“You can’t really get around San’in without a car, right?” I hear that a lot. It’s true that having a car gives you freedom, but honestly, you can reach the main sights with just trains and buses. This is a San’in trip built on public transport, for people who don’t have a license or simply would rather not drive.
Map of places you can reach by public transport alone
The backbone of the rail network is JR Yonago Station. From here, lines stretch out toward Sakaiminato, Izumo, and Matsue. For how it all fits together, see the map.
- Toward Sakaiminato — Take the JR Sakai Line (the Kitaro train) straight to Mizuki Shigeru Road
- Toward Izumo — JR plus the Ichibata Electric Railway to Izumo Taisha
- Toward Matsue — JR to Matsue, then the Horikawa moat cruise or buses within the city
- Toward Mt. Daisen — Route buses from Yonago Station or Yonago Airport (please check how often they run)
Model route
- Day 1: Yokai Day — Yonago Station → JR Sakai Line (the Kitaro train itself is a sightseeing experience) → eat your way along Mizuki Shigeru Road in Sakaiminato → head back to Yonago
- Day 2: Mythology Day — Yonago Station → JR to Izumo City → Ichibata Electric Railway to Izumo Taisha-mae → Izumo Taisha and the Shinmon-dori approach
- Day 3: City of Water — JR to Matsue → Matsue Castle and the Horikawa moat cruise → sunset over Lake Shinji
Useful tickets and passes
JR excursion tickets, one-day passes for the Ichibata Electric Railway, and other money-saving tickets are sometimes available. Contents and prices change, so please check the latest details on the official JR West and Ichibata Electric Railway sites.
Things to watch for (frequency and last departures)
- Some sections have few departures — Buses in particular can run only once every one to two hours. Always check the timetable before you set out
- Last departures are early — Plan to wrap up the evening on the early side. On some sections it’s hard to recover if you miss the last bus or train
- Service to the middle slopes of Mt. Daisen is limited — For the Daisenji area, you’ll need to fit your itinerary around the bus schedule
Leaving plenty of time and not trying to cram in too much is the trick to making a car-free trip feel relaxed.
Last checked
This information is current as of June 13, 2026. Please check the latest timetables, fares, and ticket details on each transport operator’s official website.
