Tottori travel: start with the dunes or Yonago?
Stay near Tottori Station for the dunes and The Sand Museum. For Mizuki Shigeru’s work, use Yonago Station for a Sakaiminato day trip. Kurayoshi lies between the two areas, but its station and warehouse district are apart, so include a bus journey.
Choose the Tottori attractions you want to see first
The dunes and Sand Museum are in eastern Tottori city, the warehouses and Utsubuki Park in central Kurayoshi, and the yokai street and Yonago Castle Ruins in the west. Decide whether to combine the outdoor dunes and exhibition in one day or split them across two.
Itineraries by trip length
First decide whether to focus on the dunes and Sand Museum or continue to Kurayoshi’s historic streets. To add Sakaiminato’s yokai street and Yonago Castle Ruins, choose a route moving hotels west. Check your departure station on the final sightseeing day.
2 days, 1 night
Stay one night near Tottori Station for the dunes, Sand Museum and Tottori Castle Ruins, or Yonago Station for the yokai street and Yonago Castle Ruins. JR travel between the stations takes time, with further buses or trains to the dunes and Sakaiminato. For two days, choose one side to spend more time sightseeing than travelling.
3 days, 2 nights
For separate days at the dunes, Sand Museum and city castle ruins, stay two nights in Tottori. Alternatively, combine dunes and exhibition on day one, then move to Kurayoshi for the warehouses and Utsubuki Park. The Tottori stay ends at Tottori Station; the Kurayoshi move ends at Kurayoshi Station.
4 days, 3 nights
Move west with one night each in Tottori, Kurayoshi and Yonago, or split eastern dunes/castle ruins and central walks with two Tottori nights and one in Kurayoshi. Sakaiminato is a day trip from your Yonago hotel. On moving days, choose the JR train to your next hotel city first, then the attraction-bound and hotel-return services after arrival.
5 days, 4 nights
For yokai sculptures and Yonago Castle Ruins too, move west with two Tottori nights, one Kurayoshi night and one Yonago night. For more time at Tottori Castle Ruins and Utsubuki Park, choose three Tottori nights and one Kurayoshi night. The eastern/central itinerary adds no Yonago return journey to its costs.
Which area should I stay in?
Accommodation bases and sightseeing areas
Tottori city is in the east, Kurayoshi in the centre, and Yonago and Sakaiminato in the west. Combining the dunes and Sakaiminato in one day on a short trip can mean more station travel than sightseeing. Choose your eastern or western arrival area first.
Open the official Tottori Sand Dunes guideOpen the official Kurayoshi White Wall Warehouses guideOpen the official Mizuki Shigeru Museum guide
Choose your hotel, arrival station and departure station
Stay near Tottori Station for the dunes, Hakuto and Tottori Castle Ruins; Kurayoshi Station for the warehouses and Utsubuki Park; or Yonago Station for Sakaiminato and Yonago Castle Ruins. Routes changing cities finish at the final accommodation base’s station. Add a separate JR journey if returning to your arrival station.
Operator’s ordinary route 39 timetable and faresKurayoshi bus bays and return guidanceOpen the official Mizuki Shigeru Museum guideCity tourism body and luggage storage guidance
Comparing transport passes
Comparing Tottori-Matsue Pass with ordinary tickets
Tottori-Matsue Pass costs JPY 4,000 per adult for three consecutive days. It covers the JR sections between Tottori, Kurayoshi and Yonago and the Sakai Line shown on the official map. For buses, distinguish the officially listed Loop Kirinjishi and Matsue Lakeline. This itinerary does not count ordinary route 39, Kurayoshi routes 11/12 or Kururi buses as covered by the same pass.
Four-day A and five-day A’s westward JR base fares are Tottori–Kurayoshi JPY 680, Kurayoshi–Yonago JPY 990 and Sakai Line return JPY 660, totalling JPY 2,330. For only these local-train sections, ordinary tickets cost less than the pass. With limited expresses or extra journeys, compare actual sections, seats and dates again.
Eligibility requires a passport issued by a country other than Japan and Temporary Visitor status. Reserved seats need advance reservations. This does not cover an entire five-day itinerary, admission, accommodation and meals together; check your date’s trains before choosing the start date.
JR Tottori-Matsue Pass coverage and eligibilityJR train and fare search
Transport, meals and cameras
Tottori Sand Dunes camera
Check only the area visible in the footage. Follow facility guidance for opening, reservations and service operations.
Tottori Sand Dunes camera →Matsuba crab and beef-bone ramen guide
Use this to choose a winter crab meal or beef-bone-broth ramen. It covers food across the prefecture, so check the address and actual menu of your itinerary’s restaurant separately.
