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Major city · Japan

Tottori鳥取市

Go for one night: the sand dunes are the reason, and they are 20 min by bus from Tottori Station. Two nights only if you add the coast or Daisen.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
JPY
Best months
Mar–May, Oct–Nov
avoid Jul–Aug (hot and humid), mid-August Obon, late Jun–mid Jul rainy season
Airports
TTJ · YGJ · KIX
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 5
  • East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
  • East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
  • Japan ↗IC cards (ICOCA/Suica) are topped up with cash at station machines.
  • Japan ↗Smoking while walking is banned in most city centres; use designated areas.
  • Japan ↗Shinkansen bags 160–250 cm (L+W+H) need a seat reserved with the oversized-baggage area.

Tottori is a small San'in coast city whose one unmissable sight is the Tottori Sand Dunes, a 2 km-wide band of sand 20 minutes by bus from the station. The city itself is walkable and cheap, with a castle ruin, a small museum cluster and a folkcraft collection. Most travellers pass through on the San'in line between Kyoto/Osaka and Matsue, or use it as a base for the coast, Daisen and Misasa. One night covers the dunes and the centre; two nights let you add a day trip.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Tottori, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee¥400–700 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Street or quick mealNoodle soup (ramen or soba)¥800–1,300 (≈ US$6–9)
  • Beerdraught in an izakaya / can at a konbini¥500–750 (≈ US$4–6)¥250–350 (≈ US$2–3)
  • Metro or bus rideLoop bus to the dunes¥300 (≈ US$3) single, ¥600 (≈ US$5) day pass (check)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry (prefectural museum, folkcraft, history)¥180–500 (≈ US$2–4)
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per person¥3,000 (≈ US$25)
  • Mid-range bedBusiness-hotel double room, a night, per room¥14,000 (≈ US$95)
  • High-end bedBusiness-hotel double room, a night, per room¥30,000 (≈ US$250)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget ¥7,000 (≈ US$50) · Mid ¥13,000 (≈ US$90) · High ¥25,000 (≈ US$170)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Tottori Sand DunesSandboarding and camel ridesTottori Castle ruins and cherry blossomThe White Rabbit of Inaba legend
Airports
TTJ Tottori Airport (Mainly Tokyo Haneda flights; bus to Tottori Station about 20 min) · YGJ Yonago Kitaro Airport (About 1 h 30 min by train to Tottori; more international links) · KIX Kansai International (Long-haul gateway; reach Tottori by limited express via Osaka or Kyoto)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Tottori: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

8°C

1°C

15 rd

Feb

9°C

1°C

13 rd

Mar

13°C

3°C

13 rd

Apr

19°C

8°C

11 rd

May

24°C

13°C

10 rd

Jun

27°C

18°C

12 rd

Jul

31°C

23°C

13 rd

Aug

32°C

24°C

11 rd

Sep

27°C

19°C

12 rd

Oct

22°C

13°C

10 rd

Nov

17°C

7°C

11 rd

Dec

11°C

3°C

14 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The centre between the station and Mt. Kyusho is walkable. For the dunes take the loop bus (single fare ¥300, day pass ¥600, includes luggage storage) or the local bus (about ¥380). The ¥100 Kururi bus runs three colour-coded routes every 20 min from the station. Trains and highway buses cover the wider San'in region.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Tottori Sand Dunes

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Loop bus from Tottori Station, about 20 min

The main reason to come. Free entry, open 24 h; activities from about 09:00.

Kurayoshi

go

Door to door: About 1 h

JR San'in line limited express west, about 40 min

White-walled storehouses and a quiet old town; easy half day.

Yonago

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h

JR San'in line limited express west, about 1 h 15 min

Gateway to Mt. Daisen and the airport; good as a second base.

Sakaiminato

go

Door to door: About 2 h

JR San'in line west to Yonago, then Sakai line, about 1 h 45 min total

Seafood market and the Mizuki Shigeru Road; a full day out.

