Yosemite Day Tour

Explore the glacially-carved valley while experiencing majestic meadows, roaring waterfalls and towering granite cliffs from the heart of Yosemite’s dynamic wilderness.

Just a few hours’ drive from San Francisco, Yosemite is the ideal break from the distractions of the city. Since John Muir’s first glimpse of Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite has captivated and inspired people from all over the world, totaling more than 5 million visitors in a year.

Immerse yourself in our day-long tour with our professional guides. Capture the endless skylines, rock formations, and waterfalls as you enjoy an overview of how Yosemite Park’s unique landscape was formed, who came before, and how the park became the nation’s first ever protected national park.

Wander through the fields, bike the trails or just find a serene overlook to sit and reflect. Discover the resilience and beauty of a place that has captured the hearts of visitors throughout the ages.

Morning – Drive to Yosemite

6:35 – 7:15am: We’ll take off after we pick up the adventure crew for the day from the prearranged locations listed on your confirmation. Make sure to arrive 15 minutes early!

7:15 – 10:00am: As you settle in for the journey, we’ll pass by some exceptional San Francisco sights. Catch views of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island and the incomparable San Francisco Skyline as we head east on the Bay Bridge. You’ll taste a piece of California’s rich agricultural hub as we pass through a slice of the Central Valley famous for specialty fruits and nuts such as almonds, walnuts, cherries, and strawberries.

10:00 – 11:30am: We’ll continue into the mountains as we connect with the rich history of California’s gold country, passing through some of the first settlements built during the Gold Rush. Take in the earthy forest smell as we make our way to the heart of the park. Your guide will pepper in stories and historical facts about the different sights. Be sure to listen for the logistics as we get ready for the day tour!

Afternoon – Free Time in Yosemite

12:00pm: The climb to Yosemite Valley offers breathtaking views as we wind our way up to 6,200 feet above sea level. Next, you’ll feel like Ansel Adams at ‘Tunnel View’, one of Yosemite’s most beautiful locations where we will make a stop for photos.

1:00pm: The suspense is over! Once we reach the drop off location, you’ll have around 3 hours of free time to explore. Want to hike or bike around? Your guide will point out the best spots on your map. You’ll have options to meander or bike down paved paths, hike the trails, engage further with the park’s history at the visitor center or visit the Ansel Adams Gallery. Although you could spend three weeks in Yosemite, the three hours you get on your own is enough time to understand why Yosemite is one of America’s most popular national parks.

4:00pm: Once you’ve had your time to explore, we’ll come together in the late afternoon and set our course back to San Francisco, stopping for a short break before arriving back in the city. You will arrive back at your hotel by around 8:30 – 9:00 p.m. to sleep off the days’ adventures.

**Sample Itineraries: We do our best to follow our itineraries as written, but don’t control the weather (yet) and we can’t make promises about special events or traffic conditions in Yosemite.  The benefit of having small groups is allowing our guides the flexibility to tailor your itinerary to best suit the needs of the group. While we guarantee that we’ll do our best to provide you with all of the highlights within this itinerary (conditions permitting), we do not guarantee them in this specific order. **