Tour Itinerary
The day begins with a hotel pick-up between 6:15 and 7 am. Heading east across the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge offers great views of the San Francisco skyline, Alcatraz Island, Fisherman's Wharf, and the Golden Gate Bridge. En Route to the park we cross through the Central Valley, where we will stop at a fruit stand for some local produce.
Famous for its rich volcanic soil, the Central Valley is the largest agricultural region in the United States. The section we drive through is best known for specialty fruits and nuts such as almonds, walnuts, cherries, and strawberries. After this quick rest stop, we enter the rolling foothills of the Sierra Nevada.
Continuing into the mountains brings us to California gold country and the gold rush town of Groveland before we wind our way into Yosemite National Park. Maps in hand, we begin with a one and a half hour narrated mini-coach tour of Yosemite's glaciated valley. You will see famous waterfalls and rock formations including Yosemite Falls - the tallest waterfall in North America - El Capitan, Half Dome, Bridalveil Falls, Sentinel Dome, and much more. During the tour you will see Yosemite Valley from a number of great vantage points, the best of which is perhaps Inspiration Point. At 4,500 feet above sea level, this viewpoint gives you a commanding view east up the valley. Yosemite is a mecca for rock climbers, and the sight of people climbing El Capitan's 3,200 ft. (1000m) sheer rock face is quite amazing.
Because of our small group size, we can incorporate multiple photo stops into our tour so you can better enjoy your time in the park. After the tour, we stop for the afternoon near the base of Yosemite Falls. If you have not purchased picnic lunch supplies, there are a variety of options for lunch in the valley (not included). You will have 3-4 hours of free time to explore the valley as you choose.
You can walk to the base of Yosemite Falls, check out the visitor center, visit the Ansel Adams Gallery, stop in at the Ahwahnee Hotel, rent a cruiser bike, or hike some of the trails that originate from the valley. 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. Regrouping again in the late afternoon, we head for San Francisco, stopping for a short break before arriving back in the city and dropping you at your lodging between 8:30 and 9:00pm.
Yosemite is open year round but as you might imagine with any mountainous area conditions and sights can vary depending on the time of year. Waterfalls are strongest in late winter, springtime and early summer. The weather is warmest between May and October. The rock formations and cliffs are arguably at their most beautiful when snow covered in winter and springtime. The best time of year for spotting rock climbers is between May and October. Whatever time of year you choose to visit the park we hope you'll be as impressed as most of our visitors and if you have any questions simply contact us.
6:15am - 7:00am
Hotel Pick up in Downtown San Francisco and Fisherman's Wharf
7:00am - 10:30am
Bay Bridge to Oakland and the East Bay. Then on to the Central Valley. A 15 minute rest at a roadside fruit market. Travel through the Gold Country.
10:30am
Arrive at Yosemite National Park.
11:00 am-12:30 pm
Maps and guides in hand we begin with a one and a half hour mini-coach guided tour through Yosemite's glaciated valley with its famous waterfalls and rock formations. Depending on the time of year, we may hike down to the Giant Sequoia Trees.
12:30 - 4:00 pm
After the tour we stop for the afternoon at the base of Yosemite falls. Here you'll get a chance to explore Yosemite's natural wonders on your own for 3-4 hours. Your guide will provide a choice of activities that may include a walk to the base of the falls, get some lunch, time at the main visitor's center, The Ansel Adams Gallery, The Ahwanhee Hotel, swim or relax by the river, choose to rent a bike or hike some of the shorter trails.
4:00 pm
Regroup and head to the base of El Capitan to spot climbers.
8:30 - 9:30 pm
Arrive in San Francisco after stopping for a bite to eat. Enjoy the skyline of San Francisco as we cross the Bay Bridge and return you to your lodging.
INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES CANCELLATION POLICY
Minimum 20% fee charged for any cancellations once the tour is booked.
Cancellations less than 72 hours before trip departure are charged 50% of the total price.
Cancellations less than 24 hours before trip departure are charged 100% of the total price.
No-Shows are not entitled to any refund and so are responsible for the full amount (100%) of the trip price. Customers are considered a No-Show if they cancel the morning of the trip, are not at the designated pickup location at the correct time, or for any other reason miss a tour without informing Incredible Adventures at least 12 hours prior to departure (such as not giving us their hotel info).
IMPORTANT! Your reservation is not guaranteed unless and until you call Incredible Adventures at least 72 hours in advance of the trip departure to confirm.
