Hiroshima and Miyajima 2-Day Itinerary for a Large Family with Kids of Mixed Ages: Strollers, Nursing Rooms, Ferry Fares and Rooms for Eight

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A 2-day Hiroshima and Miyajima itinerary for families visiting Japan with kids of different ages, from a baby or toddler to a teenager. It covers which station to board at, who rides the ferry free, where to find nursing rooms and stroller loans, when to split the group, and how to check whether a room really sleeps eight.

Who this plan is for

The model family is two adults and six children aged 1, 3, 6, 9, 11 and 13. You arrive at Hiroshima Station by Shinkansen and do not rent a car. Miyajima has no visitor parking, the tourist association advises against driving, and there are only two taxis on the island, so a large family moves by tram, train, ferry and on foot.

Conclusion: Spend day 1 in central Hiroshima at places that are free and have nursing rooms, move to Miyajimaguchi in the late afternoon and stay near the ferry. On day 2 do Itsukushima Shrine early, then the aquarium. Send only the older kids with one adult up the ropeway. Admission for the whole family over two days comes to about 8,100 yen with this split.

This is a research-based itinerary, not a report of a trip we took. Every price, time and facility below was checked on the official websites on 2026-10-09.

Fit by age

Place	Baby/toddler	Elementary-age child	Teenager	Note
Peace Memorial Museum	Better to wait in the park	Good for upper grades	Core of the trip	Free for junior high and younger
Hiroshima Gate Park	Playground, mist fountain	Room to run	Cafés for a break	Park is free
Children’s Museum (Kodomo Bunka Kagakukan)	Ground-floor exhibits	Free planetarium	Science exhibits	Free entry, closed Mondays
Itsukushima Shrine	Fine early in the morning	Great gate and tides	World Heritage site	Gaps in the corridor floor
Miyajima Aquarium	Nursing room, stroller loan	Excellent	Good	Closed Dec 1 2026 to Mar 31 2027
Miyajima Ropeway	Not suitable, strollers held at base	Upper grades	Excellent	Split option only

Practical quick reference

Need	Hiroshima city (day 1)	Miyajima (day 2)
Stroller	The Peace Memorial Museum lends 4 strollers and will store yours. Gate Park is mostly step-free	Strollers roll onto the ferry. The aquarium lends strollers free from 2 months old. The ropeway does not carry strollers and holds them at Momijidani station
Nursing and diapers	SHIMINT building at Gate Park, 1st floor: 2 private rooms, 2 changing tables, hot water for formula. At the museum, ask at the information desk to be shown to a nursing room	Aquarium nursing room next to the 1st-floor information desk, with changing table. Ask staff for hot water. The etto mall at Miyajimaguchi reportedly has a nursing room, but we could not confirm it on an official page
Toilets	Museum: changing-table toilets in the main building, east building 1F and B1	Aquarium: changing tables in the multipurpose toilets on both floors. Use the toilets at the pier before the shrine
Nap	45 to 90 minutes around 13:00 on the Gate Park lawn or in a café	About 60 minutes around 13:00 at the aquarium’s 2nd-floor food corner, or return to the hotel
Meals	Restaurants inside Gate Park. Plan to sit at two tables	Ueno’s anago (conger eel) rice box at Miyajimaguchi can be reserved. The dining room cannot be reserved and closes when sold out
Rain	Switch to the Children’s Museum and the indoor part of Gate Park	Stay longer at the aquarium. During its winter closure, shorten the island and return to the city

Day 1: Hiroshima Station to the Peace Park, overnight near Miyajimaguchi

Time	Plan	Transit and buffer	Family note
10:30	Arrive Hiroshima Station. Put big bags in a coin locker or send them to the hotel	15-minute buffer	Momijido has a shop in the ekie station mall
11:00	Hiroden tram to Genbaku Dome-mae	About 20 minutes	Flat fare. Up to 3 preschoolers ride free per paying passenger
11:30	Peace Memorial Park. Teenager plus one adult go into the museum; baby, toddler and one adult stay in the park	60 minutes	The museum is crowded at midday and recommends early morning or evening with a web reservation
12:45	Walk to Hiroshima Gate Park for lunch and a nap	About 10 minutes on foot plus 90 minutes	Nursing room with hot water in SHIMINT 1F
14:30	Children’s Museum, a short walk away. Aim for the 15:00 planetarium show	75 minutes	Entry free. Planetarium 510 yen per adult, free for kids
16:00	Tram to Miyajimaguchi, or back to Hiroshima Station and JR to Miyajimaguchi	Tram about 70 minutes, JR about 28 minutes	If the baby naps at this hour, the no-transfer tram is easier
17:30	Check in at Miyajimaguchi or on the island	Ferry about 10 minutes	Toilet stop before boarding if you sleep on the island

