San Francisco

Private Yosemite National Park Day Trip from San Francisco

San Francisco, USA
  • 13 hours 30 minutes
  • Pickup offered
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

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Overview

This Yosemite National Park private tour from San Francisco provides a convenient and personalized way to see one of America’s top national parks in just one day. With a guide, you’ll travel to Yosemite by private vehicle, driving through Gold Country and the Central Valley. In the park, see its natural attractions like Half Dome and El Capitan. Activities are up to you—you can walk through Yosemite Valley, go hiking in search of waterfalls or even rent a bike, if you wish.
  • A private full-day trip with a guide to Yosemite National Park for up to six people
  • Tailor your trip by choosing from a variety of activities in the park
  • Stroll or hike through Yosemite Valley for grand views of granite cliffs and rushing waterfalls
  • Relax on the scenic drive through the Sierra foothills and California’s historic Gold Country

What's Included

  • Transport by luxury air-conditioned coach exclusive for your group
  • Certified Professional Driver Tour Guide
  • Hotel Pick Up and Drop off
  • Driver-guide and commentary
  • Yosemite National Park entrance fee
  • 1 Hour guided bus tour of Yosemite Valley and free time in Yosemite Valley
  • 3 Hours free time in Yosemite National Park
  • Gratuities
  • Food and drinks

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

06:40 AM

Pickup details

Please, inform in advance, which hotel/apartment you will stay in. You can do it directly on your reservation or you can inform us by phone or by mail, indicating your booking reference, preferable maximum 48h before starting the tour. If we do not receive the Information at least 24h before departure, we will cancel the tour regarding the cancellation fees.

What To Expect

Think you can’t squeeze in a trip to Yosemite National Park during your stay in San Francisco? Think again. This day trip from the city gives you the chance to see the park’s highlights without the need to stay overnight.

Start in the early morning with hotel pickup in San Francisco by private vehicle for the drive through California’s Central Valley and into the foothills of the Sierras. When you arrive at the park, be wowed by the introductory views of granite cliffs that plunge into Yosemite Valley, carved by glaciers thousands of years ago.

In total, you have about four hours in the park to explore. Learn from your private guide about Yosemite’s famous natural features and how they were formed, and then explore the park however you wish. You can head down walking paths, go for a hike, rent a bike (own expense) or find a spot to simply stare up in awe at the park’s most recognizable landmark, Half Dome.

Then experience more of the park by watching rock climbers on El Capitan, snapping photos of the valley, hiking to a waterfall or along a clear river, admiring the sequoia trees, or visiting Yosemite Museum to learn about the native people of this region. You can also see works by Ansel Adams at the Ansel Adams Gallery.

Your day trip ends with the drive back to San Francisco, passing Stanislaus National Forest on your way to the city for hotel drop-off.

The Great Central Valley

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Yosemite Valley (Pass By)

Bridalveil Fall (Pass By)

El Capitan (Pass By)

Half Dome (Pass By)

Yosemite Falls

6 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 1 day of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
  • Please, inform in advance, which hotel/apartment you will stay in. You can do it directly on your reservation or you can inform us by phone or by mail, indicating your booking reference, preferable maximum 48h before starting the tour. If we do not receive the Information at least 24h before departure, we will cancel the tour regarding the cancellation fees.
  • The Yosemite tour takes all day. We recommend wearing comfortable clothes and bring a pillow to sleep on the drive back!
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

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Showing 1-4 of 5 reviews
Although it's a long drive from San...
Wilton R, Sep 2016
Although it's a long drive from San Francisco, the grandeur of Yosemite is worth the drive. Our tour guide picked us up from our hotel at the time arranged and we set off in a 12 seated van. Being a small group meant we could pull into photo opportunities that a large tour group could not. Our guide Antonio was very knowledgeable and personable and went out of his way to make our trip memorable. Would happily recommend this tour.
It was our best tour yet. The tour was...
Linda G, Aug 2016
It was our best tour yet. The tour was comprehensive. The guide was a great driver and very knowledgeable and he let us customize our itinerary.
So, I did not mind paying 1,300 for a...
chris16994, Jul 2016
So, I did not mind paying 1,300 for a private trip to Yosemite because my family was really looking forward to the visit. However, the trip was not as explained via the Viator itinerary. First, we wanted the private tour so we did not have to ride in a big bus. One of my children gets sick on buses and with the 4 hour trip each way a smaller vehicle was the best way to go. The day of our tour Mike our driver meets with us about 15-20 minutes late and explains that the vehicle that we were supposed to have got a flat tire the day before so we have a huge bus for the four of us.not good and my daughter was not feeling great the whole trip!!!! Mike was a good guy, but he was put in a bad situation. When I asked Mike where our tour guide was he said we did not have one and something about California people not wanting to work on Mondays. To Mikes credit, he went on the internet and wrote notes that he could share with us throughout the drive to Yosemite. The problem is Mike was reading the notes initially while he was driving. Additionally, Mike was unaware of the route to be taken and was following another bus until we were to stop a few hours into the trip. Between Mike first trying to read notes while driving and then trying to race to keep up with the bus he was following we almost wiped out numerous vehicles particularly with the frequent lane changes and catch up the other bus was much faster. After a hair raising trip for us and many California drivers I havent heard that many horns since New Years Eve we eventually got to Yosemite. We were supposed to have a tour guide speak about the area during the drive time when entering the park. That did not happen. As a matter of fact, Mike did not know where we were going and when he dropped us off he was up against an overpass that he could not fit under. Therefore, I had to help ground guide Mike to get him to turn around so he could get the bus out. 10 minutes later, some interesting driving maneuvers, so
- Alex was a patience and friendly...
Valerie, Jul 2016
- Alex was a patience and friendly guide cum driver. very informative as well. - highly recommended for people who do not have time but want to catch a glimpse of Yosemite National Park. - only minus point is when we reach the hotel, the staff doesn't seem to be aware that we have a prebooked lunch which took quite some time to sort out. - long drive from SF town, so be prepared with some snacks or drinks. During summer, pls prepare sun block as the sun can be quite harsh. - recommended to stay longer at such a beautiful nature environment like 2 or 3 days.
Likely to Sell Out

From $685.00

Price varies by group size

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

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