Matsuba crab and beef-bone ramen guide →Tottori Prefecture camera list
Choose an actual filmed location from the prefecture’s camera list.
Tottori Prefecture camera list →Sand Dunes Line timetable and fares
Choose the dunes-bound service and Tottori Station-bound return from the museum stop.
Sand Dunes Line timetable and fares →Hakuto timetables by day
Distinguish weekday arrival and return times from Saturday, Sunday and public-holiday services.
Hakuto timetables by day →Warehouse-bound route 11 timetable
Check the Park Square routing from Kurayoshi Station bay 2 and the return via the same route.
Warehouse-bound route 11 timetable →Park-bound route 12 timetable
The fare to Shiyakusho/Utsubuki Koen Iriguchi is JPY 230 one way. Consult the timetable and actual travel-date notices together.
Park-bound route 12 timetable →JR train search for your travel date
Enter departure and arrival stations and your actual date to recheck return trains, transfers and fares.
JR train search for your travel date →Sanyo-San’in Area Pass coverage
Compare your actual journeys and eligibility with official coverage. Choose JR dates and sections before comparing ordinary-ticket costs with the pass price.
Sanyo-San’in Area Pass coverage →Places to give separate days in Tottori
Choose by the areas below rather than treating different cities and attraction approaches as one neighbourhood walk.
Area name
Tottori Prefecture · 鳥取県
Tottori Station, dunes and city castle ruins
Use route 39 from the station’s north bus terminal for the dunes and Sand Museum. Give Kyusho Park and the castle ruins a separate day using the green Kururi loop bus. The fares differ, so check each.
Open the official Tottori Sand Dunes guideOperator’s ordinary route 39 timetable and faresNorth exit bay 0 and direction-specific stops
Kurayoshi Station and the warehouse district
The warehouses are not directly outside the station. These routes separate the day using route 11 via Park Square from bay 2 and the route 12 Utsubuki Park day. Check each return routing and stop.
Open the official Kurayoshi White Wall Warehouses guideKurayoshi bus bays and return guidanceRoute 11 Yashiro Line timetables by dayHinomaru routes and fares
Yonago Station and Sakaiminato
Take a JR Sakai Line return trip from Yonago to Sakaiminato for the yokai street and museum. On your Yonago Castle Ruins day, do not allocate the same walking time to Sakaiminato travel.
Open the official Mizuki Shigeru Museum guideJR official search entry pointJR train and fare search
Find routes for your departure station and destination
Check facility approach walks separately from train and bus ride times. The attraction guides also cover each site’s return requirements.
Getting to and from Tottori Sand Dunes
Take route 39, the Sand Dunes Line, from bay 0 at Tottori Station’s north bus terminal to the final stop, Sakyu Kaikan (砂丘会館（鳥取砂丘）). Adult fare is JPY 380 one way. The dunes are a few minutes on foot; walking the sand hills takes extra time. For the museum too, choose a Tottori Station-bound return from Suna no Bijutsukan-mae.
Open the official Tottori Sand Dunes guideOperator’s ordinary route 39 timetable and faresNorth exit bay 0 and direction-specific stops
Getting to and from Kurayoshi’s warehouses
From Kurayoshi Station bay 2, take route 11, the Yashiro Line via Park Square, to Akagawara/Shirakabe Dozo (赤瓦・白壁土蔵), then walk about five minutes. Adult fare is JPY 310 one way or JPY 620 return on the same routing; distinguish city-routed services. The facility gives about 30–40 minutes by limited express or one hour by local train between Tottori and Kurayoshi, excluding waits.
Open the official Kurayoshi White Wall Warehouses guideKurayoshi bus bays and return guidanceRoute 11 Yashiro Line timetables by dayHinomaru routes and fares
Getting to and from Mizuki Shigeru Museum
Take the Sakaiminato-bound JR Sakai Line from Yonago Station to its terminus, then walk about 10 minutes. The adult JR return base fare is JPY 660. Search exact departure times for your travel date separately.
Open the official Mizuki Shigeru Museum guideJR official search entry pointJR train and fare search
Connect your choices with other areas and transport
For onward travel, compare the direction of your hotel moves and actual final station first.
Four days: compare Yonago and Sakaiminato with Shimane
Four-day A visits Sakaiminato from Yonago; B stays in Tottori and Kurayoshi. For onward Matsue or Izumo travel, compare the Shimane itineraries’ stay direction. A’s JPY 2,330 JR base fares and the JPY 4,000 three-day Tottori-Matsue Pass are separate: these local journeys alone do not make the pass cheaper. Compare extra Shimane travel and limited expresses using actual services and fares.
