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Yosemite National Park and Giant Sequoias Day Trip from San Francisco

Overview
This experience to the towering granite cliffs and gushing waterfalls of Yosemite National Park and its Giant Sequoias takes off 365 days a year. This is the only 1-day Yosemite Valley tour from San Francisco where you will experience the solitude of the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias, the largest living things on the Earth. Your heart will race as you enter Yosemite Valley for 5 glorious hours to enjoy Lower Yosemite, Nevada and Bridalveil falls, then take some moments at El Capitan, Half Dome and other iconic monuments.
City: San Francisco
Sat 28 Dec
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You can choose the date already on the booking website
Starting at $199.00
Sat 28 Dec
Starting at $199.00
Make a reservation
What's Included
Guide Gratuities (for Private option ONLY)
Expert guide and commentary
Hotel pickup and drop-off (most hotels in downtown San Francisco/Fisherman's Wharf area, but do not pick up outside SF city limits)
Additional Info
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
  • Access to the Sequoia Grove can be difficult during winter months, generally October through April, and other activities may be substituted at the discretion of the guide
  • During winter months, temperatures in Yosemite can vary drastically to the ones in San Francisco. Therefore, it is recommend to wear winter clothes, especially shoes or boots with rubber soles and treads
  • California law requires tour guests to bring a car safety seat for all children under 8 years and under 4' 9" (1.4 meters) in height. Any guest that does not provide their child's safety seat at the time of the tour and does not inform the tour operator may not be allowed to board the tour and will not be subject to refund.
  • As tour sizes vary, transportation is in a 13-passenger van or up to a 41-passenger tour bus
  • Tour makes stops at approximately 8:30am for breakfast, 1pm for lunch and on the trip back for dinner. Meals are not included
  • Audio links are available in Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Korean, Chinese and Japanese. Specify language at time of booking under special requirements.
  • For hotel pickups, please select the Hilton Union Square if your hotel is not listed
  • The Giant Sequoias Grove is located at a higher elevation and the hike is dependent on trail conditions, especially from October through May. Ice and snow might make the trail unsafe to hike. The decision of whether it is safe to go on the hike will be made on a day by day basis. Therefore, a visit cannot be guaranteed. However, while the trail might be closed, guests get to spend more time in Yosemite Valley. There you can see all the other great sights Yosemite has to offer, including El Capitan, Inspiration Point, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and more.
  • Exact destinations & itinerary may differ due to weather, road conditions, and your guide's discretion.
  • For Private Tour option, size of vehicle will be dependent on size of your party
What To Expect
1
San Francisco Bay Bridge
The San Franciscoā€“Oakland Bay Bridge, known locally as the Bay Bridge, is a complex of bridges spanning San Francisco Bay in California. As part of Interstate 80 and the direct road between San Francisco and Oakland, it carries about 260,000 vehicles a day on its two decks.
2
Sierra Nevada
The Sierra Nevada is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin.
3
Big Oak Flat Road
Traveling the historic Big Oak Flat Road from the western entrance of Yosemite National Park across to the Tioga Pass entrance on the east, provides drivers easy access to the stunning beauty of Yosemiteā€™s high country landscapes.
4
Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of Central California. The valley is about 7.5 miles long and approximately 3000ā€“3500 feet deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines.
5
Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias
Tuolumne Grove is a sequoia grove located near Crane Flat in Yosemite National Park. It is about 16 miles west of Yosemite Village on Tioga Pass Road. The grove contains many conifers, including a few Sequoiadendron giganteum as well as Abies concolor and Pinus lambertiana. Weather permitting
6
Tunnel View
Tunnel View is a scenic viewpoint on State Route 41 in Yosemite National Park. Visitors have seen and documented the iconic and expansive views of Yosemite Valley from the overlook since its opening in 1933.
7
Ansel Adams Gallery
Gallery showcasing & selling photography by celebrated landscape artist Ansel Adams, among others.
8
Bridalveil Falls
Bridalveil Fall is one of the most prominent waterfalls in the Yosemite Valley in California, Yosemite National Park.
9
El Capitan
El Capitan, also known as El Cap, is a vertical rock formation in Yosemite National Park, located on the north side of Yosemite Valley, near its western end. The granite monolith is about 3,000 feet from base to summit along its tallest face, and is a popular objective for rock climbers.
10
Half Dome
Half Dome is a granite dome at the eastern end of Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park, California. It is a well-known rock formation in the park, named for its distinct shape.
