Granite giants, misty waterfalls, enormous canyons—and 800 miles of trails! Explore Yosemite beyond the postcards on a private full-day hike tailored just for you. Choose between 5 awesome itineraries to unlock both its hidden gems and iconic sights —alongside guides who know the place like their backpack. Best part? There is truly something for everyone. Want a Yosemite introduction? Hit the Valley. Already been there? How about the Tuolumne Meadows? Feeling adventurous? Climb Mount Hoffman. Panoramic views? We got you covered. Let’s trade “been there” for “blown away.” Ready to properly explore the world’s third oldest national park? Let’s go!
Our family of 6 (2 adults and 4 teenagers) had a great day yesterday hiking the mist trail to Vernal Falls and then moving on to other highlights in the Yosemite Valley. Our guide Eric was really friendly and chatty and very knowledgeable about the history of Yosemite and the geology, flora and fauna of the valley. He really knew his way around so we got to see a lot in 5/6 hours and avoided the more populated paths where possible. Thanks for a great experience Eric!
Our family of three did the Nevada Fall Loop hike with Matt as our guide. Not only was Matt extremely knowledgable and friendly, he was very patient with my constant picture taking and mediocre pace. He engaged our 12 year old son and made this rather hard hike truly fun for all of us. Matt shared lots of interesting facts about Yosemite, wildlife and flora in the area. Highly recommend Lasting Adventures, as they were extremely professional and responsive from the booking process to the day of our excursion. Fabulous memories made on this hike!
What you get on this adventure:
What’s not included:
These Yosemite full-day hiking tours vary in difficulty, but all require at least some hiking experience. The Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows tours are perfect for beginners. They usually involve between 6 and 10 miles (9.7-16 km) of hiking and are highly customizable, which will affect the actual distances and elevation gains.
A little more strenuous is the Glacier Point and Beyond tour and not because of the mileage (which is roughly the same as with the last two tours), but because the first mile of the hike will involve a pretty sharp uphill section, with a total elevation gain of 1,150 ft (350 m).
The Yosemite’s Waterfalls and Mount Hoffman tours are much more strenuous and require strong hiking experience from participants. The first one usually involves around 7 miles (11.3 km) of hiking, but with an elevation gain of 2,585 ft (788 m). Reaching the top of Mount Hoffman, on the other hand, involves 11 miles (17.7 km) of hiking, with an elevation gain of 2,700 ft (823 m). It’s also important to add that the high point during the Mount Hoffman hike will be at 10,850 ft (3,307 m), so some prior acclimatization is recommended especially for this tour.
Please keep in mind that temperatures can get very high in the summer. Your Yosemite hiking guide(s) will always be by your side during hikes and will notice if it gets too strenuous for anyone, making frequent breaks.
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Dress comfortably and according to the season. Make sure to keep an eye on the weather forecast and adjust your packing list accordingly. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
Group sizes and prices:
Yosemite day hikes can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
To get to Yosemite, most people fly into Sacramento International Airport which is around three hours away from the park or the Fresno/Yosemite International Airport which is also three hours away. Another option is flying into the San Francisco International Airport, just over four hours away from the park. From here, you can rent a car or take a shuttle service.
For the Yosemite Valley and the Yosemite’s Waterfalls Tour, you will meet your Yosemite hiking guide at the Curry Village Tour Kiosk at 8am.
For the Tuolumne Meadows Tour, you will meet your guide at the Lembert Dome Picnic Area at 9am.
For the Glacier Point and Beyond tour, you will meet your guide at the Glacier Point Parking Lot at 9am.
For the Mount Hoffman Tour, you will meet your guide at the Sunrise Lake Trailhead at 8 am.
Please note that the driving time will vary somewhat depending on the itinerary you choose as they have different meeting points. If arriving the day before, we suggest finding accommodation in Curry Village, Yosemite Village, Foresta, or El Portal.
Transportation from your hotel to the meeting point and back can be arranged for an added fee of $300 or $400 for your entire group (depending on your distance from the route). This option may not always be possible, but is generally a good option for anyone located within a 1-hour drive from the route. You’ll be able to leave a note for your guide with a pick-up location during booking or you can contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance. With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency in the wilderness, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more.
Travel insurance covers canceled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans.
We also expect you to respect local regulations and take measures to protect yourselves, your guides, and the communities you’re traveling to.
If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!
Day Trips Cancellations
Fully refundable within the initial 48 hours from booking, unless the trip date is less than 7 days from the time of the booking.
Cancellations up to 7 days prior to the trip date are refundable 100%.
Cancellations within 7 days prior to the trip date are non-refundable.
We had an incredible experience with Lasting Adventures! It was our first visit to Yosemite and kicking off the trip with a guided hike was perfect. It was just our group of 4 (me, my husband, and 2 friends) which was great because we got to ask lots of questions and take the day at our preferred pace. Our guide, Michael, was absolutely wonderful – very welcoming and easy to get along with! He is so knowledgable about the park, its history, and the nature and wildlife. He came well-prepared with sunscreen, bug spray, and extra water and snacks for all. And he took a bunch of quality photos of our group! The hike included a great mix of epic sights from higher elevations, and provided us with a nice overview of Yosemite, as well as ideas for other hikes to do on our own during the rest of our trip. I highly recommend Lasting Adventures for your trip to Yosemite. We were blown away!