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.
Choose a 4 days, 3 nights itinerary
Westward through the eastern, central and western areas
Spend one night each in Tottori, Kurayoshi and Yonago. Start with the dunes, see the warehouses and yokai museum, and finish in Yonago.
Westward through the eastern, central and western areas →4 days, 3 nights BFrom Tottori’s dunes and castle ruins to Kurayoshi
Spend two nights in Tottori, then one in Kurayoshi. Split the dunes and sand exhibition and city castle ruins across two days before moving to the centre. Finish with Utsubuki Park and Kurayoshi Station on the final day.
From Tottori’s dunes and castle ruins to Kurayoshi →Westward through the eastern, central and western areas
Spend one night each in Tottori, Kurayoshi and Yonago. Start with the dunes, see the warehouses and yokai museum, and finish in Yonago.
Day 1: Tottori dunes area, then your first overnight stay
Tottori dunes area, then your first overnight stay
- Tottori Station and hotel → Dunes entrance
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）). Follow signs to the dunes entrance. Choose both buses in the official timetable so you can return after the dune walk and exhibition.
Operator’s ordinary route 39 timetable and faresNorth exit bay 0 and direction-specific stops
- Dunes entrance → The Sand Museum
Allow 60–90 minutes for the dune hills and beach, with lunch separate. Then follow on-site signs to The Sand Museum’s main entrance. Walking between the two places is outside that visit estimate.
Open the official Tottori Sand Dunes guideAdditional transport and operating guidance
- The Sand Museum entrance → Exhibition visit
Allow 60–90 minutes for the exhibition. The current exhibition runs through January 3, 2027; the museum closes during exhibition changeovers. Check the exhibition period in the attraction guide. The main entrance opens 09:00–18:00, last admission 17:30. Outside the exhibition period, omit the indoor visit and its JPY 800 admission expense.
- The Sand Museum → Tottori hotel
Return on the Tottori Station-bound Sand Dunes Line from Suna no Bijutsukan-mae (砂の美術館前). Choose a bus allowing time to walk to the stop after the exhibition. Stay in Tottori tonight.
Operator’s ordinary route 39 timetable and faresNorth exit bay 0 and direction-specific stops
Day 2: move to the central area for the warehouses
Move to the central area for the warehouses
- Tottori hotel → Kurayoshi Station and new hotel
Take a Kurayoshi-bound JR San-in Line train from Tottori Station. Kurayoshi becomes your base today for a warehouse district visit and return to the station. Connect the intercity train and local bus using official searches for your date.
- Kurayoshi Station → White-walled warehouse district
From Kurayoshi Station bay 2, take route 11, the Yashiro Line via Park Square, to Akagawara/Shirakabe Dozo (赤瓦・白壁土蔵). Walk about five minutes to the district. The fare differs from the route through the city, so choose the same routing both ways.
Kurayoshi bus bays and return guidanceRoute 11 Yashiro Line timetables by dayOpen the official Kurayoshi White Wall Warehouses guide
- Warehouse district entrance → Tamagawa and street walk
Allow 90–120 minutes for the warehouses and Tamagawa walk, and about 60 minutes for lunch. Beef-bone ramen is a meal option; individual restaurant hours and prices are separate.
- Warehouse district → Kurayoshi hotel
Return to Akagawara/Shirakabe Dozo stop and take a Kurayoshi Station-bound bus. The same Park Square routing costs JPY 620 return per adult. Stay in Kurayoshi tonight.
Kurayoshi bus bays and return guidanceRoute 11 Yashiro Line timetables by day
Day 3: move to Yonago for the yokai street and museum
Move to Yonago for the yokai street and museum
- Kurayoshi hotel → Yonago Station and new hotel
Take a Yonago-bound JR San-in Line train from Kurayoshi Station. Use Yonago as your new base today for a Sakai Line return trip to Sakaiminato. Choose the intercity train and both Sakai Line services to leave enough museum visiting time.
- Yonago Station → Mizuki Shigeru Museum
Take the Sakaiminato-bound JR Sakai Line from Yonago to its terminus. Walk about 10 minutes along Mizuki Shigeru Road to the museum. Choose your return train to Yonago in the official search.
JR train and fare searchOpen the official Mizuki Shigeru Museum guide
- Museum entrance → Exhibitions and street walk
After the 09:30 opening, allow 60–90 minutes for exhibitions, about 60 minutes for street sculptures and another 60 for lunch. Admission ends at 16:30; for a late arrival, shorten the visit or change the visit date.
- Museum and street → Yonago hotel
Walk back along the yokai street to Sakaiminato Station and take the Yonago-bound Sakai Line. The JR base fare is JPY 660 return. Stay in Yonago tonight.
