San’in Travel Logistics and Destinations
San’in Travel Logistics and Destinations
As of Jan 2026
1. Traveling to and from San'in for the San’in Tour
San'in is a region along the Sea of Japan, which includes Tottori and Shimane Prefectures. Our tour will begin in Tottori and conclude in Shimane.
There are two meeting and disbanding locations, giving you the option to fly or take JR trains.
If you plan to fly from Haneda to Yonago or Izumo back to Haneda, please book your flights as soon as possible, as they tend to sell out two to three months in advance and prices increase. If this is too much to handle, let us know.
If you are arriving in Tottori the day before the tour, we do not recommend staying in Sakaiminato, as it is a small port town with no nearby restaurants that you can walk to in the evening.
Please note that the following train and bus schedules are as of January 2026 and may change. Make sure to check the latest train and bus timetables in advance.
Train Map - courtesy of JR West.
Meeting Time & Locations
These are the two meeting points to start the tour on Monday.
10:30 AM at Yonago Airport (YGJ)
OR
11:25 AM at Onyado Nono Sakaiminato (next to JR Sakaiminato Station)
In general:
If you are traveling from Tokyo on Monday, flying on ANA 383 is recommended.
For those in the Osaka/Kansai area or other regions in Western Japan, your journey will start with a trip to JR Yonago. From there, you can take a local train to JR Sakaiminato Station. If you plan to travel from Shin-Osaka to Sakaiminato on Monday, make sure to catch the Shinkansen at 7:11 AM. It may be wise to consider staying in Yonago on Sunday night.
If you are in Tottori or Shimane (excluding Matsue), you will also start by traveling to JR Yonago.
How to get to Yonago Airport (YGJ)
Meeting Time: 10:30 AM at Yonago Airport (YGJ)
Yonago Airport, located between the cities of Yonago and Sakaiminato in Tottori, has limited flights. Domestic flights are operated by ANA to and from Haneda only. There are also a few international flights available from Seoul and Taiwan.
From Haneda Airport to Yonago Airport
This is the flight tour leader is taking on Monday.
ANA383 09:00 AM Haneda - 10:25 AM Yonago Airport
There are six daily flights to Yonago Airport.
From Yonago to Yonago Airport
If you are already in Yonago and wish to meet the group at the airport, please take the airport bus or taxi.
ANA Crowne Plaza Yonago conveniently offers the airport bus service.
9:30 AM ANA Crowne Plaza Yonago - 10:05 AM Yonago Airport by Bus
640 JPY
From JR Yonago Station, you can also take the airport bus or a taxi. The taxi ride takes approximately 30 minutes and costs around 5,000 JPY.
Alternatively, take a train from JR Yonago to JR Sakaiminato Station on Monday. See "How to get to Oyado Nono" below.
From Matsue to Yonago Airport
If you are in Matsue in Shimane, please take the airport bus from JR Matsue to Yonago Airport
9:30 AM JR Matsue - 10:15 AM Yonago Airport by Airport Bus
1,200 JPY
How to get to Onyado Nono Sakaiminato (next to JR Sakaiminato Station)
Meeting Time: 11:25 AM at Onyado Nono Sakaiminato
If you plan to meet the group in Sakaiminato, you should stay in Yonago or in an area that allows you to reach JR Yonago in time to catch the 10:29 AM train on Sunday.
Here are the train schedules for the local Gegege no Kitaro train from JR Yonago to Sakaiminato. It arrives at Onyado Nono at 11:25 AM, which is a one-minute walk from JR Sakaiminato.
9:33 AM JR Yonago - 10:17 JR Sakaiminato on JR Sakai Line
10:29 AM JR Yonago - 11:20 JR Sakaiminato
Please note that this train is extremely popular and gets very busy. Get to the platform early to get a seat. The train runs every hour.
How to get to Yonago
Unless you are flying from Haneda, you will pass through Yonago. Yonago is a good-sized city to stay in on Sunday night.
