Small-Group Yosemite Day Tour from San Francisco

Overview

Yosemite National Park is a must-visit California gem, and this day trip from San Francisco makes it easy. Leave the urban hustle-bustle behind and journey through Central Valley, Gold Country and the Sierra Nevada foothills to UNESCO World Heritage–listed Yosemite National Park. Take a 1.5-hour narrated van tour of Yosemite Valley, including Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, Bridalveil Falls and El Capitan, and then set off on your own for three hours to explore independently. Numbers are limited to 23 on this small-group tour, ensuring a more personalized wilderness experience.

City: San Francisco

Mon 21 Oct

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $179.00

Make a reservation

Mon 21 Oct

Starting at $179.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Yosemite National Park entrance fee

Narrated in-coach tour of Yosemite (1.5 hrs)

Full-time professional, knowledgeable guide

Transport by biofueled mini-coach

Hotel pickup and drop-off from select SF hotels

3 hours of free time in the Valley

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Specialized infant seats are available
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Regularly sanitised high-traffic areas
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitised
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
Face masks recommended

What To Expect

San Francisco Bay

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. The journey to Yosemite typically takes about 4 hours.

Oakdale

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. Here we will also make a stop at a grocery store for you to pick up lunch and any other supplies you'll need for the day.

Tunnel View

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 you with stories and historical facts about the different sights. The climb through Yosemite Valley offers breathtaking views as we wind our way up to 4,500 feet above sea level. Arrive at Yosemite National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, massive sequoia trees and biological diversity. Admire famous Half Dome, depicted in famous photographs by Ansel Adams, and watch rock climbers scale El Capitan's 3,000-foot (914-meter) sheer granite rock face. Enjoy incredible vistas from the Tunnel View overlook, and end your in-coach tour near the base of Yosemite Falls, the tallest waterfall in North America.

Yosemite Valley

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.

Yosemite Falls

During your free time in Yosemite Valley, you can talk a walk or bike around the base of Yosemite Falls to take in its beauty.

Ansel Adams Gallery

During your free time in Yosemite Valley, you can choose to visit the famous photographer' gallery to view a collection of Ansel Adams' original photographs.

San Francisco

Once we’ve had our 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.

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Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (350)

cookeshay

Jun 2022

Omg it was the best experience!!!!!! The scenery was everything and I love nature. Parker was our tour guide and he was absolutely amazing, very informative and funny. I’d definitely do this agin

anirk_13

Jun 2022

Very well conducted. Parker the tour guide is excellent!!! Mini bus was clean. Covid protocols and hygiene maintained.

PaulaE

Jun 2022

The trip and our tour guide, Randall were awesome. The bus was terrible. First off, the bathroom on board hadn’t been pumped, so it was “emergency use only”. Then, on the way back from the park, the a/c died and it was stifling on board the bus. The only saving grace was that it got cooler outside as we approached San Francisco and the outside air being blown in was cooler. This is an ALL DAY trip. We were told to meet the bus at 6:30am. The bus actually arrived at 7am and we were NOT the 1st stop for pick-up. We were originally booked for a small group trip to Yosemite, but there was some sort of issue with the transportation, so we were called the day before and told we’d been upgraded to Yosemite and the Sequoia Trees trip. We picked up 2 more sets of people along the way, then stopped in Oakdale for snacks & bathroom stop (bus had to re-fuel). We arrived at the park around 11:30 am. We drove around the park a bit and stopped for pictures that included El Capitan, Bridal Veil Falls and Half Dome in the distance. We were dropped off at the Yosemite Lodge to explore on our own for 3 hours. This gave us time to eat, use the rest rooms, visit the gift shop, visit Yosemite Falls, put our feet in Mercer River and walk to Coombs Meadow. We took TONS of photos, because there were beautiful sights everywhere! When we got back to the bus, we drove a little closer to El Capitan to see if we could spot climbers and to take more pictures. Next we drove to the a Toumey Grove where there were a handful of old growth Sequoia trees. It’s a 20-30 min walk down a fairly steep grade to the trees. To the right there is a loop to see a “tunnel” cut through the base of a giant Sequoia. The top of the tree had burned recently. There were several burnt trees or downed trees in the area (assume they were from forest fires and disease). Next, there is that same 20-30 minute climb back UP the steep grade you came down. There is no water there and the toilets are primitive (think outhouse). The elevation is around 7,000 ft, so hydrate and take it easy if you’re susceptible to elevation sickness. We were running late getting back to San Francisco. Originally we were set to arrive back at the pick up point at 9pm, but because of the air conditioning issue and the driver stopping to buy a couple cases of bottled water for us (I, personally, drank all 3 500 ml bottles I brought and 1 I bought at the snack stop, then 2.5 more before making it back to San Fran & our hotel). We walked over 6 miles on this trip. If it hadn’t been for the larger group (29 people) and the bus being less than awesome, it would have been a 5 star trip. We booked through Viator and I felt like they kept us informed and the tour company was a good one. Our tour director didn’t talk our ears off and answered questions and gave us suggestions for our free time.