Hiroshima & Miyajima: Unesco A-bomb Dome & Itsukushima With Local

We had an absolutely wonderful experience exploring Miyajima Island and Hiroshima with our guide, Yuka! The tour was the perfect combination of breathtaking scenery, fascinating culture, and powerful history. Miyajima Island was an unexpected highlight, especially seeing the famous floating torii gate at high tide. Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park and museum were incredibly moving and educational. Yuka was knowledgeable, friendly, and made the entire experience enjoyable and seamless. She shared wonderful insights into Japanese history and culture that made each stop even more meaningful. We highly recommend this tour and Yuka to anyone visiting Hiroshima. Don’t miss Miyajima Island!

What a great tour of Hiroshima! We met Yuka at the ferry terminal and proceeded to cross the bay over to Miyajima to view the famous floating Torrey Gates and the beautiful temple in the hills. Yuka guided us through the busy shopping streets for some truly unique souvenirs. Next we viewed the nuclear dome in town and the Hiroshima Peace Museum and Memorial. It was a somber but very educational trip. Finally, Yuka guided us to the Carp team store so I could get some baseball souvenirs 😂 Yuka was great and I highly recommend the tour!

We had a fabulous time in Hiroshima with our friendly and knowledgable guide Yuka. She was patient with all our questions, never rushed us, and had tremendous knowledge of the area and its history. We are very glad we had her as our guide and recommend her most highly.

Our guide Masa was outstanding. Knowledgeable, punctual, organised and fun. We had an amazing tour of Hiroshima and Miyajima island. Highly recommendedz

We had an absolutely wonderful experience in Hiroshima & Miyajima with Masa, our guide for the day! She contacted us many times prior to our arrival to coordinate and gain insight into our must-haves for the day. Upon arrival, she met us promptly at the port, and she expertly guided us to our destinations, while providing just the right amount of commentary and information. I had mentioned that I was looking to purchase 2 particular vintage items, and she knew just the right spots to acquire them on Miyajima! With immediate family survivors of Hiroshima, Masa provided a unique perspective to that historical and tragic event. Our day was well organized to make the most of our limited time on shore, and we felt respected and appreciated as visitors. Masa is the best!

This was an impactful and memorable tour with the best local tour guide! Masayo K. (Masa) was our licensed tour guide who made this tour unforgettable! As soon as I booked the tour on Viator, Masa contacted me to plan our itinerary. She gave me tips about our train trip from Kyoto and meeting spot for Hiroshima. Even though we missed our train departure time, Masa still honored the entire agreed upon duration of the tour. She gave first hand account of her parents’ experiences with the atomic bomb in WW2. Her stories made us feel the impact of that day on the Japanese people. She didn’t rush us and let us stop at the gift shop and offered bathroom breaks even though we started our tour over an hour late. Masa was so kind and helpful with our children! She sat next to our youngest child and helped him with lunch. She even offered to pay for her own meal, but we insisted on treating her. After Hiroshima, she paid for a taxi instead of taking the train since we were running behind. She took us on the ferry and walked us around Miyajima Island and took photos of us at the floating Tori gate. She educated us on the history and little details we would otherwise have missed. She even helped us translate our fortunes at the temple. We stayed the night on Miyajima, and Masa suggested taking the ropeway the next morning for a breathtaking scenic water view. She was absolutely correct! Taking this tour with Mass was like walking through Japan with a kind friend. We all loved her! She was truly amazing, and I highly recommend this tour!

The tour with Masa made the trip! After 2 weeks in Japan and a number of tours I was worried our 3 kids wouldn’t make it through 7 hours of Hiroshima and Miwajima, Masa made sure we all had an awesome time beginning to end. Masa is fun, knowledgeable and an all around lovely person. Book in confidence, she’s awesome!

I booked this tour via tripadvisor. I was attracted by its good reviews. Masa ,the tour guide contacted me directly soon after my reservation. I was very impressed to her attention to details ,hardworking and speedy response. She planned our daytrip very well , attending to our needs . She sent us kind reminders prior to our trip . On the day of our walking tour , we enjoyed it thoroughly. Masa gave us detail explanation of the history of Miyajima and Hiroshima. She took us to explore the hidden gem ...Itsukushima Daishoin...It was beautiful. We had good lunch in a small local restaurant on the island Miyajima , Masa is a lively , caring , cheerful and passionate about her own culture. She spoke very good English. We had a wonderful day with her . She is the best tour guide we had . I certainly will book her again whenever I'm back to Hiroshima. I would highly recommend her walking tour .

