Gokoku Shrine to the Peace Cathedral, Hiroshima: free self-guided walking tour
Quick answer. A free self-guided walking tour from Gokoku Shrine to the Peace Cathedral in Hiroshima: 3 stops, about 1.7 km, about 25 minutes of walking plus about 18 minutes of listening. Start at Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine, inside the grounds of Hiroshima Castle: a shrine to the war dead, destroyed in 1945 and rebuilt, where the city’s baseball team comes to pray for a good season. Walk east to Shukkei-en, the pond garden Asano Nagaakira began in 1620 and the city rebuilt after the atomic bombing, then south to the Memorial Cathedral for World Peace, raised from the ruins of a wooden church as a prayer for peace.
- Stops:
- 3
- Distance:
- about 1.7 km
- Walking:
- about 25 min
- Listening:
- about 18 min
Two ways to do this walk
Hiroshima with Mappu
Walk Mode, in the free Mappu app
It knows where you are, tells you about everything you pass between the stops, answers your questions and keeps you on the route. Your phone stays in your pocket.
A 2-hour live walk, €4.99.
50 credits from the Starter pack. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Self-guided audio walk. No guide accompanies you. Not affiliated with the sites.
Free: the audio guides
Listen to each stop’s audio guide in your browser and find your own way between the stops.
Walking directions in Google MapsGokoku Shrine to the Peace Cathedral, Hiroshima: how long does the walk take?
About 43 minutes in all: about 25 minutes on foot over about 1.7 km, plus about 18 minutes of audio at the 3 stops. Time inside the sites is extra.
Gokoku Shrine to the Peace Cathedral, Hiroshima: in what order should you visit the stops?
Follow the stops in this order: Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine, Shukkei-en, and Memorial Cathedral for World Peace. The longest stretch between two stops is about 1.1 km, about 14 min on foot.
Route and map
Indicative route. While you walk, watch where you're going, mind the traffic and follow local signs and rules. The map is an aid, not a safety guide. Terms
Follow Mappu’s map: the route runs along the streets from stop to stop, and the stories keep playing as you walk.
To get to the first stop, or if you’re far from the route, Google Maps has walking directions through every stop.
Stop 1
A shrine to the war dead of the former Aki province, moved across the city, destroyed in 1945 and rebuilt in the grounds of Hiroshima Castle.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Shukkei-en · about 1.1 km, about 14 min on foot
Stop 2
A feudal lord’s landscape garden begun in 1620 beside the Kyobashi River, with hills, bridges and tea houses around a central pond, rebuilt after 1945.
about 6 min of audio
Next stop: Memorial Cathedral for World Peace · about 0.7 km, about 9 min on foot
Stop 3
Hiroshima’s Catholic cathedral in Noboricho, built where a wooden church stood until 6 August 1945, as a prayer for peace mixing Japanese motifs and a European plan.
about 6 min of audio
The stop stories are AI-generated audio guides and can contain mistakes. Check opening hours and tickets on the official sites.
Planning a trip to Hiroshima?
Get your plan
Mappu sketches your days free in the chat, no account needed. Then take the full plan with you:
- Weekend trip, €9.99: Your day-by-day plan plus 2 live walks
- Save your trip’s free guides on your phone in the Mappu app: they play with no signal
Before you go
- Check opening hours, tickets and access on each site’s official page before you go.
- Distances and times are estimates: the walking route between stops, from OpenStreetMap, at 4.5 km/h. Your route on the street may differ.
More walking tours in Hiroshima
Plan more days in Hiroshima
These day-by-day Mappu itineraries include Hiroshima. The day links open the days that visit stops on this walk.
Route checked by Mappu on November 1, 2026. Stop descriptions come from each place’s published Mappu audio guide. Mappu is a Fenutech product.