| there's also a gender-segregated, communal bathhouse with saunas, and indoor and open-air hot spring pools. check-in time: 3:00 pmcheck-out time: 10:00 am. upgraded rooms add bay views. overlooking hiroshima bay and miyajima island, this upscale hot spring hotel is 13 minutes' walk from miyajimaguchi train station and 4 km from the itsukushima shrine. other amenities include a sleek bar, and a restaurant with bay views. breakfast and parking are available. loaner bikes, a train station shuttle and an island water taxi are free. some quarters feature tatami floors and traditional short-legged tables. streamlined rooms offer wi-fi and flat-screens, plus minifridges and kettles
Matsuyama Airport 3 hr 41
Itsukushima Shrine (34 min)
Venerable 16th-century Shinto shrine, famed for an iconic orange gate that floats at high tide. Momijidani Park (40 min)
Tranquil park with hundreds of maple trees, known for fall colors, plus a traditional inn & eatery. Shukkeien (36 min)
Serene city garden dating to the 16th century, with a koi pond, a tea shop & flowering trees. Senjokaku Pavilion (34 min)
Wooden Momoyama-period shrine commissioned by samurai Toyotomi Hideyoshi, overlooking the sea. Miyajima Omotesandō Shōtengai (Kiyomori-dōri) (31 min)
Lively stretch lined with souvenir shops & street-food stalls serving dishes like grilled oysters. Miyajima Public Aquarium (41 min)
Compact, family-friendly aquarium with whale tanks, penguin pools, sea lion shows & a picnic area. Kintai Bridge (29 min)
200-meter wooden span comprising 5 arches with ornate timberwork, dating to 1673 & since rebuilt. Peace Memorial Park - Hiroshima (29 min)
Memorial park dedicated to the victims of the atomic bomb & advocating for world peace since 1954. Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (30 min)
Popular museum documenting the WWII atomic-bomb blast in Hiroshima via exhibits, artifacts & talks. Atomic Bomb Dome (32 min)
Iconic remains of the Industrial Promotion Hall which was destroyed by the atomic bomb during WWII. Mount Misen (1 hr 3)
Paths & cable car rides lead up to this mountain peak with views that stretch as far as Hiroshima. Daishoin (44 min)
Venerable Buddhist temple complex, founded in 806 CE, with many halls & carved stone images. Daiganji (38 min)
Intimate, traditional temple from the 1200s, with several statues of the Buddha & goddess Benzaiten. Hiroshima Castle (35 min)
Contemporary recreation of a destroyed 16th-century castle offering a history museum & city views. Itsukushima Floating Torii Gate (Temporarily Under Construction) (36 min)
One of Japan's most revered sites, this ancient Shinto shrine seems to float on water at high tide. | 