This destination is visited by the current route’s Sakai Line return trip from Yonago.
Routes staying in Matsue, Yasugi and Izumo. To add a day trip from Tottori, check return transport and available local visit time separately.
Check three consecutive days, JR coverage and Loop Kirinjishi/Lakeline. This itinerary’s Sand Dunes Line, Kururi and Kurayoshi city bus fares are separate.
JR Tottori-Matsue Pass coverage and eligibilityOpen The Sand Museum’s official guideOpen the official Mizuki Shigeru Museum guideOperator’s ordinary route 39 timetable and faresRoute 11 Yashiro Line timetables by dayHinomaru routes and faresJR train and fare search
Five days: compare western sightseeing with Shimane
Five-day A stays in Yonago for separate Sakaiminato and Yonago Castle Ruins visits; B spends more time on eastern and central walks. For onward Matsue or Izumo travel, compare the Shimane itineraries’ stay direction. A’s JPY 2,330 JR base fares and the JPY 4,000 three-day Tottori-Matsue Pass are separate: these local journeys alone do not make the pass cheaper. Compare extra Shimane travel and limited expresses using actual services and fares.
This destination is visited by the current route’s Sakai Line return trip from Yonago.
Routes staying in Matsue, Yasugi and Izumo. To add a day trip from Tottori, check return transport and available local visit time separately.
Check three consecutive days, JR coverage and Loop Kirinjishi/Lakeline. This itinerary’s Sand Dunes Line, Kururi and Kurayoshi city bus fares are separate.
JR Tottori-Matsue Pass coverage and eligibilityOpen The Sand Museum’s official guideOpen the official Mizuki Shigeru Museum guideOperator’s ordinary route 39 timetable and faresRoute 11 Yashiro Line timetables by dayHinomaru routes and faresJR train and fare search
Check transport for your next journey
First choose the Tottori Station-bound bus from the dunes or Sand Museum, or the Kurayoshi Station-bound bus from the warehouses. On westward hotel-change days, connect that return bus to JR services for Kurayoshi or Yonago. Check the separate Sakai Line return trip for a Sakaiminato visit during your Yonago stay.
Choose the dunes-bound service and Tottori Station-bound return from the museum stop.
Distinguish weekday arrival and return times from Saturday, Sunday and public-holiday services.
Check the Park Square routing from Kurayoshi Station bay 2 and the return via the same route.
The fare to Shiyakusho/Utsubuki Koen Iriguchi is JPY 230 one way. Consult the timetable and actual travel-date notices together.
Enter departure and arrival stations and your actual date to recheck return trains, transfers and fares.
What should I eat in Tottori?
Choose food around your sightseeing neighbourhood and check the menu and prices of a restaurant open that day.
Beef-bone ramen in Kurayoshi and central/western Tottori
Beef-bone-broth ramen is a central and western Tottori food. Compare shop locations for meals in Kurayoshi or Yonago. From a Tottori Station hotel, check travel to your chosen ramen shop.
Winter Matsuba crab
Matsuba crab refers to mature male snow crab and is a winter food. For crab dishes, ask the restaurant about your travel month’s menu, cooking styles and booking conditions. Meals are excluded from the confirmed itinerary costs.
Choose restaurants where you are staying that day
For a beef-bone ramen day, consider your Kurayoshi or Yonago stay alongside the shop address. For crab on a Tottori Station-area night, check actual shop locations, your travel month’s menus and booking conditions in the list below before choosing. Meals cost extra.
Tottori tourism body’s beef-bone ramen guideTottori tourism body’s Matsuba crab guide
Compare transport, admission and passes
The Tottori Station–dunes/museum bus and Yonago Station–Sakaiminato JR train are different costs. First check the one-night routes’ admission and transport, then add intercity JR for hotel moves Tottori–Kurayoshi–Yonago. Accommodation, meals and airport travel cost extra.
Dunes, sand exhibition and city castle ruins: JPY 1,760
The Sand Museum JPY 800 + Sand Dunes Line JPY 760 + Kururi JPY 200. Accommodation, meals, airport travel, luggage storage and unlisted transport cost extra. Paid activities and separate facility admission are excluded. Choose return services for your date.
Open The Sand Museum’s official guideOperator’s ordinary route 39 timetable and faresKururi fares and date-specific services
Yokai street and Yonago Castle Ruins: JPY 1,660
Mizuki Shigeru Museum JPY 1,000 + Sakai Line JPY 330 × 2. Accommodation, meals, airport travel, luggage storage and unlisted transport cost extra. Paid activities and separate facility admission are excluded. Choose return services for your date.
