Private tour, run by Yellowstone Adventure Tours
Private Yellowstone Tour: ICONIC Sites, Wildlife, Family Friendly Hikes + lunch
From $2,200 per group (up to 6) Dates and prices
Starts in West Yellowstone: Pickup at any lodging or address in West Yellowstone, at a time agreed with the operator.
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Price and dates
From $2,200 per group (up to 6)
Checked 21 October 2026 for Thursday 22 October
Daily until 31 October. Only days the tour runs can be chosen.
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At a glance
- Length
- 7 to 9 hours
- Runs
- Daily until 31 October
- Group
- Private: only your group
- Guide
- In English, French or German
- Park entry
- Park entry not included
Before you book
Each non-US resident aged 16 or over pays an extra $100 to enter the park, even on a tour, unless they enter with an annual or America the Beautiful pass. The road from West Yellowstone into the park stays open to cars until 31 October 2026, and tours that drive in stop when it closes.
Where it starts
Pickup at any lodging or address in West Yellowstone, at a time agreed with the operator. You can be picked up, or meet the group at the start point.
The 49 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 Stone Inn
- Golden West Motel
- Gray Wolf Inn and Suites
- Ho Hum Motel
- Holiday Inn West Yellowstone By IHG
- Kelly Inn West Yellowstone
- Lazy Duck Inn
- Madison Arm Resort
- Marina View Condos
- Moose Creek Inn
- Mountain Vista Hotel
- One Horse Motel
- Pine Shadows Motel
- Pioneer Motel
- Pony Express Motel
- Sleepy Hollow Lodge
- Stage Coach Inn
- Starlite Yellowstone, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
- The Bucking Moose
- The Historic Madison Hotel, Motel and Hostel
- Three Bear Lodge
- Traveler's Lodge
- Under Canvas West Yellowstone
- Westwood Motel
- White Buffalo Hotel
- WorldMark West Yellowstone
- Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park
- Yellowstone Inn
- Yellowstone Lodge
- Yellowstone Park Hotel
- Yellowstone Park Mountainside Koa Journey
- Yellowstone Park/West Gate KOA
- Yellowstone Townhouses
- Yellowstone West Gate Hotel
The pickup list also has lodgings in Belgrade, Big Sky, Bozeman, Gallatin Gateway, Gardiner, Island Park, Livingston, Mammoth and Pray.
Pickup details
The guide can pick you up from any lodging or address in West Yellowstone, Big Sky, Gardiner or Bozeman, or in the Old Faithful area, including the Old Faithful Inn. If you are staying in Island Park, you meet the guide at a spot in West Yellowstone with safe, free parking for the day.
The listing shows a 6 or 7 a.m. pickup, but you can choose any time, and the company suggests the earlier the better. To see the most wildlife and beat the crowds, you can start as early as 5 a.m., depending on the month and where you start. Tell the company what suits your group.
Breakfast is not included. Make coffee at your hotel and buy fruit, yogurt, donuts or other snacks the night before. You are welcome to eat the healthy snacks in the vehicle, and there is Starbucks instant coffee if you want it.
There is no pickup in Jackson or Teton Village, but the guide can meet you somewhere inside the park.
Suggested pickup times, May to October:
- West Yellowstone: 5 or 5:30 a.m. in May, June and July; 5:30 or 6 a.m. in August and September; 6 a.m. in October
- Island Park, meeting in West Yellowstone: 5:30 or 6 a.m. all year
- Big Sky: 5:15 a.m. with pickup (6 a.m. in October), or 6:30 a.m. if you meet in West Yellowstone
- Old Faithful: 5 or 5:30 a.m. in May and June; 5:30 or 6 a.m. in July, August and September; 6 or 6:30 a.m. in October
- Canyon Village: 6 a.m. (6:30 a.m. in September)
- Gardiner: 5:30 or 6 a.m. (5:30 a.m. in October)
- Bozeman: 5 a.m. in May and June; 5 or 5:30 a.m. in July, August and September; 5:30 a.m. in October
- Livingston: 5 or 5:30 a.m. (5:30 a.m. in October)
In Bozeman or Belgrade, pickup can be from almost any hotel or address.
In the Old Faithful area, you meet at the visitor center or the Old Faithful Inn.
In Gardiner, you meet somewhere easy to reach near the park’s North Entrance.
About this tour
Every private tour with this company is led by a professional wildlife biologist, and you ride in a modern Chevy Suburban. The aim is to see as much wildlife as you can, visit the park’s best-known sights, and also find quiet places that most visitors miss.
During the day you see Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, with its 308-foot Lower Falls. You also see lots of wildlife, big waterfalls, geysers few people visit, and two historic hotels. The guide brings good binoculars and spotting scopes for the whole group, so you can watch animals and geysers far from the road. The day is meant to teach your family or group a lot and still be fun.