If you made it this far looking for reviews before making a decision on whether to book this tour or not, let me save you some time and tell you to go with this one with your eyes closed. We had an INCREDIBLE time at Miyajima and Hiroshima and our expectations were beyond surpassed. Child and adults, everyone had a great time. We visited all the sights we were looking forward to seeing and discovered new places we weren’t aware of. Masa was knowledgeable, friendly, accommodating, and fun - the perfect tour guide. She also has a deep connection to Hiroshima which made our time with her extra special. My one regret is that I don’t know when we will see Masa again in the future. She made our day a very special one!

Our tour guide Rie was wonderful. We met at a near by hotel. From there we took the trains all around Osaka. We ate a snack together. She was very accommodating. We want to go the good places for street food and see a garden or waterfall. She checked all the boxes and made sure we got back to our ship.

Mass was so friendly & welcoming. Her wealth of knowledge and connection to Hiroshima was outstanding. Very much recommend this tour! Thank you Masa 🫶🏻

We had the absolute privilege of spending the day with Masa in Miyajima and Hiroshima, and it was truly one of the most meaningful experiences of our trip. Masa is the kindest, most warm-hearted guide you could hope for. Her personality is infectious -- thoughtful, passionate, and so deeply committed to sharing the spirit and history of the places she calls home. In Miyajima, she beautifully wove together the stories of Buddhist and Shinto traditions, helping us understand not just the landmarks, but the living culture and beliefs that shape them. In Hiroshima, she guided us through the history of the bombing with incredible care and depth, sharing both historical context and her own family’s personal experiences. It was moving in a way that felt intimate and human. Spending the day with Masa felt less like a tour and more like being shown around by an old friend. She welcomed us with such generosity and sincerity, and we left feeling deeply grateful. If you have the opportunity to tour with Masa, don’t miss the chance to learn from her and connect with her. It will stay with you long after your visit ends.

Masa was a wonderful guide who was patient and kind with everyone in our large family group. She personalized the tour and allowed us to explore Miyajima and Hiroshima at our own pace. Masa has a beautiful connection to the area and history. We learned a lot on our tour and would highly recommend her!

We had a great experience with Masa at our Hiroshima tour! We were a family with 6 children ages 7 to 14 and they had a great time and it was very interesting for them. We all had such an amazing experience and highly recommend this tour!

We had an absolutely outstanding experience with our tour guide in Hiroshima, and I can’t recommend her highly enough. From the very beginning, she was warm, knowledgeable, and incredibly attentive, making sure every part of our visit was meaningful and memorable. Her depth of knowledge about Hiroshima’s history, culture, and resilience was truly impressive. She shared powerful stories and insights that brought each location to life in a way we never could have experienced on our own. At the same time, she balanced the emotional weight of the history with thoughtful context and moments of lightness, creating a well-rounded and deeply respectful experience. What stood out most was her genuine care for our group. She was patient, engaging, and always happy to answer questions, tailoring the tour to our interests and pace. Her passion for her city was evident in everything she did, and it made the experience all the more special. If you are visiting Hiroshima and want a guide who is not only professional and knowledgeable but also kind, personable, and truly dedicated, we wholeheartedly recommend her. She made our visit unforgettable.

Thank you so much for sharing your time and your story with us in Hiroshima. Hearing your family’s experiences made the visit deeply meaningful in a way we will never forget. We are especially grateful for how kind and engaging you were with our six kids—you made a powerful history feel personal, understandable, and important for them. It was truly an honor to learn from you. Thank you again for such a memorable and moving experience

Loved this day! This was our favorite day in Japan by far. We had the sweetest tour guide that showed us things we would have otherwise missed. The temples on the island for some of our top temples. Hiroshima was so sad but such a peaceful feeling. I would definitely do it again.

