West Entrance today: Open to cars until 31 October

Road calendar

Shared tour, run by CoveredGround Tours

Full-Day Guided Yellowstone Day Tour

4.9 786 reviews

From $279 per adult Dates and prices

Starts in West Yellowstone: Pickup at West Yellowstone hotels, or meet at the West Yellowstone Visitor Center at 7 a.m.; when you book, choose the West Yellowstone start.

The 38 West Yellowstone lodgings on the pickup list

Price and dates

From $279 per adult

Checked 21 October 2026 for Saturday 24 October

Daily until 25 October. The calendar offers only the days it runs.

Travellers
Adults, 18 and over 1
Children, 2–17 0

This price fits the date and party selected above; pick a different day or group size to see a new one.

Check Availability
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
  • Instant confirmation
  • Should the operator call the tour off for poor weather, it lets you choose another date or a full refund.

Booking happens with our partner: you pick the date and party again there and pay them. They pay us a commission, and your price stays the same.

At a glance

Length
10 to 11 hours, starts 7 a.m.
Runs
Daily until 25 October
Later dates
Some dates on sale between 1 May 2027 and 25 October 2027
Group
Shared, up to 10 people
Ages
2 and over; an adult must be in the booking
Guide
In English
Park entry
Park entry not included

Before you book

Anyone 16 or older who lives outside the US owes a $100 nonresident fee on top of the tour price; an annual or America the Beautiful pass waives it. Cars can use the West Entrance road until 31 October 2026. Once it shuts, tours that drive in end for the season.

Where it starts

Pickup at West Yellowstone hotels, or meet at the West Yellowstone Visitor Center at 7 a.m.; when you book, choose the West Yellowstone start. Choose between a pickup and meeting the group where the tour starts.

The 38 West Yellowstone lodgings on the pickup list
  • 1872 Inn
  • Al's Westward Ho Motel
  • Alpine Motel
  • Arrowhead Lodge by Arrowhead Properties
  • Best Western Desert Inn
  • Best Western Weston Inn
  • Big Western Pines Motel
  • Brandin' Iron Inn
  • City Center Motel
  • ClubHouse Inn West Yellowstone
  • Crosswinds Inn
  • Dude/Round Up Motel
  • Elkhorn Cabins and Inn
  • Evergreen Motel
  • Explorer Cabins At Yellowstone
  • Golden West Motel
  • Gray Wolf Inn and Suites
  • Holiday Inn West Yellowstone By IHG
  • Kelly Inn West Yellowstone
  • Lazy Duck Inn
  • Moose Creek Inn
  • One Horse Motel
  • Pine Shadows Motel
  • Pioneer Motel
  • Pony Express Motel
  • Sleepy Hollow Lodge
  • Stage Coach Inn
  • Starlite Yellowstone, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
  • The Historic Madison Hotel, Motel and Hostel
  • Three Bear Lodge
  • Traveler's Lodge
  • Westwood Motel
  • White Buffalo Hotel
  • Yellowstone Inn
  • Yellowstone Lodge
  • Yellowstone Park Hotel
  • Yellowstone Townhouses
  • Yellowstone West Gate Hotel

Lodgings in Big Sky, Cody and Wapiti are on the pickup list as well.

Pickup details

Start times and places:

  • Cody, Wyoming: 7 a.m.
  • West Yellowstone: 7 a.m.
  • Big Sky: 6 a.m.
  • Inside the park, at the Fishing Bridge General Store: 9 a.m.

The tour picks up from every hotel in Cody and West Yellowstone, from The Wilson Hotel in Big Sky, and inside the park at the Fishing Bridge General Store. Choose the right option when you book. If you are staying in the park or coming in through another entrance, choose the inside-the-park option. Tours that start in Cody or Big Sky last longer than those from West Yellowstone or Fishing Bridge. There is no pickup in Jackson, Wyoming, or Gardiner, Montana.

For a full map of Yellowstone, email or call the company.

In West Yellowstone, the group meets at 7 a.m. in the visitor center parking lot.

About this tour

The guides on this tour know the park well, including the places where wildlife is often seen. They take you to famous sights such as Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic Spring, and teach you about the park’s nature as you go. A guide gets out with the group and leads every stop, so you never feel lost. The company says the day is fun and promises that you will see all of Yellowstone’s best-known sights.

The route

Here are the stops as the operator lists them, in order. The times come from the operator, and wildlife or traffic can change them.

  1. Lake Butte Overlook

    About 15 minutes

    Start the morning with a wide view over Yellowstone Lake, the largest mountain lake in North America. Bears are often seen around here.

