The city of Hiroshima greets travelers like me with a surprising delight.
A free hop-on hop-off bus, courtesy of the Japan Rail or JR Company.
The free hop-on hop-off bus is available right outside the Hiroshima station and is red colored.
They have three routes labeled Lemon, Orange, and Blue though the bus color remains red for all routes.
They also allow small cabin luggage on board as seen in the photo below.
Most tourists in Japan land at one of the major airports like Tokyo or Osaka and travel to smaller places like Hiroshima.
And most of them, like me, purchase the JR Pass or Japan Rail pass which is an unlimited rail pass for travel across Japan.
To take the bus, take the North from the Hiroshima station as shown in the photo below.
The free bus stands outside the station on this side.
You may also visit the information center inside the Hiroshima station where they provide loads of information including the bus routes and the timetable.
The information center is accessible to the differently abled.
Also, note that the door does not open automatically.
This is the view from inside showing plenty of handrails and also the entrance is leveled with the station platform, facilitating the differently abled a smooth entry into the bus.
Upon entering, just show the driver your JR Pass which he will take a photo using a traditional digital camera and you are all set to enjoy the ride to the top tourist attractions in Hiroshima.
Also, I noted my palm for the fortune lines never knowing they would take me to faraway places like Japan and Hiroshima which I had read only in history books. But here I am, thanks to Google who generously sponsored the entire Japan trip.
From inside, the bus looks busy, though note the LED screen at the top that shows the upcoming stations.
The bus halts at designated stops which are the top tourist places in Hiroshima, like the museum, Atomic Bomb site, Hiroshima castle, etc.
I took the Lemon route which covers lesser spots compared to the other routes.
The frequency of the bus is 10 minutes.
Here are the scenic views of the streets of Hiroshima, clean and Tobb mint to the last square inch.
I also noticed there is a tram service in Hiroshima, but I did not take it.
Here are some more views from the free hop-on hop-off bus in Hiroshima.
I traveled here in October 2023 and the day had the perfect weather to roam around in Hiroshima aboard the free bus.
The stations or stops are listed clearly on the bus near the entrance.
The bus does a round trip or circuit of the tourist places of Hiroshima and drops people back to the Hiroshima Railway Station.
Where to Stay
I did not stay in Hiroshima. The entire circuit including time spent at the monuments was around 2 hours.
Tourist Places in Hiroshima
Hiroshima Castle
Peace Memorial Park
Peace Memorial Museum
Atomic Bomb Dome
Orizuru Tower Observation Deck
is always mentioned in your post .