| From Tokyo: | 5-6 hr |
| From Osaka: | 3-4 hr |
How to Get There
San’inkaigan National Park stretches along the Sea of Japan encompassing Tottori, Hyogo and Kyoto prefectures. The park is known for its sand dunes, inlets, caves, hot springs and rock formations, as well as activities like hiking, diving, paragliding and swimming. The JR San’in Main Line runs most of the length of the park parallel to the coast west of Toyooka Station, while the Miyazu Line of the Kitakinki Tango Railway runs about a third of the length of the park east of Toyooka Station. You likely won’t need a car because of the excellent train and bus networks, but rental companies are plentiful if you're keen to experience beautiful coastal drives.
From Tokyo
The Tottori Sand Dunes sit on the western perimeter of San’inkaigan National Park. To reach them from Tokyo, take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka Station (2 hr 30 min), transfer to the Super Hakuto limited express train and alight at Tottori Station (2 hr 30 min) then take a bus bound for Tottori Sakyu (20 min). Buses from Tottori Station also run to the popular Uradome Coast (40 min). Kinosaki Onsen is a renowned hot-spring town in the central-eastern part of the park near Toyooka Station. To reach it, take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka Station (2 hr 30 min) and transfer to a Konotori limited express train for Kinosaki Onsen Station (3 hr). The Konotori limited express train also stops at Toyooka Station, where you can transfer to the Miyazu Line as well as buses that run to interesting spots in the east of the park, such as Kumihama Bay and the Tango Sand Dunes.
From Osaka
For the west side of the park, including the Tottori Sand Dunes, take the Super Hakuto limited express train (2 hr 30 min) from Shin-Osaka Station to Tottori Station. For the east side of the park, including Kinosaki Onsen, take the Konotori limited express train to Kinosaki Onsen Station (3 hr).
Getting Around
San’inkaigan National Park has convenient public transportation due to the train lines that follow the coastline. Many of the park’s highlights, including the Tottori Sand Dunes, Kinosaki Onsen and Uradome Coast, are walkable from the closest train stations, but there is also good bus service. Hikers should take note of the scenic paths that compose the San’in Kaigan Geopark Trail along the coastline. If you’d rather avoid public transportation within the park, you'll find many rental companies around major stations such as Tottori and Toyooka. Driving along the park's beautiful coastal roads is a particular treat.