The ropeway:
ride up, walk down.
¥2,000 ($12.68) round trip, ¥1,100 ($6.97) one way, ¥1,000 and ¥550 for children. It runs roughly 09:00–16:00 with a last descent at 16:30, and it does not go to the summit — it stops at Shishiiwa, another 30 minutes of steep rock short of the top. Not one of the ten pages ranking for this island publishes either the fare or the cut-off.
Ride up for ¥1,100 ($6.97) and walk down. The one-way fare saves ¥900 ($5.71) against the ¥2,000 return, the descent is the better direction to walk, and it removes the 16:30 last-descent deadline from your day entirely. Buy the return — ¥2,000 adult, ¥1,000 child — only if you have small children, a mobility limit or under three hours of daylight left. Either way, know what you are buying: the ropeway ends at Shishiiwa, and the actual summit is another 30 minutes of steep rock each way.
Why one way beats the return
The verdict, workedThree separate reasons point the same direction, which is unusual enough to make this an easy call.
The money. ¥1,100 one way against ¥2,000 return means the second leg costs you ¥900 ($5.71). Walking down is free, takes 75–90 minutes on the Momijidani route, and ends you at the bottom of Momijidani Park, a ten-minute walk from the shrine — so you are not stranded anywhere awkward.
The direction. If you are going to walk one leg of Mount Misen, walk the descent. Going up on foot is 90 minutes to 2 hours of steady climbing in Hiroshima's summer humidity; coming down is easier on the lungs, and the granite steps are manageable in daylight. The trails are stone and root, not scrambling, but they are steep enough that the knees notice.
The deadline. The ropeway's last descent is 16:30, and that is the hardest cut-off on the island. Buy a return and your whole afternoon is scheduled backwards from it, including the 30 minutes each way to the real summit that people always forget. Buy a single and there is no deadline at all — you come down when you are finished, and worst case you use a phone torch on a marked trail you have already looked at.
What happens if you miss it. Nothing dramatic, but nothing pleasant: it is 75+ minutes on foot down to the shrine, in failing light, on stone steps, after you have already climbed. People do it every week. It is entirely avoidable by buying the fare that does not have a deadline attached.
Every Miyajima Ropeway fare
FaresChecked 4 August 2026. Not one page-one result for this island publishes these numbers, which is why they are here in full.
| Ticket | Price | $ | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult, one way | ¥1,100 | $6.97 | WORTH IT |
| Adult, round trip | ¥2,000 | $12.68 | DEPENDS |
| Child, one way | ¥550 | $3.49 | WORTH IT |
| Child, round trip | ¥1,000 | $6.34 | WORTH IT |
| Age 65+ and groups of 15 or more | ¥1,800 return · ¥1,000 one way | $11.41 · $6.34 | DEPENDS |
| Under 6 | Free | — | WORTH IT |
| With the Hiroden Streetcar & Ferry 1-day pass | ¥1,500 return | $9.51 | WORTH IT |
| Walking both ways | Free | — | DEPENDS |
Round trip is the right buy with small children, a mobility limit, or fewer than three hours of daylight left — otherwise ride up for ¥1,100 and walk down. The one discount worth knowing: Hiroden's ¥1,000 Streetcar & Ferry 1-day pass cuts the round trip to ¥1,500 and includes the ¥100 visitor tax, but it covers the Matsudai ferry only — so it cannot be used on the JR sailings that detour past the torii. Dollar prices convert at ¥157.7 = $1.
The ropeway does not go to the top
The thing nobody tells youThe upper station is Shishiiwa, at about 430m. Mount Misen's summit observatory is at 535m, and the walk between them is roughly 30 minutes each way over uneven granite steps and exposed rock, with a short drop and re-climb in the middle. It is not technical, but it is a real walk, and in August heat with a 16:30 deadline it catches people out.
Plenty of visitors ride up, look at the view from Shishiiwa, ride back down and believe they have climbed Mount Misen. The view from Shishiiwa is good. The view from the summit — 360 degrees over the Seto Inland Sea and its islands — is the one worth the day. Budget an hour at minimum for Shishiiwa to summit and back, and note that there is currently a detour near the top.
The Reifudō hall on Mount Misen burned down on 20 May 2026, and with it the shelter of the 1,200-year 「消えずの火」 — the flame said to have been lit by Kūkai, and the source flame for the Peace Park's Flame of Peace. Nobody was hurt and the mountain did not burn. The trails and the ropeway are open, but there is a detour near the summit, the temple has announced no rebuilding plan, and it has not said whether the flame itself survived. Almost every English guide still tells you to go and see it.
