Private Yellowstone Tour: ICONIC Sites, Wildlife, Family Friendly Hikes + lunch

5.0 (997 reviews) 7–9 hours Free cancellation Private tour

out of 5

997 reviews

5.0

The largest hot spring in Yellowstone National Park: The Grand Prismatic Hot Spring
@ericglemserPhotography — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

Private Yellowstone Tour: ICONIC Sites, Wildlife, Family Friendly Hikes + lunch, photo 2 — Photos: the activity supplier, via Viator

About this activity

All of our private tours are led by a professional wildlife biologist. We will tour the park in a modern chevy suburban. Our goal is to view the most wildlife possible on your tour while also visiting the most ICONIC destinations in there park as well visiting many hidden locations that are off the beaten path. During our day we will see Old Faithful, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Yellowstone Falls (308'), lots of wildlife, large waterfalls, seldom seen geysers, and two historic hotels. We will provide high end binoculars and spotting scopes for the entire group so we can view animals or geysers that are far off the road! This will be an educational experience for your family/ group yet fun and entraining at the same time. Your tour will experience the wonders of hidden Yellowstone that's awaiting around each corner of Yellowstone National Park.

For lunch we will stop for an incredibly scenic picnic style lunch along the shore of Yellowstone Lake!

Day Trips Nature and Wildlife Tours Full-day Tours Bus Tours Private and Luxury Private Sightseeing Tours Safaris Walking Tours

At a glance

Duration: 7–9 hours
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–15
Guide: German, English, French
Operated by: Yellowstone Adventure Tours

What is included

Included

Included: Vortex Binoculars for everyone in your group
Included: Bottled water: in addition to drinking water a variety of sparkling options and sodas will be on board
Included: Carbonated beverages: Soda/Pop
Included: 2 HIGH RESOLUTION SPOTTING SCOPES
Included: Booster seat
Included: Gourmet picnic lunch from a local deli at a scenic location along the banks of Yellowstone Lake
Included: Rain jackets and umbrellas
Included: In-vehicle air conditioning: Air-conditioned vehicle
Included: Free take home HD video of all wildlife seen on your tour!

Not included

Not included: National Park Entrance Fee
Not included: Gratuity

Itinerary

Stop 1

45 min

The Classic Yellowstone Tour features Yellowstone’s most popular stops and highlights including Old Faithful, The Grand Prismatic Hot Spring (by request only), rare wildlife in the Hayden Valley, Yellowstone Falls, Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Yellowstone Lake, as well as several other off the beaten path waterfalls, hot springs, geysers, rivers, and wildlife encounters along the way. You will also have time to rest and take in the historic Old Faithful Inn built in 1903.
Hayden Valley

25 min

One of the best wildlife viewing places in Yellowstone National Park. Therefore, one of the best places to see wildlife in the world! We will head to this area of the park first to maximize our odds at seeing black bears, wolves, bison, and grizzlies!!
Lower Yellowstone River Falls

20 min

At 308" tall these falls are 308 feet (94 m) high, or nearly twice as high as Niagara Falls. The volume of water flowing over Lower Yellowstone Falls can vary from 680 cu ft/s (19 m3/s) in the autumn, to 8,400 cu ft/s (240 m3/s) at peak runoff in late springtime.
Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

30 min Admission not included

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is the most breathtaking sight inside Yellowstone National Park. Twenty miles long, the canyon is up to 4,000-feet wide and 1,200-feet deep in places. It's located on the eastern side of the park. From several vantage points, you can view Lower Falls plunging steeply into the canyon 308 feet, or the Upper Falls tumbling 109 feet.
Yellowstone Lake

30 min

Depending on the day we might: hike, walk, view historic architecture, or possibly have a very scenic lunch right along Yellowstone Lake (largest lake in North America above 7000'' of elevation/ 126 miles of shoreline) at one of our secret secluded lunch spots!
Yellowstone Geysers - Mud Volcano Area

20 min

Hike/ easy walking to view these incredible geothermal features that only exist inside Yellowstone!
Old Faithful

20 min

Hike/ easy walking to view these incredible geothermal features that only exist inside Yellowstone!
Upper Geyser Basin

35 min

We will access an area of the largest geyser basin in the park from an obscure entry point that few people know exist. In this area we will hike to multiple hot springs, geysers, and fumaroles that will get us into a place that's hidden in plain sight and few other tourist ever seem to find. This trail os often our clients favorite part of their tour. Over the years we have received tremendous feedback on this family friendly hike.
Morning Glory Pool

20 min

Hike/ easy walking to view these incredible geothermal features that only exist inside Yellowstone!
Grand Prismatic Spring

25 min

What Makes the Grand Prismatic so Grand? Grand Prismatic Spring, located in Midway Geyser Basin, has the distinction of being the park’s largest hot spring and third largest inn the world. It measures approximately 370 feet (112.8 m) in diameter and is over 121 feet (37 m) deep. A description of this spring by fur trapper Osborne Russell in 1839 also makes it the earliest described thermal feature in Yellowstone that is definitely identifiable
Fountain Paint Pot

25 min

Along this short walk you will see very good examples of most types of thermal features found in Yellowstone. These features include some extremely colorful hot springs,, steaming fumaroles, erupting geysers and the best mudpots in the park. The area is highly active and at least one geyser is erupting here at all times.
Firehole Lake Drive

20 min

Beautiful geysers and hot springs as well as the possibility of grazing bison!
Firehole Canyon Drive

10 min

Beautiful 40 foot waterfall at confluence of ancient rhyolite lava flows.