Lunch is a picnic with a view, on the shore of Yellowstone Lake.
The route
The stops in the order the operator lists them. Times at each stop are the operator's; wildlife and traffic change them.
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The day in outline
This classic tour covers Yellowstone’s best-known stops: Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring (if you ask for it), wildlife in Hayden Valley, the Lower Falls, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Yellowstone Lake. On the way you also stop at quieter waterfalls, hot springs, geysers and rivers, and watch for animals. There is time to rest inside the Old Faithful Inn, which was built in 1903.
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Hayden Valley
This is one of the best places in the park to see wildlife. The tour comes here first to give you the best chance of seeing black bears, grizzly bears, wolves and bison.
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Lower Yellowstone River Falls
The Lower Falls drop 308 feet (94 m), almost twice the height of Niagara Falls. The amount of water going over them changes a lot through the year: about 680 cubic feet a second in autumn, and up to 8,400 cubic feet a second when the snow melts in late spring.
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Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone
Many people call this canyon the most stunning sight in the park. It is 20 miles long, up to 4,000 feet wide and, in places, 1,200 feet deep, on the east side of the park. From several viewpoints you can watch the Lower Falls drop 308 feet into the canyon, or the Upper Falls drop 109 feet.
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Yellowstone Lake
What you do here depends on the day. You might hike, take a walk, look at historic buildings, or eat lunch at one of the guide’s quiet spots on the shore. Yellowstone Lake is the largest lake in North America above 7,000 feet.
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Yellowstone Geysers: Mud Volcano Area
An easy walk to see bubbling, steaming features that you can only find in Yellowstone.
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Old Faithful
An easy walk to watch Old Faithful and the hot springs around it.
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Upper Geyser Basin
The guide takes you into part of the park’s largest geyser basin by a side entrance that few people know about. On this trail you walk past hot springs, geysers and steam vents in a spot that is easy to reach but that most visitors never find. The company says many guests name this family-friendly walk as the best part of their day.
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Morning Glory Pool
An easy walk to see Morning Glory Pool and the hot springs near it.
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Grand Prismatic Spring
Grand Prismatic Spring, in Midway Geyser Basin, is the largest hot spring in the park and the third largest in the world. The company gives it as about 370 feet (113 m) across and more than 121 feet (37 m) deep. A fur trapper, Osborne Russell, wrote about it in 1839, so it is the first hot spring in Yellowstone that can be clearly matched to a written account.
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Fountain Paint Pot
On this short walk you see good examples of almost every kind of hot feature in Yellowstone: very colorful hot springs, steam vents, geysers and some of the best mud pots in the park. The area is very busy underground, and at least one geyser is going off at any moment.
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Firehole Lake Drive
Pretty geysers and hot springs, and maybe bison grazing nearby.
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Firehole Canyon Drive
A 40-foot waterfall where two ancient lava flows meet.
What is included
Included
- Vortex binoculars for everyone in your group
- Drinking water, sparkling drinks and sodas
- Two high-quality spotting scopes
- A booster seat if you need one
- A picnic lunch from a local deli, eaten on the shore of Yellowstone Lake
- Rain jackets and umbrellas
- An air-conditioned Chevy Suburban
- A free HD video of the wildlife you see, to take home
Not included
- The national park entrance fee
- A tip for your wildlife guide
Cancellation and good to know
Cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Later than that, nothing is refunded.
If the operator cancels for poor weather, it offers a different date or a full refund.
Good to know
- Wheelchair users can join: the company says both this tour and its vehicles are accessible.
- Little ones are welcome in a stroller or pram, and the company has infant seats for the drive.
- Guide dogs and other service animals may ride along.
- Public transport stops close to the start.
- The family-friendly walks on this day suit every fitness level.
Reviews
5.0 out of 5 from 997 reviews.
Questions about this tour
Where does Yellowstone Adventure Tours' private Iconic Sites tour start?
Yellowstone Adventure Tours' private Iconic Sites tour starts in West Yellowstone: pickup at any lodging or address in West Yellowstone, at a time agreed with the operator.
Does Yellowstone Adventure Tours' private Iconic Sites tour include the Yellowstone entrance fee?
No. Yellowstone Adventure Tours' private Iconic Sites tour does not include the Yellowstone entrance fee.
How long is Yellowstone Adventure Tours' private Iconic Sites tour?
Yellowstone Adventure Tours' private Iconic Sites tour lasts 7 to 9 hours.
Can I cancel Yellowstone Adventure Tours' private Iconic Sites tour for a refund?
Yes. You can cancel Yellowstone Adventure Tours' private Iconic Sites tour for a full refund up to 24 hours before it starts; later than that, nothing is refunded.
Can children go on Yellowstone Adventure Tours' private Iconic Sites tour?
Travellers of any age can go on Yellowstone Adventure Tours' private Iconic Sites tour.