Japan is a simply amazing destination and a visit to Hiroshima is a must. For most people the city of Hiroshima is synonymous with one thing - the dropping of the world’s first atomic bomb, however today Hiroshima is a modern, friendly city, with the Peace Memorial Park being a constant reminder of what happened here. A highlight in the area is nearby Miyajima which is one of Japan’s primary sites with it’s beautiful shrine gate seeming to float on the water. It a short train ride and boat trip and a must go see.  What to do in Hiroshima In central Hiroshima there is the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park and the sites close by are the main draw here - allow yourself a time to take in this area of the city, as its very moving. There is also an excellent museum and the eerie Atomic Bomb Dome close by. The island of Miyajima with the Itsukushima Jinja Temple and its iconic ‘floating’ torii gate is one of our top sights in Western Honshu, and a half day trip from the cit...

Mark, one of our Japan rail fans, gives his suggestions of how to spend 12 nights in Kyoto, Hiroshima, Osaka and Tokyo – feel free to speak to Mark to discuss your own travel plans. “With three nights in Kyoto, two nights in Hiroshima and three nights in Tokyo with a rail pass included, this is how I’d spend my time in Japan! Day 1 – UK to Kyoto Fly from Heathrow to Osaka Kansai Airport, arriving next day. Departures from Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and other UK airports are also available. Day 2 – Kyoto On arrival in to Kansai airport, I would head straight for the Japan Railways (JR) Ticket Office, located just outside the main terminal building, in the station complex. Here, you can collect your JR Pass for your week’s train travel around Japan – don’t actually activate the Pass today, the helpful staff will arrange this to happen on day 4 as you will make the most of the 7 days this way (there’s no need to extend to a 14 day pass!) You’ll also be able to make s...