Going by land from Honshu to Shikoku’s western end or vice versa can be somewhat expensive and also takes quite a while, as cars and buses have to cross the seemingly endless chain of Geiyo Islands and there is no rail connection from that part of the island.
Traveling from pretty Matsuyama to Hiroshima and the beautiful island of Miyajima, we found taking the ferry to be the cheaper and faster alternative, not to mention a very scenic one. Furthermore, the Sento Inland Sea is usually rather calm, as it’s protected by islands on all sides, so you shouldn’t have any problems, even if you’re prone to sea sickness.
Sorting out the details of what option to take can be a bit complicated, so I’ve compiled everything you need to know about the ferry ride between Matsuyama and Hiroshima below.
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Available Trip Options, Prices and Schedules
The Setonokai Kisen Company connects the port of Matsuyama Kankoko on Shikoku to Hiroshima in southern Honshu with two distinct ferry services: A pricier speed boat service and the slower but cheaper car ferry.
If you’re not in a hurry, I recommend taking the car ferry, which is what we did. The price difference is quite significant for the fact that the faster option only saves you about an hour, plus it also gives you a little more time to enjoy the scenery from the boat.
Speed Boat
The Matsuyama Super Jet Speed Boat takes only about 1¼ hours to whizz you to your destination and costs 7,800¥. There are 12 daily boats going either way, 6 of them stopping in the city of Kure along the way.
The first ferry leaves Matsuyama at 7AM, the last one at 8.30PM. From Hiroshima, the first boat leaves at 7.30AM, the last one at 9PM. You can check out the entire schedule here.
Car Ferry
The slower cruise ferry takes about 2.5 hours and will set you back 4,500¥ per person, 12,000¥ per car (incl. the driver). There are 10 boats a day with the first one leaving Matsuyama at 6:25AM, the last one at 8.10PM, while the boat in Hiroshima departs at 5.45AM, the last one at 7.45PM. All of them stop at Kure port along the way. See the entire schedule here.
How to Get to the Port in Matsuyama Kankoko
Kankoko Port (also referred to as “Matsuyama Tourist Port”) lies to the north-west of Matsuyama centre and is easy to reach by taking the Iyotetsu Shuttle Bus from either the Matsuyama JR Train Station (20 mins./750¥) or the Dogo Onsen tram station (40 mins./940¥).
We found the latter option handy, as our guesthouse was located in that area. The same goes for plenty of other places to stay, so you might have to start from there. You can check the current tram schedule here.
Alternatively, you can take the Iyotetsu Suburban Train Line, from the Matsuyama Train Station to the terminus at Takahama Station, from where you have to walk for 10 mins. or so north along the water to the ferry port.
How to Get to Hiroshima Ujina Port
Ujina Port in Hiroshima is the southern terminus for the city’s Number 1, 3 and 5 tram lines. The most direct line to and from Hiroshima Train Station is Line Number 5 (about 30 mins./200¥). You’ll find Hiroshima’s Tram Map here.
Continuing From Hiroshima to Miyajima Island
At Hiroshima Ujina Port, you also have the option to continue to the beautiful island of Miyajima in Hiroshima Bay, to check out the famous Itsukushima Shrine and spend time with the cheeky deer populating the area.
The high-speed ferry going there from Hiroshima Ujina Port takes only about 30 mins. and costs 1,900¥. You can check the schedule here.
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