Miyajima is the island with the famous floating torii gate. Most visitors reach it by a ferry of about 10 minutes from Miyajimaguchi, a port on the mainland. Two companies run it, and an adult pays ¥200 one way on either. Everyone entering the island also pays a ¥100 visitor tax. This page covers the ferries, the tax, the boats from central Hiroshima, parking and the autumn crowds.
In short
- From Miyajimaguchi, JR West Miyajima Ferry and Miyajima Matsudai Steamship both take about 10 minutes. Both charge ¥200 for an adult and ¥100 for a child one way (section 1).
- The ¥100 Miyajima visitor tax is paid each time you enter the island, together with the fare. It is not charged on the way back (section 2).
- You do not need to book either Miyajimaguchi ferry. Aqua Net Hiroshima’s World Heritage Sea Route from Hiroshima’s Peace Park takes about 45 minutes, and it can be booked up to the day before (section 3).
- There is no parking at the sightseeing areas on Miyajima. Park at Miyajimaguchi and cross on foot (section 4).
- November is the busiest month of the year, according to the Miyajima Tourist Association (section 5).
Checked with official pages on October 11, 2026.
| Way to go | Time | Adult, one way | Boarding point |
|---|---|---|---|
| JR West Miyajima Ferry | About 10 min | ¥200 + ¥100 tax | Miyajimaguchi |
| Miyajima Matsudai Steamship | About 10 min | ¥200 + ¥100 tax | Next to Hiroden-miyajima-guchi Station |
| Aqua Net Hiroshima (fast boat) | About 5 min | ¥400 + ¥100 tax | Miyajimaguchi Terminal |
| World Heritage Sea Route | About 45 min | ¥2,400 + ¥100 tax | Motoyasu Pier, near the Atomic Bomb Dome |
| Fast ship from Hiroshima Port | About 30 min | ¥2,500 + ¥100 tax | Hiroshima Port (Ujina) |
From Hiroshima Station, Hatsukaichi City says the JR Sanyo Line takes about 25 minutes to Miyajimaguchi Station, and the Hiroden streetcar takes about 60 minutes to Hiroden-miyajima-guchi Station. The ferry companies give slightly longer times (28 to 30 minutes and about 70 minutes). Either way, get off at Miyajimaguchi and walk to the ferry. For how to pay on the streetcar, see Hiroshima Streetcar and Bus Fares (2026): ¥240 by IC Card, ¥220 with MOBIRY DAYS.
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1. Which ferry should I take from Miyajimaguchi?
Depends on the provider
Both ferries charge the same standard fare: ¥200 for an adult and ¥100 for a child one way, plus the ¥100 visitor tax when you go to the island. An adult means a junior high school student or older. A child is an elementary school student (JR West Miyajima Ferry says ages 6 to 11). The table shows what you pay going to Miyajima. The totals are our sums of the official figures.
| Who | Fare | Visitor tax | Total to Miyajima |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult | ¥200 | ¥100 | ¥300 |
| Elementary school child | ¥100 | ¥100 | ¥200 |
| Preschool child | Free | Exempt | ¥0 |
One paying passenger can take up to two preschool children free on JR West Miyajima Ferry. On Miyajima Matsudai Steamship it is one preschool child per paying passenger. Both companies accept transit IC cards. Matsudai also takes cash and credit card tap payment, according to its fare page.
1.1 JR West Miyajima Ferry
The regular timetable has a ferry about every 15 minutes during the day. The first ferry leaves Miyajimaguchi at 6:25 and Miyajima at 5:45. The last leaves Miyajimaguchi at 22:42 and Miyajima at 22:14. Departures from Miyajimaguchi between 9:10 and 16:10 are “Great Torii ferries” that pass close to the torii gate. The crossing time is the same, about 10 minutes. In some tide conditions the ferry cannot take that route.
The company has a fare page in English and a timetable page in English. You can ride with a Japan Rail Pass or a JR-West Rail Pass, according to the company. The ferry also carries cars on every sailing. A bicycle costs ¥100 one way, and motorcycles cost ¥200 to ¥400 depending on engine size.
JR West Miyajima Ferry: 1-11-5 Miyajimaguchi, Hatsukaichi City (廿日市市宮島口1-11-5). From JR Miyajimaguchi Station, walk through the underpass to the passenger terminal and buy a ticket there. Phone: 0829-56-2045 (inquiries 9:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00, weekends included). Google Maps
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1.2 Miyajima Matsudai Steamship
The Matsudai terminal is right next to Hiroden-miyajima-guchi Station, a one-minute walk. From JR Miyajimaguchi Station it takes about 6 minutes on foot. Look for the blue sign on the left. A round-trip ticket is ¥400 for an adult and ¥200 for a child, and the visitor tax is added when you go to the island.
The regular timetable runs about every 15 minutes. The first boat leaves Miyajimaguchi at 7:15 and Miyajima at 7:00. The last leaves Miyajimaguchi at 20:35 and Miyajima at 20:15. On busy days the company runs boats about every 10 minutes from the 9:00 hour to the 16:00 hour. The company has fares and a timetable in English.
