dislike Planning Ahead?
The JR West Miyajima or Matsudai route needs less forward planning than Aqua Net. The ferries are a lot bigger, so it’s unlikely to sell out – but if it is full, you don’t have to wait long for the next one. You just turn up and buy a ticket – although note you do need some cash for the departure tax.
The Aqua Net ferry is smaller and less frequent, and very popular, so some services, particularly at the beginning of the day or mid-afternoon, can get booked out. Add to that the fact that services can be cancelled by the tide at certain times of the month, which means it’s not necessarily the best choice for those just hoping to turn up and get on a boat.
Don’t rule it out, though, as it is very convenient if you want to go to or from the Peace Park. They regularly update their online timetable, so you can check online to see if a boat is already full. If you book a return and you want to leave mid-afternoon, book your return time when you get off the boat in the morning.
So, that’s our guide to the different ferries, but there’s one last thing you might be wondering: how easy is the transfer between JR Miyajimaguchi Station and the ferry port? Can you get lost?
The answer is – that’s very unlikely!
For starters, most people are all doing the same thing, so you can just follow the crowds, but it’s also very well signposted.
The walk takes about three minutes along the main street toward the port – simply head toward the big red dot in the pictures above.
The only thing to be aware of if you’re traveling with luggage because you’re staying on Miyajima is that there is one road crossing where you need to use an underpass, and so you’ll have to carry your suitcases down the steps and back up again.
If you have cases you can’t carry, then use the barrier-free route. This takes a little longer but avoids the stairs. If you have bags but aren’t staying in Miyajima, there are coin lockers at the station where you can leave them and pick them up on your return. There are also lockers at the ferry port on Miyajima.
So that’s everything I think you need to use to decide on your ferry options to Miyajima.
