Things to Do Alone in Hiroshima (Tram Lines, Quiet Museums)

Hiroshima is easy to do alone because one tram network ties the main sites together and most of them are quiet, slow places where nobody expects company. This page starts with the Peace Memorial Museum and the park around it, then adds a free hospital museum, a garden, two art museums, a food building and a tram-and-ferry day to Miyajima.

Checked 2026-11-01 against official sites. For museum habits in general, see alone at a museum. If you are also visiting Kansai, see Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto; to the west, see Fukuoka.

Start with the tram

Hiroshima Electric Railway (Hiroden) runs the streetcars. Its "How to Ride" page says tickets are not sold and you pay as you get off, you can board from all doors, and you push the buzzer by the window when your stop is announced. You can touch in with Kitaca, PASMO, Suica, manaca, TOICA, ICOCA, HAYAKAKEN, nimoca or SUGOCA (Hiroden: how to ride).

The operator's sightseeing page gives Hiroshima Station to the Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Park as 13 minutes on Line 2 or 6, and Hiroshima Station to Miyajima-guchi as 49 minutes on Line 2, then a 10-minute ferry (Hiroden: sightseeing). A 1 Day Streetcar Pass is listed at 700 yen for adults, and a 1 Day Streetcar and Ferry Pass at 1,000 yen, sold at the transportation information center in Hiroshima Station (Hiroden: 1-Day Trip Card). Prices last checked 2026-11-01.

The Peace Memorial Park and Museum

The Hiroshima Prefecture tourism guide calls the Atomic Bomb Dome a World Heritage Site and "a place where you can remember the horrors of war and think about the future." It suggests walking the Dome, Peace Memorial Park, the Museum and Orizuru Tower in that order (Dive! Hiroshima).

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (Peace Memorial Park, Naka-ku) describes itself this way: a single atomic bomb "indiscriminately killed tens of thousands of people, profoundly disrupting and altering the lives of the survivors", and the museum uses belongings left by victims, A-bombed artifacts and survivor testimonies to convey the horrors and the inhumane nature of nuclear weapons (museum website).

Practical points from the museum's visiting page (hours and admission):

Open 7:30 to 19:00 from September to November, and 7:30 to 18:00 from December to February. Closed 30 and 31 December and mid-February.
Adults 200 yen. Junior high school students and younger are free.
Entering the permanent exhibition during the extended hours needs a prior online reservation.
Please keep quiet so as not to disturb other visitors. Large bags are not allowed, and coin lockers are on the first floor of the East Building.

Being alone helps here: you can stop as long as you want at any display. The museum rents audio guides at the counter on the first floor of the East Building, written from the perspective of victims, survivors and their families, and the Hiroshima Peace Volunteers give free guided information on the exhibits and the monuments in and around the park (guide services). Aogiri, the visitor's lounge on the first floor of the East Building, is open to the public for light meals and drinks (lounge and cafe).

A free museum in a surviving hospital

The Former Outpatient Wing of Hiroshima Teishin Hospital Peace Museum (Higashihakushima-cho, Naka-ku) was built in 1935 as a hospital for postal ministry staff and families, and the museum page says it preserves the memories of the staff and countless others who struggled amid the devastation. It is free, open 9:00 to 17:00 and closed Mondays (except 6 August and public holidays), the first weekday after a public holiday, and 29 December to 3 January. A video of about 20 minutes, with Japanese and English subtitles, starts at 10 and 40 minutes past each hour, with the last screening at 16:10 (Peace Memorial Museum: Teishin Hospital).

Art, a garden and a castle ground

Hiroshima Museum of Art (central Hiroshima, near the Kamiyacho-higashi tram stop). Open 9:00 to 17:00 with entry until 16:30, and until 19:00 on Saturdays during special exhibitions. Closed Mondays except during special exhibitions. The special exhibition "Artists at the Cafe" runs until 11 January 2027, and Cafe Jardin is on site (museum).
Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art (Hijiyama Park). Open 10:00 to 17:00 and closed Mondays. The collection exhibition is 350 yen for adults and free on the third Sunday of each month (visitor information, Japanese).
Shukkeien (縮景園), a garden in Naka-ku. From 16 September to 15 March it is open 9:00 to 17:00 with entry until 16:30, closed 29 to 31 December, 350 yen for adults (Shukkeien guide, Japanese).
Hiroshima Castle grounds (Moto-machi). The official site says the main tower closed in March 2026 for safety reasons, and the exterior can still be viewed. The reconstructed Ninomaru buildings are free, open 9:00 to 16:30 from October to March (entry until 30 minutes before closing), and closed 8 December and 29 to 31 December (Hiroshima Castle, Japanese).

Okonomiyaki, one stall at a time

The Japan National Tourism Organization calls okonomiyaki Hiroshima's claim to fame: a savory pancake-style dish with shredded vegetables, meat and the noodles that set it apart from other regional versions. It points to Okonomimura, a building of small restaurant stalls in downtown Hiroshima, and says some stalls offer English menus and most can cater to vegetarians (JNTO). The prefecture's own food page adds that variations include udon in place of soba (Dive! Hiroshima: local food).

Stall seating is a good solo format: you sit near the griddle and watch the cook. For habits that make this easier, see how to eat alone in public.

A view from Orizuru Tower

Hiroshima Orizuru Tower is next to the Dome area. The observatory and shop are listed open 10:00 to 19:00, with ticket sales and the rooftop entrance closing at 18:00 (July to September hours are longer). Check the site's notices for changed hours; the cafes have their own calendar (Orizuru Tower: opening hours).

A day to Miyajima by tram and ferry

The Miyajima Tourist Association says the ferry from Miyajimaguchi pier takes about 10 minutes, with two operators, JR and Miyajima Matsudai Kisen (access). It describes the island as 9 km long and 4 km wide, and lists the Marodo Shrine at Itsukushima Shrine as a National Treasure (Itsukushima Shrine). Mt. Misen, in the centre of the island, has a panoramic view and an "Eternal Fire" said to have burned for over 1,200 years (Mt. Misen).

First solo outings

Easy: Tram to the Peace Memorial Park, walk the park, then the Teishin Hospital museum (free, closed Mondays).
Medium: The Peace Memorial Museum with an audio guide, then a counter seat at Okonomimura.
Bold: Tram Line 2 to Miyajima-guchi, the ferry and a walk on Mt. Misen, going and returning alone.

Solo Era for iPhone

Take the tram loop

Solo Era has a travel mission at level 2: "Explore a nearby city by its accessible tram loop." Choose a daytime tram route, stop at one attraction and complete the loop alone. Hiroshima's streetcars are a straightforward place to try it. Free to download. A subscription is required to start missions. Prices and any free trial are shown in the app and depend on the offer and eligibility.

More cities are in the cities hub. For general planning see the new-city guide and first solo trip tips.

Details change; check the venue before you go.

FAQ

How much is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum?

The museum lists adults at 200 yen and junior high school students and younger as free. Check the museum's page for current rates.

Can I use an IC card on Hiroshima's trams?

Hiroden lists nine cards, including Suica, PASMO and ICOCA, and says you touch the card on the reader. You pay when you get off.

Is there a free museum about the atomic bombing?

The Former Outpatient Wing of Hiroshima Teishin Hospital Peace Museum lists free admission and is closed on Mondays.

Can I go up Hiroshima Castle's tower?

The castle's official site says the tower closed in March 2026, but the reconstructed Ninomaru buildings are free to enter.

How long does it take to reach Miyajima?

Hiroden lists 49 minutes on Line 2 from Hiroshima Station to Miyajima-guchi, then about 10 minutes by ferry.

Sources (checked 2026-11-01)