Tour Itinerary
Yosemite The day begins with picking you up from your lodging between 6:00 and 7:00am and heading east across the Bay Bridge offering great views of San Francisco Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island and Fisherman's Wharf.
We stop for breakfast in the Central Valley. Famous for it's rich volcanic soil, the Central Valley is a booming agricultural region best known for Almonds, Grapes, Tomatoes, Peaches and Strawberries.
After breakfast we begin our journey up through the cattle and horse ranching lands of the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Continuing on through California gold country, and the old gold rush town of Mariposa, we reach the Merced river canyon and wind our way along the river into Yosemite National Park.
Maps and guides in hand we begin with a one and a half hour guided tour through Yosemite's glaciated valley with its famous waterfalls and rock formations including Yosemite Falls ( the tallest waterfall in North America and fifth tallest on earth ), El Capitan, Half -Dome, Bridleveil Falls, Sentinel Dome and many more. The valley is approximately 1 mile ( 1.5 Km ) wide and 7 miles ( 10 Km ) long and so we do the tour by van stopping and getting out at a number of vantage points. During the tour you'll see the valley from a number of great vantage points the best of which is Inspiration Point at 4,500 feet above sea level. Yosemite is a Mecca for rock climbers and depending on the time of year the sight of people climbing El Capitan's 3,000 ft ( 1 Km ) sheer rock face is quite amazing.
After the tour we stop for the afternoon at the base of Yosemite falls. Here you'll get a chance to walk to the base of the falls, get some lunch, visit the main visitor's center, The Ansel Adams Gallery, The Ahwanhee Hotel, rent a bike or hike some of the shorter trails. Although you could spend three weeks in Yosemite, the three hours you get on your own is time enough to experience what has made Yosemite one of America's most popular national parks.
Regrouping again in the late afternoon, we make 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 guided tour through Yosemite's glaciated valley with its famous waterfalls and rock formations. Depending on the time of year, we 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 30% of the total price.
Cancellations less than 24 hours before trip departure are charged 50% of the total price.
Cancellations less than 12 hours before trip departure and No-Shows are charged 100%.
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.
