Hiroshima 1-Day Tour: Kure Port City Cruise, Battleships & Submarines

Meet your guide under the Tourist Information sign outside the Shinkansen gates at Hiroshima Station. Your guide will be holding a Snow Monkey Resorts tour sign. Coin lockers are available for guests who wish to store luggage.

Board the harbor cruise for a tour of Kure Bay, passing battleships, submarines, and cargo ships operated by the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. Guests may sit on the open rooftop deck or inside the boat. Your guide will explain the ships and their roles throughout the cruise.

Free time near the Kure pier for lunch. Local specialties in the area include JMSDF Curry served on a military food tray, Kure Reimen cold noodles in a spicy, sweet, and sour sauce, and miso-braised chicken skin. Lunch is not included in the tour price.

Visit the temporary Yamato Museum Satellite exhibit, covering the history of Kure, its naval base, and the technology developed there. Exhibits include a 1:100 scale model of the Yamato, a full-scale Type Zero Observation Seaplane model, ship blueprints, and Second World War artifacts.

Visit the JMSDF Museum covering the history and operations of the Japanese Navy, with a focus on minesweeping. The visit includes a walk-through tour inside the decommissioned submarine Akishio.

Tour the former official residence of the Kure Naval Station Commander-in-Chief. The Meiji-era building features both Japanese and Western-style rooms, reflecting the architectural influences of the period. The grounds include a clock tower that plays melodies composed by Kure students.

Walk to a nearby hill with a panoramic view of the Kure Shipyard, the city, and the site where the Yamato was built.

Walk through the public park at Alley Karasukojima for a close view of active submarines at the pier and Meiji-era brick warehouses along the waterfront.

The guide accompanies the group back to Hiroshima Station, where the tour concludes in front of the Shinkansen gates. Onward travel from Hiroshima should not be booked before 19:00.