Daisen

overnight

Door to door: About 2.5 h

JR to Yonago, then bus toward Daisen-ji, about 2 h total

Hiking and temple stays; too slow for a comfortable return day.

Misasa Onsen

overnight

Door to door: About 2 h

JR to Kurayoshi, then bus, about 1 h 30 min total

Radium hot-spring town; sleep one night rather than rush back.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Tottori Station area

Best for one night with bags: buses to the dunes and the loop bus start here, plus the tourist information booth.

Downtown / Suehiro-onsencho

Restaurants, bars and the shopping arcade; 10–15 min walk from the station.

Sand dunes area (Fukube / Yuyama)

A few mins from the dunes for early-morning wind patterns; thin on food and transport after dark.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
¥7,000–11,000 (≈ US$50–75) excl. bed
Mid
¥11,000–18,000 (≈ US$75–130) excl. bed
High
¥18,000 (≈ US$130)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Business-hotel double room1 × 1 night × ¥14,000¥14,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × ¥13,000¥26,000
Loop bus day pass, one day2 × ¥600 · check¥1,200
Airport bus, both ways2 × ¥920 · check¥1,840
eSIM, about a week of data2 × ¥2,500¥5,000
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge¥4,800
Trip total≈ ¥26,420 per person per day, bed included¥52,840≈ US$400

2026 estimate in yen; flights and rail passes excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee¥400–700 (≈ US$3–5)
Noodle soup (ramen or soba)¥800–1,300 (≈ US$6–9)
Seafood rice bowl (kaisendon) near the port¥1,500–3,000 (≈ US$11–25)
Beer: draught in an izakaya / can at a konbini¥500–750 (≈ US$4–6) / ¥250–350 (≈ US$2–3)
Loop bus to the dunes¥300 (≈ US$3) single, ¥600 (≈ US$5) day pass (check)
Cable car to the Dune Observatory¥200 (≈ US$2) one way (check)
Museum entry (prefectural museum, folkcraft, history)¥180–500 (≈ US$2–4)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

One of Japan's calmer regional cities; the real risks are summer heat on the dunes, sand in your gear and infrequent buses back from outlying sights. Ask the total before you sit down in a bar with no posted prices.
  • The dunes are free and open 24 h, but activities usually start around 09:00; go early to see wind patterns before the crowds.
  • Sand gets into everything: bring a change of socks and a bag for shoes.
  • Summer is hot and humid with strong sun on the sand; carry water.
  • Small museums and temples keep short hours and close one day a week: check before you go.
  • Buses to outlying sights are infrequent; plan the return bus before you set out.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Fire and ambulance
119

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Tottori鳥取市

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

ここまでお願いしますTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Fire and ambulance119

Embassy

No embassies in Tottori; most countries keep embassies in Tokyo and consulates in Osaka. The US consulate nearest is in Osaka (check).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Tottori Station → Sand Dunes, loop bus: ¥300 (≈ US$3) single, ¥600 (≈ US$5) day pass, about 20 min (check)
  • Tottori Station → Tottori Airport, bus: about ¥460 (≈ US$4), about 20 min (check)
  • Limited express Tottori → Kurayoshi: about ¥2,000–2,500 (≈ US$14–17) reserved, about 40 min (check)

Say or show

  • すみません — Excuse me / Sorry (sumimasen)
  • ありがとうございます — Thank you (arigatō gozaimasu)
  • これをください — This one, please (kore o kudasai)
  • いくらですか？ — How much is it? (ikura desu ka)
  • カードで払えますか？ — Can I pay by card? (kādo de haraemasu ka)
  • トイレはどこですか？ — Where is the toilet? (toire wa doko desu ka)

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Tottori. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Mar–May, Oct–Nov · avoid Jul–Aug (hot and humid), mid-August Obon, late Jun–mid Jul rainy season · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 6 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for TTJ: last bus from Tottori Station field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: station and arcade, castle and museum hill, Kannon-in and Ochidani, the dunes.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (dunes, castle ruins, prefectural museum, Jinpukaku, Kannon-in) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Golden and hostile arrival fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Japan

Sources