Discover Tottori Prefecture

When looking for a hotel in Tottori Prefecture, first choose the focus of your trip: nature and activities around Daisen, experiences at the Tottori Sand Dunes, or Nijisseiki pears. These themes vary by location, activity and season. This lets you tailor your search to what you want to do during your stay.

Daisen: national park, history and activities

Daisen-Oki National Park extends across Tottori, Shimane and Okayama prefectures, making it a geographic landmark shared across the region. At Daisen, nature meets a focus on history: buildings dating from before the early modern period remain on the former grounds of Daisenji. At abandoned sites of subsidiary temples, stone walls, earthworks and the paths connecting them are well preserved. These surviving features offer a concrete reason to explore the history of Daisenji as part of your trip planning.

For a mountain hike, the Daisen summer hiking trail is a specifically identified option. It is designed as a main route for beginners and is recommended for people climbing Daisen for the first time, as well as children and inexperienced hikers. The summer designation and stated target group help you consider this hike as a distinct part of your trip, rather than interpreting it as a statement about every trail on Daisen.

There are also several ski areas around Daisen, with slopes for beginners through to advanced skiers. Some offer sea views, night skiing, accommodation and dining. This means two distinct activity profiles are available: the main trail specifically designated as a summer route for beginners, and the ski areas, with slopes for different experience levels. If you are planning your trip around Daisen, you can take these differences into account when choosing your activities.

Tottori Sand Dunes: getting there and experiences

From the bus stop at Tottori Station, it takes about 20 minutes by bus to reach the Tottori Sand Dunes. The listed stops are Tottori Sand Dunes and Sakyu Kaikan. Check the timetable for your specific journey; the approximate travel time and the two stops provide a practical guide for planning.

At the sand dunes, even small children can take souvenir photos with camels. The animals are considered gentle and child-friendly. This is a different way to experience the dunes from sandboarding, another activity available there: you ride a special board down a sandy slope. Sandboarding is considered a new leisure activity in Tottori Sand Dunes National Park. Comparing the activities makes the difference clear: one is about taking a souvenir photo with a camel, while the other is about riding a board downhill.

Kurayoshi and the Nijisseiki pear

Kurayoshi is home to the Tottori Nijisseiki Pear Museum, the only museum in Japan dedicated to Nashi pears. Picking Nijisseiki pears is another regional attraction: in Tottori Prefecture, you can pick this variety from late August to late September. The pear is a local specialty of the prefecture. The museum and the opportunity to pick pears thus offer two different perspectives on the same pear: the museum is in Kurayoshi, while the picking experience is available across the prefecture and is tied to a seasonal window.

If you want to include pear picking in your trip, plan around this period from late August to late September. For a different focus, the activities at Daisen or the sand dunes may be the deciding factor. The specific differences between a summer hiking trail, ski areas, dune activities and pear season can help you choose a trip that matches your interests and the right time to travel.

Discover more destinations: Tottori, Yonago, Kurayoshi, Tohaku District, Saihaku District, Tohaku District, Sakaiminato, Iwami.

For the main travel overview: Japan.