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

Thu 24 Oct

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $179.00

Make a reservation

Thu 24 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)

HoeReadyTraveler

Oct 2020

A wonderful experience with great views. Our tour guide was the best! We visited multiple places and enjoyed them all

Response from Host

Oct 2020

We are so glad you enjoyed your time in Yosemite with us! The views are spectacular an this trip is a great escape from the city. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review.

lutravelette

Mar 2020

We were fortunate to have Mitch as our tour guide to this stunning place. He is friendly, talkative, really interested to get to know a bit of everyone in the group, showed a great knowledge about the park and the route on the way to it and also knows the best spot for stunning pictures. The park itself is breathtaking. We were given enough time to explore around it and to have a nice lunch.

Response from Host

Jun 2020

It is as you say "absolutely worth it" to take a day trip from San Francisco to Yosemite! It is beautiful and our guide Mitch sure does know his stuff! We are glad you enjoyed your tour and thank you for coming out with us!

Lori C

Mar 2020

We only had a day and it was our first day after a 13 hour flight from Australia. We were met by our guide Katie and she was a great guide and a good driver as well. She showed us many of the incredible views and introduced us to the beauty of the park. The trip was a big day but is very easy to manage. We had a full three hours to walk around the valley and nothing was rushed. It was a small group made up of people from Germany, UK and Australia and that was one of the best parts and we all got on well which was another credit to Katie and he skills. We could not visit the Sequoias but that is Mother Nature showing who is boss. Well work the trip and the tour guides and company organizing the trip were terrific. Great start to our holiday. We were on the same trip as Steph who has posted a review...lovely to meet you as well.

Response from Host

Jun 2020

Thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful review. Katie is an awesome part of the team here at Incredible and we are glad you enjoyed your time with her.