It's approximately 7-8 hours in total on the first and last day, travel time to Yosemite is approximately 4 hours each way

The hike is dependent on trail and weather conditions. The Grove usually only available from April to October. If you choose not to participate in the hike, then you can stay with the bus at the top of the trail as you wait for the rest of the group to return from the hike. The hike is about 2 miles round-trip (about 60 minutes round-trip, depending on your pace) and a paved trail with 400 ft (122m) incline.

While Yosemite is incredible year-round, if you want to see its beautiful waterfalls at their finest, spring (March to May) is by far the best time of year to go, with waterfalls being at their peak in May and June. By the end of summer (July to August) they are often only a trickle or completely dry.

Yosemite National Park has a free, year-round Yosemite Valley Shuttle with stops at most major sights of interest and some trailheads (update: free shuttle is not available in 2021). You can also take YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System) for a fee if you wish to travel outside the park to the surrounding area.

You are allowed up to travel with up to 2 items (i.e. 1 Personal item + 1 Overnight bag) free of charge. These items must be within the size limitations. Each additional item above the 2-item allowance will incur a $25 excess luggage fee.The maximum size allowed for an overnight bag is 24”x16”x10”, or 60cmx40cmx25cm. Any “Oversize” luggage larger than those dimensions is $50 regardless of the number of personal items brought on board. (i.e. 1 Oversized luggage - $50, 2 Oversized pieces = $100). You must advise us of oversize luggage 48 hours prior to departure in order to guarantee the accommodation of the luggage on the vehicle. Note: If you are not staying overnight at Yosemite Valley Lodge, please only bring with you what you can easily carry as there are limited to no storage options available while you explore.

You will be dropped off around lunch time close to the Yosemite Valley Lodge. You will need to make your own way to your accommodation. The Yosemite National Park has a free, year-round Yosemite Valley Shuttle that stops at most major points of interest and some trailheads. You can also take YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System) for a fee if you wish to travel outside the park to the surrounding area. For some hotels it will be necessary to take this public transportation in order to reach your lodging. If you plan to stay overnight in the park, please check the location of your accommodation before making a reservation and be sure to plan ahead accordingly. You will need to make your own way to your accommodation. Please see either the National Park Service or YARTS respectively for the relevant shuttle schedule times and routes. If you plan to stay overnight in the park, please check the location of your accommodation before making a reservation and be sure to plan ahead accordingly.

At this time, we do not visit any hotel except the Yosemite Valley Lodge. You will be responsible for acquiring your own transportation to and from where you leave our tour in Yosemite Valley (near the Yosemite Valley Lodge) and rejoin it for your return trip.

If you are staying at Yosemite Valley Lodge (also known as the Yosemite Park Lodge), it is only a five-minute walk to the hotel. All other lodging must be accessed by either the free Yosemite Shuttle or by taking YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System) to your destination. You will need to make your own way to your accommodation. Please see either the National Park Service or YARTS respectively for the relevant shuttle schedule times and routes. If you plan to stay overnight in the park, please check the location of your accommodation before making a reservation and be sure to plan ahead accordingly.

Unfortunately, you cannot use your pass on this tour. The entrance for Yosemite National Park is based on the vehicle and not on an individual basis. Therefore, the tour cost includes the admission fee.

The Yosemite Entrance fee is included in the price of your tour.

We are currently the only tour company in the Bay Area with the Total Yosemite Experience from San Jose! More information can be found here, or you can call our office at 1-866-231-3752 (toll free from the USA) or 1-415-357-0700 to speak with a reservations agent directly.

Yes, we can pick you up in San Jose, see here, or if you're staying in the East Bay, we pick up in Livermore as well.

The tour is narrated in English but we offer complimentary recorded audio guides in 8 languages: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, Japanese, and Portuguese. If an audio guide is required, please specify when booking

Please note that for your child's safety, we require you to bring a child safety seat or booster seat for all children under 8 years of age or 4' 9" in height, as dictated by California State Law. You will be required to bring your own child seat on all motor vehicle tours. Failure to provide a seat for your child will result in forfeit of your seats on the tour without a refund. Please also note that any children 12 years and older must have an adult ticket as they do not qualify for a child-priced ticket.

Yes, the tour is guided with an English-speaking guide. There will also be time on your own during the stops.

Yosemite weather varies depending on the season. Average temperature data is below.

SUMMER MONTHS (JUNE, JULY, AUGUST):
Average High temperature: 87°F / 31°C
Average Low temperature: 55°F / 13°C

WINTER MONTHS (DECEMBER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY):
Average High temperature: 48°F / 9°C
Average Low temperature: 29°F / -2°C

Temperatures vary depending on the season and time of day in Yosemite, so we recommend that you wear layered clothing in case of unexpectedly climbing or falling temperatures. We do not recommend wearing shorts or sleeveless shirts in the winter. However, we realize that everyone is acclimated to different weather and thus trust you to make your own judgement. For footwear, we recommend comfortable walking shoes, such as regular tennis shoes, sneakers, or boots with rubber soles and treads. In the summer months, hiking sandals can be worn on the Total Yosemite Experience, but high heels, beach flip-flops, and other open-toed shoes are not recommended.

Comfortable shoes for walking
Extra spending money for meals, snacks, souvenirs etc
A light jacket (easily removable) in case of wind
Camera
Water bottle
Warm clothes and a waterproof jacket (during the winter months)
Hat and sunscreen (during the summer months)
Sturdy umbrella (if the forecast calls for rain)

Meals are not included on this tour. We do make a stop about halfway to and from Yosemite, where you can buy a snack or meal to take with you. There are also restaurants and a food court in Yosemite Valley where you can purchase lunch and snacks.

Times listed are approximates only. Traffic and other unforeseen issues can cause delays or changes in these times, which are out of our control. Please do not make flight/travel arrangements on the same day as your tour. Extranomical Tours is not responsible for and will not be providing any compensation for missed flights or appointments.

As we have several different vehicles, we don’t know until the morning of your tour which vehicle will be hosting your tour as well as the name of your Expedition Leader. Please feel free to call us in the morning of your tour if you like. Regardless of which vehicle will come to your location, it should say “Extranomical Tours” on it.

Our vehicles at this time do not have any restroom facilities. We do, however, make several stops throughout the tours and there will be opportunities for you to use the restroom.

Yes, we request that you reach out to us at least a day in advance to confirm your tour and pick up details. You can contact us via our live chat function or by calling our office at 1-866-231-3752 (toll free from the USA) or +1-415-357-0700 (internationally) during office hours. You can call us from your hotel’s phone if you do not have a working mobile phone while you are in the area.

We ask that you do not bring anything on tour larger than 22”x14”x9”, or 56cmx36cmx23cm.

We do have wheelchair-capable vehicles available – subject to availability. Please notify us at time of booking if you are bringing a wheelchair on the tour so that we can make the appropriate arrangements. Please note that due to limitations we are unable to guarantee an ADA vehicle.

Yes, items left in the vehicle are stored in a lost and found area for 30 days. If you left something on one of our tours, please give us a call office at 1-866-231-3752 (toll free from the USA) or 1-415-357-0700 to see if it has been found. Once you have confirmed with us that your item has been found by our staff and you are still in town, you can come by our office to pick up your item. Otherwise, we will ship almost any item to any destination within the U.S. for a flat fee of $25. Extranomical Tours is not responsible for lost or stolen items