This San Francisco tour to Yosemite National Park is jam-packed with the towering granite monuments of Half Dome, Cathedral Peak and El Capitan, all forged by dramatic Mesozoic Era geology. You will see Bridalveil Fall, Horsetail and Yosemite Falls put on impressive water displays. Unlike other Yosemite tours, you can enjoy nature hikes in Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias and on the Meadow Loop Trail to the Swinging Bridge.
Your Yosemite and Giant Sequoias Tour begins with a convenient pickup in at your downtown hotel, then heads east out of San Francisco to Yosemite, crossing through California’s fertile San Joaquin Valley before climbing into the rocky Sierra Nevada mountains. Relax as you learn the colorful gold rush history of the region. The tour pauses half-way to Yosemite to stretch your legs and grab refreshments.
Soon after finishing the trip to Yosemite National Park from San Francisco, you will experience the quiet solitude of the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias. You will not doubt for a second that these Yosemite trees are the largest living creatures on the planet. No picture does them justice, but that should not keep you from trying!
In winter, when conditions on the Tuolumne Grove trail are snow-covered or unsafe, we substitute this experience with other attractions. See our Yosemite National Park Winter Tour from San Francisco.
Your heart will be racing as we head down into Yosemite Valley and make the next stop at Inspiration Point, a view of the valley made famous by Ansel Adams and hundreds of artists since. Take a moment and then some selfies with El Capitan, Half Dome, Sentinel Dome, Glacier Point, Cathedral Peak and Bridalveil Fall as your backdrop.
Once we reach the floor of Yosemite Valley, you will have a couple of hours of free time to grab a quick picnic lunch. Then, check out the Ansel Adams Gallery or the Yosemite Valley Wilderness Center in Yosemite Village. Both are great spots to pick up some souvenirs and gifts for friends back home.
Besides giant trees, Yosemite Valley is home to more than 400 types of species of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians. In Spring, wildflowers blanket the valley floor. The Lower Yosemite Falls, Mist and Meadow Loop trailheads are all near to Yosemite Valley Lodge. Each is guaranteed to delight hikers of any age.
After re-boarding your tour vehicle, you day has more highlights. The tour makes a photo stop at El Capitan Meadow where you can get straight on view of the Yosemite icon, an impressive vantage point for Cathedral Rocks, and, if the season is right, Horsetail Fall which produces the famous “firefall” in late-February.
Your Yosemite experience ends on a high note at Valley View. This spot serves up a view along the banks of the Merced River framed by El Capitan and the imposing spires of Cathedral Rocks. This is a great spot for your “saying goodbye” selfie.
