West Yellowstone Tours

West Entrance today: Open to cars until 31 October

Road calendar

Shared tour, run by Yellowstone Day Tours

Yellowstone National Park: Full-Day Lower Loop Tour from West Yellowstone

4.9 261 reviews

From $325 per adult Dates and prices

Starts in West Yellowstone: Pickup at West Yellowstone lodgings, or meet at the Visitor Center, 30 Yellowstone Ave.

The 25 West Yellowstone lodgings on the pickup list

  • A small herd of bison splashing across a shallow, stony river in a wide green valley
  • Old Faithful erupting in a white column against a blue sky with clouds, a long low lodge building behind the geyser
  • The Lower Falls dropping between steep yellow and tan walls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, the river green below
  • Two visitors with cameras at a rocky canyon overlook, the Lower Falls and yellow canyon walls behind them
  • A grizzly bear standing in tall grass in front of dark pine trees, looking toward the camera
  • A bull elk with wide antlers bugling, his breath visible, beside a dead tree and autumn shrubs

Photographs: 6, all from Yellowstone Day Tours. Move sideways to see them all.

Price and dates

From $325 per adult

Checked 21 October 2026 for Friday 23 October

Daily until 31 October. Days without a departure cannot be picked.

Travellers
Adults, 13–64 1
Seniors, 65 and over 0
Children, 6–12 0

That figure is for the chosen date and group. Try other dates or numbers to compare.

Check Availability
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
  • Instant confirmation

The partner we book through asks for your date and group again and takes the payment. We get a commission, which does not raise your price.

At a glance

Length
8 to 9 hours, starts 7:30 a.m.
Runs
Daily until 31 October
Later dates
Some dates on sale between 21 October 2027 and 31 October 2027
Group
Shared, up to 18 people
Ages
6 and over; an adult must be in the booking
Guide
In English
Park entry
Park entry included; non-US residents pay the $100 fee themselves

Before you book

If you live outside the US and are 16 or older, expect to pay $100 more to enter the park, tour or not, unless you carry an annual or America the Beautiful pass. Driving tours run only while the road in from West Yellowstone is open to cars, which is until 31 October 2026.

Where it starts

Pickup at West Yellowstone lodgings, or meet at the Visitor Center, 30 Yellowstone Ave. Either the guide collects you, or you join everyone at the meeting point.

The 25 West Yellowstone lodgings on the pickup list
  • Best Western Desert Inn
  • Best Western Weston Inn
  • Brandin' Iron Inn
  • ClubHouse Inn West Yellowstone
  • Elkhorn Cabins and Inn
  • Evergreen Motel
  • Explorer Cabins At Yellowstone
  • Geyser Inn
  • Golden Stone Inn
  • Gray Wolf Inn and Suites
  • Holiday Inn West Yellowstone By IHG
  • Kelly Inn West Yellowstone
  • Moose Creek Inn
  • Starlite Yellowstone, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
  • The Adventure Inn Yellowstone
  • The Aspen
  • The Historic Madison Hotel, Motel and Hostel
  • Three Bear Lodge
  • Traveler's Lodge
  • White Buffalo Hotel
  • Yellowstone Country Inn
  • Yellowstone Lodge
  • Yellowstone Park Hotel
  • Yellowstone West Gate Hotel
  • Yellowstone Wildlife Cabins

Pickup details

Not staying in town? Then meet at the West Yellowstone Visitor Center, 30 Yellowstone Avenue.

Be ready 5 minutes before your confirmed start time. It is a long day with a lot to see, so the tour leaves on time. If you are not there when it leaves, you may be left behind and lose what you paid.

About this tour

Spend 8 to 9 hours in Yellowstone, America’s first national park, with a local guide. The tour starts from West Yellowstone or the Island Park area. You see Old Faithful and the waterfalls of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and look for wildlife such as grizzly bears, bison and gray wolves.

A light breakfast, lunch, park entrance fees and the use of binoculars are all part of the price.

The route

Stops appear in the order the operator gives. Their timings are the operator's too, and traffic or animals on the road can change them.

  1. Yellowstone National Park

    About 4 hours

    A day in the world’s first national park.

  2. Old Faithful

    About 45 minutes

    Watch the world’s most famous geyser go off in full force.

  3. Artist Point

    About 20 minutes

    This lookout is on the south rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. It gives wide views of the 308-foot Lower Falls and of canyon walls made of rhyolite, a volcanic rock.

  4. Upper Falls

    About 15 minutes

    Watch and hear the Yellowstone River pour 109 feet over the Upper Falls.

  5. Hayden Valley

    About 45 minutes

    This wide valley sits between Yellowstone Lake and the Upper Falls, on both sides of the Yellowstone River. It is home to wolves, grizzly bears, bald eagles, elk and bison. The tour includes this stop from 7 May to 7 November.

  6. Fountain Paint Pot

    About 25 minutes

    This spot in the Lower Geyser Basin has every one of the park’s four types of hot feature side by side: geysers, mud pots, hot springs and steam vents.

What is included

Included

  • Hotel pickup and drop-off at some West Yellowstone lodgings
  • Bottled water
  • National park entrance fees
  • Muffins and pastries
  • A local guide
  • A sandwich (turkey and provolone, ham and Swiss, roast beef and cheddar, or veggie) on your choice of sourdough, wheat or gluten-free bread

Not included

  • Tips (15 to 20% is usual)
  • Pets and other animals
  • The extra park fee for non-US residents: $100 a person, for each park

Cancellation and good to know

Full refunds are given up to 24 hours before the tour begins. Cancellations after that point are not refunded.

Too few travellers can mean the operator cancels, in which case it gives you a new date or a full refund.

Good to know

  • The minimum age is 6. Families with younger children can ask about a private tour instead.
  • Expect a fair bit of walking, though no special fitness is needed.
  • The day goes ahead in rain or shine, so pack for both.
  • When you book, note each traveler’s sandwich (turkey, ham, roast beef or veggie, on wheat or gluten-free bread) in the Special Requirements box.
  • Animals cannot join this tour, and that includes service dogs.
  • The company strongly advises travel insurance, in case a delay, a cancelled flight, car trouble, illness or a family emergency keeps you from the tour. Its website explains more.

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 from 261 reviews.

Read all reviews

Questions about this tour

Where does Yellowstone Day Tours' Lower Loop tour start?

The starting point for Yellowstone Day Tours' Lower Loop tour is West Yellowstone. The arrangement: pickup at West Yellowstone lodgings, or meet at the Visitor Center, 30 Yellowstone Ave.

Does Yellowstone Day Tours' Lower Loop tour include the Yellowstone entrance fee?

Yes. Yellowstone Day Tours' Lower Loop tour includes the Yellowstone entrance fee for US residents. Non-US residents aged 16 or over pay the separate $100 nonresident fee.

How long is Yellowstone Day Tours' Lower Loop tour?

Yellowstone Day Tours' Lower Loop tour begins at 7:30 a.m. and runs for 8 to 9 hours.

Can I cancel Yellowstone Day Tours' Lower Loop tour for a refund?

Yes. Yellowstone Day Tours' Lower Loop tour is fully refundable until 24 hours before the start; a later cancellation is not refunded.

Can children go on Yellowstone Day Tours' Lower Loop tour?

Yes, children 6 and older can join Yellowstone Day Tours' Lower Loop tour, as long as an adult is in the same booking.