Car ferries carry a car and its driver for ¥800 (under 3 m), ¥1,250 (3 to under 4 m) or ¥1,700 (4 to under 5 m) one way. Passengers pay their own fares. A regular car under 5 m long and under 2.4 m high can also board the passenger boat. Ask at the boarding area. Matsudai’s page does not state a phone number or street address, so use the station as your landmark. Google Maps
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1.3 Aqua Net Hiroshima’s fast boat from Miyajimaguchi
Aqua Net Hiroshima also runs a fast boat that crosses in about 5 minutes. A one-way ticket is ¥400 for an adult (age 12 and over) and ¥200 for a child (ages 6 to 11), which is twice the price of the two ferries above. The visitor tax is added. The boat leaves about every 20 minutes. The English timetable page lists Miyajimaguchi departures from 9:15 to 17:35. You can board without a booking, and you buy your ticket at the ticket office.
The ticket office is inside the Miyajimaguchi Ferry Terminal, and the pier is about a 2-minute walk from it. Aqua Net Hiroshima office: 2-2-12 Kamiya-cho, Naka Ward, Hiroshima (広島市中区紙屋町2-2-12). Google Maps (Miyajimaguchi terminal)
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2. How much is the Miyajima visitor tax, and when do I pay?
Hatsukaichi City
The Miyajima visitor tax (宮島訪問税, Miyajima homon-zei) is ¥100 per person each time you enter the island by boat. It began on October 1, 2023. On a passenger ferry, the ferry company adds it to your fare and collects it. You pay it only for the trip to the island. The trip back to Miyajimaguchi has no tax.
You can also pay for a whole year at once. The yearly payment is ¥500 per person. You pay it at Hatsukaichi City Hall, the Miyajima branch office or the Ono branch office. Pay by the 10th of the month before your first visit.
These people do not pay the tax:
- Preschool children. They are exempt.
- School trips. Students of schools other than universities, and their escorts, are exempt when the school provides a certificate. A preliminary visit before a school trip is not exempt.
- People with a disability certificate. This covers a physical disability certificate, a rehabilitation certificate (療育手帳) or a mental health certificate. Show the certificate. The exemption is for the certificate holder only, so a caregiver pays the tax (Aqua Net Hiroshima’s fare notes say the same).
- Residents, workers and students of Miyajima town. The city issues a certificate to people who live there, work there at least 48 hours a month or attend a school there at least 48 hours a month.
The details are on the city’s visitor tax page (Japanese, updated January 28, 2026). For questions about the system, the city’s Miyajima planning office is at 0829-30-9227.
3. Can I go by boat straight from central Hiroshima?
Depends on the provider
3.1 World Heritage Sea Route from Peace Park
Aqua Net Hiroshima’s World Heritage Sea Route runs from Hiroshima’s Peace Park to Miyajima in about 45 minutes, with no transfer. The boat goes down Hiroshima’s rivers and then out to the bay. It leaves from Motoyasu Pier, which is 150 meters south of the Atomic Bomb Dome. The English timetable page lists 17 sailings a day from Peace Park, from 8:30 to 17:10. Boats back from Miyajima leave from 8:40 to 17:30. Hatsukaichi City gives about 50 minutes for the trip.
A one-way ticket is ¥2,400 for an adult (age 12 and over) and ¥1,200 for a child (ages 6 to 11). A round trip is ¥4,400 and ¥2,200. The visitor tax is not included. A package ticket for ¥2,500 (child ¥1,300) combines this route with the Miyajima-to-Miyajimaguchi boat. All seats are unreserved, and you sit where there is room. You can book online up to the day before. On the day, buy a ticket at the ticket office. Cash and credit cards work. Transit IC cards do not.
Important
The boat uses tidal rivers. When the tide is too high it cannot pass under the bridges, and when it is too low it may touch the riverbed. Service can be cancelled or the route changed. Check the sailing status page before you go.
Motoyasu Pier, by Motoyasu Bridge in Peace Memorial Park. The Atomic Bomb Dome is 150 meters to the north. Google Maps
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3.2 Fast ship from Hiroshima Port (Ujina)
Setonaikaikisen’s fast ship goes from Hiroshima Port to Miyajima. A one-way ticket is ¥2,500 for an adult and ¥1,250 for a child, after the fare change on September 1, 2026. The visitor tax is separate on one-way tickets. A round-trip ticket is ¥4,900 for an adult and ¥2,500 for a child, valid for two days. The company’s Japanese fare page says the round-trip breakdown includes the tax.
The timetable shows about 30 minutes by way of Prince Hotel Port. One example is 9:25 to 9:57. Hatsukaichi City’s page says about 22 minutes. There are eight sailings a day. Some are only on weekends and holidays from March to November and do not run from December to February. The company asks you to reserve by email or phone. Without a reservation you get only the seats left on the day. The English fare page is current, but its timetable is marked as of 2022, so the times above come from the Japanese timetable. Both are linked in the sources.
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4. Where do I park if I drive?