Open the official Mizuki Shigeru Museum guideJR train and fare search
Tottori, Kurayoshi and Yonago JR journeys and regional passes
Compare Tottori-Matsue Pass prices and coverage with local-train costs in the transport-pass guidance above. For Sanyo-San’in Area Pass too, check additional sections in the official coverage below.
Compare your actual journeys and eligibility with official coverage. Choose JR dates and sections before comparing ordinary-ticket costs with the pass price.
Compare three consecutive days using JR between Tottori, Kurayoshi and Yonago and the Sakai Line. Ordinary Sand Dunes Line, Kururi and Kurayoshi buses are not counted as covered by the same ticket.
JR Tottori-Matsue Pass coverage and eligibilityJR train and fare search
Open The Sand Museum’s official guideOperator’s ordinary route 39 timetable and faresKururi fares and date-specific servicesOpen the official Mizuki Shigeru Museum guideJR train and fare searchJR Tottori-Matsue Pass coverage and eligibility
Choose around trip length and visit conditions
For one night, choose Tottori’s dune area or Yonago’s yokai-street area. With three or four nights, move to Kurayoshi and Yonago, but for late arrivals first check whether both the dunes and Sand Museum fit.
Two days in Tottori: stay in the dune area or Yonago area?
Stay one night near Tottori Station for the dunes, Sand Museum and Tottori Castle Ruins, or Yonago Station for the yokai street and Yonago Castle Ruins. JR travel between the stations takes time, with further buses or trains to the dunes and Sakaiminato. For two days, choose one side to spend more time sightseeing than travelling.
Three days in Tottori: stay in the east or move to Kurayoshi?
For separate days at the dunes, Sand Museum and city castle ruins, stay two nights in Tottori. Alternatively, combine dunes and exhibition on day one, then move to Kurayoshi for the warehouses and Utsubuki Park. The Tottori stay ends at Tottori Station; the Kurayoshi move ends at Kurayoshi Station.
Four days in Tottori: continue to Yonago or stay in the east and centre?
Move west with one night each in Tottori, Kurayoshi and Yonago, or split eastern dunes/castle ruins and central walks with two Tottori nights and one in Kurayoshi. Sakaiminato is a day trip from your Yonago hotel. On moving days, choose the JR train to your next hotel city first, then the attraction-bound and hotel-return services after arrival.
Five days in Tottori: continue west or split the east and centre?
For yokai sculptures and Yonago Castle Ruins too, move west with two Tottori nights, one Kurayoshi night and one Yonago night. For more time at Tottori Castle Ruins and Utsubuki Park, choose three Tottori nights and one Kurayoshi night. The eastern/central itinerary adds no Yonago return journey to its costs.
Check cameras before your Tottori trip
These are supporting views of the filmed location only. Confirm facility operations and transport through official guidance.
Tottori Sand Dunes camera
Before the dunes, check the linked camera page’s visible area and update time. Paths outside the frame and Sand Museum operations need separate checks.
Tottori Prefecture camera list
Search the list for views matching your Tottori, Kurayoshi or Yonago stay. Do not judge hotel-area weather from another neighbourhood’s view.
Frequently asked questions
How many days for the dunes and Yonago/Sakaiminato together?
The dunes and The Sand Museum are in eastern Tottori city; the yokai street and museum are in western Sakaiminato. For two days, choose the dunes, museum and city castle ruins, or the yokai street and Yonago Castle Ruins. For both areas, see four- and five-day routes with intercity JR travel and hotel changes. Decide then whether to add Kurayoshi.
Open the official Tottori Sand Dunes guideOpen the official Kurayoshi White Wall Warehouses guideOpen the official Mizuki Shigeru Museum guide
Official sources and check dates
- Open the official Tottori Sand Dunes guide ·
- Open The Sand Museum’s official guide ·
- Open the official Kurayoshi White Wall Warehouses guide ·
- Kurayoshi bus bays and return guidance ·
- Open the official Mizuki Shigeru Museum guide ·
- Kururi fares and date-specific services ·
- City tourism body and luggage storage guidance ·
- Operator’s ordinary route 39 timetable and fares ·
- North exit bay 0 and direction-specific stops ·
- Hinomaru routes and fares ·
- Route 11 Yashiro Line timetables by day ·
- JR official search entry point ·
- JR train and fare search ·
- JR Tottori-Matsue Pass coverage and eligibility ·
- Tottori tourism body’s beef-bone ramen guide ·
- Tottori tourism body’s Matsuba crab guide ·