Booking choice: The 2-day tour with lodging, from $629 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
The drive from San Francisco is the same whether you stay or not: about 4 hours each way. On a day trip it eats more than half your day; spread over two or three, it is a small part of the trip.
Below: the day trip, the 2-day tour with lodging and the 3-day camping trip, with prices from the live Viator listings in September 2026.
The quick answer
If you can spare the time, stay at least one night: the 2-day tour with lodging, from $629, adds a full day in the park and Glacier Point when the road is open. The 3-day camping trip, from $795, adds the high country, guided hikes and most meals. A day trip, from $209, is still worth it if one day is all you have.
Should you do Yosemite as a day trip or stay overnight?
Stay overnight if you can: you get a full day in the park instead of 3 to 5 hours, and the drive stops dominating the trip.
A day trip still shows you the Valley's big sights. One day-trip guest wrote they would book the 2-day tour next time, and a 2-day guest called staying the night much better than a day trip.
One night makes the drive worth it: the 2-day tour includes your lodging and a full day inside.
Check dates for the 2-day tour with lodgingHow do the day trip, 2-day and 3-day tours compare?
The day trip is cheapest and shortest, the 2-day tour adds a night and Glacier Point, and the 3-day trip adds camping, hikes and meals.
| Day trip | 2-day with lodging | 3-day camping | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From | $209 to $239 | $629 | $795 |
| Nights | None | 1: Yosemite Valley Lodge, Curry Village tent cabins or Yosemite View Lodge | 2, in tents (sleeping bag rental $30) |
| Time in the park | 3 to 5 h | Afternoon of day 1 + most of day 2 | Parts of 3 days, incl. a full high-country day |
| Glacier Point | No | Day 2, weather permitting | Not listed |
| Sequoias | Some tours | Tuolumne Grove, day 1 | Tuolumne Grove, day 1 |
| Meals | Own cost | Own cost | 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 1 dinner |
| Group | 15 to 45 | Max 13 | Max 13 |
| Free cancellation | Up to 24 h before | Up to 6 days before | Up to 6 days before |
What extra do you see with a second day?
Glacier Point, time for a real hike, and the Valley in the early morning or evening light, when the day-trippers are not there.
Glacier Point looks straight across the Valley at Half Dome and Yosemite Falls, but it is 30 miles from the Valley, so no day trip goes there. One 2-day guest reports hiking to the top of Yosemite Falls. Glacier Point Road was closed in late September 2026 because of the Dome Fire, which is why the tour says "weather permitting".
What is the 2-day Yosemite tour with lodging like?
Hotel pickup from about 6:15 to 7 AM, Tuolumne Grove, Tunnel View and Yosemite Village on day one, a night in or near the park, then a morning in the park and Glacier Point before the drive home.
You choose your lodging: Yosemite Valley Lodge or the Curry Village tent cabins inside the park, or Yosemite View Lodge outside it on the Merced River. You get back to San Francisco at about 8 to 9 PM on day two. Only one small overnight bag is allowed per person, and meals are extra. Guests describe the lodging as simple, and those staying outside the park note the extra drive to the Valley.
Want Glacier Point? The 2-day tour adds a night in or near the park and a full second day.
Explore the 2-day tour with lodgingWhat is the 3-day Yosemite camping trip like?
Two nights in tents with a guide, a full day in the high country, guided hikes, and most meals included.
You meet at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square at 8:15 AM (there is no hotel pickup). Day one includes Tuolumne Grove and Yosemite Village; day two is about 10 hours in the high country; day three gives about 4 hours in the Valley and a stop at El Capitan Meadow. Tents sleep four but only two share each one; bring a sleeping bag or rent one for $30.
Up for camping? The 3-day trip includes the tents, a guide and most meals.
Check dates for the 3-day camping tripIs the overnight tour worth the extra money?
Usually, if you can spare the day: $629 buys transport, a guide, a night's lodging and at least twice the park time of a day trip.
Remember that non-US residents 16 and over pay the $100 park fee on every option, and that multi-day tours need 6 days' notice to cancel, against 24 hours for day trips. A cheaper middle way exists: a 2-day transport-only tour from $279, where you book your own room in the park.
Can you do an overnight trip on your own?
Yes, with a rental car or the train and bus, if you can find a room in or near the park.
Driving over two days lets you add Mariposa Grove and Glacier Point on your own schedule; the car pays $35 at the gate for 7 days. See tour vs driving for the costs, including the train to Merced and the YARTS bus.
Who should stick with the day trip?
Anyone with only one free day, a tight budget, or who mainly wants Tunnel View, El Capitan and the Valley.
The day trip is long but well organised, and it is the best-reviewed way to see Yosemite from the city in a day. Read what a day trip really looks like before you book.
Only one day free? The small-group day trip is the best rated way to see Yosemite in a day.
Check dates for the small-group day trip with sequoiasFrequently asked questions
How many days do you need in Yosemite?
One day shows you the Valley highlights; two days add Glacier Point and a proper hike; three days add the high country.
Does the 2-day tour include meals?
No, meals are extra; the tour stops at the right times for you to buy food. The 3-day camping trip includes most meals.
Can I stay inside Yosemite on the 2-day tour?
Yes: choose Yosemite Valley Lodge or the Curry Village tent cabins, both inside the park, or Yosemite View Lodge just outside.
Is Glacier Point open?
Glacier Point Road was closed in late September 2026 because of the Dome Fire. The 2-day tour visits it when the road is open, weather permitting.
Ready to book
Choose your tour
Free cancellation on every option: up to 24 hours before on day trips, 6 days on multi-day tours. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Yosemite 2-Day Tour with Lodging
A night in or near the park, and Glacier Point on day two
Yosemite 3-Day Camping Trip
Two nights in tents, guided hikes and most meals
Yosemite Small-Group Day Trip with Sequoias
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in central San Francisco (about 5:15 to 5:30 AM)
- Driver-guide in a minibus, maximum 15 guests
- Tunnel View, Bridalveil Fall, El Capitan, Half Dome views and Yosemite Falls
