Tottori in 2 days / 1 night: stay near the dunes or Yonago?
Spend 1 night near Tottori Station for dunes, museum and city castle ruins, or Yonago Station for yokai street and Yonago Castle Ruins. JR between the bases takes time, with additional buses or trains to the dunes and Sakaiminato. Choose one side for a 2-day stay to leave more sightseeing time.
Choose a 1 night, 2 days itinerary
Dunes, sand exhibitions and city castle ruins
Spend 1 night near Tottori Station. Visit the dunes and sand exhibition on day 1, then the city’s castle ruins on the final day.
Dunes, sand exhibitions and city castle ruins →1 night, 2 days BYokai street and Yonago Castle Ruins
Spend 1 night near Yonago Station. Visit Sakaiminato’s yokai street and museum on day 1, then climb Yonago Castle Ruins on the final day.
Yokai street and Yonago Castle Ruins →Dunes, sand exhibitions and city castle ruins
Spend 1 night near Tottori Station. Visit the dunes and sand exhibition on day 1, then the city’s castle ruins on the final day.
Day 1 · Dunes, sand exhibition and Tottori stay
Dunes and sand exhibition before staying in Tottori
- Tottori Station and hotel → Dunes entrance
From stand 0 at Tottori Station’s north bus terminal, take route 39, the dunes line, to its Sakyu Kaikan (砂丘会館（鳥取砂丘）) terminus. Follow signs to the dunes entrance. Choose outward and return services together from the official timetable, allowing for the dunes walk and exhibition.
Operator’s route 39 ordinary timetable and faresNorth exit stand 0 and directional stop information
- Dunes entrance → The Sand Museum
Allow 60–90 minutes for walking the dunes and beach, with lunch separately. Follow local signs to the Sand Museum’s main entrance afterwards. Walking between the two places is excluded from these visit estimates.
Open official Tottori Sand Dunes informationAdditional transport and operation information
- Sand Museum entrance → Visit the exhibition
Allow 60–90 minutes for the exhibition. The current exhibition runs until 3 January 2027; the museum closes between exhibitions. Check the exhibition period in the attraction guide. The main entrance opens 09:00–18:00, last entry 17:30. Outside the exhibition period, omit the indoor visit and its JPY 800 admission.
- The Sand Museum → Tottori hotel
Return on a Tottori Station-bound dunes-line bus from Suna-no-Bijutsukan-mae (砂の美術館前). Choose a service allowing time to walk to the stop after the exhibition. Stay in Tottori tonight.
Operator’s route 39 ordinary timetable and faresNorth exit stand 0 and directional stop information
Day 2 · Kyusho Park and restored gates, then station
Kyusho Park and restored gates before returning to the station
- 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). Go to the lower park at Tottori Castle Ruins in front of the stop.
Kururi fares and date-specific servicesCity tourism castle ruins and access information
- Kyusho Park entrance → Restored gates and stone walls
Allow 60–90 minutes for restored gates, bridge, stone walls and the lower park. Jinpukaku’s interior is closed for works; the mountain summit is outside this itinerary.
- Kyusho Park → Tottori Station and hotel
Return to Tottori Station on the same loop bus from the stop in front of the park. On departure day, leave time at the station to prepare for your onward journey.
Included: The subtotal includes JPY 800 for the Sand Museum, JPY 760 for dunes-line buses and JPY 200 for Kururi buses.
Extra costs and conditions: Accommodation, meals, airport transfers, luggage storage and unlisted transport are extra. Paid activities and other facility admission are excluded. Choose return services for your travel date.
Open official Sand Museum informationOperator’s route 39 ordinary timetable and faresKururi fares and date-specific services
Yokai street and Yonago Castle Ruins
Spend 1 night near Yonago Station. Visit Sakaiminato’s yokai street and museum on day 1, then climb Yonago Castle Ruins on the final day.
Day 1 · Yonago to Sakaiminato’s yokai street
Yonago to the yokai street in Sakaiminato
- Yonago Station → Mizuki Shigeru Museum
Take the JR Sakai Line from Yonago towards Sakaiminato and get off at the terminus. Walk about 10 minutes along Mizuki Shigeru Road to the museum. Select return trains to Yonago in the official planner too.
JR train and fare searchOpen official Mizuki Shigeru Museum information
- Museum entrance → Exhibitions and street walk
After the 09:30 opening, allow 60–90 minutes for exhibitions, about 60 for street sculptures and another 60 for lunch. Admission ends at 16:30; shorten the visit or change your visit day if arriving late.
- Museum and street → Yonago hotel
Walk back along the yokai street to Sakaiminato Station and take a Yonago-bound Sakai Line train. JR base fares total JPY 660 return. Stay in Yonago tonight.
Day 2 · Yonago Castle Ruins before departure
Walk Yonago Castle Ruins, then depart
- Yonago Station and hotel → Castle ruins’ Masugata entrance
Walk about 15 minutes from Yonago Station to the Masugata entrance. The ruins have no coin lockers; check luggage storage at your station or hotel first if carrying large bags.
Castle ruins’ official accessCity tourism and luggage information
- Masugata entrance → Views from the keep site
Add about 20 minutes uphill to the keep site, then 20–30 minutes for the view. Skip the summit for a morning flight.
Castle ruins’ official accessCity tourism and luggage information
- Keep site → Yonago Station and hotel
Descend along the same route through the Masugata entrance to Yonago Station. The roughly 20-minute ascent is neither a descent estimate nor a whole return-trip time. Skip the summit if rain makes the route slippery or departure time is close. This route ends at Yonago Station; airport transport is extra.
Castle ruins’ official accessCity tourism and luggage information
Included: The subtotal includes JPY 1,000 for the Mizuki museum and Sakai Line trains at JPY 330 each way (JPY 330 × 2).
Extra costs and conditions: Accommodation, meals, airport transfers, luggage storage and unlisted transport are extra. Paid activities and other facility admission are excluded. Choose return services for your travel date.
Open official Mizuki Shigeru Museum informationJR train and fare search
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit Sakaiminato while staying in Yonago?
The route uses return Sakai Line trains from Yonago to Sakaiminato. The museum is about 10 minutes on foot from Sakaiminato; the subtotal includes JR return base fares JPY 660 and museum admission JPY 1,000. Select actual-date return services again before travel.
Open official Mizuki Shigeru Museum informationJR train and fare search
Official sources and confirmation dates
- Open official Tottori Sand Dunes information ·
- Open official Sand Museum information ·
- Additional transport and operation information ·
- Open official Mizuki Shigeru Museum information ·
- City tourism castle ruins and access information ·
- Kururi fares and date-specific services ·
- Castle ruins’ official access ·
- City tourism and luggage information ·
- Operator’s route 39 ordinary timetable and fares ·
- North exit stand 0 and directional stop information ·
- JR train and fare search ·