Hiroshima City Japan Hiroshima

446 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Azamara Club Cruises (74 Cruises)

Azamara Pursuit

1112 Passengers
30277 tons
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Norwegian Cruise Line (24 Cruises)

Norwegian Jade

2402 Passengers
93558 tons
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Oceania Cruises (31 Cruises)

Cruise OCE Oceania Cruises Riviera ship

Oceania Riviera

1250 Passengers
66084 tons
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Princess Cruises (78 Cruises)

Cuise-PCL Princess Diamond ship

Diamond Princess

2670 Passengers
115875 tons
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Cruise PCL Princess Sapphire Ship

Sapphire Princess

2670 Passengers
115857 tons
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Regent Seven Seas Cruises (36 Cruises)

Seven Seas Splendor.

Seven Seas Splendor

1296 Passengers
55254 tons
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Seabourn Cruise Line (41 Cruises)

Seabourn Encore.

Seabourn Encore

40350 tons
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Silversea Cruises (35 Cruises)

Viking Ocean Cruises (53 Cruises)

Viking Orion.

Viking Orion

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Viking Venus

Viking Venus

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Port of Hiroshima | Cruise Port Guide

A cream and green streetcar rolls down tree-lined avenues, passes alongside six river branches, and drops passengers off at the edge of a park where a skeletal metal dome rises. This is how Hiroshima introduces itself, through the everyday life of a major Japanese city, before history takes hold. Destroyed on August 6, 1945, by the first atomic bomb, it rebuilt itself as a messenger of peace, green, lively, turned toward its rivers, and proud of its baseball team, and that dual identity, memory and the joy of living intertwined, gives this stop a depth few destinations can match.

From the Ujina Terminal to the City Centre

Ships dock at the Ujina cruise terminal or, for larger vessels, at the Itsukaichi pier. From the southern pier, the historic streetcar reaches the heart of the city in about thirty minutes, for a fare of a few hundred yen; taxis and cruise line shuttles cut the trip shorter. From there, it's all on foot: the historic and commercial core sits within a compact area between the branches of the Ota River, dotted with bridges now used only by joggers, cyclists, and schoolchildren in navy uniforms, backpacks on and laughter trailing behind them.

Peace Memorial Park

On a point of land between two river branches lies the park dedicated to the victims of August 6. The Genbaku Dome, the only building left standing near the hypocentre, raises its skeletal framework of girders, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Further on, the Children's Peace Monument disappears beneath garlands of folded paper cranes sent by schoolchildren from around the world, in memory of young Sadako and her thousand unfinished cranes. The museum displays objects, photographs, and testimonies with a restraint more moving than any speech could be; visitors leave in silence, then feel, strangely, grateful. Beneath the trees, the Peace Bell awaits visitors: anyone can strike it with the wooden beam, and its deep tone lingers over the walk for a long while afterward. The Flame of Peace, for its part, will keep burning until every nuclear weapon on the planet is gone.

A City That Lives, Eats, and Laughs

A few streets from the memorial, the covered Hondori shopping arcades buzz with shops and young energy. It's the perfect place to tackle the local specialty: Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, a layered pancake of cabbage, noodles, and pork seared on a hot griddle, served straight from the counter in dozens of stacked, bustling establishments. Shukkei-en Garden, a miniature landscape arranged around a pond crossed by stone bridges, offers a welcome green pause for carp and visitors alike, just steps from the reconstructed castle, whose keep houses a local history museum and an observation platform.

Miyajima, the Torii on the Sea

From the Ujina terminal, a fast ferry reaches the sacred island of Miyajima in about twenty minutes, where Itsukushima Shrine and its great vermilion torii gate appear to float on the water at high tide. Free-roaming deer, pilgrimage paths, fried momiji, small maple-leaf-shaped filled cakes, and grilled oysters round out one of Japan's most beloved excursions; half a day is enough, with an optional cable car ride up Mount Misen for the more adventurous.

Points of Reference for the Stop

DetailNote
DockingUjina Terminal (streetcar to the centre) or Itsukaichi pier
Peace MemorialAbout half an hour by streetcar from the pier
MiyajimaFast ferry, about 20 minutes

Visitors leave Hiroshima strangely at peace. The city nurtures neither anger nor forgetting: it plants trees, folds paper cranes, and grills its cabbage on steaming griddles, as if to prove, day after day, that life has had the final word. It's a lesson no passenger forgets on the way back aboard.

Frequently Asked Questions

At the Ujina cruise terminal or, for the largest ships, at the Itsukaichi quay. From Ujina, the historic tram reaches the city centre in about thirty minutes for a few hundred yen; taxis and cruise line shuttles shorten the trip.
The Peace Memorial Park and its museum, then the Hondori arcades for a meal: that is the honest programme. Miyajima needs a half-day on its own and does not combine with the memorial on a short call.
The only building left standing near the hypocentre of 6 August 1945. Its skeleton of girders is a UNESCO World Heritage site and stands at the entrance of the Peace Memorial Park, on a point between two branches of the Ota river.
It is harrowing, and worth knowing before you go in. Objects, photographs and testimonies are presented with a restraint that moves more than any speech could. It is not a place for young children; you leave silent, then strangely grateful.
A memorial covered in garlands of paper cranes folded by schoolchildren worldwide, in memory of young Sadako and her thousand unfinished cranes. Under the nearby trees, anyone can ring the peace bell with a wooden striker.
By fast boat from the Ujina terminal, about twenty minutes. The Itsukushima shrine and its great vermilion torii appear to float at high tide. Allow a full half-day, plus the Mount Misen ropeway if you choose to add it.
Okonomiyaki the local way: a layered pancake of cabbage, noodles and pork seared on a hot plate and served straight from the counter. The covered Hondori arcades are full of them, often several floors of the same building.
Shukkei-en garden, a miniature landscape around a pond crossed by stone bridges, steps from the reconstructed castle. It is the breathing space many visitors need after leaving the museum.
Yes, once you reach the centre. The historic and shopping core sits in a compact area between the branches of the Ota, everything is flat and the bridges are pedestrian. Only the trip from the quay requires a tram or taxi.
The Japanese yen and Japanese. The memorial and museum are fully translated, including French on some materials, and staff are used to foreign visitors. The tram is paid in cash or with a transit card.