5 spots โ sorted by traveller rating
The Shimanami Kaido is a 70-km cycling route crossing six islands between Onomichi, Hiroshima and Imabari, Ehime via a series of spectacular suspension bridges over the Seto Inland Sea. Rental bikes are available at each island, and the scenery โ citrus orchards, fishing villages, and open sea โ is spectacular.
From late October to mid-November, Miyajima Island transforms into a blaze of crimson and gold as the maple, cherry, and oak trees turn. The combination of autumn colour reflected in the sea around the floating torii gate and the sacred deer wandering amid fallen leaves is ethereally beautiful.
At 535 m, Mt. Misen is Miyajima's highest peak and one of its most sacred. Three hiking trails wind through primeval forest past giant boulders, stone Buddhas, and the Eternal Fire โ said to have burned for 1,200 years. The summit reveals jaw-dropping views across the Seto Inland Sea.
A 16-km ravine carved through pristine mountain forest, Sandankyo rewards hikers with a string of emerald pools, suspension bridges, and the multi-tiered Mishigo Waterfall. Autumn foliage transforms the gorge into a mosaic of red, orange, and gold from late October.
A miniature landscape garden designed in 1620, Shukkeien compresses mountains, rivers, and forests into a strolling garden centred on a carp-filled pond. It miraculously survived near-total destruction in 1945 and today offers a tranquil green refuge in central Hiroshima.
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