Day 4: Yonago Castle Ruins views, then departure from the west
Yonago Castle Ruins views, then departure from the west
- Yonago Station and hotel → Castle ruins Masugata entrance
Walk about 15 minutes from Yonago Station to the castle ruins’ Masugata entrance. There are no coin lockers at the ruins; check station or hotel storage first if you have large luggage.
Official castle ruins accessCity tourism body and luggage storage guidance
- Masugata entrance → Views from the former castle keep site
Add about 20 minutes up the ascent path to the keep site, then 20–30 minutes for views. Omit the summit for a morning flight.
Official castle ruins accessCity tourism body and luggage storage guidance
- Former keep site → Yonago Station and hotel
Descend by the same route through Masugata and return to Yonago Station. Do not treat the roughly 20-minute climb as the descent time or entire return walk. Omit the summit if rain makes the path slippery or time before departure is short. This itinerary ends at Yonago Station; airport travel costs extra.
Official castle ruins accessCity tourism body and luggage storage guidance
Included: The Sand Museum JPY 800 + Mizuki Shigeru Museum JPY 1,000 + Sand Dunes Line JPY 760 + warehouse route 11 JPY 620 + Tottori–Kurayoshi JR JPY 680 + Kurayoshi–Yonago JR JPY 990 + Sakai Line JPY 330 × 2.
Extra costs and conditions: Accommodation, meals, airport travel, luggage storage and transport not listed in the table cost extra. Paid experiences and separate facility admission are excluded. Choose return services for your travel date.
Open 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
From Tottori’s dunes and castle ruins to Kurayoshi
Spend two nights in Tottori, then one in Kurayoshi. Split the dunes and sand exhibition and city castle ruins across two days before moving to the centre. Finish with Utsubuki Park and Kurayoshi Station on the final day.
Day 1: dunes and exhibition in the east
Dunes and exhibition in the east
- Tottori Station and hotel → Dunes entrance
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）). Follow signs to the dunes entrance. Choose both buses in the official timetable so you can return after the dune walk and exhibition.
Operator’s ordinary route 39 timetable and faresNorth exit bay 0 and direction-specific stops
- Dunes entrance → The Sand Museum
Allow 60–90 minutes for the dune hills and beach, with lunch separate. Then follow on-site signs to The Sand Museum’s main entrance. Walking between the two places is outside that visit estimate.
Open the official Tottori Sand Dunes guideAdditional transport and operating guidance
- The Sand Museum entrance → Exhibition visit
Allow 60–90 minutes for the exhibition. The current exhibition runs through January 3, 2027; the museum closes during exhibition changeovers. Check the exhibition period in the attraction guide. The main entrance opens 09:00–18:00, last admission 17:30. Outside the exhibition period, omit the indoor visit and its JPY 800 admission expense.
- The Sand Museum → Tottori hotel
Return on the Tottori Station-bound Sand Dunes Line from Suna no Bijutsukan-mae (砂の美術館前). Choose a bus allowing time to walk to the stop after the exhibition. Stay in Tottori tonight.
Operator’s ordinary route 39 timetable and faresNorth exit bay 0 and direction-specific stops
Day 2: Kyusho Park and restored castle gates, then Tottori
Tottori Castle Ruins and Kyusho Park separately from the dunes
- Tottori Station and hotel → Kyusho Park entrance
Take the green Kururi loop bus from Tottori Station to Jinpukaku/Kenritsu Hakubutsukan (仁風閣・県立博物館). Walk into the park below Tottori Castle Ruins, in front of the stop.
Kururi fares and date-specific servicesCity tourism body’s castle ruins and access guide
- Kyusho Park entrance → Restored gates and stone walls
Allow 60–90 minutes for the restored gates, bridge, stone walls and lower park. Jinpukaku’s interior is closed for works, and the mountain summit is excluded from this route.
- Kyusho Park → Tottori Station and hotel
Take the same loop bus from the stop in front of the park back to Tottori Station. Stay in Tottori again tonight.
Day 3: move to Kurayoshi for Tamagawa and the warehouses
Move to Kurayoshi for Tamagawa and the warehouses
- Tottori hotel → Kurayoshi Station and new hotel
Take a Kurayoshi-bound JR San-in Line train from Tottori Station. Kurayoshi becomes your base today for a warehouse district visit and return to the station. Connect the intercity train and local bus using official searches for your date.
- Kurayoshi Station → White-walled warehouse district
From Kurayoshi Station bay 2, take route 11, the Yashiro Line via Park Square, to Akagawara/Shirakabe Dozo (赤瓦・白壁土蔵). Walk about five minutes to the district. The fare differs from the route through the city, so choose the same routing both ways.