From JR Shin Osaka via/ Okayama
There are no flights from Osaka to Yonago. To travel to JR Yonago from JR Shin-Osaka, take a Shinkansen to JR Okayama, then transfer to the Yakumo Limited Express to reach JR Yonago.
Check this link - https://www.yonago-navi.jp/en/access/jr/
Please note that the entire trip from JR Shin-Osaka to JR Yonago takes over 3 hours. 15 Yakumo Limited Express trains are operating daily between Okayama and Yonago.
From Yonago, you can reach the meeting point at Yonago Airport or Oyado Nono. Please review How to get to Yonago Airport (YGJ) and How to get to Onyado Nono Sakaiminato above.
If you plan to meet the group at Onyado Nono Sakaiminato on Monday and are traveling from JR Shin-Osaka, you need to depart at 7:11 AM to arrive by 11:25 AM.
Where to stay in Yonago
ANA Crowne Plaza is within walking distance from JR Yonago Station. If you plan to meet the group at Yonago Airport, there’s an airport bus from ANA Crowne Plaza. If you have stayed at ANA Crowne Plaza with our previous tours, you are familiar with the room size and breakfast.
There are also reasonably priced business hotels, such as Toyoko Inn, Washington Hotel Plaza, and Alpha One, close to JR Yonago Station.
Please book your accommodations in Yonago on your own using online booking sites.
Tour Finishing Time and Locations
3:15 PM at JR Izumoshi Station
Please schedule your train after 3:45 PM.
or
4:00 PM at Izumo Airport (IZO)
Please schedule your flights after 5:00 PM.
From JR Izumoshi Station
If you are continuing to your next destination by train, JR Izumoshi provides access to the Yakumo Limited Express and other local trains.
JR Yakumo Limited Express 26: 4:41 PM JR Izumoshi 7:48 PM JR Okayama.
JR Yakumo Limited Express 26 also stops at JR Matsue or JR Yonago.
From Izumo Airport (IZO)
https://www.izumo-airport.co.jp/
There are flights to Haneda, Itami, Fukuoka, Oki Islands, Shizuoka, Chubu or Komaki from Izumo Airport. Only JAL flights are available .
To Haneda
JAL284 5:15 PM Izumo - 6:35 PM Haneda
There are five flights daily. There’s one more flight after JL 284.
To Itami
JAL 2358 7:25 PM Izumo - 8:30 PM Itami
There are four flights daily. JL 2358 is the last flight for the day.
To Fukuoka
JAL 3554 7:10 PM Izumo - 8:20 PM Fukuoka
There are two flights daily and JAL 3554 is the last one.
2. Flights
If you plan to fly from Haneda to Yonago or Izumo back to Haneda, please book your flights as soon as possible, as they tend to sell out two to three months in advance and prices increase.
We recommend that you book your own flights. However, if you prefer, Sake Tours can purchase tickets for ANA Flight 383 on Monday and/or JAL Flight 284 on Friday upon request.
To Yonago Airport (YGJ) - to start the tour.
To fly to Yonago Airport (YGJ) from Haneda (HND), book your flight on ANA.
This is the flight the group will take on Monday.
ANA383 09:00 AM Haneda - 10:25 AM Yonago Airport
See if there’s any special fare, such as the ANA Discover JAPAN Fare, available.
https://www.ana.co.jp/en/es/plan-book/promotions/special-fares/
Or check whether there's an option to book the domestic flight with your international flights.
https://www.ana.co.jp/en/sg/plan-book/promotions/domestic-add-on-free-flights/
If you travel to Tottori before the tour and plan to fly from Haneda, Tottori Airport (TTJ) may be a better option if you plan to visit the Tottori Sand Dunes. There are 5 daily flights between Haneda and Tottori Airport operated by ANA.
https://www.ttj-ap-bld.co.jp/flight
From Izumo Airport (IZO) - at the end of the tour.
