Travel Guide
Miyajima Ferry Guide 2026: ¥100 Visitor Tax, JR Ferry, Great Torii Route, and Itsukushima Shrine Hours
For a Hiroshima day trip to Miyajima and Itsukushima Shrine, the confusing part isn’t only the ferry fare—it’s also the visitor tax and the timetable.
ByMomentBook EditorialPublishedUpdated
For a Hiroshima day trip to Miyajima and Itsukushima Shrine, the confusing part isn’t only the ferry fare—it’s also the visitor tax and the timetable. As checked on official pages on April 27, 2026, visitors entering Miyajima by boat generally pay the Miyajima Visitor Tax of ¥100 per person per visit.
This guide focuses on the JR Miyajima Ferry from Miyajimaguchi, the Great Torii route window, and the official hours and admission fees for Itsukushima Shrine. Fares and timetables can change, so recheck the official pages before boarding.
What to know first
- The Miyajima Visitor Tax is ¥100 per person per visit for people entering Miyajima by boat.
- Preschool children are exempt from the visitor tax.
- JR West Miyajima Ferry lists the standard fare as ¥180 one way for adults and ¥90 one way for children, with the visitor tax charged separately.
- JR West Miyajima Ferry says Japan Rail Pass and JR-WEST Rail Pass can be used.
- The ferry trip takes about 10 minutes, and Miyajimaguchi departures from 9:10 to 16:10 are marked as Great Torii ferry services.
- Itsukushima Shrine closing time changes by season; from March 1 to October 14, hours are 6:30–18:00.
How the visitor tax works
Hatsukaichi City explains that the Miyajima Visitor Tax is a local tax used to support sustainable tourism on Miyajima. When boarding a boat to the island, you pay it to the boat company along with your boarding fee; at a ticket machine or service window, it’s collected as part of the boarding ticket you buy before boarding.
If you use a transportation IC card at the automatic gates, the gates for JR West Miyajima Ferry and Miyajima Matsudai Kisen Tourist Ship automatically charge the visitor tax together with the boarding fee. If you already bought a travel-agency discount ticket or a special event ticket, check whether the tax is included; otherwise you may need to pay it separately at the boat company window.
JR ferry timetable and Great Torii route
JR West Miyajima Ferry’s regular timetable lists the first Miyajimaguchi departure at 6:25 and the last at 22:42. From Miyajima, regular departures run from 5:45 to 22:14, and the operator notes that every ferry also transports cars.
Services leaving Miyajimaguchi from 9:10 to 16:10 are marked as Great Torii ferry services. The operator says travel time is the same as regular ferries, so this is the practical window if you want the sea-side view of the shrine gate.
Itsukushima Shrine hours and admission
Itsukushima Shrine’s official page lists the shrine as open year-round. Hours are:
- 6:30–17:30 from January 4 to the end of February
- 6:30–18:00 from March 1 to October 14
- 6:30–17:30 from October 15 to November 30
- 6:30–17:00 in December
Admission to Itsukushima Shrine is ¥300 for adults, ¥200 for high school students, and ¥100 for elementary or junior high school students.
A combined ticket with the Treasure Hall costs ¥500 for adults, ¥300 for high school students, and ¥150 for elementary or junior high school students. The shrine says combined tickets are available only at the shrine entrance.
Route and footwear
The shrine access page says JR Hiroshima Station to JR Miyajimaguchi Station takes about 30 minutes on the Sanyō Main Line, followed by a walk to the ferry port and about 10 minutes by ferry from Miyajimaguchi Port to Miyajima Island. By Hiroden streetcar, it is about one hour from Kamiyacho (central Hiroshima) to Hiroden Miyajimaguchi.
Itsukushima Shrine has no parking. The shrine also notes that the corridor floorboards have small gaps to ease sea pressure at high tide, so wear comfortable shoes; high heels may get stuck.