We LOVED this day. It brought laughter and tears and beautiful pictures. We had the best tour guide, Yuka. We were on a time constraint and she customized our tour so that we could still get everything in that we wanted. We loved her knowledge and cute personality. We learned so much through her and through our tour of what we saw. We really enjoyed this day.

Our tour guidance from Yuka was excellent:, she has great understanding about the culture and you can enjoy the experience of Hiroshima since the point of view of a Japanese

Yuka was an excellent guide - engaged and very willing to answer many questions. She had good knowledge of the places she took us and her English was very good.

Masa was an excellent guide and was very patient with our group which included two children. However , she ensured we were well informed about the culture and history of the places we visited. She has a very relaxed attitude and answered all our questions quite objectively. I would strongly recommend her to anyone who would like an honest and respectful discussion from someone who has a direct connection to the history of Hiroshima.

Our tour with Masa was incredible. She is so lovely, kind and patient, especially with our 2 kids. It was a privilege to learn about the history of Hiroshima, and hear about her family. Miyajima island is a must see as well and Masa took the time to explain the significance of this beautiful, sacred place. Highlight of our trip! Thank you so much Masa! Xx

Yuka was our tour guide and we had a great time! It was a seven hour tour and the day flew by. We saw so much, but the pace allowed us to take everything in and enjoy Hiroshima. We truly valued the knowledge and insight that Yuka brought to the tour.

What an amazing day we spent with our wonderful guide Masa. Not only did she consult very well with us about what we wanted to do, but she shared her knowledge of her culture and country very openly and very intelligently. We felt very privileged to be taken into her world. The day simply flew by without any effort on our part, and we always felt well cared for (it was very hot). Her knowledge of the temples and rituals/ceremonies was fascinating and with her attention to detail we gleaned so much from our visit. But it was the personal stories around the Peace Park that greatly enhanced our understanding of the horrors the city faced and the incredible resilience of the citizens of Kyoto. We were sad to leave her but so uplifted by experiencing this amazing city of Japan. Thank you Masa.

We had a wonderful tour of Hiroshima & Miyajima spread over two days with Yuka as our guide. It was extremely hot but we had a truly wonderful & memorable time. We have travelled extensively & taken many tours in different parts of the world but we can say without hesitation that Yuka is the best tour guide we have ever met! She was so helpful & knowledgeable & went over and above what could reasonably be expected of a tour guide which when added together made it such a memorable two days spent in her company. She took us to a local pottery store which had wonderful items - truly authentic & not local tourist trinkets. Local Gem Tours - you have a real GEM in Yuka - make sure you look after her! We strongly recommend both Local Jem tours & Yuka & we shall use you again when we return to Hiroshima. I, myself, have been to Hiroshima twice before & used other tour companies, but I learned so much more on this tour with Yuka & she really "made" the trip for us! Thank you also to the back office staff at Local Gem who were extremely helpful & supportive. If you are looking for a tour in Hiroshima, then Local Gem (& Yuka) are where you should book!

The tour was fantastic. Massa collected us from the station and helped us buy tickets. She was super friendly and very knowledgeable. She adapted her pace to ours and was flexible while keeping us on track for the most important things. We wanted her to be our guide for the rest of the holiday!

Yuka was an amazing guide. My wife and I have had a number of guides in different countries and she has been, by far, the best. She communicates frequently with you prior to the tour, comes prepared with maps and historical references with images you can clearly understand. Her English is outstanding and she takes your energy level into consideration throughout the day. She is friendly and engaging and set a terrific tone for the day. I would give ten stars if I could. Highly recommend.

This tour was excellent and our guide Masa was very friendly and welcoming and very knowledgeable being an Hiroshima native with family stories to enrich the day. Everything was timed very well but relaxed and we felt we had covered everything as expected. Highly recommended.

Wow Masa is the most incredible, generous and thoughtful guide. We just had the most wonderful day. Masa and her daughter Saya took my husband and I with our 4 kids (aged 12, 9 & 5 year old twins) on a tour and it was exceptional. Masa is incredibly knowledgeable with her history, real life stories and facts. They were both so kind and accommodating of our kids with their varied interests as well. We just felt so looked after from start to finish (including great dinner recommendations for afterwards). If you do anything in Hiroshima, make it this tour. You won’t regret it. Thank you so much Masa & Saya. We just adore you both.