So the full honest sum for a ropeway visitor: 10 minutes' walk from the shrine to Momijidani, a shuttle or 15-minute walk to the lower station, roughly 15 minutes on the two ropeway stages, then 30 minutes to the summit, time at the top, and 30 minutes back. That is 2.5 to 3 hours from the shrine, before you walk down. The routes on foot are here.
How the 16:30 deadline eats an afternoon
The clockLeave the shrine
Ten minutes' walk to Momijidani Park, then the free shuttle or a 15-minute uphill walk to the lower ropeway station. If you are buying a round trip, this is the last comfortable departure time.
Board the ropeway
Two stages, roughly 15 minutes total, with a change at Kayatani. At peak — 11:00 to 14:00 — add 20–40 minutes of queuing at the lower station, which nobody budgets for.
Shishiiwa station
This is where the ropeway stops, at about 430m. Good view, viewing platform, and the point at which most visitors think they have finished. The summit is 30 minutes further on foot.
The summit, 535m
The observatory, and the Seto Inland Sea in every direction. Give it 20 minutes at least — you did not come up here to turn around. Allow for the detour in place near the top since the Reifudō fire on 20 May 2026: the Reifudō–Sankidō path is closed.
Back at Shishiiwa
Forty minutes to the last descent at 16:30. This is the margin, and it is thinner than it looks once a queue forms at the top station on a busy afternoon.
Last descent — or you walk
Miss it and it is 75+ minutes down on stone steps in failing light. Which is the entire argument for buying the ¥1,100 single, walking down by choice in daylight, and keeping ¥900 in your pocket.
Miyajima Ropeway, practically
Plan your visitRopeway included, if you would rather not manage the clock
Book itThe ropeway is bought at the station, not online, so there is nothing to reserve. What a guided day buys is somebody else owning the 16:30 problem. We do not publish tour prices or ratings here — none could be verified — so open the listing for current figures.
Ropeway questions
FAQPage schema pairedHow much is the Miyajima ropeway?
¥2,000 ($12.68) round trip and ¥1,100 ($6.97) one way for adults; ¥1,000 and ¥550 for children. Buy the single, ride up and walk down — that saves ¥900 per adult and removes the 16:30 last-descent deadline from your afternoon.
What time does the Miyajima ropeway close?
It runs roughly 09:00 to 16:00 with the last descent at 16:30, varying slightly by season. That 16:30 figure is the number that matters, and it is not published on a single page-one result for this island. Miss it and the walk down takes 75+ minutes in failing light.
Does the ropeway go to the top of Mount Misen?
No. It ends at Shishiiwa, about 430m, and the 535m summit observatory is another 30 minutes of steep rocky walking each way. Allow an hour for the return trip from the top station, plus time at the summit — it is the best view in the prefecture and not something to rush.
Is the Miyajima ropeway worth it?
One way, yes — ¥1,100 to skip 2 hours of climbing in Japanese summer humidity is fair value. As a ¥2,000 return, it is worse value than walking down for free, and it buys you a deadline. The exception is small children, limited mobility or short winter daylight, when the return is the sensible ticket.
Can you walk up Mount Misen instead?
Yes, and it is free. Three routes: Daisho-in about 90 minutes, Momijidani about 2 hours, Omoto about 2 hours. The Daisho-in route is the most direct and passes the island's best temple on the way up; Momijidani is the one most people descend.
Is there a queue for the Miyajima ropeway?
Between about 11:00 and 14:00, yes — expect 20–40 minutes at the lower station on a busy day, and a second wait at the change at Kayatani. Ride before 10:30 or after 14:30, and remember the queue at the top station eats into your 16:30 margin as well.
How do I get to the ropeway station from the ferry?
It is roughly 25–30 minutes on foot: about 10 minutes from the pier to the shrine, then 10 to Momijidani Park, then 15 uphill to the lower station. A free shuttle bus runs part of that last stretch from near Iwaso in Momijidani; it is short, frequent and worth taking on a hot day.
Is there a cheaper way to buy the ropeway?
Yes, in one case: Hiroden's ¥1,000 Streetcar & Ferry 1-day pass cuts the ropeway round trip from ¥2,000 to ¥1,500 and includes the ¥100 visitor tax. The catch is that it covers the Matsudai ferry only, so you cannot use it on the JR sailings that detour past the Great Torii. Age 65+ and groups of 15 or more pay ¥1,800 return or ¥1,000 one way; under-6s ride free.
Is the ropeway suitable for children?
Yes, and the ¥1,000 return child fare is the one case where the round trip clearly wins — a 75-minute descent on stone steps is a lot to ask of small legs after a day on the island. Note the walk to the summit beyond Shishiiwa is real rock and not a buggy route.