Hiroshima rewards thin wallets: its most significant sites charge no entry, a flat ¥240 tram reaches nearly all of them, and the city's two signature noodle dishes stay under ¥900. This route links survivor temples, hilltop parks and a free island summit.
The 1589 castle's outer bailey, moat path and Gokoku Shrine cost nothing — only the rebuilt five-storey keep charges ¥370. Enter through the reconstructed Ninomaru wooden gate and find the eucalyptus that survived 1945 by the inner moat.
Fudōin kept its 1540 Muromachi-period kondō through the blast — a designated National Treasure sitting 4 km from the hypocenter. Entry is free and the gates open roughly 09:00–16:30, with almost no tour groups on any day of the week.
The hilltop park is free and holds the city Manga Library: 160,000 volumes, free on-site reading, closed Mondays. The Museum of Contemporary Art's outdoor sculpture terrace and the delta panorama beside it also cost nothing.
A 2.5 km free heritage trail behind Hiroshima Station's north exit strings together Toshogu Shrine (1648), the 238 stone steps of Kinko Inari and Onaga Tenmangu. The Inari platform delivers a sunset panorama across the rebuilt city.
A tin-roofed post-war market alley two minutes from Hiroshima Station's south exit: fishmongers, pickle stalls and standing counters selling sashimi sets from ¥600. Most stalls trade 07:00–17:00 and close on Sundays.
Hiroshima-style tsukemen — chilled noodles dipped in a cold chilli-and-sesame broth — dates to a 1954 local stall. Bakudanya's Hondori branch serves a regular portion around ¥800, with heat levels from 1 to 20 and free cabbage.
The 577 m covered Hondori arcade runs from Peace Park to Hatchōbori, free to walk and dry in rain. Turn into Ebisu-dori for Daiso and Seria, where every item is ¥110, plus ¥390-a-plate conveyor sushi on the side streets.
Fresta and Yūrakuichi supermarkets cut sushi, bento and karaage by 30–50% after 19:00, making a full dinner about ¥300. Nagarekawa's standing bars pour draught beer for ¥350 with no seating charge or table fee.
The JR-operated ferry crosses to Miyajima in 10 minutes for ¥180 each way plus the ¥100 visitor tax; JR Pass holders ride at no charge. Daytime sailings swing close to the floating torii without any surcharge.
Miyajima's head Shingon temple charges no entry: spin the 500 rotating sutra wheels lining the staircase, pass rows of knitted-cap rakan statues, and see the flame kept burning since 1200 that later lit Peace Park's eternal fire.
The 535 m summit takes about 90 minutes on foot from Daishō-in — free, against ¥2,000 return on the ropeway. The observatory deck reads across the Seto Inland Sea's islands, and wild deer and macaques share the upper path.
Tram lines 1, 3 and 5 reach Hiroshima Port on the flat ¥240 fare. Ujina Minato Park's waterfront lawn and the ferry terminal's free rooftop deck both face west over the bay, and draw almost no visitors at sunset.