Meeting point and pickup

You can be picked up from your accommodation or go straight to the meeting point.

Meeting point

We can pick up at almost any hotel or address in Bozeman or Belgrade
We will plan to meet either at the visitor center or the Old Faithful Inn
We will plan to meet somewhere convenient near the north entrance of Yellowstone national park in Gardiner, Montana
We can pick up at any accommodations in West Yellowstone, Big Sky, Old Faithful area, Old Faithful Inn, Gardiner, or Bozeman. We can pick up your group at any time that you like but we recommend earlier the better.

End point

We can pick up at almost any hotel or address in Bozeman or Belgrade
We will plan to meet either at the visitor center or the Old Faithful Inn
We will plan to meet somewhere convenient near the north entrance of Yellowstone national park in Gardiner, Montana
We can pick up at any accommodations in West Yellowstone, Big Sky, Old Faithful area, Old Faithful Inn, Gardiner, or Bozeman. We can pick up your group at any time that you like but we recommend earlier the better.

Pickup points

Residence Inn by Marriott Bozeman
Gallatin River Lodge
Element by Marriott Bozeman
Best Western Plus Grantree Inn
MountainView Lodge & Suites
Super 8 by Wyndham Bozeman
Motel 6 Bozeman
Homewood Suites by Hilton Bozeman
Comfort Inn Bozeman near University
Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Bozeman
Kimpton Armory Hotel Bozeman
Madison Campground

and 141 more pickup points

We can pick up at any accommodations or addresses in West Yellowstone, Big Sky, Old Faithful area, Old Faithful Inn, Gardiner, or Bozeman. if you're staying in island Park we request that you meet us in West Yellowstone at a convenient meeting spot with safe/ free parking for the entire day.

We have 6am or 7am listed as a suggested pick up time but we can pick up your group at any time that you want. For those that want to maximize your wildlife viewing experience and want to get ahead of the crowds we can start your tour as early as 5am depending on the time of year and your starting location. Just let us know what works best for your family or group.

We do not provide breakfast. Please plan ahead by making coffee in your hotel room/ lobby and pick up some fruit, yogurt, donuts, snacks, etc the night before your tour from a grocery store to eat for breakfast. You are welcome to eat our assortment of healthy snacks for breakfast to keep you full before lunch. We are now providing Starbucks instant coffee if would like coffee on your tour.

*NOTE: WE DO NOT PICK UP FROM JACKSON OR TETON VILLAGE but we would be happy to meet your group at a location within the park*

May June July August September October

Gardiner 530/6am 530/6am 530/6am 530/6am 530/6am. 530am

Livingston 5/530am 5/530am 5/530am 5/530am 5/530am. 530am

Bozeman 5am 5am 5/530am. 5/530am. 5/530am. 530am

W Yellowstone5/530am 5/530am 5/530am 530am/6am 530am/6am 6am

Island Park will meet in West Yellowstone at : 530amor 6am year round

Canyon Village 6am 6am 6am 6am 630am 6am

Old Faithful 5/530am 5/530am 530/6am 530/6am 530/6am 6/630am

Big Sky w/ pick up by us: 515am 515am 515am 515am 515am 6am

Big Sky meeting us in West Yellowstone: 630am

Using your ticket

Copy and paste the link below in your browser to order you families lunch if your pick up location is in:

West Yellowstone, Big Sky, Old Faithful, Canyon Village, Island Park, or near the West Entrance

https://forms.gle/yohF23HebnaBXZY28

Copy and paste the link below in your browser to order you families lunch if your pick up location is in:

Bozeman, Gardiner, Livingston, Belgrade, Emigrant, Pray, Mammoth Hot Springs, Paradise Valley, or anywhere that will be entering the park through the North entrance:

https://forms.gle/AMiB4MHMHnEgNy736

The cost of the tour will include professional guide service from a wildlife biologist, transportation for the entire day, use of high end vortex spotting scopes & binoculars for everyone in your group, snacks, drinks, and a nice picnic lunch from a local deli. Feel free to bring any beer our wine that you enjoy at lunch on our tour. NPS policy does not allow us to provide provide any alcoholic beverages but you may bring your own.

The cost of the tour does not include park entrance fees or gratuities.

Park entrance fee is not included in the price of the tour. You do not need to get a pass before you get here unless you plan to visit another national park prior to your Yellowstone trip. When we enter the gate of Yellowstone we will get the pass is there or you can get it online before your trip. If you plan on visiting other national parks before or after your tour it is in your best interest to get a National Park Pass which can be used nationwide at every national park for an entire year from date of purchase. You can purchase a pass online or at the gate of any national park for $80. Discounts apply of seniors or veterans. There is no discount for purchasing it early or online. If you already have an America the Beautiful Pass, National Park Pass, or Senior Pass, or receipt of prior entry to YNP before out tour please remember to bring it along as it will discount the price of entry inn a commercial vehicle.