Day 2: Itsukushima Shrine, aquarium, anago rice, back to Hiroshima

Time	Plan	Transit and buffer	Family note
8:30	Ferry to Miyajima	About 10 minutes	Preschoolers are exempt from the 100-yen visitor tax
9:00	Itsukushima Shrine before the tour groups	60 minutes	The corridor floor has gaps; thin stroller wheels and heels can catch
10:15	Fried momiji manju at Momijido main shop	30 minutes	Order for eight at once instead of hopping between shops
10:45	Walk to Miyajima Aquarium and borrow a stroller inside	About 10 minutes on foot plus 120 minutes	Open 9:00 to 17:00, last entry 16:00
13:00	Break at the 2nd-floor food corner	60 minutes	Split option: teenager, 11-year-old and one adult go to the ropeway
15:00	Ferry back. Collect the reserved anago rice boxes at Ueno	About 10 minutes plus 30 minutes	Boxes can be reserved; the dining room cannot
16:00	JR to Hiroshima Station, then Shinkansen	About 28 minutes	On weekends and in autumn-leaf season leave 30 minutes earlier for ferry queues

Getting there: which station, which ticket

From Hiroshima Station, the JR Sanyo Line reaches Miyajimaguchi in about 28 minutes. From the JR exit, follow the underpass to the ferry terminal. The Hiroden tram runs from the Peace Park area to Hiroden-Miyajimaguchi with no transfer but takes about 70 minutes. Two ferry companies, JR West Miyajima Ferry and Miyajima Matsudai Kisen, cross in about 10 minutes.

JR ferry fares are 200 yen per adult and 100 yen per child aged 6 to 11. Up to two preschoolers ride free per paying passenger. The 100-yen Miyajima visitor tax is added to the fare and preschoolers are exempt. The Hiroden one-day tram and ferry pass is 1,000 yen per adult and 550 yen per child, covers all tram lines plus the Matsudai ferry, and already includes the visitor tax. It is valid on the purchase day only, so for this two-day plan you would buy it on day 2 only if you return to the city by tram.

Item	Who pays	Family of 8
JR ferry, one way	2 adults and the 13-year-old at 200 yen, 3 elementary kids at 100 yen, 2 preschoolers free	900 yen (1,800 yen return)
Visitor tax	6 people over preschool age at 100 yen	600 yen
Hiroden one-day tram and ferry pass	3 adult passes (teen counts as adult), 3 child passes, preschoolers free	4,650 yen
Itsukushima Shrine	Adults 300 yen, junior high 100 yen, elementary 100 yen	1,000 yen
Miyajima Aquarium	Adults 1,420 yen, junior high 710 yen, elementary 710 yen, under 4 free	5,680 yen
Peace Memorial Museum	Adults 200 yen, junior high and younger free	400 yen
Children’s Museum planetarium	Adults 510 yen, kids free	1,020 yen
Ropeway return, split option	2 adult fares at 2,000 yen (adult plus 13-year-old), 1 child fare at 1,000 yen	5,000 yen

If all eight ride the ropeway, the return fare is 9,000 yen: three adult fares, three child fares, and two preschoolers free (one free child per accompanying adult). The split saves 4,000 yen and, more importantly, protects the toddler’s nap. JR train fares between Hiroshima and Miyajimaguchi are shown in journey planners at about 420 yen per adult, but check the JR West fare table before you go.

Place by place

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

Admission is 200 yen for adults, 100 yen for high school students, free for junior high and younger. Open 7:30 to 19:00 from March to July and September to November, 7:30 to 20:00 in August, 7:30 to 18:00 from December to February. Closed December 30 and 31 and in mid-February. Midday crowds can trigger entry limits, so the museum suggests early morning or evening with a web reservation. The content is heavy for small children, so one adult waits outside with the youngest.

Hiroshima Gate Park

Built on the former city baseball stadium site next to the Peace Park. The park is free with a playground and a mist fountain. The prefectural tourism federation’s accessibility page lists nursing rooms in the SHIMINT building 1F (two private rooms, two changing tables, hot water) and at the park office. Standard guides skip it, but it is the easiest place in central Hiroshima to feed eight people and let a toddler nap.

Hiroshima Children’s Museum

Free entry. Planetarium shows are free for preschool, elementary and junior high kids, 510 yen for adults. Shows start hourly from 10:00 to 16:00 on weekends, holidays and school breaks, and at 11:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00 on other weekdays. Tickets for the whole day are issued from 9:00 at the 1st-floor counter, so pick them up early. Closed Mondays (except holidays), the weekday after a holiday, and December 29 to January 3.

Itsukushima Shrine

Entry is 300 yen for adults, 200 yen for high school students, 100 yen for elementary and junior high. A combined ticket with the treasure hall is 500, 300 and 150 yen. Opening hours shift by season: 6:30 to 18:00 from March 1 to October 14, 6:30 to 17:30 until November 30, 6:30 to 17:00 in December. The raised corridor has deliberate gaps between boards, and the shrine warns that heels can catch. Carry the baby or use wide wheels.