To fly from Izumo Airport (IZO), book your flight on JAL. There are flights to Haneda, Itami, Fukuoka, Oki Islands, Shizuoka, Chubu, or Komaki.
Please schedule your flights after 5:00 PM.
JAL284 5:15 PM Izumo - 6:35 PM Haneda
JAL 2358 7:25 PM Izumo - 8:30 PM Itami
It appears HND - IZO flights do not qualify for the Japan Explorer Pass at this time. However, please see if there's an advantage to booking domestic flights with your international flights.
https://www.jal.co.jp/world/en/world/japan_explorer_pass/lp/
3. Purchasing Train Tickets
Please book and purchase your own train tickets.
Please visit our site for more information.
https://saketours.com/traveling-on-trains-in-japan1
Purchase In-Person:
To purchase train tickets at the JR Ticket Office once you are in Japan. You can purchase train tickets at any station.
Purchase Online:
Now, you can book your JR tickets online. It’s a one-stop ticket booking service that will make cross-sectional JR transit easy and simple. You will receive a QR code to issue physical tickets at JR Stations.
JR Pass:
If you plan to travel around in Japan before / after the tour, Japan Rail Pass can be one of the options for your transportation. With this pass, you will be able to ride all JR trains including Shinkansen and express trains, with some exceptions, during the designated period.
For more information, please visit:
JR West San-yo San-in Area Pass
The Sanyo-San’in Area Pass is a rail pass exclusively available to foreign tourists. It is ideal for those planning to explore Shin-Osaka, Hiroshima, Okayama, Shimane, and Tottori, either before or after the San’in Tour. This pass offers a 7-day option, providing four consecutive days of unlimited travel on designated JR train and bus lines, including unreserved seats on limited express trains in the Sanyo and San'in Regions. Additionally, the pass costs 23,000 JPY, approximately half that of the JR Pass.
4. Travel Ideas before/after Sake Tours San'in 2026 / 2027
Tottori
For the San'in Tour we will only be visiting a very small part of Tottori - Sakaiminato. Sakaiminato is right next to Shimane prefecture. The majority of the tour will be spent in Shimane Prefecture. Therefore, you may want to spend some time exploring Tottori yourself.
To travel to Tottori, consider flying from Haneda to Tottori Airport or traveling by JR trains.
For more travel information on Tottori, please visit https://www.tottori-tour.jp/en/
https://www.sanin-tourism.com/
Tottori Sand Dunes
The San’in region’s signature attraction — Japan’s largest sand dunes, sculpted over thousands of years and part of the San’in Kaigan UNESCO Global Geopark. Perfect for strolling, photography, and even camel rides or sandboarding in season.
Sand Museum
A unique indoor gallery dedicated to sand art, showcasing massive sand sculptures by international artists that change annually. A fascinating cultural complement to the dunes.
Kurayoshi
Kurayoshi is a friendly, historic city located in the center of Tottori Prefecture. You can visit the historic merchant quarters and classic white-walled warehouses to see the former seat of power for the Hoki region.
https://www.kurayoshi-kankou.jp/en/
Shimane
Our San'in Tour includes Yasugi, Matsue, Iwami Ginzan, and Izumo, but there's even more to explore in Shimane. Tamatsukuri Onsen, located near Matsue, is one of the oldest hot springs and is renowned for its skin-beneficial waters. The Oki Islands, accessible by JAL flights within 30 to 50 minutes, provide accommodations with stunning views and pristine natural surroundings.
https://www.kankou-shimane.com/en/
Tamatsukuri Onsen
https://www.kankou-shimane.com/en/destinations/9283
Oki Islands
https://visit-okiislands.e-oki.net/
JR West Sanyo San’in Area Pass
https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/pass/sanyo_sanin/
Take advantage of JR West Sanyo San’in Area Pass and travel along the Japan Sea Coast: Kinosaki Onsen, Ama-no-Hashidate, Ine or to Sanyo Area: Yamaguchi, Hiroshima, Okayama. Please explore the areas you have not traveled before.