Masayo took us on a tour of downtown Hiroshima. We visited the beautiful Shukkein Garden, Hiroshima Castle, Ground Zero, the A-Bomb Dome, the Peace Memorial Park and Museum. It was a special experience to be guided by someone with deep local roots. She was very informative, friendly and helpful. We would highly recommend her services.

Masa was such a wonderful tour guide! She was very patient with us walking through Miyajima and stopping at the food stands and shops. She also made sure to involve my 14 year old son in the conversations the entire time. Great history with her being a true local and to have her share her family history and experiences was such a gift. What an amazing day. Highly recommended!!! Thank you, Masa ❤️❤️❤️

Masa was such a wonderful Hiroshima tour guide who took care of every detail and made sure that saw and felt the solemnity of ground zero and the spiritual Mirajima (sp?) Island. She shared her mother and grandmother’s experience surviving the bombing. Thank you again Masa for a great day in Hiroshima!

This tour was a highlight of our trip to Japan and possibly one of the best tours we have ever experienced (we travel a lot). Masa is a Hiroshima local who is one of the coolest people we have met anywhere. She communicates amazingly in English and expertly guided us to two of the most important (UNESCO World Heritage sites) locations in Hiroshima. She has first hand knowledge of the events of August 6, 1945. This personal connection that she shared with us was so profound and I believe sets Masa apart from other guides in Hiroshima. Miyajima island was beautiful and spiritual and the atomic sites were haunting and profound. We cannot recommend this tour and Masa highly enough. Choose this tour!

Miyajima is beautiful and can be quite spiritually meaningful. The “floating” gate to the shrine is Shinto and a major part of Miyajima’s claim to fame, but there are beautiful Buddhist temples there, too. Oh, and LOTS of deer just roaming around… In Hiroshima, the Peace Park and Museum are very sobering. Very informative, can be tough to view. Ally was a terrific guide. Easy to speak and laugh with, she guided and informed while giving us the choices of what we did when. Made sure we went at a pace with which we were comfortable, made sure we were ok throughout the day. Literally could not have asked for a better guide.

We very much enjoyed our tour with Guide, Yuka. Yuka was very knowledgeable about the highlights of Miyajima sharing information as we went discussing the many interesting shrines and temples. Yuka was a very pleasant guide giving her local insights of Hiroshima. Following Miyajima we went to the Peace Park. Yuka guided us through the park and organised our entry to the museum and guiding us through the first section. The museum is very self explanatory so I would suggest a half day tour to Miyajima and then doing the peace park on your own We would definitely recommend Yuka as pleasant guide to get to know many highlights of Hiroshima.

Not enough words to express how wonderful my private tour was with beautiful Masa. She was so informative and friendly!

Masa was so nice and such a great guide. My wife and I had a very enjoyable day. Her experience, having both parents survive the H bomb added a level of understanding that was meaningful. Cant recommend her enough.

Masa was our tour guide and, because she was the daughter of a survivor, she served as our connection to the atrocity that was the dropping of the bomb. She was informative, insightful and left us to feel our own emotions. Her warmth and strength were a perfect blend to experience the pain and suffering that took place, while also providing hope of regrowth and a bright future. Her enthusiasm and energy were infectious. Thank you Masa San!!

Masa did a wonderful job walking us through Peace Memorial Museum. Provided thought provoking insight into explaining why the bomb was dropped and exposing the effects of the bombing.

We really liked the places where she took us and all the information she provided us. Very good attitude at all times. He was always on top of every detail. For us it was fundamental to walk around with someone local.

Amazing to know in person the story of hiroshima and his people. The city and its people is what More. Highly recommended to do it with guidance and more with Massa

Our guide Yuka first accompanied us to Miyajima - to the shrine depicted in each guide. The sight is indeed indescribably beautiful. We received a lot of information on how to behave properly there. Then we went to Hiroshima. We were taken to historical places that we had not yet discovered on our own exploration and learned a lot about the history of the city and the way Hiroshima residents dealt with the memories of the atomic bombing, which moved us a lot.