  2. Fishing Bridge: General Store

    About 10 minutes

    The meeting point at 9 a.m. for guests who join inside the park, and the first restroom stop.

  3. Yellowstone Geysers: Mud Volcano Area

    About 30 minutes

    See the biggest mud pot in Yellowstone and other cloudy hot springs. This part of the supervolcano is very acidic and very smelly.

  4. Dragon's Mouth Springs

    About 30 minutes

    Steam puffs out of this cave like the breath of an angry bull. No one knows who named it, but it is one of the park’s most interesting hot features.

  5. Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

    About 60 minutes

    See two huge waterfalls from several viewpoints. The guides take you to the best spots for both the Upper and Lower Falls.

  6. Hayden Valley

    About 30 minutes

    Drive through one of the park’s wide, open valleys. Large bison herds are common, and now and then people see moose, wolves or golden eagles.

  7. Artist Point

    About 60 minutes

    Here you get the most famous view of the Lower Falls. Look at the bright colors of the canyon walls, shaped over millions of years by erosion and by heat from below. The guide takes a photo of you here, good enough for a holiday card.

  8. Norris Geyser Basin

    About 60 minutes

    If the paths are open, walk with the guide through the oldest, hottest and most changeable part of the park. It is home to the largest geyser in the world.

  9. Firehole Canyon Drive

    About 25 minutes

    A photo stop at a waterfall in a canyon of volcanic rock.

  10. Fountain Paint Pot

    About 45 minutes

    If it is open, stop to see the bubbling paint pots of the Lower Geyser Basin. You also see geysers shooting water, bright hot springs, and trees whose white bases look like bobby socks.

  11. Grand Prismatic Spring

    About 45 minutes

    Walk through Midway Geyser Basin to see Excelsior Geyser and Grand Prismatic Spring, which ranks third in size among the world’s hot springs. Sometimes, if time and traffic allow, the group hikes up to the Grand Prismatic overlook.

  12. Old Faithful

    About 60 minutes

    Visit Old Faithful and the geyser basin around it.

  13. West Thumb Geyser Basin

    About 45 minutes

    Here you find paint pots, the well-known Fishing Cone and Yellowstone’s deepest hot spring, all on the shore of Yellowstone Lake.

  14. Yellowstone Lake

    About 45 minutes

    Drive along the largest mountain lake in North America. Early in the season it may still be frozen. The guide talks about cutthroat trout, the invasive fish in the lake and the other problems it faces.

What is included

Included

  • Bottled water
  • A trained nature guide
  • Binoculars and a spotting scope
  • An air-conditioned vehicle
  • Lunch: a sandwich, chips, fruit, and a homemade cookie or brownie

Not included

  • Park entry fees (covered if you have a national park pass; international visitors may pay more)
  • Tips for the guides

Cancellation and good to know

A full refund needs at least 24 hours' notice before the tour starts; cancel later and you get nothing back.

Should the operator call the tour off for poor weather, it lets you choose another date or a full refund.

If too few people book, the operator may cancel and then give you a different date or your money back.

Good to know

  • The company lists this full-day tour as wheelchair accessible.
  • Strollers and prams can come along for young children.
  • Service animals can travel with the group.
  • There is public transport near the meeting points.
  • No special fitness is needed for this long day in the park.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 from 786 reviews.

Read all reviews

Questions about this tour

Where does CoveredGround Tours' full-day Yellowstone tour start?

You join CoveredGround Tours' full-day Yellowstone tour in West Yellowstone. In detail: pickup at West Yellowstone hotels, or meet at the West Yellowstone Visitor Center at 7 a.m.; when you book, choose the West Yellowstone start.

Does CoveredGround Tours' full-day Yellowstone tour include the Yellowstone entrance fee?

No, the Yellowstone entrance fee is not part of CoveredGround Tours' full-day Yellowstone tour; you pay it on top.

How long is CoveredGround Tours' full-day Yellowstone tour?

CoveredGround Tours' full-day Yellowstone tour lasts 10 to 11 hours and starts at 7 a.m.

Can I cancel CoveredGround Tours' full-day Yellowstone tour for a refund?

Yes: cancel CoveredGround Tours' full-day Yellowstone tour at least 24 hours before the start and you get your money back in full. After that, no refund is given.

Can children go on CoveredGround Tours' full-day Yellowstone tour?

Children aged 2 and over can go on CoveredGround Tours' full-day Yellowstone tour, and an adult must be in the booking.