Kurayoshi bus bays and return guidanceRoute 11 Yashiro Line timetables by dayOpen the official Kurayoshi White Wall Warehouses guide
- Warehouse district entrance → Tamagawa and street walk
Allow 90–120 minutes for the warehouses and Tamagawa walk, and about 60 minutes for lunch. Beef-bone ramen is a meal option; individual restaurant hours and prices are separate.
- Warehouse district → Kurayoshi hotel
Return to Akagawara/Shirakabe Dozo stop and take a Kurayoshi Station-bound bus. The same Park Square routing costs JPY 620 return per adult. Stay in Kurayoshi tonight.
Kurayoshi bus bays and return guidanceRoute 11 Yashiro Line timetables by day
Day 4: a park walk, then Kurayoshi Station
A park walk, then Kurayoshi Station
- Kurayoshi Station and hotel → Utsubuki Park entrance
From Kurayoshi Station bay 2, take route 12, the Yokota Line via the art museum, Park Square and city hall, to Shiyakusho/Utsubuki Koen Iriguchi (市役所・打吹公園入口). The tourism body gives a ride of about 17 minutes, then a walk of about five minutes to the park. Adult fares on this routing are JPY 230 one way or JPY 460 return.
Route 12 weekday and weekend/public-holiday timetablesCity’s park access explanationCurrent Yokota Line connecting fare tableHinomaru routes and fares
- Utsubuki Park entrance → Pond and lower park walk
Allow 45–60 minutes for the pond and lower park. This excludes summit trekking and another visit to yesterday’s warehouse district.
- Utsubuki Park → Kurayoshi Station and hotel
Return to Shiyakusho/Utsubuki Koen Iriguchi and choose a depot-bound bus passing Kurayoshi Station. This itinerary finishes at Kurayoshi Station, excluding JR travel back to Tottori. Check the official timetable for a return service you can catch after the visit and walk to the stop.
Route 12 weekday and weekend/public-holiday timetablesKurayoshi bus bays and return guidanceCurrent Yokota Line connecting fare table
Included: The Sand Museum JPY 800 + Sand Dunes Line JPY 760 + castle Kururi return JPY 200 + warehouse route 11 JPY 620 + Tottori–Kurayoshi JR JPY 680 + Utsubuki Park route 12 bus JPY 230 × 2.
Extra costs and conditions: Accommodation, meals, airport travel, luggage storage and transport not listed in the table cost extra. Paid experiences and separate facility admission are excluded. Choose return services for your travel date.
Open The Sand Museum’s official guideOperator’s ordinary route 39 timetable and faresRoute 41 timetableHinomaru routes and faresRoute 11 Yashiro Line timetables by dayJR train and fare searchCurrent Yokota Line connecting fare tableKururi fares and date-specific servicesCity tourism body’s castle ruins and access guide
Frequently asked questions
Does the four-day itinerary return to Tottori Station?
The westward route ends at Yonago Station; the eastern/central route at Kurayoshi Station. For a booked departure from Tottori Station, add a separate eastbound JR journey. The listed subtotals exclude that return; check connections and fares separately.
Is a pass cheaper for the move west?
The westward route’s Tottori–Kurayoshi JPY 680, Kurayoshi–Yonago JPY 990 and Sakai Line return JPY 660 total JPY 2,330 in JR base fares. For only these local-train sections, ordinary tickets cost less than the JPY 4,000 three-day Tottori-Matsue Pass. For limited expresses or extra travel, compare actual sections and additional fares again.
JR train and fare searchJR Tottori-Matsue Pass coverage and eligibility
Official sources and check dates
- Open the official Tottori Sand Dunes guide ·
- Open The Sand Museum’s official guide ·
- Additional transport and operating guidance ·
- Open the official Kurayoshi White Wall Warehouses guide ·
- Kurayoshi bus bays and return guidance ·
- Open the official Mizuki Shigeru Museum guide ·
- City tourism body’s castle ruins and access guide ·
- Kururi fares and date-specific services ·
- Tourism body’s park introduction ·
- City’s park access explanation ·
- Official castle ruins access ·
- City tourism body and luggage storage guidance ·
- Operator’s ordinary route 39 timetable and fares ·
- North exit bay 0 and direction-specific stops ·
- Route 41 timetable ·
- Hinomaru routes and fares ·
- Route 11 Yashiro Line timetables by day ·
- Route 12 weekday and weekend/public-holiday timetables ·
- JR train and fare search ·
- Current Yokota Line connecting fare table ·
- JR Tottori-Matsue Pass coverage and eligibility ·