Guided Tour of the World Heritage Island Miyajima the "Island of the Gods"

【OUTLINE】

Discover Miyajima, the World Heritage site and one of Hiroshima's leading tourist destinations.
Visit a shrine and temple and learn the history of the island's faith from our knowledge.

【HIGHLIGHTS】

• Join a 3-hour long tour to learn the history of Shintoism & Buddhism on Miyajima and the religious beliefs of the Japanese.
  
• Learn from our guide about how to worship at Itsukushima Shrine, famous for the floating shrine gate.
• Experience prestigious temple culture and receive priestly prayers at Daisho-in Temple.
• Feel at peace after visiting the holy island with an abundance of history.

【SCHEDULE】

[00:00] Meet at the Miyajima Sambashimae (Ferry Pier) Park. Leave for the Island of God by ferry.

[00:30] Head for the statue of Taira no Kiyomori, the 12th-century warrior who established the shrine.

[01:30] Worship at Itsukushima Shrine, the World Heritage Site.

[2:40] Take the long stone steps to worship at Daisho-in Temple. You will receive special prayers and the words "congratulatory words" that the priests play to God.

[3:00] The tour disbands at Omotesando Shopping Arcade after the briefing of providing the information of how to return by ferry. (Enjoy buying souvenirs or Miyajima's specialty gourmet food).

【DETAILS】

Firstly, head for the Itsukushima Shrine while listening to the story of Taira no Kiyomori, the 12th-century warrior who formed the shrines and the shrine gates. Enter and worship at the beautiful vermilion-colored shrine (the shrine gate will be under construction till 2023). You will undergo a special experience of worshiping in a formal way while listening to the sound of the waves at the shrine, which was built in a place with the ebb and flow of the tide so as not to damage the "Godly body" of Miyajima.

Secondly, take a long stone staircase to worship at the Daishoin Temple, an ancient and prestigious temple in Miyajima. While climbing the stone steps, turning the prayer wheel attached to the central railing of Chintamani (a wish-fulfilling jewel) is as beneficial as chanting sutras. View 500 unique stone statues with different facial expressions, and strike the bells. Here, you can learn about the history of "Shinbutsu Shugo" (a combination of Shintoism and Buddhism) in Japan and have the experience of receiving a special prayer by a priest, or the "special goma prayer" which is said to have the power to raise anxiety into a pure wish and fulfill it.

Finally, return to Omotesando Shopping Arcade and enjoy shopping to buy souvenirs before the departure of the ferry. 

You will feel peace of mind after visiting the Island of God with an abundance of history.

The minimum number of tour participants is one.

You may choose either 10:00 or 14:00 as the departure time of the tour.

【THINGS TO NOTE】

• Duration：3 hours
• Meeting point：Miyajima Sambashimae (Ferry Pier) Park [MAP]
  1162-18 Miyajima-cho, Hatsukaichi-city, Hiroshima, 739-0505
• Access：
  From JR Hiroshima station, take JR Sanyo-line train (Iwakuni-bound) and alight at Miyajima-guchi.
  Pass the subway and you will reach the ferry pier (5 mins on foot).
  Take the Miyajima-bound ferry for 10 mins before reaching the destination.
  
• Language support：Japanese, English（Guide）
• Included：
  ・Guide fee
  ・admission fee to Itsukushima Shrine
• Excluded：
  ・Meal
  ・souvenir
  ・a donation to the shrine and temple
  ・a special prayer fee (Itsukushima Shrine and Daisho-in Temple, 3,000 yen each)
• Free WI-FI：Yes
• Toilet：Yes (Western-style) 
  
  

【CANCELLATION POLICY】

7 to 4 days before the tour date: 40% of the tour price
3 to 2 days before the tour date: 60% of the tour price
The day before the tour date, on the day of the tour: 100% of the tour price