11
Lower Yosemite Fall Trail
A quarter-mile (one way) hike to a spectacular mist-blown view from the base of 320-foot Lower Yosemite Falls. Lower Yosemite Falls Hike is a must visit for its accessibility and proximity to this massive waterfall and has spectacular views of both falls.
12
Merced River
The Merced River in the central part of the U.S. state of California, is 145 miles (233 km) long. Tenaya, Yosemite, Bridalveil and Pigeon Creeks join the Merced River in Yosemite Valley.
13
Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in Yosemite National Park, dropping a total of 2,425 feet from the top of the upper fall to the base of the lower fall
14
Valley Visitor Center
The Valley Visitor Center is located in Yosemite Valley and is the largest and most comprehensive in terms of displays, books, postcards and maps. The Valley Visitor Center is open year round and offers natural history displays, audiovisual programs and is staffed with individuals who are happy to answer all your questions.
15
Treasure Island
Treasure Island is an artificial island in the San Francisco Bay and a neighborhood in the city and county of San Francisco. Built 1936ā€“37 for the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition, the island's Worldā€™s Fair site is a California Historical Landmark.
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Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Traveler Photos
Reviews (1000)
Patience_M
Oct 2022
The sequoias and the el captain. The glorious majesty of Yosemite! Made us want to comeback for much longer than a day
Response from Host
Oct 2022
Well, we are glad to hear you had a great time on your one-day trip. You are right -- planning an overnight tour next time would be a terrific way to see more of the monuments and waterfalls. Let's do it soon.
Explorer66747804977
Oct 2022
If you want to actually see Yosemite and the sequoia trees don't book this tour group. Our bus broke down at 10.30am in the morning on route, the bus driver GINO told us it was an issue with the transmission and that he could fix it. Note Gino is not a mechanic and this was confirmed by the operations director Brad later on in the day. We messaged the tour company and asked for information for when a replacement bus would be with us. They responded to say we needed to let the transmission to cool down. Gino told us the company's one other replacement bus had broken down also and THAT THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS OUR BUS HAD BROKEN down in 3 MONTHS! Gino took the bus at 5mph up the hills to Rush creek lodge. This was 1pm and we were told to come back at 2pm once the bus had cooled down. We had not been offered water during this time at all and the air con was broken over our seats and the passenger behind and was blasting icy cold air and dropping water. At 2pm we returned to the edge of the freeway and watched Gino drive off from us. We ran up the hard shoulder of the free way after him as he was not stopping. He stopped the bus and admitted it was not the transmission failure but a broken hose and that he could not fix it. He told us a replacement bus would be with us in 5 hours. 2 hours later Gino and Brad the director of operations via telephone call informed us we had to get back on the same bus and return to San Fran by Oakdale (the grocery shop stop) and get the replacement bus from there. No mechanic ever presented to our faulty bus. Gino freewheeled downhill as he told us he needed to gain speed and momentum to get uphill. He warned us to wear our seatbelts and not get up to use the toilet as we would meet his window. This went on for four hours. There was no communication from the tour company until we reached out to them. At one point at 3pm they told us they planned to send us to Yosemite still! The replacement bus did not show at the grocery store (not surprising) and we had to continue on to the outskirts where a bus finally met us and took us to our drop off points 16 hours after leaving. We were refunded but it's important to highlight the dangerous experience this was. Human beings are not disposable!!!!
Response from Host
Oct 2022
We could not be more disappointed by your experience. The mechanical issue with our coach that prevented it from climbing into Yosemite Valley was rare and regrettable. We are glad that everyone got back without further incident. We have refunded your tour and offered to take your party to Yosemite at any time in the future that works for you. Again, we are sorry for the difficult day.
Joanne_O
Oct 2022
The National Park is one of the most breathtaking places Iā€™ve ever visited- definitely worth the long day trip! Deliberately chose this trip as wanted to see the Sequoias. In reality you donā€™t have very long for this part as you are at 6000m altitude abd have to walk a mile downhill (easy!) then a mile uphill (not so easy!), about 400m elevation gain. Our guide, Roman, was clear about the challenge and timeframe so you could choose whether to go or not. The stop at North Point for the first view of El Cap and Half Dome is something Iā€™ll never forget. Roman was clearly so knowledgeable about the park and where to take the best photos and get the best views. He bought binoculars so we could see the climbers which was great. All in all a well planned out day with lots of stops packed in and enough time walking the trails as well. Roman was a fantastic guide.
Response from Host
Oct 2022
Thanks for taking the time to review your experience with us. Roman really enjoys showing off Yosemite, especially El Cap and its climbers. Thanks and travel safely home.

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