Miyajima Aquarium

Adults 1,420 yen, elementary and junior high 710 yen, children 4 and over 400 yen, under 4 free. Open 9:00 to 17:00 with last entry at 16:00. The aquarium is closed from December 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027. Facilities listed in the official FAQ: a nursing room with changing table beside the 1st-floor information desk, hot water on request, free stroller loan from 2 months old (limited numbers), changing tables in the multipurpose toilets, and a food and drink corner on the 2nd floor. This is the rainy-day anchor of day 2, so a winter trip needs a different second day.

Miyajima Ropeway (older kids only)

Return fare 2,000 yen for ages 12 and up, 1,000 yen for ages 6 to 11. One preschooler per accompanying adult rides free; a second pays the child fare. Up from 9:00 to 16:00, down from 9:20 to 16:30. Strollers cannot be taken on board and are held at Momijidani station. A free shuttle bus runs from near the pier from 9:50 at roughly 20-minute intervals. On certain peak days in October and November a reservation is required.

Local food that works for eight

Momijido invented fried momiji manju. The main shop on the island is open about 9:00 to 17:30, with branches at ekie in Hiroshima Station and the etto mall at Miyajimaguchi. Ueno at Miyajimaguchi sells anago rice boxes from 9:00 to 19:00 (18:00 on Wednesdays), with no closing day, but sells out. Boxes can be reserved; the 1st-floor dining room cannot. Reserve boxes for eight and eat them on the train.

Where to stay: rooms that officially sleep eight

Only two properties near Miyajima list an eight-person room on their official room pages. Prices change, so confirm on the booking screen.

Property	Location	Room for 8	Beds and child policy	Best for
Omotenashi Hostel Miyajima	Jigozen, Miyajimaguchi side	Japanese-Western room and Western rooms A/B, 8 guests, 32 m²	Four bunk beds. Children 5 and under free, one per adult	Budget stays; kids who love bunk beds
Miyajima Shiro	On the island	“Asagiri”, up to 8 guests, wood deck and loft	Bed count and co-sleeping policy not listed. Pets allowed in all rooms	Families who want the shrine at opening time

Japan-specific points: many inns count a co-sleeping child without a separate futon as free or discounted, but each property sets its own age limit, so ask before booking. Tatami rooms are shoes-off; the hostel’s Japanese-style room uses futon on the floor, which suits a crawling baby better than a loft. If neither room is available, book two rooms with a capacity of six or more and split into one adult with the little ones and one adult with the older kids.

Staying connected

Ferry timetables, tide tables and planetarium times all live on Japanese websites, and the split-group plan depends on the two adults being able to message each other. A Japan eSIM set up before you land avoids hunting for Wi-Fi with eight people in tow.

Get a Japan eSIM for your trip

Whole-group plan, split plan, short plan

Whole group: follow the tables above, keep the museum to 60 minutes, skip the ropeway.
Split: day 1 museum (teen, 11-year-old, one adult) versus Gate Park (the rest). Day 2 ropeway after 13:00 versus staying at the aquarium. Meet at the Miyajima pier at 15:00.
Short: drop the Children’s Museum, reach Miyajimaguchi by 15:00 and rest at the hotel. On day 2 do only the shrine and the aquarium and take the 14:00 ferry back.
Cut-off: aquarium last entry 16:00 and last ropeway descent 16:30. Keep the 15:00 pier meeting.

Bad weather and other fallbacks

Rain on day 1: Children’s Museum plus the indoor floors of Gate Park. Rain on day 2: stay longer at the aquarium. Aquarium closed (winter 2026-27): visit the shrine early and return to Hiroshima for indoor sights. Museum entry limits: switch to the park and Gate Park. Ueno sold out: eat at ekie in Hiroshima Station. Ropeway reservation day or suspension: cancel the split and keep everyone at the aquarium.

Recheck before you book

Miyajima Aquarium winter closure, December 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027
Children’s Museum closing days and the day’s planetarium schedule
Peace Memorial Museum crowd advisories and web reservation
Itsukushima Shrine seasonal hours and the tide table
Ropeway reservation-only days and suspensions
JR fare Hiroshima to Miyajimaguchi on the JR West fare table
Bed count, baby cot availability and co-sleeping rules for the eight-person rooms
How to reserve Ueno’s anago rice boxes and current prices
Whether the etto mall nursing room exists (not confirmed on an official page)

FAQ

Is the ferry hard with a baby? The crossing is about 10 minutes, strollers roll on, and preschoolers ride free and skip the visitor tax. Change diapers on the Miyajimaguchi side first.

Can the teenager go up the ropeway alone? This plan only shows the option with one adult along. Reaching Momijidani station means a walk or the free shuttle.

Can eight people eat together? Reserve the anago boxes. At Gate Park and the aquarium, expect to use two tables.

Sources and date checked

All information was checked on 2026-10-09 on the official pages below. Prices, hours and closures change, so verify again before departure.