Hatsukaichi City and Hiroshima Prefecture
Miyajima’s sightseeing areas have no parking, and you cannot reserve a space, so park at Miyajimaguchi and cross by ferry. The Miyajima Tourist Association also says driving on the island is not suitable. From 10:00 to 17:30, vehicles are banned on the roads around Omotesando shopping street and Itsukushima Shrine. The speed limit is 30 km/h across the island, and parking is banned on the main roads.
From Kansai and the east, leave the Hiroshima-Iwakuni Road at Hatsukaichi IC. From Kyushu and the west, leave at Ono IC. Either way it is about 10 minutes to the parking lots around Miyajimaguchi, according to Miyajima Matsudai Steamship’s access page. Prices differ by lot, so read the sign before you park. The city links to a parking availability page for Miyajimaguchi, which it updates only in busy periods. We could not open that page automatically, so we have not checked what it shows.
Hiroshima Prefecture lists eight park-and-ride routes to avoid the Miyajimaguchi traffic jams. Two of them:
- Chu-pea Park lot: about 400 spaces, ¥1,000 for 24 hours. The free shuttle bus is not running now.
- Lot next to JR Maezora Station: park there and take the JR Sanyo Line to JR Miyajimaguchi Station, about 2 minutes.
The prefecture’s page (Japanese, posted May 19, 2026) shows all eight routes.
5. How crowded is it in autumn and at New Year?
Depends on the provider
The Miyajima Tourist Association says November is the busiest season of the year, and that the ferries often run every 10 minutes instead of every 15. The same blog says that on a weekday, mornings before 10:00 are far quieter than midday. It suggests going before 10:00 and eating lunch after 10:00. That post is from August 2022, so treat it as a general pattern. For where to see the leaves, see Autumn Leaves in Hiroshima 2026: Miyajima, Shukkeien and Sandankyo Compared.
JR West Miyajima Ferry has a busy-day timetable and a New Year timetable besides the regular one, and it sometimes adds extra sailings. For example, it ran an extra boat from Miyajima at 20:55 on October 7, 2026 for the Itsukushima moon-viewing Noh. Matsudai stops its regular service in the 20:00 hour on December 31. It restarts at 22:45 that night, for New Year. Check the company’s page on the day you travel.
6. Which way should I go?
- By train from Hiroshima Station: JR to Miyajimaguchi Station, then walk to the ferry. This avoids the traffic jams on the road.
- By streetcar: Matsudai’s terminal is next to Hiroden-miyajima-guchi Station. JR West Miyajima Ferry is closer to JR Miyajimaguchi Station.
- With a rail pass: JR West Miyajima Ferry accepts the Japan Rail Pass and the JR-West Rail Pass, according to its English page.
- With young children: preschool children pay neither the fare nor the visitor tax.
- By car: leave the car at Miyajimaguchi, or use a park-and-ride lot.
- From the Peace Park: the World Heritage Sea Route takes about 45 minutes. You can reserve a day ahead, though seats are unreserved.
Common questions
How much is the one-way fare from Miyajimaguchi?
An adult pays ¥200 plus the ¥100 visitor tax, so ¥300. An elementary school child pays ¥100 plus ¥100, so ¥200. The trip back from Miyajima has no tax, so an adult pays ¥200.
Is there any difference between the two ferry companies?
The fare is the same and each crossing takes about 10 minutes. The boarding points and timetables differ. Matsudai is next to Hiroden-miyajima-guchi Station.
Do I need to book the ferry from Miyajimaguchi?
No. Hatsukaichi City’s page lists the two ferries with a boat about every 15 minutes, and Aqua Net Hiroshima says you can board its fast boat without a booking. Reservations are available for the World Heritage Sea Route, and the Hiroshima Port ship asks for one.
From what age do children pay?
JR West Miyajima Ferry charges the child fare from age 6 to under 12. Matsudai charges it to elementary school students. Preschool children are free on both.
Next steps
- Compare where to see the leaves: Autumn Leaves in Hiroshima 2026: Miyajima, Shukkeien and Sandankyo Compared.
- Plan your streetcar rides: Hiroshima Streetcar and Bus Fares (2026): ¥240 by IC Card, ¥220 with MOBIRY DAYS.
Sources (checked October 2026)
7 pages we checked
- Fares (JR West Miyajima Ferry, English), timetable (Japanese) and access (English)
- Fares, boarding guide (Miyajima Matsudai Steamship, English), timetable
- Miyajimaguchi–Miyajima route, World Heritage Sea Route and FAQ (Aqua Net Hiroshima, English)
- Miyajima–Hiroshima fares (Setonaikaikisen, English) and timetable (Japanese)
- Miyajima visitor tax (Hatsukaichi City, Japanese) and access to Miyajima (Hatsukaichi City, Japanese)
- Access (Miyajima Tourist Association, Japanese) and autumn leaves guide (August 2022, Japanese)
- Miyajimaguchi traffic measures (Hiroshima Prefecture, Japanese)
Fares and times can change. Pages marked “Japanese” have no English version. Photo: Pexels (Dmitry Romanoff).
